*By Conor White* A so-called "retail apocalypse" may be underway, but not at Lilly Pulitzer. The clothing brand famous for its bright colors, hand-painted prints, and resort wear is stronger than ever, according to its CEO. "What made the brand take off in the 1960s ー the fundamentals are still there today," Michelle Kelly said Thursday in an interview on Cheddar. Lilly Pulitzer is celebrating 60 years with a new store on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Fla. ー but its mission remains the same. "We are focused on our customer," Kelly said. Total revenue growth of the Oxford Industries-owned ($OXM) brand was up 3.1 percent in the second quarter of 2018, and up over 5 percent in the first six months of the year. The company has been able to sustain its growth without discounting items or lowering base prices. "We really focus on full-price integrity," Kelly said. "We believe that if a customer loves Lilly, we want to make something that will delight her at full-price." Among those full-price items ーand one of the reasons sales are up ー are swimsuits. The company recently brought the pieces back after pausing their production for years. "We really kept hearing from our customer that you can't pack for a vacation completely without having a great Lilly Pulitzer swimsuit," Kelly said. With sales up and new stores opening, Lilly Pulitzer doesn't see any reason to change its strategy ー and beyond the bottom line, there's another major reason it's doing so well. "It makes people happy," Kelly said. "Who doesn't want more of that right now?" For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/lilly-pulitzer-ceo-talks-60-years-in-business).

Share:
More In Business
Why CEO's Fear A.I. and Climate Change
More executives are feeling better about the global economy. But a growing number don’t think their companies will survive the coming decade without a major overhaul because of pressure from climate change and technology like artificial intelligence.
A Gold Medal For Beer Drinkers
The International Olympic Committee has signed the first beer brand in the 40-year history of a sponsorship program that earns billions of dollars for the organization and international sports.
Why Record-Shattering Heat Has Scientists On Edge
The latest calculations from several science agencies showing Earth obliterated global heat records last year may seem scary. But scientists worry that what’s behind those numbers could be even worse.
Load More