D2C Jewelry: From Online to Retail Success Story
Wanderlust + Co Expands US Retail with New York and Philadelphia Stores
Updated May 28, 2025
Wanderlust + Co, the jewelry brand known for its viral success and female-led origins, is expanding its physical presence into the united States. The brand, celebrated for its playful and affordable designs, has chosen New York City and Philadelphia as the locations for its inaugural brick-and-mortar stores. The New York store is on Bleecker Street, while the Philadelphia location is in the King of prussia Mall.
While Wanderlust + Co, based in Malaysia, began as a digital-first company, it already operates five stores in Asia (malaysia and Singapore) and is stocked by approximately 400 retailers globally. The U.S. market accounts for 40% of the brand’s global website traffic and conversions, with a repeat purchase rate of 20-25% among U.S. customers.
CEO and founder Jenn Low said the decision to open permanent stores was influenced by positive results from U.S. pop-up shops, media events, and individual meetings. These experiences showed a significant increase in sales when customers could interact with the jewelry in person. The new stores will focus on community building and offer city-specific items and personalization options to attract customers.
The New York store features a pizza slice charm necklace,a nod to the city’s iconic food,complete with pink pavé pepperoni. This novelty item joins the brand’s “Food Lovers” series, which includes charms shaped like fries, pretzels, dumplings, and ravioli. Wanderlust + Co also gained popularity with its flip phone necklaces, capitalizing on the Y2K fashion trend.
Low said that in the early days,product placement with influencers like Leandra Medine and stylists like Monica Rose led to coverage in Teen Vogue and celebrity endorsements from figures like Gigi Hadid. However,she emphasized that those early successes were organic.
“I hand wrote notes and packed pieces myself, sending them off to women I admired for their style as well as grit, like Eva Chen and Aimees Song. There was no real ‘strategy’ other than sharing what I loved with people who inspired me.”
For the New York launch, Wanderlust + Co partnered with Rubirosa, a New York City pizzeria, on co-branded pizza delivery boxes featuring Rubirosa’s Tie Dye pizzas. Customers also have a chance to win a limited-edition necklace.
What’s next
Looking ahead, Wanderlust + Co plans to combine community-driven storytelling with limited product drops and exclusive collaborations.