Seaside Retailer - September-October 2023

EDITOR’S NOTE

Supporting one another in industry is important.

RETAIL NEWS

News on Maui wildfires, new storefronts and more.

TAKING STOCK

Visual merchandising tips and tricks.

CUSTOMERS COUNT

Make your employees feel special.

EVENTS CALENDAR

Make plans to attend these future industry events.

EVENTS COVERAGE Coverage from past and upcoming industry shows.

RETAILER REFLECTIONS Turn retail stress into retail success. PRODUCT SHOWCASE

ideas for your seaside store.

COVER

Sea shells & so much more Family-owned Sea Shell Shop evolves to meet the needs of today’s souvenir seekers. p. 20

COASTAL

Help is on the way

It hasn’t even been a year since tragedy struck the coastal communities in western Florida with Hurricane Ian, and now we are talking about another horrific event that has affected our industry personally. The wildfires in Maui that struck in early August came through with little warning. We heard from several retail and wholesale businesses located in the area whose businesses were completely destroyed but thankfully themselves and their employees all survived. You can read more about some of their experiences in our Retail News section on page 8.

Times like this are a good reminder of the importance of coming together as a retail community. At any instant we could be the next person affected by a disaster, and we would hope that people would be there for us.

It is going to take years for the community of Lahaina, Hawaii, to rebuild. We’ve already heard of many wholesalers and retailers in the industry lending their support. Whether it is a GoFundMe campaign or a product fundraiser, it is amazing to witness the generosity of our industry.

Surf Expo will be selling Maui Strong T-shirts during its Sept. 7-9 show in Orlando thanks to Katin and Lancaster Exposition Services. The $30 shirts will be sold on-site with 100% of all sales going directly to the Maui Sports Foundation to assist in its ongoing emergency relief efforts.

Old Guys Rule is supporting the Lahaina Dog Haven by funding the fencing needed for the 3-acre property as well as purchasing 20 sail shades to provide protection from the outdoor elements. In addition, the apparel company has designed the Live Aloha T-shirt, with the proceeds for that shirt being donated to the shelter.

Shaka Love donated 100% of its profits to the Maui Strong Fund from sales in part of August. Rustic Marlin created an Aloha sign with 100% of profits going to the same organization.

Santa’s Pen, a retail arm of Joseph K. & Co., lost its entire retail store in Lahaina. The company started a GoFundMe page where people can go to donate money to help its Maui staff. Its affiliated Waikiki Christmas stores are also selling Maui ornaments with proceeds going directly to Maui employees.

In the wake of the events in Maui, Heart on Main Street launched a Natural Disaster Jumpstart Program with a dozen wholesale supporters already onboard. The nonprofit also launched a fundraiser specifically for Maui.

Seaside Retailer is also contributing to the relief efforts. We will be donating a portion of our proceeds from the Coastal Connections Conference toward Maui relief efforts.

It is in times like this when the industry needs to come together. This won’t be the last time tragedy strikes our beloved coastal communities, but we can face disasters as one united front instead of going it alone.

Karen Carr Publisher & Creative Director karen@breakwallpublishing.com 330-591-2575

Kristin Ely Executive Editor & Conference Director kristin@breakwallpublishing.com 858-684-7744

Katie Turner Business Development Manager katie@breakwallpublishing.com 219-206-1140

Megan Smalley Associate Editor megan@breakwallpublishing.com 330-576-9338

Christine Schaffran Associate Editor christine@breakwallpublishing.com 216-272-7700

Jamie Winebrenner Sales Manager jamie@breakwallpublishing.com 330-269-5875

Lee White Sales Manager lee@breakwallpublishing.com 609-415-0200

Debby Clarke Ad Production Coordinator debby@breakwallpublishing.com 856-816-6346

Gabby Pagura Accounts Receivable accounting@breakwallpublishing.com 330-368-2047

Brooke Bilyj

Contributing Editor brooke@breakwallpublishing.com

Kristen Hampshire

Contributing Editor khampshire@breakwallpublishing.com

Tom Borg Columnist tom@tomborg.com

Michael Hale Columnist michael@retail-rehab.com

Cathy Donovan Wagner Columnist cathy@retailmavens.com

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Times like this are a good reminder of the importance of coming together as a retail community.

