Athletic clothing company RYU Apparel Inc. has signed three leases – including one for its first Los Angeles location – for stores that are scheduled to open in the second and third quarters of this year, according to Scott Lifschultz, founder and president of Santa Monica-based SPL Realty Partners.

SPL Realty Partners represented RYU in the transactions and has been appointed the company’s national real estate representative.

RYU, which stands for “Respect Your Universe,” will open a store at 1130 Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice. The building is listed as a two-story, 3,600-square-foot retail and office structure that was built in 1932, according to CoStar Group Inc. Sally Vogel of Blatteis & Schnur represented the landlord in the lease negotiations, according to Lifschultz.

The company also will open a store at Fashion Island in Newport Beach as well as space in the Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. RYU’s other stores are located in Canada, specifically in Toronto and in and around Vancouver.

“The U.S. will be a big market for us so it was key to work with a firm that understands our brand positioning and can help with securing locations that will lead to the most growth and exposure for RYU,” said Marcello Leone, RYU’s chief executive officer, in a statement.

Through Lifschultz, RYU declined to divulge the exact square footage of each store.

Real estate reporter Ciaran McEvoy can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 556-8337