Joseph A. Bank Clothiers or Jos. A. Bank is a company with a lengthy and impressive industry legacy. Founded in 1905, Jos. A. Bank is one of the most recognizable retailers for tuxedos, suits, dress shirts, and other men’s formalwear. Jos. A. Bank is particularly known for its promotions, during which the brand offers deeply discounted items and unique sales (such as its iconic “Buy One, Get Three Free” strategy, discontinued in 2015). History is central to the Jos. A. Bank brand. Recently, WJCA was proud to partner with the business to successfully execute an extensive renovation project for the brand’s flagship New York City store.
Located at the corner of Madison Avenue and 46th Street, the newly-remodeled Jos. A. Bank store is perhaps the most jaw-dropping of the company’s 500+ locations nationwide. The 13,800-square-foot, two-story store sits right in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. It’s a location that Jos. A. Bank has occupied since 1994 but one that the company wanted to reimagine as it seeks to adapt its brick-and-mortar offerings to suit the changing demands of retail.
Jos. A. Bank engaged WJCA to execute this critical flagship design project, which included a full gut-and-remodel of the Madison Avenue space.
The before photo:
One of the brand’s central goals with the renovation was to pair the 114-year heritage of the brand with a modern customer experience. As such, the design of the new Madison Avenue store both paid tribute to the past and looked forward to a lush future.
The after photo:
Decorative touches, such as a map of Baltimore on the wall—the city where Jos. A. Bank first started—glance back in time. Other features, such as full-wall video screens and a glass-enclosed tailor shop, offer a refreshing contemporary flair. The design of the glass tailor shop will allow customers to observe Jos. A. Bank tailors at work, bridging past and present.
Other features of the newly-imagined Jos. A. Bank Madison Avenue store: 17-foot ceilings, custom furniture, all-new vertical transportation, updated stairs, brown wooden fixtures, antique-style mirrors, brushed copper hardware, marbled stone tops, and new mechanical systems. There are two new “custom shop” areas in the store where customers can receive one-on-one service for the design and personalization of suits, dress shirts, or sport jackets.
A brand-new mezzanine lounge area serves group fittings. The mezzanine level is outfitted with custom leather furniture and large dressing rooms to comfortably accommodate even large groups. The space will be especially attractive for wedding party fittings and other special occasions, for which Jos. A. bank remains a trusted destination.
This project didn’t come without its challenges for the WJCA team, which had to overcome budget issues while maintaining the client’s design standards and even hurdles to obtaining the correct land-use board approvals for the job. Despite these challenges, WJCA triumphed, completing the project to the client’s satisfaction.
The brand-new, state-of-the-art Jos. A. Bank store reopened in March, welcoming New York City customers to a new era for the 114-year-old business