Los Angeles-based lifestyle and activewear brand Set Active is expanding its brick-and-mortar base, turning its Austin pop-up into a permanent location.
Located at 1318 South Congress Avenue, the Austin location is the fourth for the brand — this follows its first Midwest store in Chicago’s West Loop, which opened in September, and its New York and Los Angeles flagships.
In an interview with Lindsay Carter, founder and chief executive officer of Set Active, said the brand’s expansion is an opportunity to connect with its community and introduce it to new consumers.
The brand shared that it’s on target to nearly double its total revenue across both direct-to-consumer and retail in 2026, compared with 2025. More than 50 percent of Set Active’s new customers are also shopping via its retail stores, compared to its e-commerce business, which sees returning customers generating a larger share of sales. Social media also has played a part in the brand’s success; consumer-generated content around the Chicago store opening weekend and events saw more than 100,000 impressions for Set Active.
“Our retail strategy is centered on bringing the world of Set Active to life through physical spaces that go beyond traditional shopping,” Carter said. “Austin is a great example of that strategy in action. Our South Congress pop-up exceeded expectations from the start, reaching its entire June sales goal within just two days of opening. We’ve also seen growth in our Texas customer base following the opening, greater than the growth we were driving in other regions, reinforcing that the physical presence in one city is driving impact in a larger market.”
The brand focuses on making each location unique to each city’s personality, audience and experiences while still sharing the same ethos and feel. The Austin store boasts Western-inspired details throughout the location and Chicago offers more of a nostalgic lake house feel. Set Active also started introducing exclusive and city-specific locations at the two new locations available only in person.
“These pieces have become another way for our community to connect with each city and take a little piece of the experience home with them,” she said. “We love the idea that visiting a Set Active store in another city feels like discovering something new, with products and experiences you can’t find anywhere else.”
Notably, Carter also said retail has the power to build relationships and brand loyalty beyond a singular purchase. Only generating sales is not the end goal — the permanent store in Austin for Set Active is an investment in the community alongside more opportunities for others to discover the brand.
“Our stores consistently attract a much higher percentage of first-time customers than we see in a typical month online — which tells us there’s a significant audience that’s interested in the brand and excited to experience it in person,” she continued. “Having a physical space gives customers a more tangible way to connect with Set, whether they’re discovering us for the first time, wanting to try our product before making a purchase or have been following the brand online and are excited to finally visit a store.”
The brand is also expected to do a complete overhaul of its West Village store in February 2027. While the company declined to share where exactly the new locations will be, two more storefronts are slated to open next year for a total of six.
“Our goal is to expand our brick-and-mortar presence deliberately in key markets where we see strong demand from Set’s local communities and meaningful opportunities for long-term brand growth. When evaluating new markets, we’re looking beyond where we can drive the most immediate sales. We see retail as a core pillar of our growth strategy, turning our online community into an in-person experience and creating a familiar destination for our customers when they travel,” Carter said.