American Apparel Bringing Green Retail to Hell’s Kitchen

As Racked reports that American Apparel is close to opening its twentieth store in New York City, we’ll note that the retailer’s Hell’s Kitchen outlet is currently in pursuit of an unspecified level of LEED for Commercial Interiors certification. The store at 610 9th Avenue will soon by joined by other iterations at 429 Broadway (Broadway and Howard) and 2103 Broadway (at 73rd Street). No word on whether the retailer’s 19 other New York City area outlets will also implement sustainable features or pursue a LEED rating.

American Apparel was founded in 1997 and is based in Los Angeles. The company has implemented a number of sustainable initiatives at the corporate level.  It performs all of its manufacturing at its Los Angeles factory, where a 146 kilowatt rooftop solar array provides 30 percent of the factory’s electricity needs. The company offers a bicycle lending program for its employees and is also certified as a vegan-friendly clothier by PETA. Over the next four years, it hopes to increase its use of organic cotten content from 20 to 80 percent, while continuing to use recycled fabric scraps to manufacture most of its underwear line.

• American Apparel Hits 20 (Racked)
• Green Retail Archive (gbNYC)