Australia’s Billabong International Ltd., a maker of clothes inspired by surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding with its Americas unit in Irvine, is buying a Canadian retailer for $78 million.
Billabong is paying cash for Ontario’s West 49, which runs 138 Canadian stores, primarily in malls. The deal is expected to close in September.
Irvine-based Billabong USA is set to have 230 North American stores after the deal closes, up from 90 now.
In all, Billabong has more than 300 stores in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
The deal is the latest in a series for Billabong.
According to a report in trade publication Transworld Business, Billabong is rumored to be looking at buying Rvca Clothing of Costa Mesa, a clothing maker that’s one of the industry’s buzz brands.
Billabong USA makes up about 45% of its parent company’s $1.4 billion in yearly revenue.
The company makes clothes and other products under the Billabong, Element and Von Zipper brands, among others.
Billabong also has become a sizable retailer with stores under its own name as well as Beach Works and Honolua Surf Co.
The stores sell Billabong clothes and other brands.
In November, Billabong bought San Clemente’s Swell.com, an online clothes seller.
