Living in luxury: New wing at KOP Mall a hit

Source, philly.com, Suzette Parmley

The luxury wing at the King of Prussia Mall celebrated its one-year anniversary on Friday, and it’s been a hit.

Maybe it’s the year-round $7 valet parking service. Or the concierge service with complimentary coffee, sparkling or filtered water, and cookies on weekends. Or the charging stations for one’s mobile device or electric car.

For Sonia Pinzon, 45, of Phoenixville, Chester County, it has to do with comfort and staying dry.

The 155,000-square-foot corridor debuted on Aug. 18, 2016, and linked the Court and Plaza for the first time in 53 years, creating one big mall and ending the treks in the rain or snow to get from one to the other.

“Especially in the winter, it’s been fantastic,” Pinzon said during her weekly visit to what she dubs “my shopping mall,” 10 minutes from her home.

Rick Sokolov, president and chief operating officer for mall owner Simon Property Group, said the project did what it was expected to do, creating “one totally integrated shopping environment.”

Traffic and sales were up, said Sokolov, though he wouldn’t disclose figures.

“All of the tenants that moved from over the existing wing to new flagship stores under the expansion have dramatically increased their sales,” he said. “The expansion itself has substantially increased the traffic flow between the two parts of the mall. … The success of it can be really found by all the tenants that continue to open in the wing.”

One such newcomer is men’s clothier Indochino, which debuted Monday.

The Canada-based retailer, which bills itself as the world’s largest made-to-measure menswear company, opened its 17th store at the intersection of the old and new wings, next to Apple and Forever 21. It also opened a 2,347-square-foot store at 1606 Chestnut St. in January 2015. The KoP showroom is nearly double that at 4,100 square feet, making it the brand’s largest.

“We were looking for a regional powerhouse to complement our Chestnut Street location and provide easy access for customers living outside the city center,” said Dean Handspiker, Indochino’s vice president of design, product and showroom development. “King of Prussia is one of the top 10 shopping malls in the country, and its new luxury wing has attracted a wave of affluent shoppers who are discovering that they’re able to get the same luxury tailoring experience for far less at Indochino.”

On Friday, Sokolov disclosed that two more restaurants will be opening next year right below the food court outside Macy’s. He described them only as “national, sophisticated restaurant concepts.”

“We want to have the best of the best at KoP,” he said. “Stay tuned.”

Full-service restaurants Mistral and True Food, which opened in March and July respectively, have also been well-received, he said. They added to a roster that has grown steadily after the debut of the wing, which hosts about 40 mostly luxury brands.

“We have tried to provide facts and actual results to the public narrative about the demise of the mall,” Sokolov said. “I invite anyone to visit KoP and walk away from it with anything other than a very vibrant, vital, and impactful retail, dining and entertainment venue.”

Since the KOP luxury wing debuted on Aug. 18, 2016, these retailers have opened:
• Shinola
• COS
• Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
• Bottega Veneta
• Hermes
• Gucci
• Melt Shop
• Tempur-Pedic
• Clarins
• Le Cresuset
• Marc Cain
• Joie
• G-Star Raw
• Tutti Spa & Nails
• ECCO
• Calligaris
• Oliver Peoples