Set Active Converts Austin Pop-Up to Permanent Store

Set Active has converted its Austin pop-up at 1318 South Congress Avenue into a permanent store, the Los Angeles activewear brand's fourth location and its second new door in three months.

The Austin store follows the brand's first Midwest location, which opened in Chicago's West Loop in September, joining flagships in New York and Los Angeles. The company targets nearly double its total revenue across direct-to-consumer and retail in 2026 compared with 2025. That is a projection, not a measured result, and the brand did not disclose the absolute revenue base behind the doubling target.

Founder and chief executive officer Lindsay Carter framed the Austin conversion as validation of a demand signal the pop-up had already tested.

"Our South Congress pop-up exceeded expectations from the start, reaching its entire June sales goal within just two days of opening," Carter said. "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 did not quantify the June sales goal or specify the size of the Texas lift versus other regions.

What does the store footprint look like?

Set Active operates four doors: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago's West Loop and now Austin. Two more storefronts are slated to open next year, bringing the total to six. The company declined to say where those locations will be. It also plans a complete overhaul of its West Village store in February 2027.

That pace — two doors a year — is deliberate, according to Carter.

"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," Carter said. "When evaluating new markets, we're looking beyond where we can drive the most immediate sales."

How does retail feed the customer funnel?

The channel-mix data is the most concrete part of the announcement. More than 50 percent of Set Active's new customers now come through its retail stores rather than its e-commerce business. Online, the skew reverses: returning customers generate a larger share of e-commerce sales.

"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," Carter said.

In effect, the stores function as acquisition, and the site functions as retention. Carter also cited a physical-space halo: customers use stores to try product before purchasing or to meet a brand they have followed online.

Social media amplification is part of the case. Consumer-generated content around the Chicago store's opening weekend and related events generated more than 100,000 impressions for the brand. The company did not break out conversion or sales attributable to that reach.

What differentiates the locations?

Each store is designed to reflect its city. The Austin location carries Western-inspired details; Chicago has what Carter called a nostalgic lake-house feel. Both new doors stock exclusive, city-specific product available only in person — a traffic driver that also limits assortment comparability across channels.

"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," Carter 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."

Carter positioned retail as a relationship-builder beyond a single transaction, describing the Austin store as an investment in community rather than a pure sales play — a framing that conveniently lowers the bar for measuring store-level return.

"Our retail strategy is centered on bringing the world of Set Active to life through physical spaces that go beyond traditional shopping," she said.

What remains unverified?

The revenue-doubling target, the unnamed 2026 locations and the June sales goal all lack disclosed figures. What is confirmed: a fourth store is open in Austin, two more doors are scheduled for next year, a West Village renovation lands in February 2027, and over half of new customers now enter through physical retail. Whether the six-store footprint supports the 2026 revenue projection will depend on performance the company has not yet published.