Maui retailers share wildfire impact

Catastrophic wildfires spread in Maui in early August, which were fueled in part by Hurricane Dora. The fires wiped out much of Lahaina, Hawaii. At least 110 people died because of the fires as of mid-August, with more than 1,000 people missing.

Some coastal retailers experienced serious damage and loss due to Hurricane Dora and the Maui wildfires. KaiAloha Supply, a coastal retailer with five locations in Hawaii, lost two of its stores on Front Street in Lahaina due to the hurricane.

Ellen Geary, owner of Lahaina-based Sunshine Market, says she lost her storefront, condo and car due to the fires.

“I was at the end of my second year [in business], working toward opening a second location,” she says. “I was alone on Front Street at the shop when the evacuation notice came. The hardest part was that we had no cell service or internet to know what was happening for the community.”

Geary says she evacuated the area at about 4 p.m. on Aug. 8. She estimates that the entire street caught fire by 5:10 p.m. and all businesses were destroyed by the flames.

keep thinking I lost a flower, but the tree is still intact. I’m going to be reconstructing everything at this point. But for now, everybody is focused on making sure people have housing, making sure people have access to basic needs.”

KaiAloha Supply writes in an Instagram post, “We stand in unity with our neighboring businesses who were also impacted by this disaster. Most importantly, our hearts go out to our team on Maui and the rest of those who have lost their homes and loved ones. We want to extend our greatest Mahalo to family, friends and customers who have reached out to us, offered support and shared comforting words of encouragement. KaiAloha Supply is committed to our brand and mission. We will rebuild. And together with the rest of Maui, [we] will come out stronger from this.”

KaiAloha Supply also has been selling Maui Strong shirts to help raise funds for its team in Maui as well.

A Lahaina surf shop called Goin Left was also destroyed by wildfires in August. According to an Instagram post

Scott and Laura Phillipson, owners of Hawaii-based Sand People, set up a GoFundMe page to support its Lahaina employees affected by the fire. The coastal retailer has locations in Hanalei and Lahaina, Hawaii.

“The fire’s fury has left us reeling, and we now find ourselves grappling with the overwhelming challenge of rebuilding what has been lost,” the Phillipsons write on the GoFundMe page. “The Lahaina fire has stripped us of more than just our homes and belongings. It has shattered our sense of security and stability. Many ‘Ohana members have lost their jobs, leaving them without a means to support themselves or their loved ones. The emotional toll is immeasurable as we mourn those who have tragically lost their lives in the blaze.”

Other wholesalers are also donating portions of sales proceeds toward Maui relief efforts, including Virginia-based Rambling Caravan and Honolulu, Hawaii-based Bamboo Wood Stickers.

“Every single business is gone for blocks and blocks in Lahaina in every direction — all of Front Street,” says Geary. “There’s literally nothing to go back and see.”

All five of Sunshine Market’s employees are doing well in the aftermath of the fires, she adds. However, she says, she’s unsure of next steps for her business and is focusing on helping people in need in the meantime. She notes that she built Sunshine Market in 2021 just as tourism and businesses were ramping back up in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I built my shop very spontaneously after COVID,” says Geary. “So, for myself coming out of my second year, I was looking at the next phase of growth. I

from Goin Left Store Owner Jennifer Yi, a friend created a GoFundMe page to support Yi and her business.

“My heart hurts for everyone who lost their home, business, family members and friends,” Yi writes in an Instagram post. “So many people lost so much, and I’m sure it’s going to be hard to decide where to send help. I will try to give what I can to help others. I’m not sure what my plans are yet, but I want to express that I will never forget all the incredible people I got to meet, and it’s been the biggest pleasure expressing myself to you all these past eight years.”

Many organizations as well as wholesalers have started to raise funds to help victims of the Maui wildfires.

Geary recommends people make donations to verified donation funds, such as Maui Mutual Aid, Maui United Way or Maui Strong Fund. She says she has listed several reputable donation funds on Sunshine Market’s social media pages.

“Err with caution and try to make sure what the organization does is as direct as possible,” she says.

Maui’s wildfires came on suddenly, and Geary says they reminded her of the importance of preparing for risks.

