Tommy Bahama Opens Women’s Swimwear ‘Cabana Room’ at New York Flagship

VIA WWD

A version of the 300-square-foot shop will be offered to wholesale customers for cruise 2018.

By Jean E. Palmieri on March 29, 2017

For Tommy Bahama, everyday is a beach day. And to promote its spring women’s swimwear collection, the brand has created a Cabana Room shop-in-shop at its New York flagship.

The 300-square-foot shop is intended to deliver “an immersive swimwear shopping experience in an inviting environment reminiscent of a modern resort cabana,” according to the company.

The shop is located inside the store’s 45th Street entrance, and has white-washed wood floors, blue and white floor-to-ceiling cabana curtains and teak furniture from the company’s home collection outside the entrance.

Two Swim Finder video screens display a digital catalogue of the entire swimwear assortment and customers can use it to narrow down the selections, which are then brought to them by staff trained in fitting swimwear.

Lissette Marquez, fit specialist for the label, said this is the only Cabana Room in the chain and Tommy Bahama chose New York because it is the flagship for the brand and also can act as a model for a potential wholesale rollout. A wholesale version of the shop would be available to interested stores in October for cruise 2018.

The Cabana Room had a soft opening two weeks ago, and Marquez said sales of the swimwear are running 54 percent over the same period last year. Among the bestsellers are a Shibori blue-and-white print. The shop also offers the new Island Sculpt collection, a collection with 41 percent Lycra that features four-way stretch intended to shape and enhance curves. In addition to one- and two-piece swimsuits, the shop also includes cover-ups, a swim legging, rash guards, boyfriend shirts and hoodies.

“We believe Tommy Bahama swimwear is exceptional and we wanted to build an experience to celebrate it,” said Doug Wood, chief executive officer of Tommy Bahama. ”The Cabana Room offers guests the relaxed, comfortable and personalized experience of our complete swim collection — every style, every color, every print. It’s where everyone can find their perfect fit.”

In fiscal 2016, Tommy Bahama, a division of Oxford Industries, has been struggling with reduced traffic at its 168 stores as well as a lackluster women’s business. Oxford is hoping that signature product such as swimwear, cover-ups, knit dresses and handbags will help lead to a turnaround this year.