Jessica Cole Photos
Morand makes the inaugural purchase.
As CEO of Gant USA Ari Hoffman pointed out a pair of Gant’s signature “New Haven Chinos,” he heard a conversation at the cash register behind him. It was Mike Morand in the process of purchasing his own pair of pants from the newest store in the Broadway District.
Morand, Yale’s associate vice president for New Haven and State affairs, was Gant’s first official customer during its grand opening Thursday morning. For the ceremony, Hoffman and other company employees joined with representatives from Yale University Properties (the landlord) to formally cut a ribbon in front of its doorway on the corner of York and Elm streets.
The new location brings Gant full circle. The brand, which has 500 stores in 70 different countries, began in the Elm City in 1949 and grew to be the world’s largest shirt manufacturer while here. It subsequently moved out of the city and was bought by a Swiss company. With the new retail outlet it aims to return somewhat to its roots.
Why now? According to Hoffman (pictured here poised to cut the ribbon), it’s because of a shift in company culture. Ten years ago, Gant USA was owned by a large corporation that cared more about profits and growth than tapping into its past, he said. Since then, the brand’s European branch bought its American counterpart and declared that history mattered. “The main reason we opened this store is not to impress anyone,” said Hoffman, though he is also optimistic about the location’s financial success. “It’s for ourselves and reasons that mean a lot to us and our heritage.”
He and his team decided to decorate the walls of the building with displays of old Yale and New Haven paraphernalia. Visitors browsing the shelves on Thursday could find old Glee Club books, typewriters, and faded advertisements from the 1950s. The displays are meant to appeal to Gant’s anticipated customer base, which Hoffman listed as Yale students, Yale professors, and New Haven residents. Those groups received additional mention in Hoffman’s opening speech. This store is “honoring all the men and women who manufactured these shirts for so many years,” he said, quoting a descendant of founder Bernard Gant.
With pricetags hovering over $100 for shirts and pants, will Gant succeed where Kerin, its ill-fated eco-friendly predecessor, failed? Hoffman said he is confident that higher cost translates into higher quality and that he has earned a spot in the local ranks with neighbor J. Press and nearby J. Crew.
“We’re going to raise the bar in terms of retailing here, and we are excited about it,” he said.
Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce President Tony Rescigno also predicted a bright future for the store during his speech for the ceremony. Rescigno, who remembers the old Gant factory on Sargent Drive, told the crowd in front of them that they were lucky to have Gant back in New Haven.
“I’ve been here my entire life,” he said. “I’ve seen the good and the bad, and this is definitely the good.”
About 70 cents of every dollar spent here is immediately, and permanently, exported from the New Haven economy.
The city and university should launch a "buy local" campaign. There are still folks living and working within the city who manufacture shirts, and are able to make a living doing so.