Free People’s beachy spinoff opens a store in Stone Harbor
The brand extension of Free People officially opened in Stone Harbor on Friday, but some eager shoppers got a sneak peek on Thursday, a spokesperson said.
The summer-focused store concept from Philly-based URBN’s Free People brand now has a boutique in Stone Harbor’s shopping district.
URBN, which is also the parent company of Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Nuuly, opened the new Free-est store at 280 96th St. this week.
It is the fourth store under the Free-est brand concept, which launched in 2024 in Palm Beach, Fla., and the first at the Jersey Shore. It also has locations in Martha’s Vineyard and the Palisades in California, though the latter remains closed after the fires in the area.
Free People sells apparel and accessories geared toward female customers aged 25 to 30. Its Free-est extension offers summer items like swimwear and cotton-based clothing.
The line has a coastal feel, is very colorful, and “vacation-minded,” said Beth Wehagen, senior managing director for Free People stores.
Free-est items are sometimes available for purchase at Free People stores, but the Free-est standalone store in Stone Harbor will feature more of the collection.
Shoppers can also purchase the brand online. Items on the brand’s website include one-piece swim suits priced at $168 to $198, maxi dresses for between $60 and $128, and beachy matching sets for $78 to $128.
While the average Free People store has roughly 2,300 square feet of retail space, the new site in Stone Harbor is smaller, measuring 1,040-square feet overall.
“It truly feels like a boutique experience,” said Wehagen. “It’s a very intimate environment.”
URBN has a multiyear lease on the space, Wehagen said, noting the company has been discussing bringing a site to the Shore for some time.
“As we started to explore different towns, Stone Harbor just kept coming up as a place that has great energy in the summer,” she said. “Ninety-sixth Street has got just great energy, a lot of vibrancy, and we ended up finding a great space, so it felt like a natural progression.”
Free People had 167 locations in North America as of January, including stores in Center City, Suburban Square, and the King of Prussia Mall. URBN expected to open 13 new Free People sites in the 2027 fiscal year and close two others globally, according to company filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Stone Harbor Free-est will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. It officially opened Friday but a few people got a sneak peek on Thursday during a “soft open,” said Wehagen.
“We had so many people knocking on the door that we thought the store is ready, it looks gorgeous — let’s just get this started,” she said.
