OUTSIDE WITH THE OCEAN

most demand, and while Kauffman hasn’t noticed a dramatic difference between what items sell in the North versus the South, he says demand in the South is intense currently. The company’s products are also popular in lake regions.

Bestsellers For Any Climate

Pleasant Street Designs Inc., DBA My Word! has introduced new and fun art on existing bestselling products such as Adoornaments, Skinnies, Porch Boards and Stand Out-Signs.

Jen Heamer, national sales manager, says they are “great accents to any home as well as the perfect gift to remember a special vacation or place. Most of our outdoor decor is actually 100% weatherproof too and printed with fade-proof ink so they are made to be outside yearround in any climate,” she adds.

The company offers a wide range of both indoor and outdoor decor to accent beach and lake homes, and its products are designed, produced and shipped in Massachusetts.

Most popular this year are Adoornaments. “They were introduced last fall and retailers have loved them,” Heamer says. “They are a perfect 19-inch size for the front/side doors of a home with beautiful designs, and are a great replacement for wreaths, as they will last longer and are much easier to store.”

What sells varies significantly from region to region, according to Heamer. “Turtles always seem to sell well for us in the South, and then across the country it is shells, lighthouses and beach designs. We are based out of the Northeast and our retailers here love lobsters, shells and lighthouses.

She adds, “Down South they love the flamingos and turtles. Out West it seems to be more sunsets and beach scenes, at least for our products.”

Customers also love the sentiment and humor of My Word! products, especially those featured on the company’s

Skinnies signs, according to Heamer. Whether offering outdoor merchandise depicting manatees and flamingos in Florida, crabs and lobsters in Maine, or stunning sunsets in California, decor products for the perfect backyard oasis are always changing and evolving.

For retailers seeking to awaken the imaginations of local and visiting customers, the tide for selling outside coastal decor is turning toward customer satisfaction and sales.

AMERICANS ARE EMBRACING OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES AND INVESTING IN KEY ITEMS THAT SEASIDE RETAILERS CAN OFFER IN THEIR STORES.

EDITED BY KRISTIN ELY

Creating outdoor living spaces has been on an upward trend since the COVID-19 pandemic led to Americans spending more time at home, and that trend isn’t slowing down. In fact, Americans are poised to invest more in outdoor living spaces in 2023 than they did the previous year.

An independent survey conducted by The International Casual Furnishings Association (ICFA) shows that 54 percent of Americans plan to purchase new furnishings and decor for their decks, yards and patios this year.