Tommy John opens in King of Prussia Mall
UPPER MERION » With homegrown icons Hall & Oates playing in the background, sports on TV and a sampling of on-tap Philadelphia beers to quench the male shopper’s thirst, the digital shopping experience gets the warmest of makeovers as online men’s underwear king Tommy John debuts at King of Prussia Mall.
Available at select stores as well as online, the New York-based premium line of men’s undergarments has been no stranger to traditional retail, but launching a shop of its own allows the brand to shine in its own element, noted founder and CEO Tom Patterson.
“We were looking for a location to create some sort of experience for our customers and Philadelphia has always been a great market for us,” Patterson explained. “We always valued the brick and mortar experience, whether it was with partners like Nordstom, Bloomingdale’s and Men’s Wearhouse, but King of Prussia was a real opportunity because it overlaps a lot of our customers that we already have. Its closeness to New York allows us to spend time in the store and learn as much as we can from having our own retail experience and continue to grow as a business. Also, our retailers don’t carry every single product that we make as a company,” he added. “That’s why we wanted to have our own store, where we
could tell our own story and provide all of the products that we make within one retail shopping experience. The goal was that we want to make the men’s underwear shopping experience more comfortable as a whole, with the lounge, the couches, sports on TV and locally sourced artifacts, whether it’s the Eagles, the 76ers or Hall & Oates. Having the TV and local beers on tap when you arrive, makes it a homey, comfortable feeling when you come into the store.”
The comfort-driven shopping experience is further enhanced by racks of merchandise that hang conveniently at eye level so there’s no need to crouch down and paw through endless goods to find the right size or color you’re looking for.
Tommy John Comfort Concierges are available to walk customers through the space and assist in identifying the right product to match their needs.
“For sanitary reasons, socks and underwear can’t be tried on in a store, but we do have a guarantee, which means you can take it home, wear it and if you don’t think it’s the best pair you’ve ever worn you can bring it back or send it back online and we’ll shoot you a refund or store credit for something else you would like,” Patterson said.
Further complementing the masculine vibe on the mall’s upper level, the shop is located next to The Art of Shaving.
“That was very coincidental,” Patterson said, laughing. “It happened to be one of the spaces that was available. We really like the lineup of brands here at the mall and it worked out really well for us at the end of the day.”
The notion of total comfort has been the company’s mission since 2008, when it was born out of medical device salesman Thomas John Patterson’s frustration in not being able to find an undershirt that stayed tucked in.
The future company’s namesake designed a prototype of a tapered shirt that stayed tucked and tested it out on male friends and relatives.
It was a hit across the board, recalled Patterson, who grew up in South Dakota, near the country’s other massive shopping mecca, the Mall of America.
“I didn’t have any experience or any connections in fashion. It was maybe not the most natural transition from medical devices to underwear, but we didn’t bring any bias to the category. In the end, I think it’s been one of the biggest assets to the company,” he allowed.
Tommy John promises men of different body types an undershirt that stays tucked in and boxer briefs that don’t ride up.
Underwear ranges from $25 to $48; undershirts from $35 to $62.
The company’s success coincides with men participating more in their own clothing choices, Patterson noted.
“We always say we’re a solutions-focused brand,” Patterson said. “We focus on innovative fabrics, and deliver problem-solving functionality.”