American Apparel Opens New Store in Leeds, England

LOS ANGELES and LEEDS, England, April 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Apparel (Amex: APP), the vertically integrated clothing manufacturer based in downtown Los Angeles, has opened a new store in Leeds, England.

The 2,922 sq. ft. store is located on the Briggate shopping street in Leeds and has an open layout complemented by new hardwood floors and mirrored ceiling tiles. The storefront features large bay windows, which will display American Apparel's signature mannequins and graphics, on either side of an inset entrance. Atop the store is one of the largest American Apparel logos in Europe.

"This is an amazing, nearly 800-year-old historic shopping district that we're lucky to be in. Our customers in Leeds will no longer have to drive nearly an hour to their nearest American Apparel or buy the garments online. When the right location came up here, we didn't hesitate to take it," said Marsha Brady, a creative director for American Apparel.

This location features American Apparel's staple collection of basic t-shirts, sweatshirts and underwear, as well as the company's new products like the Lace Tee, Riding Pant and Ottoman Jacket. About 15 additional employees will be hired for this store, bringing the company's total staff in Great Britain to over 300.

"We're incredibly proud of the reputation we've built in Great Britain and the excitement the company has generated among our fans. Spread entirely through word of mouth, our rummage sale in London last weekend was attended by over 15,000 people from all over the UK who braved long lines to shop their favorite styles. We're looking forward to serving that base with new designs and great basics and continuing to foster its growth," said Brady.

About American Apparel

American Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor, and retailer of branded fashion basic apparel based in downtown Los Angeles, California. As of March 20, 2010, American Apparel employed approximately 10,000 people and operated 280 retail stores in 20 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and China. American Apparel also operates a leading wholesale business that supplies high quality T-shirts and other casual wear to distributors and screen printers. In addition to its retail stores and wholesale operations, American Apparel operates an online retail e-commerce website at http://www.americanapparel.com.

SOURCE American Apparel