Irvine-Based Wet Seal Clothing Stores Launching a Rapid Retail Expansion : RETAILING

Wet Seal, a junior women’s fashion retailer, is moving ahead with its rapid expansion.

Within the past two months, the Irvine-based clothing chain has opened a 3,559-square-foot store at Newport Beach’s Fashion Island. Meanwhile, the 6-year-old Wet Seal outlet at Mission Viejo Mall reopened recently after more than doubling its size to 5,204-square-feet.

Another Orange County store, in Westminster Mall, is expanding to 4,000-square-feet. That remodeled store is expected to be completed in November.

Meanwhile, the chain--which has stores in every major Orange County mall--has been busily adding stores throughout the Southland and outside of California.

New Wet Seal stores recently opened their doors in the Northridge Fashion Square and the Glendale Galleria. A 3,180-square-foot shop in Carlsbad’s Plaza Camino Real is expected to open Aug. 10, said Ken Chilvers, company president.

The third out-of-state store is scheduled to open later this month at the Metro Center in Phoenix, Chilvers said.

Wet Seal, which began as a beachwear store on Balboa Island, has big plans to open at least 18 new stores by the end of the year, according to the company.

The chain now has more than 70 stores in California, Arizona and Nevada.

The chain reported record 1988 sales of $45 million, up 43% from the prior year, according to Chilvers.