Located in Van Nuys, California, Cherokee Inc. (CHKE) is a global apparel company with over 4 billion in annual retail sales. With a market capitalization of $257.08 M, they trade on NASDAQ. Cherokee is a marketer, licensor, and manager of top brands that they own and represent.

Cherokee’s own brands are their namesake Cherokee line, Sideout, Chorus Line, Saint Tropez West, All That Jazz, and Carole Little. Brands they represent are House Beautiful, Hot Kiss, and Juan Carlos. The company’s focus is on global “retail direct” licensing.

Cherokee’s products are available exclusively with top retailers within defined geographic areas. They have agreements with Target Stores in the United States, and Tesco in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and certain European and Asian countries. They also deal with Zellers (Hudson Bay Company) in Canada, Pick ‘n Pay in South Africa and Grupo Aviara in Mexico among others.

Their licensing agreements are in family apparel, fashion accessories, footwear, home furnishings, and recreational products. The company forges relationships with the world’s largest retailers. Their goal is to bring top brands to them so they can mutually benefit from profitable licensing opportunities.

The company began as a footwear brand in 1973. They are now a premier global family lifestyle brand operating in many categories. Their Sideout brand was a late 90’s acquisition. Sideout is a young active lifestyle brand. Their Carole Little brand sells in high-end department stores and is a brand that began in 1975 by designer Carole Little.

Cherokee Inc. continues to seek new opportunities in the global apparel industry as well as in other sectors. They signed an agreement on May 21, 2008 to represent designer David Rodriguez. On April 30, 2008, they announced a quarterly dividend of $0.75 per share. Cherokee Inc seeks to dress their shareholders up and take them places with continued growth.

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