Cole Haan Opens 600th Store at Boston’s Prudential Center

Cole Haan opened its 600th store worldwide at Boston’s Prudential Center on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, returning the footwear and accessories brand to the Back Bay, the company said in a news release. The Cole Haan Prudential Center store is at 800 Boylston St., Suite 133.

Cole Haan Prudential Center Store: Location and Hours

According to Cole Haan, the store is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. What Now Boston reported that the shop takes over the former Kate Spade space at the mall, across from Alo, and the Prudential Center’s own retail update said it would sit next to the Swiss chocolatier Läderach.

The company said the store’s design uses curved lines, archways and soft lighting, with artwork referencing New York City and the brand’s history. It carries sneakers, boots, oxfords and loafers as well as handbags, accessories and outerwear.

A Return to the Back Bay After Newbury Street

Cole Haan previously ran a standalone store on Newbury Street that closed in 2021, What Now Boston reported. The brand has kept a nearby presence through its outlet at Assembly Row in Somerville.

The company noted its long ties to New England, from its former headquarters in Yarmouth, Maine, to its current headquarters in Greenland, New Hampshire. “Returning to Boston is especially meaningful given our longstanding ties to New England,” Cole Haan CEO Jack Boys said in the release. “Reaching 600 stores reflects how far Cole Haan has come and the opportunity we see ahead.”

Cole Haan’s Store Expansion Strategy

Cole Haan said it reached 500 stores in 2023 and has since expanded with a focus on markets where it already has a strong online customer base, along with major shopping and travel destinations. Recent U.S. openings it listed include New York’s Flatiron District and Disney Springs Town Center. Internationally, the company cited new stores in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Osaka, Mexico City, Jeddah and Cairo. The brand says it is sold in more than 100 countries and will mark its centennial in 2028.

The Boston opening coincides with the brand’s fall 2026 “Comfortable Anywhere” campaign, which features actors Christian Slater and Jenny Slate, according to the company. “The space invites you to take your time, explore, and discover styles that fit into your life,” Chief Marketing Officer Krissie Millan said.

The Pru’s Growing Retail Lineup

Cole Haan was one of several brands the Prudential Center listed as coming soon in its retail update, alongside Kendra Scott, Falconeri and Madewell. The mall also highlighted the opening of a Blank Street coffee shop, the Roman-style restaurant CeCarré and a larger relocated store for an athletic apparel retailer. The Boston Business Journal included the Cole Haan opening in its Oct. 23 retail roundup.

The opening adds to a run of Back Bay and downtown business news. Earlier this week The Boston Report covered Liberty Mutual’s plan to expand its Back Bay headquarters, and this month we reported on The Sports Bra choosing 2 Broad Street downtown and Hasbro’s move of 587 jobs to the Seaport.

Our Take

This section is analysis and opinion, separate from the reporting above.

A national brand picking Boston for a milestone store is a small but useful signal for Boylston Street. Cole Haan says it opens where it already has strong online sales, so choosing the Pru suggests the company sees enough Boston demand to justify a full-price store, not just the Somerville outlet. The bigger story is the mall’s leasing momentum: filling a former Kate Spade space with another established brand, while Kendra Scott, Falconeri and Madewell are also on the way, points to a Back Bay retail corridor that is holding up better than downtown office space. The real test will be foot traffic through the holiday season and whether more brands that left Newbury Street during the pandemic follow Cole Haan back.

Sources

• PR Newswire: Cole Haan celebrates its 600th store globally with a return to Boston
• What Now Boston: Cole Haan returning to Boston with new Prudential Center store
• Prudential Center: What’s new at the Pru
• Boston Business Journal: Cole Haan returns to Boston, and more retail news

Featured image: The Boylston Street entrance to the Prudential Center in Boston’s Back Bay. Photo by Beyond My Ken via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.