Blowfish Malibu is getting ready to celebrate 10 years in business in 2016 with major growth moves.
The California-based juniors’ brand is expanding its children’s division, developing a deeper international footprint and moving offices in March.
“We’ve grown out of our [current space], and our website [business] has been incredible,” said Don Weiss, co-owner and president. “It’s been a big year for us.”
The larger headquarters, in Culver City, will house an expanded design team, including a dedicated designer for the kids’ category. Following a rebranding, Blowfish’s children’s division has grown to 10 percent of the company’s sales, with Dillard’s and Famous Footwear among its top accounts.
“We decided to really go after the kids’ business,” said Stephen Hoyt, co-owner and head of design.
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A new sales representative also was brought on board, and as a result, 50 retail clients were added in one year. “A lot of the accounts sell children’s shoes, so it’s kind of a fuse that he lit,” Weiss said.
Overseas, the company has seen strong growth in Israel and the U.K., in particular. In Asia, a deal is in the works that will help expand Blowfish’s retail presence in Japan, China and South Korea.
“We’ve seen 30 percent growth internationally in 2015 — our biggest growth in the last five years,” Weiss said. “We have brand recognition going on throughout Europe.”
E-commerce sales are also on the rise, due in large part to a more aggressive social media push. The brand is working with a number of bloggers, including Laura Mazurek of Roots & Feathers, to generate buzz.
In celebration of Blowfish’s upcoming anniversary, the website will soon showcase a heritage collection of styles featuring throwback details such as the brand’s old logo and original lining colors on classic silhouettes. “We’ve gone back to who we are — [a brand focused on] California street shoes,” Hoyt said.
