BENRUS Opens First Store
GoLocalProv Lifestyle Team
BENRUS Opens First Store
The resurection of the BENRUS brand is the brainchild of former Alex and Ani CEO Giovanni Feroce.
The first store is located at the Culver Road Armory in Rochester, New York.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAs GoLocal has previously reported:
After Rochester, BENRUS will open stores in Charleston, SC, Washington, DC and Newport, RI. The schedule of store openings has not yet been announced.
The New York Times featured BENRUS in a September Fashion & Style feature, “On July 1, Mr. Feroce hit one timely objective when he acquired the license and trademarks for BENRUS, an American watch brand best known for its military-issue timepieces.
The company, founded in 1921, filed for bankruptcy in 1981; Mr. Feroce is in the midst of bringing it back to market. His goal is to transform BENRUS into a lifestyle brand — selling things like backpacks, bomber jackets, even a men’s cologne called BENRUS Black, a reference to “black ops” — with the watches taking center stage.
Mr. Feroce, who wore a Timex Expedition watch during his years of service, is hardly the first military man to appreciate the benefits of a reliable timepiece. In the opening pages of Tim O’Brien’s 1990 war classic “The Things They Carried,” the narrator takes inventory of the items his fellow infantrymen brought to battle.
Take a Tour of BENRUS' First Store in Rochester
Interior
Take a look at the interior design of BENRUS' first store in Rochester, NY.
The 1st store opened last week at the Culver Road Armory.
Sunglasses
The BENRUS brand features a wide range of aviator sunglasses.
Jeans
The lifestyle brand has launched a complete line of jeans for men and women. Soon to be available both online and at retail locations.
Watches
True to the BENRUS brand legacy, the company's collection of watches are featured in the new retail store.
The legacy of watch-making goes back to the early part of the 20th Century.
Retail
Design, design, design. The BENRUS brand is all about design both in its retail locations and its product.
The Rochester, NY store stands out for design.
Time
Infantry is another in the BENRUS watch line.
Looking Good
The BENRUS brand is launching a complete line of premium men's shirts. Many of them are available at the online store.
CEO
Giovanni Feroce - the former CEO of Alex and Ani is trying to make lightning strike twice in building BENRUS into another successful lifestyle company in Rhode Island.
As GoLocal previously reported:
Giovanni Feroce, who teamed with Carolyn Rafaelian to grow Alex and Ani from sales of $4 million to more than a reported $220 million in 4 years, then left the company, is now back with a new venture - BENRUS. The BENRUS company has a rich legacy as a military watch company, but under Feroce the company is being built into a broader lifestyle brand.
Feroce describes the acquisition as a multi-million dollar transaction.