“Never in a million years, even 20 minutes before it happened, did I expect this to happen,” she says of the wildfires. “But you want to be prepared for these risks. Make sure that your legal and financial risks are being addressed and managed, and make sure that you have an exit plan and that your employees are aware of it. Have the legal and financial aspects of your business evaluated so that you’re not exposed.”

“Every single business is gone for blocks and blocks in Lahaina in every direction — all of Front Street. There’s literally nothing to go back and see.”

— ELLEN GEARY, SUNSHINE MARKET

MAKING WAVES

Bluffton Candles expands to larger storefront

Bluffton Candles Gift Shop, a seaside retailer in Bluffton, South Carolina, expanded and moved to a larger storefront in September at 54 Bridge Street Suite 101 in Bluffton.

The retailer opened its original storefront in 2019 at 3C Lawton Street in Bluffton. The retailer makes and sells its own line of candles as well as wholesale gifts. Bluffton Candles Owner Angie Evangelista says her business has outgrown its 500-square-foot Lawton Street location. She says she is leasing a 1,500-square-foot storefront for the new location.

Evangelista says the larger storefront will help her to expand the retail shop. She also wants to use part of the new storefront for hosting candlemaking classes and private parties.

The Maine Souvenir Shop wins best retail store award

PortlandOldPort.com, an advertising services organization in Portland, Maine, has recognized The Maine Souvenir Shop as the best retail store in Portland.

Kevin Ouellette, owner of The Maine Souvenir Shop, opened the store shortly after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The retailer offers a wide range of products made or designed by someone from Maine.

The Best of 2023 Awards featured 147 categories. Ouellette notes that the 25 categories that received the most votes, including best retail store, were announced on stage at an awards event Aug. 8 at Portland House of Music & Events, hosted by WCYY Radio

Host Joe “Joey Disco” Dionne.

“We have amazing, locally owned retail shops in Portland,” says Ouellette. “To be recognized as best retail shop is insanity. We’re so thankful.”

Coastal Connections Conference attendees will learn how to ‘Put Experiential Retail into Action’

Attendees of the Coastal Connections Conference, Oct. 22-24, 2023, at the Margaritaville Resort Orlando, will have the opportunity to learn about experiential retail from some of the top retailers and consulting firms in the industry.

During a panel session titled, “Putting Experiential Retail into Action,” on Monday, Oct. 23 from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m., Holly Daniels Christensen, owner and founder of Dune Jewelry & Co.; Steve Schultz, director of shop shenanigans at Flip Flop Shops; and Dave Foos, principal consultant at Clarkston Consulting, will share their best ideas for creating a retail experience at beach, coastal and nautical stores.

Christensen has propelled her business, Dune Jewelry & Co., from a passion project to a worldwide brand over the past 12 years. Dune’s line of handcrafted Experiential Jewelry is sold in hundreds of beach, coastal and nautical stores and two Dune Boutiques in Harwich Port, Massachusetts, and Ketchikan, Alaska.

Schultz’ career in footwear spans 49 years. He spent over 20 years with Meldisco and another 20 years with Famous Footwear. He now handles the operations of Flip Flop Shops. He has helped franchise owners open 49 shops in the U.S. in three years.

Foos’ career in retail spans nearly 20 years with roles in both consulting and corporate environments. His corporate experience includes time at fashion retailers such as Chico’s FAS and L Brands. As a consultant, Dave and the Clarkston team focus on solving a variety of challenges for retailers and wholesalers worldwide.

“We are pleased to bring together such an experienced panel to share their ideas about this critical aspect of growing business at coastal retail locations,” says Kristin Ely, director, Coastal Connections Conference. “Not only will attendees come away with new strategies to put into practice to help them grow their businesses, they’ll have the opportunity to get their questions answered.”

Connections

Coastal Connections Conference will donate a portion of the proceeds from the event to Maui wildfire relief efforts. Learn more about the event online at www.coastalconnectionsconference.com.

Queen Eileen’s transformation nearly complete

Queen Eileen’s, which has been in operation in Encinitas, California, since 1989 is becoming a Coco Rose store, making it the eighth store in the resortwear retailer’s portfolio, along with a wholesale business called Bali Queen.

Eileen Burke, owner of Queen Eileen’s and Coco Rose, features her Bali Queen wholesale line in the Coco Rose stores. Along with daughter Shannon Burke, she began Coco Rose and its wholesale division Bali Queen after a trip to the island of Bali.

