$60M investment for Urban Outfitters’ clothing rental sister brand expected to create 750 KC jobs
February 20, 2024 | Startland News Staff
RAYMORE, Missouri — The opening of a 600,000-square-foot fulfillment center for Nuuly, a women’s clothing rental brand, is an exciting moment for the region, said Chris Gutierrez, buoyed by company officials’ plans to create 750 new jobs over the next five years.
A press conference Tuesday celebrated the second local facility for URBN, which in addition to Nuuly boasts a portfolio of global consumer brands like Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, FP Movement, Anthropologie Weddings, Terrain, and Menus & Venues.
“An industrial hub with robust infrastructure and skilled workforce, the KC region remains a top destination for leading brands, and we look forward to URBN’s ongoing success here,” said Gutierrez, president of KC SmartPort, a strategic affiliate of the Kansas City Area Development Council.
Since launching in 2019, Nuuly has become the leading subscription rental clothing service for women and currently offers over 19,000 styles from more than 400 designer and contemporary brands, including sister ventures Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People.
Michelle Hataway, acting director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, speaks during a ribbon-cutting event for Nuuly’s new fulfillment center near Raymore; photo courtesy of KCADC; “We’re thrilled to join URBN, the city of Raymore, and our partners in celebrating the opening of this new facility,” said Hataway. “We’re grateful for all those who supported URBN as it joins a growing list of innovative companies that are investing in our state and helping Missourians prosper.”
URBN is investing $60 million in two phases of work over a five-year period to build its Nuuly fulfillment and laundry facility, which is expected to provide the company with capacity to triple its active subscriber base, following an exceptionally strong year, according to the KCADC and Nuuly.
“Nuuly has experienced unprecedented growth and momentum, and we are excited to expand our operations to the Kansas City region to support our next phase of growth,” said David Hayne, chief technology officer of URBN and president of Nuuly. “Opening our second U.S. fulfillment center will allow us to grow well into the future.”
The new facility is a cutting-edge fulfillment center with full laundering and clothing alteration capabilities that will enable Nuuly to optimize its service across the country.
It is located at the Raymore Commerce Center, which was developed by VanTrust Real Estate. The Kansas City developer broke ground in September 2020.
The parent company previously completed construction on a $403 million, 1.5 million-square-foot omni-channel URBN fulfillment center in Kansas City, Kansas, in October 2022.
“URBN’s strategic choice to open its new facility in Missouri further underscores the state’s unparalleled advantages,” said Subash Alias, CEO of Missouri Partnership, a public-private economic development organization focused on attracting new jobs and investment to the state and promoting Missouri’s business strengths. “Missouri’s central location in the heart of the nation, coupled with our robust infrastructure and skilled workforce, makes the state an ideal hub for businesses seeking efficiency and connectivity.”
“We are thrilled to welcome renowned global retailer URBN to Missouri, and we are confident their presence will not only enhance the local economy but also leverage the state’s business advantages for their continued success,” Alias added.
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