C&A Brasil has marked a historic milestone with the opening of the very first ACE store in Brazil, a new athleisure brand concept debuting at Shopping Ibirapuera in São Paulo. The launch underscores the retailer’s ability to reinvent itself in line with shifting consumer behaviour, while paying tribute to the mall where C&A opened its first Brazilian store in 1976.
ACE: C&A’s new athleisure bet
ACE is presented as a brand born fully aligned with the growing athleisure trend the intersection of wellbeing, style, comfort and performance in everyday life. Trade coverage describes ACE as a new fashion chain within the C&A portfolio, focused on sportswear and lifestyle pieces that move seamlessly from workout to leisure to casual work environments.
Over the past few years, demand for sportwear and “comfort fashion” has surged in Brazil, with athleisure becoming one of the key growth engines of the local apparel market. ACE is C&A’s structured response: a brand conceived from the start through the lens of movement, self care and versatility, then matured and refined before this first physical rollout.
A symbolic first store at Shopping Ibirapuera
Choosing Shopping Ibirapuera for the first ACE store carries strong symbolism. It was in this same mall that C&A inaugurated its first store in Brazil in 1976, beginning a five decade relationship with Brazilian consumers. Returning here with a brand new concept half a century later underlines continuity and reinvention at the same time.
In the words of the CEO, the shopping centre is “pé quente” a lucky charm for the company, and now becomes the stage for another “first,” this time in the athleisure space. Videos shared from the opening show a bright, contemporary environment dedicated to ACE’s collection inside Ibirapuera, with a visual language distinct from but complementary to C&A’s core brand.
Designed around the new consumer mindset
The LinkedIn post stresses that ACE was developed in step with changes in consumer behaviour, particularly the consolidation of a culture focused on movement and self care. As Brazilians embrace sports, wellness routines and hybrid work lifestyles, wardrobes increasingly need to support both comfort and personal expression.
ACE’s proposal is to offer pieces that are technical enough for activity yet stylish enough for everyday use, giving customers a sense that they do not have to choose between performance and aesthetics. This positioning also fits C&A’s broader strategy of diversifying formats and collections to capture different usage occasions and style attitudes under the same corporate umbrella.
Built by a committed team, with a long term vision
In his message, Paulo Correa, CEO of C&A Brasil, calls the opening a “historic day” for the company, and credits “the effort, dedication and commitment” of everyone who made the project possible. He congratulates the entire ACE and LV (Loja Virtual/Loja Física) Ibirapuera team, framing the store not just as a concept, but as the product of a highly competent, engaged group.
He also emphasises that this is “only the first chapter” and that C&A will continue to build the next stages of the ACE story with discipline and a long term vision. The explicit wish is that this will be “the first of many ACE stores,” signalling ambitions for a multi store roll out if the debut performs as expected.
Athleisure as a pillar of fashion retail in Brazil
Industry analysis cited around the launch points out that sportwear has become a lifeline for Brazilian fashion retail, with brands from lingerie to menswear expanding their active and athleisure offerings to capture demand. For C&A, launching ACE as a dedicated chain allows it to:
- Compete more directly with pure play sports and athleisure brands.
- Target a consumer who is looking for specialised product and brand storytelling around movement and self care.
- Test new layouts, product mixes and experiences without diluting the core C&A identity.
As the macro environment remains challenging, focusing on a segment with structural growth supported by health, wellness and lifestyle trends gives C&A another lever to support sales and brand relevance.
