Allbirds is closing its last brick-and-mortar store in San Francisco | TechCrunch

"Just two outlet stores in the US and two full-price stores in London will remain. "This is an important step for Allbirds, as we drive toward profitable growth under our turnaround strategy," Allbirds CEO Joe Vernachio said in a statement. "We have been opportunistically reducing our brick-and-mortar portfolio over the past two years. By exiting these remaining unprofitable doors, we are taking actions to reduce costs and support the long-term health of the business.""

"Allbirds was founded in San Francisco in 2015 and quickly became the "it" shoe among startup employees (even TechCrunch staffers once received branded grey Allbirds shoes as company swag - is our current lack of matching footwear a recession indicator?). The shoes are admittedly quite comfortable, but ugly in a way that only unstylish tech bros would seek out (the white wool runners are cool in a minimalist way, though). They're like Skechers, embracing comfort above all else, but they're more expensive."

Allbirds will close almost all physical stores by the end of February, leaving only two US outlet locations and two full-price London stores. The company is reducing its brick-and-mortar footprint as part of a turnaround strategy aimed at profitable growth, exiting unprofitable doors to lower costs and support long-term business health. Founded in San Francisco in 2015, the brand gained popularity among startup employees for minimalist, comfortable wool runners. The company went public in 2021, now has a market capitalization near $32 million, and continues to sell products online despite higher prices.

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