Now here's a business model you have to admire: take a hanky-sized piece of cloth, tack on the price tag of a tent, and sell it to feckless youth who want to stand out by fitting in.

Billabong, the Australian beachwear manufacturer, knows its oats. The company has tapped the outdoor youth market and its brand covers everything from surfboards to string bikinis. It has at least 12 stores in the UAE, which, lets face it, has more beach than you can shake a pair of boardshorts at.

ASX-listed Billabong said today it will acquire Swell.com, a small US online beachwear company. With most analysts predicting tepid holiday retail sales in the US, the Aussie company is surely positioning itself for sunnier days ahead.

Billabong closed 0.69 per cent down in Sydney, today, finishing at Au$10,171 (Dh34).
Cowabunga, dudes!