Djerf Avenue Opened First Retail Store in New York City

The apparel brand has transitioned from online-only to a permanent 25 Bond Street storefront.

Updated on Oct. 3, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Apparel brand Djerf Avenue launched its first permanent retail location at 25 Bond Street in New York City on October 3, 2026. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you prefer shopping in person at physical stores rather than ordering products online?

Djerf Avenue, founded in 2019, officially opened its first brick-and-mortar location in New York City on October 3, 2026. The move marks a strategic shift for the brand, which previously relied on digital sales, pop-up events, and community engagement to build its market presence.

Why it matters

The brand established this permanent physical location to satisfy a growing consumer demand for human connection following years of digital-only operations. Leadership chose the site to leverage existing deep customer connections in New York City.

The brand has executed 50 community events and 8 pop-up shops since its founding in 2019, culminating in the opening of this first permanent storefront. The expansion follows the appointment of Johanna Axén as chief executive officer in the summer of 2026.

The players

Matilda Djerf

Founder of the apparel, beauty, and home goods brand who faced workplace mistreatment accusations in 2024.

Johanna Axén

Chief executive officer appointed in summer 2026 to lead the brand through its shift to physical retail.

Leap

Retail services provider that partnered with the brand to design the physical store layout.

The details

Designed in partnership with Leap, the store features a home-like aesthetic intended to bridge apparel, beauty, and home decor categories. The space uses wooden fixtures and hand-painted curtains to create a lounge area that encourages dwell time. This strategy aims to deepen brand loyalty by transitioning from transactional online retail to a physical environment designed for community interaction.

2019: Djerf Avenue brand was founded.
Summer 2026: Johanna Axén appointed as chief executive officer.
October 3, 2026: New York City store opened.

Market Landscape

The opening reflects a broader industry movement among digital-native brands toward physical experiential retail to cement customer loyalty. This transition follows a pattern where retailers use pop-up testing and community events to validate physical expansion plans.

Operators should evaluate whether their current customer engagement model provides enough human-centric touchpoints to support long-term retention. As digital-native competitors move into physical spaces, local retailers must assess how their own store atmosphere impacts dwell time and cross-selling across categories.

The takeaway

The transition to physical retail allows brands to deepen connections with their community after initial scaling online. Operators should track the conversion rates of customers who interact with both their physical and digital channels to measure the efficacy of omnichannel strategies.