Shannon says, “Eileen has been ready to focus on her one beach and resortwear brand, rather than spreading herself thin in too many directions. She felt the Encinitas community was in need of a Coco Rose to supply beautiful, sustainable beach and resortwear all year long.”

The store’s transition has been well received. “Since we rebranded in the summertime, customers have been happy to have summer wear available at their fingertips,” says Shannon.

Holly Daniels Christensen grew Dune Jewelry from a passion project to a worldwide brand.

Nature Planet acquires Cool Jewels

Nature Planet, a supplier of plush animals and toys, with its headquarters in Denmark, and offices in Atlanta overseeing its U.S. operations, has acquired Cool Jewels (aka Phillips International), a provider of fashion, trend, souvenir and conservation jewelry for teens and adults.

“During their 48-year operating history, the Cool Jewels team has forged strong partnerships with U.S. retailers across all channels of distribution within the tourism industry,” says Soren Lund, CEO of Nature Planet. “They have proven themselves extremely adept at introducing innovate products, shipping orders quickly and curating/ servicing jewelry assortments to maximize sales potential and profits per square foot, the leading key performance indicator for retailers around the world.”

“We look forward to working with Nature Planet to bring our family of brands, including Cool Jewels, Elements, Live Love Protect, Clear Seas Project and SemiPrecious Stone Expressions to the European market as well as to retailers in the U.S. with whom we have not yet had the pleasure of working,” adds Arthur Phillips, president of Cool Jewels.

Cool Jewels will continue to be based in Hallandale, Florida, and operate as an independent company under the Nature Planet umbrella. All internal and external team members will remain with the organization, while the company looks toward further growth and onboarding as well.

5801 Print House opens souvenir shop in St. Petersburg, Florida

For the past few years, Alexa Schneider and Lauren Sampson managed a small screen printing business from their garage in St. Petersburg, Florida. When 5801 Print House outgrew its garage workspace this year, Schneider and Sampson leased a 700-square-foot storefront at 5725 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg in May for screen-printing work.

After moving equipment into the building, Schneider says she and Sampson recognized that they only needed half the space. They turned the other half of the building into a retail gift shop.

The gift shop sells primarily screen-printed souvenirs made in-house, including T-shirts, tote bags and hand towels. It also sells some wholesale gifts and locally made products. The gift shop officially opened its doors July 15.

michael@retail-rehab.com

www.retail-rehab.com

BY MICHAEL HALE

Visual merchandising tips & tricks

This October during the Coastal Connections Conference, I’ll be sharing some of the tips and tricks in visual merchandising that I have learned over the last 20-plus years recreating retail spaces for clients. Here are just a few key fundamentals that I’ll be discussing in more detail at the conference.

BASIC FUNDAMENTALS OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING

• Pyramiding – The use of creating a focal point with a gradual incline to the center or middle of a display presentation.

• Vertical merchandising – The technique of merchandising products vertically usually used with less SKUs but more stock per SKU in a section.

• Horizontal merchandising – The technique of merchandising products horizontally — usually used for more SKUs or brands per section.

• Repetition – The technique of creating consistency with shelf and hardware placement to create a symmetrical presentation.

• Colorization – The technique of placing items light to dark from left to right or top to bottom.

• Folding/sizing – The organization of product by size — generally the smallest products to the front or at the top, with the largest products in the back or at the bottom.

• Elevating the perceived value of a product – The more care and attention you give to how your products are presented, the more value you are giving to them.

• Mass merchandising versus less-ismore – The strategy of understanding if a product should be mass merchandised or merchandised in a more lifestyled/boutique fashion.

I’ll elaborate on these fundamentals and share additional details on product placement, displays, props and decor during the Coastal Connections Conference, Oct. 22-24 in Orlando. One attendee, whose name will be drawn after the session, will receive a free hour of consulting from me on-site. Visit www.coastalconnectionsconference.com for more information.

WANT TO LEARN MORE? Hear Michael Hale speak about visual merchandising tips and tricks at the Coastal Connections Conference taking place Oct. 22-24 at the Margaritaville Resort Orlando.

I’ll elaborate on these fundamentals and share additional details on product placement, displays, props and decor during the Coastal Connections Conference.

Michael Hale, CEO of Retail Rehab, transforms retail spaces and helps drive up profits.

