A bright orange Lamborghini at the entrance of the newest store at one of Los Angeles' most upscale malls isn't just décor — it's a symbol of a digital brand shifting gears into the physical world.
Youngla, pronounced YUHN-guh-lay, is a fast-growing apparel company born on social media and fueled by fitness influencers. It has opened its first brick-and-mortar store at Westfield Topanga in Canoga Park, about 25 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
The company's founders — brothers Gurmer and Dashmeet Chopra — opted to launch their first store in a mall that counts luxury retailers like Cartier, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Neiman Marcus in its tenant roster.
"They wanted their first store to provide a luxury, high-end feel, setting it apart from the other brands," JLL Vice President Kris Smith, who represented the tenant, told CoStar News. "This was a brand that knew exactly what it wanted to accomplish, even though they had never done physical retail before."
Youngla's debut store reflects a broader shift in retail as digital-first brands move into physical space to showcase products and create immersive experiences that can't be replicated through a phone screen. E-commerce firms like Skims, Revolve and Wayfair are expanding in malls throughout the country to grow their customer base.
The Chopra brothers founded Youngla in 2014 to create gym clothing that better suits athletic builds. They started by selling shorts online, and the company has since grown with 2.4 million followers on Instagram and ambitions to expand beyond e-commerce.
Los Angeles retail vacancy is hovering around 6% as experiential and apparel brands take space in high-performing centers and weaker properties continue to struggle, according to CoStar research. Westfield Topanga is almost fully occupied.
Retail meets fitness
Inside the roughly 3,000-square-foot Youngla store, gray walls are accented by neon paintings and decor, while minimal merchandise takes the place of crowded racks. The brand's men's and women's lines cater to bodybuilders and fitness fans.
Westfield Topanga sits near the top of the regional mall food chain, with luxury brands like Gucci and Ferragamo alongside newer lifestyle concepts. Youngla's new presence in the 1.6 million-square-foot mall could bring it beyond an influencer customer base into a more mainstream store alongside fellow athletic retailers Alo, Vuori and Lululemon.
"This mall is the Rodeo Drive of the Valley," according to JLL's Smith. "They may not technically be a luxury brand, but the store is elevated and gives them a place to showcase collections that usually sell out online in minutes."
Much of the store's look was inspired by Youngla's own gym in the San Fernando Valley, a marble-and-neon space used for influencer shoots and content creation. Westfield executives even toured the gym to understand the aesthetic the brand wanted to translate into retail.