New Upscale Retailer Makes Debut At West Hartford/Farmington Mall

WEST HARTFORD/FARMINGTON, CT — An upscale personal accessories retailer from South America has officially opened its first store in the U.S. at the Westfarms Mall in Farmington and West Hartford.

Mall officials Thursday announced the opening of "The Frenchie Co." store at Westfarms, 1500 New Britain Ave., West Hartford. The mall straddles the border of both Hartford County towns.

Westfarms officials said The Frenchie Co., with a world headquarters in Bogota, Colombia, is "a smart-luxury accessories brand."

The 1,320-square-foot Westfarms location, the first such store in the U.S., is on the lower level between Center Court and JC Penney.

It will feature a "curated offering of handcrafted wallets and bags, that are re-invented through technology and smart design, and displayed in a unique, art gallery inspired store concept," wrote mall officials in an announcement.

The mall said The Frenchie Co. "specializes in re-inventing day-to-day products by integrating high-end craftsmanship and cutting-edge technologies."

It has been featured on "Shark Tank Colombia" in 2018 with its "luxury, smart design concepts," according to company officials.

“We saw a real need in retail for elegant, yet functional products that were not being met. We created The Frenchie Co. and launched the first product through crowdfunding with huge success,” said Daniel Mejía, co-founder of The Frenchie Co., in a statement.

“We’re very excited to bring our Smart Luxury products to Westfarms. Our art gallery-inspired store will be a perfect fit, and a first step towards our goal of opening 30 stores in the US. by 2025.”

Mall management said they were pleased with the addition.

“In keeping with our commitment to bring unique retailers to our shoppers we are excited to see The Frenchie Co. and its first store in Connecticut,” said Elizabeth Ryan, general manager, Westfarms.

“The Frenchie Co. is the type of brand that resonates with our shoppers and complements our existing luxury brands at Westfarms.”

Ryan said The Frenchie Co. could mirror the success of Impossible Kicks, which opened its first store at Westfarms in 2021 and has now expanded to 17 in the U.S.

For more information on The Frenchie Co., click on this link.

For more information on the Westfarms Mall, click on this link.