Urban Outfitters Is Making Big Moves at the King of Prussia Mall

Image via iStock/Jen Grantham.

Many people don’t associate URBN’s brands with each other, but the company hopes to change that perception soon. This fall, Urban Outfitters, Free People, Anthropologie and (wait for it) Pizzeria Vetri, URBN’s newest addition, will form a cluster within the King of Prussia Mall. This mall-within-a-mall will be more than just a bohemian girl’s haven; it’s a new concept for the company — and a bit of a gamble. 

Sure, we’ve got Urban Outfitters and Free People right next to each other on Walnut Street, and Anthro is a stone’s throw down the block. However, this is the first time all three clothing brands plus a Pizzeria Vetri shop will shack up together in the same space.

The current setup at KOP has Urban and Free People separated by multiple stores within the mega-mall, but new construction will place Free People and Anthro directly across from Urban’s current location. And guess what? It’s going to be huge—as in 40,000 square feet huge—and we’re just talking about Free People and Anthropologie’s space. Urban Outfitters, currently occupying 14,000 square feet, plans to increase its footprint by 6,000 additional square feet, knocking down a wall to make space for Pizzeria Vetri.

An Urban executive told Philly.com he sees the pizza shop as a space that “enables us to activate the common area between the store locations…so customers can gather in an environment that has our aesthetic.” With company sales falling as of late, URBN hopes to dive into people’s wallets in a new way. Another Urban exec put it simply: “She may choose not to shop, but she might eat.”

Construction will begin in the next few weeks, but you won’t be able to shop all four locations at the King of Prussia Mall until late October. We’re anxious to see if the concept plays out to URBN’s advantage. Is there really that much crossover among brands that the Anthro customer will pop over to Urban on her shopping ventures? Time will tell.