Vuori

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Vuori
TypePrivate
IndustryApparel
GenreAthleisure
Founded2015 (2015) in Encinitas, California, US
FounderJoe Kudla
Headquarters
Carlsbad, California
,
US
Number of locations
40 Stores (2023)
Key people
Joe Kudla (CEO)
Websitevuoriclothing.com
Footnotes
[1]

Vuori is an American contemporary clothing brand headquartered in San Diego County, California, with its flagship store located in Encinitas, California.[2] It was founded by Joe Kudla in 2015 as a retailer of athletic and athleisure clothing, and has expanded to sell lifestyle apparel and other merchandise.[3][4] An US$825 million funding round led by General Atlantic and Stripes valued the company at over $5 billion.[5][6][7] SoftBank and Norwest Venture Partners participated in the funding round.[8] Founder and CEO Joe Kudla retains majority ownership of Vuori.

Vuori has 40 stores in major US markets such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, New York, San Francisco, and Boston.[9] Its products are sold at Nordstrom, REI, Equinox, and other retailers.[10][4] In addition to its hometown flagship store in Encinitas, Vuori has flagships in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan and on Regent Street in London.

Vuori was certified as a Climate Neutral brand, meaning it measures and offsets all its carbon emissions from product creation to delivery, but it's certification has expired.[11]

History

Founder Joe Kudla began developing the concept in 2014 and formally launched the brand in 2015 with a focus on versatile men's activewear sold primarily through direct‑to‑consumer e‑commerce. Early on, the company also operated a pop‑up in downtown Encinitas, California to bring the brand to life for local customers.[12][13]

The brand opened its first permanent store in spring 2016 in Encinitas.[14] The company expanded to wholesale with REI, which tested the line in 2016 and subsequently expanded distribution, followed by placements at Nordstrom and Equinox.[4][10][15]

The company reported reaching profitability by 2017 as growth accelerated.[16]

The company's growth has been supported by several rounds of financing. In 2019, Norwest Venture Partners made a $45 million minority growth investment.[17] In October 2021, SoftBank Vision Fund 2 invested $400 million at an approximately $4 billion valuation to support international expansion and a multi‑year US store rollout.[18] In November 2024, Vuori completed an $825 million secondary tender led by General Atlantic and Stripes, reported at about a $5.5 billion valuation.[19]

Vuori's has expanded its US retail presence from its Encinitas flagship to dozens of stores in major markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, New York and Denver. Store formats and sizes varied by location, with examples ranging from sub‑4,000-square-foot (370 m2) neighborhood sites to larger flagships such as the roughly 6,000 sq ft (560 m2) SoHo, New York space at 106 Spring Street.[20][21]

International expansion began in 2022 with the launch of localized e‑commerce and selective wholesale in the UK, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Australia and Canada, followed later that year by the opening of Vuori's first international store in London's Covent Garden.[15][22]

Etymology

Vuori means “mountain” in Finnish, reflecting founder Joe Kudla's passion for mountain climbing.[2]

See also

References

  1. "Vuori company info". Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 2026-03-28.
  2. San Diego’s $4 Billion Clothing Brand: Vuori Medium, Fred Grier, January 18, 2023
  3. "Founder Stories: Vuori". Head West Guide. February 8, 2024.
  4. Vuori continues its massive retail expansion as it targets around 25 new stores a year Modern Retail, Julia Waldow, July 18, 2023
  5. How Vuori Became One of the Hottest Names in Fashion New York Times, January 18, 2025
  6. How Vuori reached a $5.5 billion valuation by taking share from Lululemon Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, December 19, 2024
  7. Shapiro, Sarah (January 21, 2025). "The Vuori Reality Distortion Complex". Puck.
  8. Vuori Announces $825 Million Investment Led by General Atlantic and Stripes November 8, 2024
  9. Hutson, Wendell (October 19, 2022). "Vuori's expansion brings its largest store to Chicago". Chicago Business Journal.
  10. Gallun, Alby (April 10, 2023). "Vuori store in Gold Coast sells for $12 million". Crain Communications, Inc.
  11. "Vuori - Climate Neutral Certified Brand". Change Climate. n.d.
  12. Jr, Tom Huddleston (2023-03-20). "This CEO burned through $700,000 with a simple mistake—an epiphany helped him turn it into a $4 billion powerhouse". CNBC. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  13. Wassel, Bryan (2019-07-16). "How Vuori Balances DTC, Wholesale And Brick-And-Mortar Amid Triple-Digit Growth". Retail TouchPoints. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  14. "Encinitas activewear brand thrives, opens store". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2016-06-15. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  15. Danziger, Pamela N. "Vuori, The Athleisure Brand Valued At $4 Billion, Is Halfway To Opening 100 Stores By 2026". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  16. Harris, Ainsley (2021-10-15). "How this activewear unicorn got profitable, while direct-to-consumer rivals are still bleeding red". Fast Company. Archived from the original on 2025-01-13. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  17. Shieber, Jonathan (2019-08-15). "Southern California athletic brand, Vuori, raises $45 million from Norwest Venture Partners". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  18. Palmieri, Jean (2021-10-13). "Vuori Gets $400 Million Investment From SoftBank".
  19. "With latest investment, Vuori's valuation hits $5.5B | Retail Dive". www.retaildive.com. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  20. Weiss, Lois (2022-03-30). "Outdoor brand leases Soho corner for first East Coast store". The Real Deal. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  21. "Vuori opens store in Washington, DC's Georgetown neighborhood | Retail Dive". www.retaildive.com. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  22. "Vuori Expands to the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Australia, and Canada". Archived from the original on 2025-04-20. Retrieved 2025-11-18.