Salt Life returns to brick-and-mortar retail with new store opening in Sanibel Island, Florida

Coastal lifestyle brand Salt Life has made its return to physical retail with the opening of a new store in Sanibel Island, Florida. Marking the start of a new retail chapter for the brand, the store opening in Sanibel Island is said to be the first of multiple new retail locations.

The island was selected to serve as the first location for Salt Life’s return to brick-and-mortar due to its working coastal community and way of life that is dictated by the ocean, with Sanibel Island retaining the same sense of resilience and forward momentum as Salt Life.

“Sanibel is everything the Salt Life brand stands for,” said Ryan Sainsott, President of the Salt Life brand and SVP at Iconix International, in a statement. “It’s a real-deal coastal community — from the docks before sunrise to offshore runs in the Gulf. Opening here represents a powerful moment for the Salt Life brand as we re-establish our retail presence and build the next phase of growth.”

The opening comes a year after Iconix International began expanding Salt Life into a full coastal lifestyle brand, and two years after its former parent company, Delta Apparel, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In September 2024, Iconix acquired the brand for 38.74 million dollars in a joint bid with liquidator Hilco Consumer-Retail Group. Under the new ownership, all 28 Salt Life stores across 10 US states were closed, and the brand shifted to a licensing, wholesale and e-commerce model.

The move appears to have paid off. In November 2025, Iconix CEO Bob Galvin told WWD that Salt Life had doubled to around 100 million dollars in revenue since the acquisition, and could eventually reach 500 million dollars as the parent company signed licensing deals across categories including fishing and watersports, hospitality, home goods, and food and beverage.

The new store on Sanibel Island is said to be the first of many stores to open from Salt Life, with other locations along the coast up to North Carolina and New Jersey set to open later this year and further down the pipeline as the brand strengthens its direct-to-consumer strategy and deepens its presence in coastal markets across the country.

Speaking to WWD last year, Galvin said he believes Salt Life has the potential to become the next Tommy Bahama, a brand that combines retail stores, restaurants and a strong wholesale business, but at a more accessible price point. Salt Life T-shirts retail for between 26 US dollars and 58 US dollars, polos for 50 US dollars to 66 US dollars, and hoodies for around 58 US dollars.