Hilco Consumer-Retail Group confirmed Sept. 24 that the 28 Salt Life retail stores will be closed after Hilco and Iconix International Inc. acquired the business in a bankruptcy court auction.
Salt Life, founded in Jacksonville Beach in 2003, was owned by Delta Apparel Inc., which filed a Chapter 11 reorganization petition June 30 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
The Salt Life Food Shack restaurants were not owned by Delta and are not impacted by the bankruptcy court proceedings.
Hilco and Iconix made a joint bid of $38.74 million to acquire the Salt Life apparel brand, which was approved by the court Sept. 16.
The sale was closed Sept. 19.
Hilco said liquidation sales have begun at all Salt Life stores, including its flagship store at 240 S. Third St. in Jacksonville Beach and another store at the St. Augustine Premium Outlets mall at Interstate 95 and Florida Road 16.
When Delta filed for Chapter 11, it also filed notices under the Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act saying its 15 Florida stores could close if no buyer was found.
The notices said the Jacksonville Beach store had eight employees and the St. Augustine store had six.
Hilco said Iconix will transition the Salt Life brand toward a focus on a wholesale and e-commerce business.
“The Salt Life brand has widespread brand awareness and loyalty with ocean enthusiasts worldwide,” Hilco said in a news release.
Hilco said the liquidation sales began Sept. 20. The Jacksonville Beach store had a sign on the front door Sept. 19 saying it was temporarily closed, but that sign has been removed.
Besides selling merchandise, Hilco said store fixtures and equipment are also for sale.
Gift cards will be accepted until Oct. 20 and merchandise purchased before Sept. 20 can be returned until Oct. 20, Hilco said.
All sales made on or after Sept. 20 are final.