Vans, the footwear and apparel brand, is closing locations and changing its brand and product strategy in response to a 14% decline in revenue during the first quarter of the 2025–2026 fiscal year. In order to re-establish growth throughout the portfolio, particularly at Vans, VF Corp. CEO Bracken Darrell, who joined the business in June 2023, has started a company-wide restructuring strategy named “Reinvent.”
Starting with retail, the company has begun to change its business practices. The brand has liquidated 140 of its least lucrative retail sites, or 20% of its global reach, in the last two years. According to Darrell, the closures have already increased profitability, however VF Corp blames this move for 40% of Vans’ revenue decrease. Financial numbers were not disclosed by the company.
In order to optimise product categorisation and increase the emphasis on footwear, Vans is revamping layouts. 90% of full-price stores in the US now have a new format that distinguishes between men’s and women’s assortments while more prominently displaying new designs.
Positive outcomes have been observed in key flagship locations. An early indication of the success of Vans’ move towards premium positioning is the London store’s 15% increase and its 35% higher average selling prices, while the Fifth Avenue pilot store in New York is apparently outperforming the network average.
Vans is changing its approach to product development under brand president Sun Choe, who was hired in June 2024. The brand intends to start a partnership with Valentino this autumn and reports a resurgence of interest in vintage styles like the Vans Authentic.
More flexibility is now available to creative teams, and new items are already being developed. In an effort to bridge the brand’s legacy with contemporary innovation, recent releases include the Super Lowpro, the Cable Skate, and updated styles in the high-end OTW (Off The Wall) collection.
In order to become culturally relevant again, Vans is also modernising its marketing strategy. Darrell has characterised past efforts as ineffectual and indicated a shift in the way the brand interacts with its consumers, even though VF Corp has not fully disclosed the details of its updated approach.
