Tommy Bahama to launch global online stores

Tommy Bahama, the brand known for its beachwear and accessories, is launching a global e-commerce platform to accelerate its fledgling international expansion.

Photo: Tommy Bahama

The U.S.-based company, owned by Oxford Industries Inc., has partnered with FiftyOne Global Ecommerce to open its online stores in 108 countries, four years after launching a domestic online store. The company is expected to announce the launch later Tuesday.

“We’ve had international customers for a long time, we just weren’t international. In Hawaii, we have a pretty strong Asian customer base, especially from Japan. In Florida, we’ve had very strong traffic from both Europe and South America,” Doug Wood, president and chief operating officer of Tommy Bahama, told Reuters.

Wood said the company saw customers logging onto its website from different parts of the world, but the company did not have the ability to handle international orders. An international online platform eliminates shipping and currency concerns because products are purchased and shipped locally.

“Being able to transact in the right currency is very important, and that’s what we’ll be able to do,” Wood said. “For example, in Japan, you’d shop in yen.”

In March, Tommy Bahama opened its first retail store in Macau at the Venetian Resort and Casino. It also has a store in Singapore. The company has 98 stores in the United States.

E-commerce has long been seen as a growth engine for traditional retailers, as expanding brick-and-mortar stores has become increasingly costly and laborious. In 2011, e-commerce accounted for 8 percent of Tommy Bahama’s total sales of $450 million. The company expects sales to exceed $500 million in 2012.

Oxford Industries shares were up 0.9 percent to $44.57 on Tuesday afternoon.