Seasalt closes US stores two years after initial expansion

British clothing retailer Seasalt has announced the closure of its four US stores just two years on from its expansion into the market.

The Cornish company confirmed the news to Drapers, to which it said it was instead looking to grow its portfolio of partners in the US and Europe in the second half of the year, and thus wished to invest “accordingly in this area of the business”.

The statement continued: “Therefore, in order to focus our efforts and resources on third-party relationships moving forward, we have made a business decision to close our four existing Seasalt stores in the US.”

After first announcing expansion plans in November 2023, Seasalt opened locations in Falmouth, Massachusetts; Ardmore, Pennsylvania; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and Shrewsbury, New Jersey.

All sites shuttered on May 17, bringing to an end a rollout that had at one time been fairly ambitious. The company had previously been eyeing around 20 locations in the US over the course of three years.

It added: “We have taken significant learnings from our international trading to date and we are approaching the next year and beyond with confidence despite the ongoing economic headwinds.”

Seasalt continues to report “significant success in the US and Europe” through its partnerships with department stores and online retailers. Its international sales, meanwhile, make up 16 percent of, with the company aiming for that figure to rise to 20 percent within the next year, it told Drapers.

For now, its focus seems to lie in Europe, specifically Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Earlier this year, CEO Paul Hayes confirmed plans to open three new stores in 2026, telling The Times that Seasalt had "built a very resilient business model" and was confident it could navigate this challenging period.