Southern Tide to Open Seven Stores by May

Southern Tide, a sportswear brand known for its Skipjack Polo, is partnering with several retailers around the country to expand its retail footprint.From now through May, the Oxford Industries-owned brand will add what it calls “signature stores” in Vero Beach, Fla.; Westport, Conn.; Nantucket, Chatham, Lynnfield and Mashpee, Mass., and Mount Pleasant, S.C.In each city, the Southern Tide store will be operated by a local partner: Otter & Co. of Indian River in Vero Beach; Splash of Pink in Westport; Gordon Russell in Nantucket, Mashpee and Chatham; M. Dumas & Sons in Mount Pleasant and Blue Boulevard in Lynnfield.These stores will join units in Raleigh, Asheville and Wilmington, N.C., and Kiawah Island, S.C., that are also operated by partners.Each of the stores will be stand-alone units operating under the Southern Tide name."We want to partner with the ‘best of the best’ retailers in the business; they are the experts in this field and have proven they can successfully run a retail store; they’re also the experts in their markets,” said Christopher Heyn, chief executive officer of Southern Tide. “It is so imperative that our partners act as ambassadors in their local markets. This is all part of our retail localization strategy. Consumers digest information differently and shop differently all across the country. Who best to speak to their markets than our local partners? The New England consumer wants something different from our Carolina shoppers. For Southern Tide to be successful, we have to adjust to these needs."The new fleet of stores will feature Southern Tide apparel and neckwear created by licensee Harry Bachrach, along with a curated assortment of compatible brands.Southern Tide is now carried in more than 750 specialty stores in 45 states. It has also increased its presence in department stores, college campuses and country clubs.