Kanye West is Opening 21 Stores Around the World This Weekend

Kanye West and his team are reportedly opening 21 pop-up retail stores in different cities and countries all across the globe that will sell Kanye West merchandise based on his album, The Life Of Pablo, as well as limited-edition designs, exclusive to each city. The temporary stores continue Kanye's partnership with Universal Music Group's Bravado, an industry leader in merchandise and branding services for recording artists and brands.

Total Retail’s Take: This isn't the first time West has delved into the retail world to sell merchandise from his latest album. Earlier this year, West opened stores in New York City, Los Angeles and Paris, and reportedly one location brought in at least $1 million in business. What’s more, West has previously announced plans to open his own YEEZY-branded stores with Adidas. While some of this can be brushed aside as typical Kanye West-style hype and PR, it may make sense for retailers to take a closer look at West’s strategies and steal smart from them. To increase excitement, for example, West announced the store events via Twitter.