With a record $2.7B in sales, U.S. Polo Assn. is scoring points with younger audiences

Q&A // August 21, 2026 With a record $2. 7B in sales, U. S. Polo Assn. is scoring points with younger audiences By Julia Waldow U. S. Polo Assn. U. S. Polo Assn. is celebrating a record year, thanks to its larger store footprint and growing fanbase of teens and twenty-somethings. U. S. Polo Assn. , which dates back to 1890, reported $2.

7 billion in sales in 2025, up from $2. 5 billion in 2024. Much of its growth came from its biggest market, North America, as well as its fastest-growing market, India.

The apparel company is also seeing increased demand among Gen-Z women and Gen-Alpha boys as it steps up its social-media presence and revamps its store fleet in key cities like Miami and New York City. U. S. Polo Assn. , in addition to being a consumer brand, is linked to the nonprofit governing body of the sport of the same name.

Many of the brand’s customers play polo, which has long been associated with an elite social status. But U. S. Polo Assn. is working to establish itself as a lifestyle brand that’s open to anyone. Many of its typical polos retail for $48 and under, compared to $110-plus at Polo Ralph Lauren.

“Our great price-to-value proposition really matters to working families and young consumers all over the world,” said J. Michael Prince, the president and CEO of USPA Global, the company that manages and markets the U. S. Polo Assn. brand globally.

“We’ve got a great team, great partners [and a] really strong brand, and we continue to build brand awareness.” Today, the brand operates 1,200 stores and 60 e-commerce sites worldwide. About 55% of the brand’s business comes from traditional wholesale accounts, while 25% comes from its retail fleet.

The remaining 20% comes from e-commerce, up from 2% in 2018 — an increase Prince traces back to forging a better link between online and in-person shopping. Next up, U. S. Polo Assn. is targeting $4 billion in global retail sales as it courts the next generation of fans.

Prince shared more about the company’s future plans and past performance in an interview with Modern Retail. The following excerpts have been edited for length and clarity. Let’s start with the year you just had: a record $2. 7 billion in sales. What do you attribute that to?

“When I came in as CEO in 2018, I had a global summit and brought in all the partners around the world, and I put [forward] the goal of $2 billion by 2025. … And, to your point, we hit $2. 7 billion in 2025, so we greatly exceeded that initial expectation. I think what’s really worked for the brand is that sport-inspired authenticity to the sport of polo.

… We’ve been able to elevate the brand globally [and] connect it to sport, which is its birthright — it’s the official brand of the United States Polo Association — but [we’ve also been able to] offer young millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha that great price-to-value proposition, so you can buy a really good brand for a great price.

That has really resonated worldwide. And our consumer base is really consistent. If I look at the billion-dollar-plus of growth we’ve had over the last seven years, roughly, it’s come from that young millennial, Gen Z, Gen Alpha, [and] moms and dads buying for their kids.

And then, I feel like we’ve just done a good job with global brand consistency, focusing on investment in stores, investment in social media, building brand awareness and really working together with our partners worldwide.” You said younger people have helped propel the brand forward.

Do you get the sense that a lot of them are polo players, or are they more interested in the lifestyle? “It’s the connection to sport. I think it’s the lifestyle. A lot of brands say they’re aspirational. I like to say we’re inspirational. I think we inspire that next generation of consumers.

And what’s great about our content [is that] we’re sponsoring polo events all over the world, from the best players in the world to collegiate polo in the United States — where we work with 75 college teams across America — [to] women’s polo, and what we call high-goal, low-goal polo. … And then, we put the sport on ESPN in 2022.

Now, millions of viewers and sports fans and consumers all over the world have the ability to see the brand and the sport together on linear platforms and streaming and digital platforms, as well, and I think that’s also mattered.” Can you talk to me about your store strategy?

“One thing we’ve really tried to do is, when you walk into our stores, there’s global consistency, and there’s an experience, and there’s a connection. You might say, ‘Well, what does that mean?’ It means, for instance, our polo shirt wall. We have 1,200 stores worldwide now. Every store has the beautiful polo shirt wall and the icon th