BY TOM BORG

Employees count too

Many small gift shop owners pay their employees a fair monetary wage. However, when it comes to taking a sincere interest in them as human beings, these same employers fail. Everyone wears an invisible sign around their neck that reads, “Make me feel important!”

It has been said that if you talk to people about themselves, they will listen to you for hours. Small business owners can create a more engaged team by treating each of their employees as a special individual with a need to feel important.

By taking a sincere interest in your employees, you are communicating that they are somebody special. You will learn things you probably would not know otherwise, while at the same time building the self-esteem of your employees.

The great English essayist Charles Lamb said it best when he echoed these words, “Damn it, I like to be liked!”

You like to be liked, I like to be liked and our employees like to be liked.

TAKE ACTION

Build the kind of work environment people love by taking a sincere interest in each one of your team members. Begin learning more about the things that are important to them.

I recommend creating a document for each of your employees. In it include the following areas of information you could learn about each person.

1. Where were they born?

2. How many siblings do they have? What are their names?

3. Do they have any pets? What are their names?

4. What hobbies do they enjoy?

5. What activities do they like most?

6. What is their favorite restaurant and menu item?

7. What are some of their favorite musical groups?

8. What are some of the places in the United States or abroad that they have visited?

9. Where would they like to visit?

10. What are some of their long-term career goals?

As someone once said, “People do not care how much you know, but they do know how much you care.” Remember, each of your employees is unique in his or her own way.

Make time to talk to each one of them. Find out some of the things they consider important. Take good notes and make it a point to discuss these things with them from time to time. They will appreciate it.

By taking a sincere interest in your employees, you are communicating that they are somebody special.

Patty Derrick has carried on her parents legacy of beachside gift shops and original artwork, and continues to support the next generation.

Photos: Laura Navarre

&

Sea shells

SO MUCH MORE

The third-generation Sea Shell Shop has been an East Coast treasure trove for decades that continues to evolve to meet the demands of today’s souvenir seekers.

STORY BY BROOKE BILYJ

Growing up, Patty Derrick never imagined that she’d take over the beachside gift shops her parents started when she was a young girl. Even after working at them through the years, “it just didn’t occur to me,” she says. “I didn’t even think about it.” But it suddenly became reality when her husband announced that he’d rented a storefront in Delaware to open their very own Sea Shell Shop.

Patty had grown up around the business, which began in the early 1950s when her mother, Ginny, started making seashell jewelry that her father, Vince, sold wholesale on his record routes while updating the music selection on jukeboxes throughout Florida.

Ginny’s work became so popular that he quit his job to sell her jewelry, eventually renting a storefront in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Although it was originally a wholesale business, customers kept coming in to buy jewelry, “so mom finally set up a cardboard table and a cash box, and the first Sea Shell Shop was born,” says Patty, who still has the original sign her mother made from a piece of wood back in 1956.

Patty started helping her mother in the store at a young age. “I used to get paid 5 cents for every 20 rhinestones I picked up that fell on the ground,” she says. “We always wanted to be in the store because it made money, and we wanted to make money because 25 cents could buy a lot of candy.”

Soon, salesmen started stopping by the store to sell other products, and the Sea Shell Shop expanded beyond its namesake to offer all sorts of beach-related gifts. Patty’s father collected driftwood from the beach to make clocks, nightlights and other decor as the store continued to grow.

Vince and Ginny opened a second store in Ocean City, Maryland, which is where later, teenaged Patty met her future husband, Tom, on the boardwalk. The Ocean City store eventually closed a few years after Patty’s father died. But, unbeknown to Patty, Ginny was already making plans to expand the Sea Shell empire.

“She took my husband to lunch and asked him if he wanted to go into the Sea Shell business,” Patty says. “I didn’t even know they were doing it, but they drove to Rehoboth and rented a store that day.”

Patty supported his decision and agreed to help him run the business she’d grown up

in. “My mother felt that if it wasn’t my husband’s decision, then it would never be his,” she says. “Because of the way she handled it, he never felt like it was my family business; it became his, also.”

Patty had gone to school to be a nutritionist, and her husband ran a pizza parlor. At the time, they were living in Salisbury, Maryland, but within three months of their decision, they moved to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, about 50 miles away, and opened their first Sea Shell Shop in the summer of 1979.

