The Swim Shop

What The Swim Shop does

The Swim Shop, legally organized as Beresford Businesses LLC, is a privately held specialty retailer of swimwear and aquatic equipment founded in 1989 and headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. The company operates a single physical storefront at 2115 Concord Pike in the Fairfax Shopping Center, complemented by an e-commerce storefront powered by Ecwid by Lightspeed. Its product catalog spans fashion, workout, and competitive swimwear; swim equipment (goggles, hand paddles, pull buoys, fins); swim caps; swim care products; and supplementary items such as sun protection apparel, swim bags, and Panama-style hats, sourced through its licensed dealer relationships with six major swimwear brands (Speedo, TYR, Nike Swim, Arena, Dolfin, and JOLYN). Catalog pricing ranges from approximately $6 for swim-care items to $230 for premium hats.

The company serves two primary customer segments: individual consumers (recreational, lap, and competitive swimmers across age groups) and organized swim teams (YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, high schools, summer league teams, and colleges) within the Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania tri-state area. Revenue is generated through transactional retail sales of branded swimwear and equipment, supplemented by a B2B team sales program offering discounted bulk orders with in-store custom sharkskin logo application.

The Swim Shop has operated continuously for over 35 years under what appears to be founder/independent ownership, with no disclosed external funding, acquisitions, or management changes. The business relies on the in-person retail experience supported by knowledgeable staff, convenient I-95 corridor location, and long-standing relationships with local swim clubs and schools as its primary differentiators.

Name

The Swim Shop

Legal name

Beresford Businesses LLC DBA The Swim Shop

Website

https://theswimshopde.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Swim Shop is a Wilmington, Delaware-based specialty retailer founded in 1989 selling swimwear, swim equipment, and adjacent aquatic lifestyle products to individual consumers and organized swim teams across the Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania tri-state area via one physical storefront and an Ecwid-powered e-commerce site.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Swimwear Retail

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Swim & Surf Performance Wear (CRAAAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Sports Equipment Retail (Wake, Ski, Tow, Tubes) (CRAMAIAC), Water Sports & Marine Recreation Retail (Paddle/Surf/Dive/Boat Accessories) (CRAMABAI)

Keywords

• Swimwear retail
• Swimming equipment
• Competitive swimwear
• Swim team apparel
• Aquatic accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales: Direct retail sales of swimwear, swim equipment, and accessories to individual consumers through both physical storefront and e-commerce website. One-time transaction-based revenue model.
2. Team Sales Program: B2B sales of discounted team suits, gear, and custom apparel with team logos to swim teams, schools, and clubs. Volume-based team orders with custom logo application services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The Swim Shop retails fashion, workout, and competitive swimwear; swim equipment and accessories; swim care products; sun protection apparel; and related lifestyle items through a single physical storefront and e-commerce website. The company also operates a dedicated team sales program providing discounted bulk suits, gear, and in-store custom sharkskin logo application to organized swim teams including YMCAs, Boys & Girls Clubs, high schools, summer teams, and colleges in the tri-state area.

