Ocean Pacific’s Sales Tide Rises With Off-Beach Wear
With people in the nation’s heartlands joining their more laid-back Southern California brethern in the growing trend toward wearing casual clothing styles all year around, Ocean Pacific Sunwear Ltd. is predicting that its 1987 sales will reach a record $380 million.
“We’re looking to 1987 as being the biggest year by far in our history,” said Jerry Crosby, a spokesman for the Tustin-based maker of beach wear and casual clothing. The privately owned company expects to report $280 million in sales for 1986.
“Casual clothes are a trend throughout the nation (and) surfing life style (clothing) is becoming mainstream fashion,” Crosby said. In addition, the company is “selling spring (fashions) 9 to 10 months a year,” he said.
Ocean Pacific isn’t the only casual clothing and beach wear company benefiting from the trends. Action Sports Retailer, the South Laguna-based industry trade journal, estimates that when all the accounting is complete, surf wear sales for 1986 will be about $1 billion, nearly double 1985 sales. An estimated 50 of the 183 apparel companies in Orange County are devoted to production of beach-style casual wear and the county is considered to be the epicenter of the surf wear industry.
In the next five years, Crosby believes, Ocean Pacific could “easily” become a $1-billion company all by itself.
Aiming at Men 25-44
In doing so, Ocean Pacific has expanded its target market--originally beach-bound youths--to range from toddlers to business executives. Some of its beach wear is designed for young children, and the year-old Newport Blue line targets men 25 to 44 years old. This year, the company expects sales to men in that age group to triple.
Ocean Pacific spent $1 million in 1985 to design and market the line of sport coats, knit shirts and print shirts sold through the wholly owned Newport Blue division.
Although some industry experts were not enthusiastic about the decision to create a unit to sell “slightly irreverent sportswear” to an older market, Crosby said, OP expects Newport Blue to tally $12 million in sales for 1986.
