Carlsbad-based Reef, the largest sandal brand among core industry retailers, is set to enter brick-and-mortar with its very first store in Encinitas.
The location puts it on a stretch of Coast Highway that sees plenty of foot traffic from locals and visitors alike, just steps away from Vuori’s Encinitas store.
“We’re thrilled to open a retail location right in our backyard of Encinitas, California,” Reef Brand President Mike Jensen said. “We believe this location offers an amazing opportunity to push our consumer-focused brand strategy forward, test and learn, and, most importantly, continue to invite new consumers into the Reef brand. The excitement and energy from the team in attacking this opportunity has been quite amazing.”
Jensen said the company is targeting a May 15 opening, with the store starting off as a pop-up, tapping a location he noted as having come available at the last minute just as sandal season ramps up in Southern California.
News of the store is the latest major move by the sandal brand, which also has new Carlsbad headquarters after inking a lease earlier this year on a 37,200-square-foot building.
The property was sold a month after the lease was signed for $18.63 million to Hazard Jr, which was specifically attracted to the deal due to Reef being an “iconic brand,” according to a release on the transaction.
A number of investments were pumped into the building specifically for Reef’s new headquarters, which it took occupancy of in late January. Upgrades to the building’s exterior and landscaping, outdoor workspaces, and solar energy systems installed on new carports are among the improvements.
The property enhancements are expected to be finished in June, with Reef set to officially announce its headquarters at that time.
Reef is owned by Newton, Massachusetts-based The Rockport Group, which bought the brand from VF Corp. on undisclosed terms in a deal that closed in October 2018.
The Rockport Group is also comprised of the Rockport, Aravon, and Dunham brands. Investment firm Charlesbank Capital Partners bought The Rockport Group out of bankruptcy in August 2018.