The business continued to grow, peaking at five locations along the coast at one time. The retail business has since gradually consolidated into one location, while adding additional shell-centered attractions as Patty’s sons lead the family legacy into the third generation.

SEA SHELL EMPIRE

The Sea Shell Shop’s current location on Coastal Highway was the fifth store that Tom and Patty opened in Rehoboth

Beach and their largest, spanning 10,000 square feet. The new store was the first free-standing gift shop on Route One when it opened in 1996, about 2.5 miles away from the downtown boardwalk.

Patty recalls, “We thought, being the first free-standing gift shop, ‘How are we going to attract people to that property?’ We were a little scared. We had almost two acres of property, so my husband said, ‘Why don’t we build a miniature golf course to attract people to the Sea Shell Shop?’ So, my husband designed it, and we hired a company to build it.”

The mini golf course, called Shell We Golf, opened alongside the retail store in 1996, featuring holes named for different seashells. But the Derricks were shocked by what they saw after they opened the side-by-side businesses.

“We discovered that people were coming to the Sea Shell Shop to shop. They didn’t come to golf; they came to the shop and then golfed,” Patty says. “It turns out that golfing doesn’t bring

people to the shop. The shop name and reputation bring people.”

After more than four decades in Rehoboth, with a history dating back even further, the Sea Shell Shop is well known for its huge selection of nautical and beach-themed products, home decor and gifts. The store features sections dedicated to Simply Southern and Salt Life T-shirts, wall hangings, rugs, lamps, candles, kitchenware, pirates, toys, jewelry, and of course, seashells.

Today, Patty’s son, John, owns and operates the Sea Shell Shop and Shell We Golf, while she focuses on buying merchandise. Her other son, Jim, owns and operates a nearby trampoline park called Shell We Bounce with his wife, Julie. Named to coincide with the family’s other businesses in Rehoboth, the park features an arcade, playground and cafe aptly named Shell We Eat.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FOCUS

Patty buys from over 1,000 vendors, attending an average of 15 gift shows every winter. “I go everywhere: Atlanta, Florida, New York, Dallas, Washington and Oregon,” Patty says, “and I never miss the Hawaii show. They have shells that nobody else has, like puka shells. I sell tons and tons of puka shell necklaces. They’re very popular because kids on TikTok are wearing them.”

TikTok trends have helped Patty select products that are popular with kids. In fact, her grandchildren — Harper, 12; Olivia, 10; and James, 8 — provide some of the best insights into what products

Sea Shell Shop is known for its selection of nautical and beach-themed products.

The Sea Shell Shop is a hub for trending gifts and souvenirs for Rehoboth Beach visitors.

kids want. “My grandchildren have been very helpful,” she says. “They come in and say, ‘Grammy, you gotta carry this!’”

For example, one of her granddaughters told her about a reversible octopus plush with happy and sad faces that went viral on TikTok. Patty bought 100, sold them all in one day, and proceeded to buy and sell thousands more — all thanks to her granddaughter’s suggestion. Her other granddaughter encour-

aged her to buy Pop Its, a popular fidget toy. Patty ordered a gross of 144 — in nautical shapes like dolphins, octopus, mermaids and boats — and sold them all before noon.

She continued to buy — and sell — a huge assortment of Pop Its at her granddaughter’s recommendation. Her grandson, likewise, helped select the collection of water guns she sells. “All three of them have participated in telling me what to buy,” she says.

One of her granddaughter’s favorites, and one of the store’s most popular items throughout the decades, is the selection

before U.S. laws forbade collecting crabs. They quickly became such hot sellers that they couldn’t collect enough. So, her dad

of hermit crabs. In fact, Patty says, “My dad was the first person in the country to sell hermit crabs, so we believe.”

She remembers collecting crabs with her dad on Peanut Island off of Florida’s West Palm Beach in the early 1950s,

asked a researcher from the University of Florida to collect hermit crabs while he was working along the coast. Her father bought so many hermit crabs through the years that the researcher eventually sold off the wholesale hermit crab busi-

Products featuring Patty Derrick’s watercolor prints are popular items.

Sea Shell Shop is known for more than its seashells. It offers a variety of coastal gifts.

