Can Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty Save Brick & Mortar Retail?

Having conquered the online retail sphere (complete with an Amazon partnership), Rihanna is now intent on spreading the gospel of Savage x Fenty to the physical space. Actual retial stores are slated for 2022. Victoria’s Secret might as well call it a day: The brand’s 1,400 global outposts feel like all that’s kept them in the game since Rihanna came for the affordable lingerie throne with an emphasis on inclusivity. The 33-year-old has even perfected the art of the lingerie spectacular: Savage x Fenty’s latest Amazon presentation featured cameos from Cindy Crawford, Gigi Hadid, Precious Lee, Erykah Badu, and the elusive Lola Leon, along with performances from Nas, Normani, and Jazmine Sullivan.

The news come of Savage x Fenty’s brick-and-mortar expansion comes courtesy of Christiane Pendarvis, co-president and chief merchandising and design officer. “Retail is an important part of our growth strategy, so you will absolutely see stores in 2022,” she said on the latest segment of Bloomberg TV’s “Black in Focus” series. “We know [with] intimate apparel specifically because fit and comfort are so important, there are just customers who don’t feel comfortable purchasing online. They want to go physically try the product on, touch, feel, make their own.” As of now, doing so requires making it to an occasional pop-up or buying it first.

Pendarvis wouldn’t specify when exactly the brand will be setting up shop, but assured that the Savage x Fenty outposts in question will be standalone establishments, not simply sections of a department store. The first wave will open up in the U.S., though apparently Rih and co. are already looking into taking things across the pond to the E.U. They certainly have the money to do so: The brand announced that it had raised $115 million in funding for a retail expansion in February. In the event that they need more, well, Rihanna has conveniently become a billionaire in the months since.