Expanded locations, new stores for Jack's

Editor’s note: I mistakenly added the wrong date in the original version of Shelby’s story about the grand opening party for the new Newport store. It is this Saturday, June 2 not June 9. Tiffany

 

We caught up with Jack’s Surfboards co-owner Jamal Abdelmuti to find out what’s new at the influential surf retail chain, how each of their locations are doing, and some new happenings with their business.

 

Jack’s now has three shops in Huntington Beach, a shop in Dana Point that expanded last year, a shop in Irvine, one shop in Hermosa Beach, one shop in Corona del Mar, two shops in Newport Beach, and a new outlet store in San Clemente.

 

Dana Point

Jamal Abdelmuti. Shop-eat-surf file photo.

In November, Jack’s expanded its Dana Point shop by 4,500 square feet after a liquor store and sushi restaurant vacated next door to its current location.

 

About 2,000 square feet went straight to hardgoods while Jack’s dedicated the remaining 2,500 square feet to Jack’s Garage, which holds skateboard brands.

 

Since the expansion this past November, Jamal said the store is up 50% in sales and is doing “great.”

 

Newport Beach

In Newport Beach, Jack’s is also currently expanding. Directly next door, but not connected to their current shop on 27th Street, they have taken over a 4,700 square foot space, giving them 11,000 square feet total. Since the new space is separate from their main store (there is just a breezeway between the buildings), the store is dedicated to women and kids merchandise only.

 

“We thought that since it was a standalone location and too big just for hardgoods, women and kids would work well together,” said Jamal.

 

The new store just opened, and the grand opening to celebrate the new space is being held Saturday, June 2.

 

Hermosa Beach

Bikinis in the new kids and women’s store in Newport Beach.

In Hermosa Beach, Jack’s opened a new shop in 2010. Jamal said the shop is doing very well.

 

Irvine

Jamal said their Irvine location is their most challenging location. It is doing just “fair,” and “steadily improving,” he said.

 

San Clemente

In San Clemente, at the end of last year, Jack’s opened their first outlet store on Del Mar Avenue, which Jamal said is working out very well.

 

Huntington Beach

In Huntington Beach, Jamal said all Jack’s stores – their main store, all-girls store, and Jack’s Garage have been doing well.

 

 

See Page 2 for details about the new store planned to open adjacent to a new skatepark

 

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New Shop at Planned Vans Skatepark

 

Jamal was most excited about a new Jack’s Garage skate shop he said they are going to construct soon next to a planned Vans skatepark that will be free to the public.

The skatepark is planned near Center Street and Gothard Street in Huntington Beach, and is winding its way through the city planning process. (More to come about the skatepark in a future story.)

 

New and Existing Brands and Trends

Besides new shops, I asked Jamal if Jack’s was carrying any new brands.

 

“The only new brand we brought on in the last six months is VSTR,” he said.

 

Part of the kids’ section in the new women and kids’ store in Newport Beach

Jack’s Partner Bobby Abdel added in a separate interview that Jack’s brought VSTR into three of its stores and has added some emerging brands into its skate-focused Garage stores.

 

As for existing brands, Jamal and Bobby said Jack’s has expanded business with Quiksilver, Billabong and Volcom in Jack’s Huntington Beach location.

 

I asked Jamal if there were any standout brands at the shop.

 

“RVCA is our No. 1 brand. I think they have their niche and they are not widely distributed like a lot of the other brands. That bodes well for us,” he said.

 

As for trends, Jamal said he hasn’t seen anything stick out except in skate and with smaller brands.

 

“Penny skateboards are going crazy,” he said. “We have been doing really well with them as well as with some of the smaller brands that are not so widely distributed.”

 

Surf Retail

Lastly, since Jack’s is such a big player in the surf industry, I asked Jamal if he thought surf retail was turning positive again.

 

“I think business in general is turning positive,” he said. “We reached the bottom a year and a half ago, so we are seeing an increase in most of our locations. The economy is better all around.”