This past Surf Expo in September, a boardshort brand and a retail chain both had their eyes on growing their business and were using their booths to help drive those efforts.

We checked in with Portuguese boardshort company DCK Boardshorts and California-headquartered retailer Flip Flop Shops to get a sense of their expansion plans.

Building a Boardshorts Brand

DCK Boardshorts was founded on a surf trip to Bali in 2009 when friends Diego, Costa, and Kiko decided to get into the apparel business.

At the time, there weren’t many boardshort brands in their native Portugal, despite the great beaches and surf contests.

Co-founder Duarte Costa had been traveling as a poker player and decided to combine his passion for surfing, travel, and entrepreneurship with DCK, which combined the first letter of the founders’ names.

Duarte Costa of DCK Boardshorts.

After some stops and starts, in about 2013 DCK began getting traction and selling in shops in Portugal, going from moving about 500 units a year to 50,000.

Today 70% of DCK’s sales are in Spain and Portugal, with the rest in the U.S., France, and Germany. Costa said the brand wholesales in 420 shops in Portugal and Spain.

Getting to DCK’s level of business was “really hard,” Costa admitted, and despite the brand’s success at home, the next level is to conquer other markets, including the U.S.

‘Loving’ Surf Expo

This was DCK’s second Surf Expo, and Costa said he was loving it. “People are loving our brand because we focus on just one product,” he said.

He mentioned the range of patterns for DCK’s shorts and the competitive price points of $49 for adults and $39 for kids.

“And we provide a good wholesale margin, too. We don’t earn such a big margin on each short, but we get volume every year, and we grow every year,” Costa said.

DCK Boardshorts on display at Surf Expo.

Flip Flop Shops Brings Party Spirit

Retailer Flip Flop Shops was hosting parties as it focused on expanding its business. As of this fall, it had about 70 franchise locations open with about 15 in development. Most of the stores are concentrated in Florida but it has a presence across the country.

Under new ownership over the past five years, the look of the footwear retailer’s stores has undergone a makeover, according to Steve Schultz, director of shop shenanigans (official title) at Flip Flop Shops.

Steve Schultz of Flip Flop Shops.

They’ve been tailoring the stores to the specific area where they’re located.

For example, Flip Flop Shops rebranded a store in Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas that’s decorated with a slot machine with flip flops on it instead of the traditional oranges and cherries. Store art also includes showgirls that are kicking up their legs wearing flip flops.

‘A Great Show’

Schultz said the company has been attending Surf Expo for a handful of years.

Every January, the company brings its franchise owners to Surf Expo, and this year they decided to do something on the floor. They brought cornhole and beer pong and sponsored happy hours.

“It’s a great show,” Schultz said. “We’re giving out coupons, cards, and sharing information, directing our shop owners as well as any other retailers. Because we’re all in this industry together.”