The Westchester Mall

LittleMissMatched hits a growth spurt

Kids' sock and apparel purveyor LittleMissMatched can hardly be considered “little” anymore. The 7-year-old company is opening six new retail stores this summer, including locations in Westchester County and Long Island.

The first of the six shops opened over the weekend at The Westchester mall in White Plains, N.Y. The other five spots will open over the course of the next several weeks in Burlington, Mass.; Minneapolis, Minn.; and Paramus, N.J., as well as at the Roosevelt Field and Smith Haven malls on Long Island.

“With the launch of these stores, we are a few steps closer to inspiring creativity and self-expression in a LittleMissMatched way across the country,” said Jonah Staw, co-founder and chief executive of the popular brand, in a statement. Mr. Staw was named a Crain's 40 Under Forty in 2009.

LittleMissMatched already has storefronts in Disney World and Disneyland, Chicago, Washington, and on ritzy Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. It used to operate an outpost in Grand Central Terminal, but that store closed this spring.

The company, which initially sold mismatched socks in packs of three and now has expanded to include pajamas, bedding and even furniture, generated $55 million in consumer brand revenue last year, according to a company spokeswoman. Its products also sell at Babies ‘R' Us and Bed Bath & Beyond.

Retail experts expect the one-of-a-kind concept to only get hotter.

“It's bold, and it's different when a lot of the time, there's a … sea of sameness,” said Pamela Rosenbloom, managing partner at research firm Retail Systems Research, adding that the price points of the LittleMissMatched products are very reasonable. However, she noted, to remain relevant and boost shopper loyalty, LittleMissMatched needs to incorporate customer feedback into its offerings. Otherwise, the concept could be knocked off by larger mass-market retailers such as Target.