GREENVILLE, S.C., June 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Delta Apparel, Inc. (NYSE American: DLA), a leading provider of core activewear and lifestyle apparel products, today announced strong direct-to-consumer sales results for its Salt Life brand, including its ten owned and operated branded retail stores and its branded e-commerce site at www.saltlife.com, for the month ended May 30, 2020.
Total direct-to-consumer sales grew nearly 90% from the prior year May, driven by e-commerce sales that have more than doubled compared to the prior year and by nearly 50% sales growth from its branded retail stores.
Salt Life President, Jeff Stillwell, commented, “Our May results are a testament to the strength of the Salt Life brand and consumers’ eagerness to return to celebrate life on the water this summer. We have really enjoyed connecting directly with our loyal Salt Life followers through social media channels, on our e-commerce site, and now in our recently reopened retail stores.”
As previously announced, Salt Life branded retail stores began to reopen beginning April 21, 2020, and as of May 24, 2020, all ten retail locations are now open with proper protocols and policies in place. In addition, the Company today announced the planned openings of two additional Salt Life retail stores in Estero, Florida and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, which are scheduled to open late summer.
Stillwell continued, “We are thrilled with the initial reopening performance, with May results surpassing our expectations. We had exceptional results from our Destin and Tampa locations, with those two doors generating the highest revenue of all stores in May. Our other locations also saw nice growth with same store sales up 15% from the prior year. We look forward to serving our customers in two new retail locations in Florida that are scheduled to open in a couple months.”
“While Salt Life consumers have flocked to our retail stores in May, it has not slowed the engagement and sales performance on our e-commerce site,” commented Stillwell. “These web sales are highly accretive to our gross margins and operating profit. We have seen continued momentum not only in sales growth over the prior year, but also in traffic to the site, duration and engagement on the site, conversion percentages, and average order value.”
About Salt Life
Salt Life is an authentic, aspirational and lifestyle brand that embraces those who love the ocean and everything associated with living the “Salt Life.” Founded in 2003 by four avid watermen from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, the Salt Life brand has widespread appeal with ocean enthusiasts worldwide. From fishing, diving and surfing, to beach fun and sun-soaked relaxation, the Salt Life brand says, “I live the Salt Life.” Numerous professional athletes, sportsmen and other ambassadors in the fishing, surfing, diving, rock, pop and country music worlds have an alliance with the brand through cross-marketing partnerships. The brand is visible in areas across the media, sports and popular culture landscapes, including music videos, national tour sponsorships, fishing and outdoors-related television shows, professional auto-racing events, and Salt Life’s popular YouTube channel. From its first merchandise offerings in 2006, Salt Life has grown with distribution in surf shops, specialty stores, department stores and sporting goods retailers. Salt Life products are also available to consumers at www.saltlife.com and at Salt Life’s various branded retail stores, including locations in Huntington Beach and San Clemente, California; Daytona Beach, Tampa, Orlando, Key West, and Destin, Florida; Columbus, Georgia; and Charleston, South Carolina. The brand’s flagship store is located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, where the term “Salt Life” was coined over 15 years ago.
About Delta Apparel, Inc.
Delta Apparel, Inc., along with its operating subsidiaries, DTG2Go, LLC, Salt Life, LLC, and M.J. Soffe, LLC, is a vertically-integrated, international apparel company that designs, manufactures, sources, and markets a diverse portfolio of core activewear and lifestyle apparel products under the primary brands of Salt Life®, COAST®, Soffe®, and Delta. The Company is a market leader in the direct-to-garment digital print and fulfillment industry, bringing DTG2Go technology and innovation to the supply chain of its customers. The Company specializes in selling casual and athletic products through a variety of distribution channels and tiers, including outdoor and sporting goods retailers, independent and specialty stores, better department stores and mid-tier retailers, mass merchants and e-retailers, the U.S. military, and through its business-to-business e-commerce sites. The Company’s products are also made available direct-to-consumer on its websites at www.saltlife.com, www.coastapparel.com, www.soffe.com and www.deltaapparel.com as well as through its branded retail stores. The Company’s operations are located throughout the United States, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico, and it employs approximately 8,400 people worldwide. Additional information about the Company is available at www.deltaapparelinc.com.
Company Contact:
Deborah Merrill, 864-232-5200 x6620
investor.relations@deltaapparel.com
Investor Relations and Media Contact:
ICR, Inc.
Investors:
Tom Filandro, 646-277-1235
Media:
Jessica Liddell, 203-682-8208
DLAPR@icrinc.com