April 3, 2017
The following is an excerpt from an Ashley Stewart press release:
Ashley Stewart, the premier lifestyle destination for plus-size women’s fashion, announced today that it has unveiled it’s first-ever concept store in Newark, New Jersey. To serve Ashley’s community of women, the new 4,500 square feet store offers a completely revolutionary shopping experience. Coined “The Ashley Stewart Lab,” the shop houses a full range of branded apparel, jewelry and handbags, and for the first-time ever, incorporates a social lounge, which ultimately houses a marketplace dedicated to a curated selection of Ashley’s favorite non-apparel brands.
In a move to engage customers into Ashley’s incredibly powerful, women-driven social universe, the concept store features a social lounge that serves as a fashion haven for girlfriends to gather and celebrate their curves. The store also has large fitting rooms that lead to a runway-ready lounge, complete with a digital display that streams the brand’s Ashley TV multimedia content. To customize the shopping experience, the store also features dedicated vignettes, including a Casual Shop, Career Shop and Intimates Shop, all for women who love their curves.
As the first brick-and-mortar opening since the reinvention of Ashley Stewart in 2013, this new store marks a significant move for the brand because it is also a return to Newark; a city that encompasses many of the same traits – perseverance, resilience, and hope – which drove Ashley Stewart to prevail.
“We are particularly excited for Ashley Stewart’s return to Newark,” remarked Nicole Goodman, Manager of Ashley Stewart Newark. “In many ways Ashley is reconnecting with a good friend from the past, and we are thrilled to give her something to talk about with this new store concept.
The new Ashley Stewart store is located in the Springfield Avenue Marketplace at 204 Springfield Avenue, Newark, New Jersey and is the retail chain’s 90th store. To celebrate the opening, Ashley Stewart had an opening party for their Divas on April 1 and will have a ribbon cutting with the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation and Mayor Ras Baraka on April 13, 2017.
On April 22, 2017, Ashley Stewart will host Finding Ashley Stewart 2017 at the store. The event is the fourth of eight stops on a national tour which, combined with an online search for finalists this summer, which will culminate in New York City with a grand finale in September. This nationwide search will award the title of “Ashley Stewart 2017” to a woman who embodies and exudes the confidence, strength and fierceness that has become synonymous with Ashley Stewart.
