Beach Chair, Don’t Care: The Unexpected Success Story of Tommy Bahama Beach Chairs

Tommy Bahama beach chairs in use at the beach
September 07, 2022

Tommy Bahama beach chairs are everywhere, and if you went to the beach this Labor Day weekend, you probably noticed that. CNN Business noticed that Tommy Bahama-branded beach chairs, beach umbrellas, and other beach gear was spread out all over the sand.

It’s an unexpected story that CNN Business wrote about for its website.

Back in 2009, Tommy Bahama partnered with RIO Beach chair parent company ShelterLogic Group to sell branded beach chairs. Though Tommy Bahama was “positioned the brand as a fashion line for men who belonged to country clubs,” CNN Business said Tommy Bahama gambled on beach chairs as a way to make it through the Great Recession. 

“We were a silk-based company known mostly for flowery camp shirts for men. We had some swimwear in the line. No one thought about us as a beach brand. We were dressier than that.” – Tommy Bahama CEO Doug Wood“We were a silk-based company known mostly for flowery camp shirts for men. We had some swimwear in the line. No one thought about us as a beach brand. We were dressier than that.”
– Tommy Bahama CEO Doug Wood

Although there is no public market share data on beach chairs, Rob Silinski, the president of ShelterLogic Group, estimates that Tommy Bahama controls 80% of the market for chairs above $30.

You can read more about the unexpected success story of the Tommy Bahama-ShelterLogic Group beach chair partnership at CNN Business.

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