Digital-first furniture retailers are moving into Los Angeles’ busiest shopping streets in a bid to turn curious consumers into customers.
Povison is the latest example, with the Anaheim, California-based company planning to open its first permanent store at 500 N. La Brea Ave. in West Hollywood in June.
Founded in 2020, the retailer built its brand around midcentury modern furniture delivered fully assembled, targeting online shoppers seeking design-forward pieces without the hassle of installation.
The move underscores a broader shift across retail as digitally native brands look to pair e-commerce with physical storefronts to deepen customer engagement and drive sales.
“Creating a physical touchpoint for our customers has become a very important part of our brand strategy,” CEO Ayden Lin said in a statement, adding the company is entering an “explosive growth phase.”
The strategy carries risks, as some online-first brands have struggled to translate digital success into profitable brick-and-mortar operations, ultimately shuttering stores.
Physical expansion trend
Povison’s 6,800-square-foot store will open in a building previously occupied by a furniture showroom in West Hollywood’s shopping and design district near brands such as Burrow and Joybird.
The company tested the market with a short-term pop-up on Melrose Avenue in 2025, which it described as successful enough to justify a permanent location and additional stores in other markets later this year.
Another digitally native brand, Cozey, is also expanding physically in Los Angeles with a pop-up at 1220 Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice Beach.
The roughly 5,000-square-foot space showcases modular sofas, washable rugs and customizable wicker furniture inside a venue designed for short-term retail activations.
“Since launching our U.S. e-commerce offering in late 2023, the market has become a significant driver of growth,” Cozey CEO Frédéric Aubé said, noting the company has learned “how important a physical presence is for our customers.”
Los Angeles is now Cozey’s second-largest U.S. market by sales, making it a natural step in its broader brick-and-mortar expansion plans.
Why stores matter
Retailers are increasingly opening stores to lower fees for customer and business costs incurred from returns and shipping. Stores also give shoppers a chance to see and feel products in person.
Physical locations can boost conversion rates and strengthen brand loyalty in ways e-commerce alone often cannot, experts say.
That dynamic has helped drive leasing activity in Los Angeles even as broader retail demand remains uneven.
Recent examples include Meta opening its Meta Lab retail concept on Melrose Avenue and healthcare apparel brand Kindthread launching its first standalone store at Westfield Topanga.
At the same time, Ikea is planning a smaller-format, roughly 38,000-square-foot store in Culver City’s Helms Design District as part of its U.S. expansion.
Not every retailer has found success with physical expansion, particularly those that mushroomed too quickly.
Shoe brand Allbirds rapidly grew its store fleet after going public before announcing plans to close its full-price locations as performance lagged expectations.
Even Amazon has struggled to crack the brick-and-mortar model, shutting down dozens of Amazon Fresh supermarkets and Amazon Go convenience stores after failing to find a sustainable economic formula.
For the record
CBRE's Bronson Morgan and Ryan Gurman represented Povison in the deal.