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Dive Brief:
Clothing brand Eastside Golf opened its first brick-and-mortar retail store Monday at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, according to a news release.
Eastside Golf partnered with Paradies Lagardère to operate the store. Paradies is an operator of travel retail, as well as the PGA Tour Shops where Eastside Golf has a presence in 10 of its stores.
The 300-square-foot Eastside Golf store carries a curated selection of the lifestyle brand’s apparel and accessories, including signature Swingman sweatshirts, tracksuits, performance polos and bucket hats, per the release.
Dive Insight:
The launch of its first retail outlet in Detroit continues an expansion plan for Eastside Golf.
The brand’s founders have strong business and personal ties in Michigan. Olajuwon Ajanaku was working in finance in Detroit when the idea for Eastside Golf was hatched. His partner, Earl Cooper, was born in Flint, Michigan, and was the first Black PGA Teaching Professional at the Detroit Golf Club. The two met at Morehouse College, where they competed on a team that won the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship in 2010.
“This store is an opportunity to bring the Eastside Golf brand to life and connect directly with our community,” Ajanaku said in an email. “Opening in an airport gives us a unique platform to reach people from all walks of life, and we’ve seen success in this venue already through our presence in PGA Tour shops in airports across the country. Brick-and-mortar is a key part of our growth strategy, and we’re exploring both traditional retail and unconventional spaces like airports to reach new and existing customers.”
Founded in 2019, Eastside Golf is part of a growing trend of golf lifestyle brands crossing into mainstream fashion. The brand has recently formed wholesale partnerships with a number of specialty retailers, including Nordstrom, Dick’s Sporting Goods and 70 Snipes footwear locations.
The company added women’s apparel to the collection in 2024 and in January named Annette Parker to be its first chief marketing officer.