ONLINE SHOE B RAND ALLB IRDS TO OPEN STORE IN DENVER

YORK» Online shoe brand Allbirds NEW plans to more than double its store count next year, hoping to reach shoppers who want to touch and try on its wool shoes.

The company said Tuesday that it plans to open 20 stores in 2020, bringing its total number of stores to about 35 by the end of the year.

While many mall-based retailers are closing locations, online startups such as mattress seller Casper and men’s clothing brand Untuckit are expanding into brick-andmortar stores.

Allbirds said it can’t ignore stores because most footwear sales are still happening there. Plus, the staff members in stores can explain the unusual materials used in its shoes, such as wool, tree fiber and sugar cane.

Founded only five years ago, Allbirds’s shoes have found their way onto the feet of tech CEOs and movie stars. (Top-tier actor Leonardo DiCaprio is an investor.) The company opened its first store a year after launching in its hometown of San Francisco.

The store expansion will bring it into cities where it’s never been — including Atlanta, Dallas and Denver. Allbirds said all its U.S. stores have been profitable within two months of opening.