Polarn O. Pyret Brings Iconic Stripes to Chestnut Hill

The first Polarn O. Pyret store in Massachusetts opened its doors at The Street in Chestnut Hill in late June.

In fact, not only is it the first location in Massachusetts, Chestnut Hill can claim one of only five Polarn O. Pyret [pronounced “POH-lahrn oh PEE-rhet” and nicknamed PO.P] brick and mortar stores in the U.S.

With such a small number of local U.S. stores, it's possible you might be asking, "OK, so what is Polarn O. Pyret?"

In an interview on the company's website, PO.P's U.S. CEO revealed that the direct translation of the company's name from Swedish is "Buddy and the Little Guy."

Furthermore, even if you don't know the store, you probably know the stripes.

According to a press release, PO.P is a "premium childrenswear brand from Sweden." The clothing is designed to be handed down from child to child and the whole shopping is experience is geared toward PO.P's youngest customers.

And, the company is known for its iconic stripes, which have been a design features from the company's earliest days in Sweden, according to the website.

"Designed around the enduring principle of Swedish practicality and with a focus on outdoor play, PO.P’s assortment always features its Best Basics line, which includes outerwear jackets, Merino wool hats, gloves and mittens, underwear, socks, swimsuits and rashguard pants and tops, and is available year-round so kids have the clothing they need to play in wherever they live or travel to every day," the press release reads.

Linda Kerr, social media marketing and public relations for Polarn O. Pyret, said the company's expansion to Chestnut Hill just made sense.

"Boston has been on our list of cities to locate a store since we have so many customers from the area," Kerr said, explaining that the company has been looking to open stores in locations where its online customers are. "Chestnut Hill is a great convergence between the city proper and the suburbs – a great place to put a first store in the Boston market so it can be as accessible to as many customers as possible because we really do anticipate that we will become a destination location."

The store is located next door to Lululemon and across from Shake Shack at The Street, the Chestnut Hill shopping center that also features the Showcase SuperLux, Davio's Cucina and Pottery Barn, among multiple other shops.

In particular, Kerr said, Polarn O. Pyret enjoys a "great synergy" with the Shake Shack located across from the Upper West Side location in Manhattan, and the company is excited to be across from the Chestnut Hill Shake Shack as well.

"Chestnut Hill has long held the reputation as a great area for shopping, and we want to be part of that," Kerr said. She added that the tenant/landlord relationship with W.S. Development, developer of The Street, has been smooth and supportive.

As a children's clothing retailer, it perhaps makes sense that Polarn O. Pyret wants to plug into and support Newton's schools. Kerr mentioned that the company plans to bring its Dress for Success school fundraising program to Newton in the fall. 

According to the website, the Dress for Success program invites shoppers to enter a unique code when checking out online during the event. Fifteen percent of purchases made using the code will be donated to the participating school.

The Chestnut Hill location of Polarn O. Pyret is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. t0 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.