Destination XL tapped as men's big and tall provider for Amazon Essentials, launches wholesale division

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Jan 15, 2019

Specialty menswear retailer Destination XL Group, Inc. has been selected as the provider of men's big and tall sizes for Amazon Essentials, in addition to launching its wholesale business unit as part of its strategic growth plan. 

As part of the partnership, the retailer's apparel is available in sizes 2XL and up under the branding "Amazon Essentials Fit by DXL," available now on the Amazon website.

The partnership is part of a wider initiative announced by Destination XL on Monday as it launches a wholesale business unit focused on product development and distribution relationships with key retailers. Through this expansion, the retailer intends to develop and distribute both private-label and co-branded men’s apparel for big and tall men.

"We believe there is an opportunity to bring our big and tall expertise in comfort, fit and style to leading apparel retailers who recognize the growth potential of this dynamic market niche," said David Levin, the retailer's acting CEO. "This model will allow DXL to leverage its extensive big and tall experience and industry knowledge with its current product development infrastructure, affording a broader market reach, including new distribution channels and increased brand awareness beyond the current DXL footprint."

The company also announced that comparable sales increased 3.6% for the nine weeks ended January 5, 2019 compared to the nine weeks ended January 6, 2018. This increase was partially offset by a decrease of $1.6 million due to the shift in calendar weeks due to the 53rd week in fiscal 2017.

Total sales for the nine weeks ended January 5, 2019 totaled $102.7 million, marking an increase of 1.4% from the $101.3 million reported for the nine weeks ended December 30, 2017. 

Destination XL will report its full fourth-quarter and fiscal 2018 financial results on March 22 of 2019.