Everything but Water

Everything But Water is the largest US specialty retailer of designer women’s swimwear and resort wear, operating an Orlando-headquartered chain with more than four decades of focused product curation. The brand occupies the higher-end of the women’s swim category, distinct from department-store swim sections and mass-market retailers, with a multi-brand designer assortment combining premium swim labels, resort cover-ups, beach accessories, and expanded size offerings.

Founded in 1984 in Orlando, Florida, the chain has moved through several ownership transitions. After a 2009 bankruptcy filing during the post-financial-crisis retail downturn, Fortress Investment Group took control. Bear Growth Capital Partners-backed acquirers Randy Blumenthal and Sabra Krock subsequently bought the chain from Fortress. In 2014, Everything But Water acquired Aqua Beachwear, a retailer with 15 stores located at vacation destinations. The combined retail chain will total 93 stores across 26 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The chain’s strategy emphasizes specialty positioning, vacation-destination footprint concentration, and a multi-brand assortment designed for higher-spend, lower-frequency seasonal purchasing rather than the volume model of mass swim retailers.

Everything But Water operates approximately 85 stores across the United States, weighted toward affluent resort destinations, suburban lifestyle centers, and high-traffic vacation markets including Florida, California, the New York metro area, and the US Virgin Islands. For mall operators, the brand functions as a specialty leisure tenant in vacation-adjacent properties and as a draw for affluent female shoppers in upscale Class A and Class B+ centers with strong leisure-shopping demographics. The chain typically takes 1,500 to 3,000 square feet, placing it within reach of secondary mall positions rather than anchor footprints.