“My grandchildren have been very helpful. They come in and say, ‘Grammy, you gotta carry this!’” — PATTY DERRICK

ness, Florida Marine Research, which still supplies Sea Shell Shop today.

“We still buy and sell thousands and thousands of hermit crabs every year,” says Patty, adding that they recently started selling frogs, as well.

CREATING A DESTINATION

When Tom and Patty first opened shop in Rehoboth Beach, they closed down between Labor Day and Memorial Day as the flood of summer tourists evaporated, leaving just over 1,000 year-round residents. “There was hardly anybody in town after Labor Day,” Patty says.

That’s why they got involved in the Downtown Business Association (now called Main Street), creating events to bring people into Rehoboth Beach all year long. Events like the Sea Witch Festival and Jazz Festival in October and the Chocolate Festival in spring — which are all still going strong today — helped draw visitors to the small beach town, eventually establishing Rehoboth as a vacation

Carrying on tradition

The Sea Shell Shop opened in Florida in the early 1950s when Patty Derrick’s mother, Ginny, started selling jewelry she made with seashells from the beach. Since then, the store has expanded to offer a variety of beach-themed products from more than 1,000 vendors.

Derrick still carries on the family tradition — and her mother’s creative talent. In fact, one of the largest, fastest growing and best-selling sections in the store features Derrick’s watercolor artwork on products, including puzzles, mugs, dish towels and more. Last year, the Sea Shell Shop sold 4,000 coasters featuring her watercolor artwork.

Derrick started painting about 15 years ago, and her collection features more than 30 different watercolors of local Rehoboth Beach scenes, like the boardwalk and its distinctive benches, the Bethany Beach totem pole and Cape Henlopen Lighthouse.

Like her mother, Derrick also made jewelry for many years, but now buys jewelry wholesale instead. She also used to collect driftwood from the beach to make decor like her father, Vince, once did. She still makes Christmas wreaths out of sea shells.

“We made a lot of homemade stuff for years and years,” she says, “but as time goes by, people want less of that and more sophisticated gifts instead.”

destination known as “The Nation’s Summer Capital,” attracting an estimated 9 million tourists every year.

Committed to investing in her community, Patty served as volunteer chair of Rehoboth’s centennial celebration in

1991. She also volunteers for organizations like St. Vincent De Paul to help feed, clothe and care for people in need throughout the community. And, since 1991, she’s been a member of the Women’s Club Village Improvement Association, a local volunteer fundraising organization that raised the funds to install Rehoboth’s signature boardwalk benches, library and other local landmarks.

Although she’s now semiretired, Patty says she’ll “always have a hand in the business,” although her sons co-own and operate the Shell family of companies today. Just as she never thought she’d end up owning her parents’ business, she says, “I never would’ve thought that my kids were both going to be in the Shell business, too.”

While her grandchildren have already played a role in recommending popular products, she says it’s still too early to tell whether they’ll become the fourth generation of “shell-preneurs” to carry on the family legacy.

In the meantime, Patty and her sons are building a team to support the Sea Shell Shop, ranging from 40 employees in peak season to about 10 or 20 during the winter. Their managers, in particular, tend to stick around for decades: Their current managers have been in place for 15 to 20 years, and her longest-tenured manager finally retired a few years ago at age 92 after 40 years of service.

Patty says the key to the store’s enduring success through the generations is the work ethic passed down from her parents to her and her sons and to the Sea Shell Shop’s team of dedicated employees.

“Being a successful coastal retailer requires one thing, and that’s to actually put your heart in it and do the work,” Patty says. “If you’re not going to actually do the work, you’re not going to be successful. And if you don’t love what you’re doing, it won’t be successful. But if you make your living doing what you love, it’s a joy to go to work, and your life is so much better.”

“Being a successful coastal retailer requires one thing, and that’s to actually put your heart in it and do the work.” — PATTY DERRICK

STORY BY MEGAN SMALLEY

Coastal customers continue to value comfort when purchasing casual apparel and activewear.

Riding the comfort wave

When it comes to casual apparel, comfort reigns supreme in 2023. Although the pandemic has been over for a while, people continue to don casual styles at home and in the workplace. People also haven’t dropped their outdoor hobbies that developed during the pandemic, so activewear and athleisure remain popular styles.

