Spanish fashion retailer Mango appears headed for downtown Portland

New permit filings suggest Spanish fashion retailer Mango is planning to open a store at Pioneer Place mall in downtown Portland.

A permit application suggests that Mango would occupy a remodeled space in the downtown mall, at 700 S.W. Fifth Ave. The application was submitted to the city on Wednesday and spotted by Portland development watcher Iain MacKenzie.

The permit proposes to demolish walls to build a sales area, fitting rooms, storage space, restrooms and new flooring.

A Pioneer Place store would be Mango’s first in Oregon, building on the brand’s expansion playbook. The Spanish fast-fashion player, known for its chic apparel, has been rapidly opening stores across the U.S. in a bid to make the country one of its top three markets. Its competitors include brands like Zara and H&M, which each have a store at Pioneer Place.

Mango did not immediately respond to an email for comment. Its permit filings for the Portland store came the same day the company announced plans to open its first store in Washington at Bellevue Square next year.

Mango, founded in Barcelona in 1984, opened its first U.S. store in New York City in 2006. The company today has roughly 30 stores in the U.S. but says it wants 40 by the end of the year.

Mango’s stores offer women’s and men’s clothing. The new stores that Mango builds typically follow the brand’s new Mediterranean-focused retail concept, featuring warm and neutral palettes and the use of “traditional, handcrafted and natural materials,” such as wood, leather, marble and esparto.

— Kristine de Leon covers the retail industry, small business and data enterprise stories. Reach her at kdeleon@oregonian.com .

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