Armani's Three-Pronged Plan for Madison Avenue Expansion

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Giorgio Armani is about to make three major moves on Madison Avenue. First off, the renovated flagship at 65th and Madison re-opens this week after a three-month-long makeover process that reportedly cost over $10 million. Second, Emporio Armani is coming back to the avenue, opening in the space between 57th and 58th that most recently housed the main collection while the flagship was closed. And third, Armani is joining Gucci in uptown's luxury kids' clothes market, opening North America's first Armani Junior at 88th and Madison.

This is all part of the brand's aggressive new strategy for North America. In 2012, they'll be opening 12 stores here, more than they've ever done in a single year. It's quite a change from recent history: In the past four or five years, they haven't opened any stores on the continent at all.
· Armani Plots Aggressive Expansion [WWD, subscription req'd]
· More Expansion In Store For Giorgio Armani On Madison [The Shophound]
· Gucci's New Children's Boutique Sells Fur Coats for Kids [Racked NY]