PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY
This summary contains basic information about our business and this offering and highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus supplement. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before deciding whether or not to invest in the shares of Class A common stock offered hereby. For a more complete understanding of our business and this offering, you should read this entire prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any related free writing prospectus carefully, including the risks of investing in our Class A common stock discussed under “Risk Factors,” the consolidated financial statements and notes and other information included elsewhere or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any related free writing prospectus before making an investment decision.
Our Business
Tillys is a leading destination specialty retailer of casual apparel, footwear and accessories for young adults, teens, and children. We believe we bring together an unparalleled selection of iconic global, emerging and proprietary brands rooted in an active and outdoor lifestyle. Through our 226 stores across 31 states as of August 4, 2018, combined with a growing and profitable online business that reaches consumers nationally, we operate a dynamic omni-channel platform that allows consumers to shop with us how, when and where they want. Our stores and website are designed to be a seamless extension of our consumers’ lifestyles and the stimulating environment in which they live.
We believe our broad selection of relevant brands, styles, colors, sizes and price points ensures that we have what our customers want when they visit our stores. Our selection of over 400 third-party lifestyle brands offered over the course of a year, complemented by our proprietary merchandise, allows us to identify and address trends more quickly, offer a great range of price points, and manage our inventories more dynamically. We strive to keep our merchandise mix current by continuously introducing emerging brands and styles not available at many other specialty retailers in order to identify and respond to the evolving desires of our customers. No single third-party brand exceeded 7% of our total annual sales in fiscal 2017, and over 100 of these brands each generated annual sales greater than $0.5 million for us in the same period. Our goal is to serve as a destination for the most relevant merchandise and brands important to our customers at any given time.
We have a flexible real estate strategy across real estate venues and geographies. As of August 4, 2018, our store base was composed of 226 stores (including threepop-up stores) in 31 states. Of those stores, approximately half are located in a mix of malls, with the remaining stores located in lifestyle centers, ‘power’ centers, community centers, outlet centers and street-front locations. We believe our experiential marketing efforts in our stores foster an environment that is vibrant, stimulating and authentic, serving as an extension to our customers’ individuality and passion for an active, connected lifestyle. We accomplish this by blending the most relevant brands and styles with music videos, product-related visuals and a dedicated team of passionate store associates. We continuously think of fun, creative ways to drive consumers to our stores, including augmented and virtual reality experiences, various social events, and partnerships with some of our vendors, all of which are posted on various social media platforms, further driving brand awareness. Additionally, in order to improve the look and feel of our stores, we have remodeled or refreshed nearly 90% of our stores in the last three years. In addition to our traditional stores, we have also opened threepop-up stores under our private label brand, RSQ by Tillys, which has served as an effective branding vehicle and allows us to make our way into desirable new markets. We believe we have a portable and flexible store model that supports our existing stores, and our ability to open new stores and try new store concepts in a disciplined manner.
Following our IPO in 2012, we opened 91 stores between fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2015 in both new and existing markets. During this period, we faced challenges with respect to brand awareness in new markets and