Our Story
Our Story
How One Swimsuit Started it All
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
In 1968, Corinne Forseth was unable to find a swimsuit for her 10-year-old daughter, Lori, that matched her teammates on the Barracudas swim team, which she had recently joined after moving to Calgary. Corinne’s efforts to locate that swimsuit resulted in the beginning of a mail-order business for families whose children were in competitive swim clubs. Swimco (“swim” from swimwear and “co” from Corinne) was officially born in 1975, in the basement of the family home in southeast Calgary.
HOME-BUILT AND FAMILY-OPERATED
Business quickly grew as Swimco continued to help families and swim teams across western Canada. In 1980, Lori joined the family business, along with her friend Patti. Soon after, the team expanded to include Lori’s brother Steve, her husband Dave, and eventually, her son Brett.
Over the years, Swimco evolved from a home business to a 25-store chain across Canada, with 250 staff members between the stores and the new office and warehouse. Swimco became a household name as the trusted swimwear expert for generations of Canadians. For many of our customers, our stores were the first place they were able to gain confidence in themselves. We’re honoured to have created authentic and long-lasting relationships with our customers throughout the years.
A STORY OF RESILIENCE
The pandemic hit Canadians hard in March 2020. Swimco, like many retail brands, was forced to shut its doors and lay off hundreds of team members. In business, it takes guts to begin, resilience to grow, and courage to take the necessary steps to rebuild. In December 2020, Swimco restructured as an online-only boutique, with ten people fighting to stay alive in this new ever-shifting environment.
A NEW CHAPTER
As businesses emerged from the pandemic, Swimco began to reopen stores and expand the team, entering a new chapter and a new opportunity to learn, adapt, and evolve. Swimco is a true Canadian brand with humble roots, created with the belief that swimwear shopping can be an easy, comfortable, and empowering experience. Our passion for product, customers, and family will take us on a lifelong adventure which is just beginning – again. Swimco is here to stay.