FP Movement, the activewear sub-brand of Free People, has become a major growth driver for its parent company, URBN. Sales at FP Movement rose around 30% year over year in the last quarter, and non-comp sales grew over 200%.
Bolstered by this success, FP Movement is in a growth and investment period. The brand will open 25 stores over the next year, adding to the five it opened in the last quarter. It currently has 56 stores.
FP Movement has also invested in its marketing, bringing in new athlete brand ambassadors from a diverse array of sports. The latest is Bea Kim, an 18-year-old snowboarding phenom who is a likely contender for the 2026 Olympics.
Kim is the first winter sports athlete FP Movement has signed, after launching its ski product category late last year. It’s a field on which FP Movement is placing particular emphasis ahead of the holiday shopping season. FP Movement will be Kim’s sole athleticwear partner, dressing her for competitions and featuring her in marketing campaigns throughout the Winter Olympics. FP Movement also works with tennis players Sloane Stephen and Danielle Collins.
“Partnering with [Kim] allows us to authentically connect with athletes and consumers who value both performance and purpose, while also aligning with the brand’s values,” said Jack Reynolds, Free People and FP Movement’s CMO. “Bea Kim is the brand’s first step into the world of snowboarding, and we’re looking forward to showcasing our range of offerings, including ski and snow categories, as we kick off our work with her.”
FP Movement’s managing director of brand marketing, Courtney Wartman Weis, has attributed the brand’s growth over the last few years in part to its strong athlete ambassador program. Athletes like Stephens and Collins and non-athlete ambassadors like influencer Ella Miller have formed the core of FP Movement’s marketing strategy, along with nationwide athletic events like the NYC Marathon and its own Run Day.
Stacy Jones, CEO of the creative agency Hollywood Branded, said brand ambassadorships work best when there’s an organic connection. Kim, for example, was already regularly sporting FP Movement’s track pants before her partnership became official.
“If she’s already wearing the brand, attending events or talking about it organically, that’s the partnership that lands,” Jones said. “Fans can feel the difference between a genuine collaboration and a transactional one. The smartest brands take time to build that story, showing how her lifestyle and point of view fit into the brand’s world.”
Winter sports are an increasingly desirable category for apparel brands to play in. In March, J.Crew signed a first-of-its-kind multi-year deal to become the official apparel partner for U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the governing body of the two sports in the U.S. Other fashion brands with recent partnerships or collaborations geared toward winter sports include the luxury Italian streetwear brand Aries and the Japanese streetwear brand Neighborhood, both of which collaborated with the winter boot brand Sorel this month.
Reynolds told Glossy that Free People is hoping to “deepen our connection” with winter sports like snowboarding as part of the brand’s overall growth plan. Winter sports have a growing fanbase in the U.S., with over 56 million Americans planning to watch the Winter Olympics in February. Physical stores will also be a major growth vector for FP Movement, with the possibility of hundreds of North American stores in the next few years.
“It’s been thrilling to say the least to see just how much momentum FP Movement has gained in recent years,” Reynolds said. “We’re capitalizing on the excitement of different forms of individual exercise truly taking off in popularity in recent years. We’re especially focused on hike, court sports, run, studio and ski.”
FP parent company URBN saw its revenues increase 11% last quarter, with profits up 15%. Free People and Nuuly have consistently delivered the highest level of revenue growth. Free People, including FP Movement, saw its revenue grow by 14% in the last quarter, while the rental service Nuuly saw revenues up by 53%.
“Both newer brands, FP Movement and Nuuly, drove outstanding double-digit revenue comparisons and posted record profitability,” said URBN chairman and co-founder Dick Hayne during URBN’s second-quarter earnings call in August. “The foundation of this success is a healthy consumer combined with excellent brand execution.”
