Home > International Directory of Company Histories > The Wet Seal, Inc. - Introduction

1. Printable Version
2. Download PDF
3. Cite this Page
4. Tweet This

Introduction

26972 Burbank
Foothill Ranch, California 92610
U.S.A.
Telephone: (714) 583-9029
Fax: (714) 583-0715
Web site: http://www.wetsealinc.com

Public Company
Incorporated: 1962
Employees: 6,656
Sales: $517.6 million (2004)
Stock Exchanges: NASDAQ
NAIC: 448120 Women's Clothing Stores

A nationwide specialty retailer of moderately priced apparel for women, The Wet Seal, Inc. operates three chains under the "Contempo Casuals" and the "Wet Seal" and "Arden B." banners. During the mid-1990s, Wet Seal operated 363 retail stores in 34 states and Puerto Rico, with the majority of the company's stores located in California. After decades of unassuming prosperity, Wet Seal recorded explosive growth during the 1980s but began faltering in the 1990s. To restore profitability, the company acquired a 237-store retail junior women's chain named Contempo Casuals, Inc. in 1995. The acquisition nearly tripled the size of Wet Seal and greatly expanded the company's geographic scope. However, by the early 2000s, Wet Seal was struggling due to various internal and external factors, and in 2005 looked to its new CEO, Joel N. Waller, for a turnaround.

1. Introduction
2. Origins
3. 1980s Growth
4. Company Perspectives:
5. Financial Woes During the 1990s
6. Comebacks Fizzle
7. Key Dates:
8. Principal Divisions
9. Principal Competitors
10. Further Reading
11. Copyright Page
12. About Page