The Free People brand overall has been a top performer for parent company Urban Outfitters Inc. for more than a decade. Its active line, Free People Movement, is currently driving big growth numbers both in the DTC channel and at wholesale.
In the fourth quarter ended Jan. 31, Free People Movement sales jumped 34%, Urban Outfitters executives said on an earnings call Wednesday afternoon.
Total Free People Movement retail segment comps (stores plus online) increased 19%, while Free People Movement wholesale sales “exploded” in the quarter, rising 91% year-over-year, according to Urban Outfitters Inc. Co-President and Chief Operating Officer Frank Conforti.
Free People Movement – Potential for 300-Plus Stores
Free People Movement opened its first standalone store five years ago, and ended 2024 with 63 locations. Executives emphasized that FP Movement stores are highly profitable.
Twenty more FP Movement stores are planned for this year, and the company believes the active brand store count could ultimately grow to 300 in North America.
Free People Group
Free People overall also reported strong fourth quarter and full-year financial results.
Free People retail segment comparable sales (stores plus online) grew 8% in Q4, and 8.9% for the full year. Free People wholesale sales grew 27% overall in Q4.
Free People is now the second largest brand by revenue at the company, with $1.46 billion in sales for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31.
By comparison, sister chain Anthropologie, the company’s largest brand, recorded $2.42 billion in sales and Urban Outfitters, No. 3, posted $1.24 billion.
In addition to the 20 new Free People Movement stores this year, the company will also open 16 new Free People locations.
Urban Outfitters Inc. expects Free People’s retail comps to rise in the low-to-mid single digits in Q1 and for the full year.
Executives said that it’s especially impressive that Free People is forecasting positive comps for Q1 this year given it’s up against a 17% comp from the same period last year.
“Free People has honestly been one of the most consistent and profitable brands in our industry for over a decade now and continues to have growth opportunities in all sales channels through continued category expansion and customer acquisition,” Conforti said.