Product overview

The Swim Shop is a retail swimwear and swimming equipment store offering a comprehensive portfolio of products across three swimwear categories (fashion, workout, and competitive), supported by a full range of swim equipment and accessories. The company operates as a licensed dealer for six major swimwear brands (Speedo, TYR, Nike Swim, Arena, Dolfin, and JOLYN), selling individual products including competitive racing suits (Arena Powerskin, JOLYN lines), swim caps (silicone and latex), goggles, pull buoys, underwater audio players, mesh bags, swimwear care products (shampoo, conditioner, cleaner), and team custom logo services. Beyond swimming, the store also carries sun protection apparel (Chubbies crewnecks, rash guards), handbags, and handwoven Panama/safari hats. The company offers team promotional programs providing discounted suits and custom team logos to YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, high schools, summer teams, and colleges, having served the tri-state area for over 35 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fashion Swimwear Swimwear for casual and recreational swimmers, available in prints and solid colors from brand assortments including GABAR, JOLYN, Leilani, and Limone.
• Workout Swimwear Swimwear designed for regular lap swimmers and fitness swimmers, offering durability and performance features for repeated training use.
• Competitive Swimwear High-performance swimwear for competitive swimmers including racing suits such as the AQUABLADE Jammer, AQUABLADE 1PC, Speedo Jammer ProLT, Arena Powerskin, and JOLYN competition lines.
• Swim Equipment Swimming gear including goggles, hand paddles, ear plugs, water shoes, pull buoys, swim fins, and underwater audio devices such as the FINIS Tempo Trainer Pro and FINIS Duo Underwater MP3 Player.
• Swim Caps Silicone and latex swimming caps from brands including Water Gear and JOLYN.
• Swim Care Products Products for maintaining swimwear and post-swim hygiene, including Suit Solutions Cleaner, Ultra Swim Shampoo, Ultra Swim Conditioner, and Swimmer's Own Shower Gel.
• Sun Protection Apparel Sun protection clothing for outdoor swimming, including Chubbies sun crewnecks, Board Buddies 5.5" swim trunks, and Slim Sleek rashguards.
• Hats and Headwear Handwoven Panama and safari-style hats including Leon Handwoven Panama Safari, Otto Braid Palm Safari, Bend Boonie, Waylen Safari Hat, Smuggler Outback, and Muirfield Panama Outback.
• Swim Bags and Totes Mesh swim bags, handbags, and totes including Limone Handbag, Maisel Rattan Satchel, Valtin Toyo Tote, and Lily Turtle Tote, used to carry wet swimwear and accessories.
• Team Custom Logo Service Custom logo application service for team swimwear using sharkskin logos designed for use in pool water, applied in-store at the customer's convenience to either printed or solid team suits.
• Team Promotional Programs Discounted team suits, gear, and custom apparel programs with bulk pricing offered to organized swim teams including YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, high schools, summer league teams, and colleges.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SpeedocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Swim Shop is a licensed dealer for Speedo swimwear and equipment, offering Speedo brand suits, goggles, caps, and accessories to customers in the tri-state area.
• TYRcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicensed dealer for TYR brand swimwear and equipment, providing competitive swim gear and apparel to individual swimmers and team organizations.
• Nike SwimcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Nike Swim dealer offering Nike branded swimwear and accessories through both retail and team sales channels.
• ArenacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicensed Arena dealer providing Arena swimwear including competition suits and equipment to customers and teams.
• DolfincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Dolfin dealer offering Dolfin swimwear and apparel through the retail store and team programs.
• JOLYNcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicensed JOLYN dealer providing JOLYN brand swimwear including their popular European styles to swimmers and teams in the region.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Everything But Water: Specialty multi-brand women's swimwear boutique chain (physical + online) curating fashion and resort swimwear. Comparable as a premium multi-brand swimwear specialist, but skewed toward fashion vs. The Swim Shop's competitive/team orientation.
• Swimsuits For All: Online-first specialty swimwear retailer focusing on inclusive sizing and women's swimwear. Comparable as a swimwear-specialist merchant, though purely online and positioned more on fashion/fit than competitive swimwear.
• A3 Performance: Swimwear brand and team-dealer specializing in competitive swimwear, custom team suits, and aquatic apparel. Directly comparable in the team/competitive swimwear niche where The Swim Shop also competes for swim club and school accounts.
• Kiefer: Long-established specialty swim shop (since 1970s) offering competitive swimwear, aquatic equipment, and team outfitting. Highly comparable as a multi-brand swimwear and equipment retailer with a strong team/aquatics customer base, though operating at national scale.
• AquaGear Swim Shop: Specialty online retailer focused on competitive swimwear, swim equipment, and team outfitting. Comparable as a swim-niche multi-brand retailer serving the same competitive/team customer base, though operating purely online without a physical fitting experience.
• Swim Outlet: Largest U.S. online specialty swimwear retailer selling competitive, fitness, and fashion swimwear plus equipment across all major brands. Directly comparable as a multi-brand swimwear specialist competing for the same consumer and team customer, though operating at much larger scale and purely online.
• Sunsations: Multi-store swimwear and beachwear retail chain operating physical storefronts in beach/resort markets. Comparable as a swimwear specialty retailer, though more tourism-focused and broader assortment than The Swim Shop's competitive/team focus.

Broad incumbents

• Speedo USA: Flagship U.S. direct site of Speedo, one of The Swim Shop's most important brand partners. Comparable as a swimwear sales channel competing for the same consumer, but Speedo is the brand owner — its DTC push directly affects The Swim Shop's economics.
• DICK'S Sporting Goods: National full-line sporting goods retailer carrying swimwear, goggles, and aquatic equipment across many of the same brands. Comparable as a multi-brand swimwear channel, though it does not specialize in team outfitting or competitive suits.
• TYR Sport: Direct-to-consumer site for TYR, another core brand partner. Comparable swimwear and equipment assortment, but as a brand-owner DTC channel it competes with The Swim Shop's reseller relationship and is expanding team-direct programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/swimshopde
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-swim-shop-de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Swim Shop