J. Press Eyeing U.S. Expansion

With a new president at the helm, J. Press is ready to expand its footprint in the U.S. The venerable men’s specialty store chain, which can trace its roots back to 1902 when Jacobi Press opened a store on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Conn., has been owned by Japan’s Onward Kashiyama since 1986. In December, the company named longtime executive Takashi Sudo to the post of president of the chain. Over the course of his career, he has operated the Japanese operations for American brands ranging from Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan to Calvin Klein. At J. Press, he is working closely with Yuki Okita, who had been chief executive officer and president of the retailer. During a preview for the York Street collection on Tuesday, Sudo said he is hoping to add to J. Press’ three units in the U.S. in New Haven, Washington, D.C., and Cambridge, Mass. There is also a dedicated store on Bleecker Street in New York for the younger-skewed York Street brand. He envisions between five and 10 stores in key American cities over the next five years with New York City, San Francisco and Chicago tops on his list. Last January, J. Press shuttered

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