B&B Department Stores has offered casual beach apparel at its five New Jersey locations since 1974. The company has stores in Seaside Park, Lavallette, Beach Haven, Ship Bottom and Ocean City, New Jersey. Jeff Davidson, executive vice president of B&B Department Stores, says casual apparel has been selling particularly well at his stores in the last few years.

“We’ve always been casual, and the world has caught up to us,” says Davidson. “Even in big companies, people are wearing casual clothing. If you live in an urban area like New York City, workplaces have casual Fridays. There’s a massive casual trend.”

Avery Smith, co-owner of Islands Mercantile in Johns Island, South Carolina, says a lot of customers prefer fashion-forward casual apparel to appear professional and comfortable at the same time, seeking cozy yet fashionable outfits to offer the best of both worlds.

“In the last few years, people want fashion-driven clothing,” she says. “They want soft and high-quality apparel.”

Rebecca Fordham, president of Boca Raton, Florida-based Caloosa WaterWear, says people developed new perspectives on apparel during the pandemic. She says those perspectives haven’t changed much since the pandemic ended.

“I think after the pandemic, people have really decided they are going to be comfortable,” she says. “The pandemic has really given consumers a new perspective on everything. There’s no reason you should have to walk around and feel uncomfortable if you don’t have to.”

Fordham notes that many people work from home or in hybrid settings

Casual threads

These apparel ideas combine casual looks with comfortable styles.

1 | Simply Southern: Women’s pink tie-dye turtle logo long-sleeve T-shirt, www.simplysouthern.com; 2 | Old Guys Rule: Men’s white long-sleeve T-shirt, www.oldguysrule.com 3 | Caloosa WaterWear: Navy coastal holiday-themed short-sleeve T-shirt, www.shopcaloosa.com; 4 | Jetty: White Coastline long-sleeve T-shirt, www.jettylife.com; 5 | TownWear: Long-sleeve quarter-zip in blue, www.mytownwear.com; 6 | Puppie Love: Dog-mom pattern pink Puppie Love T-shirt, www.puppielove.com; 7 | North Swell: Black Loose Lips Sink Ships short-sleeve T-shirt, www.shopnorthswell.com; 8 | Guy Harvey: Men’s Sunshine Tuna Hunter short-sleeve pocket T-shirt, www.guyharvey.com.

today, which allows them to wear casual apparel more often. “You can wear something on the top for your Zoom meeting with sweatpants or shorts,” she says. “It’s changed the way we live going forward, and it’s an interesting time to observe.”

Coastal retailers and wholesalers alike don’t suspect the appeal of casual apparel will wane in the near-term future. With more people wanting casual apparel, coastal retailers should be sure to offer a variety of comfortable T-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants and shorts.

STYLES THAT SELL

With casual apparel, soft fabrics work really well to offer a cozy feel. Fordham suggests retailers should stock performance shirts that are 100% polyester or shirts in a cotton-poly-rayon blend to offer softer feels.

“The rayon adds that nice, soft feel for cotton,” she says. “It makes it very drapey and feels comfortable, like you can sleep in it.”

Mike Sidders, who manages marketing and digital leadership at Detroit Lakes, Minnesota-based Lakeshirts, says the basic cotton T-shirt also remains a staple in many wardrobes.

“Nothing beats cotton for its softness and breathability,” says Sidders. “It’s both comfortable and stylish, and it’s a really popular way to commemorate a vacation experience.”

Customers also want to beat the heat with casual apparel. This July marked the world’s hottest month on record. Although it’s tough to predict future weather patterns, Fordham advises retailers to offer casual apparel with sun protection to help them on scorching summer days. She adds that Caloosa WaterWear has received a lot of requests for its sun-protective performance tops this year due to the heat.

In addition to sun-protective apparel, lightweight fabrics can also help people beat the heat in warmer climates.

“When people come to Florida, they

want colorful, lightweight fabrics,” says Gene Oberhauser, owner of Imagine Gift Store in Naples, Florida.

Davidson adds that just about anything “cropped” has sold well among teen girls and young women at B&B Depart-

Lightweight fabrics help customers beat the heat at Imagine Gift Store.

ment Stores this year, likely helping to keep those customers cool. Although few older women go for the cropped look, Davidson notes that skimmer and capris shorts sell well with that demographic.

Despite the heat, coastal retailers say

sweatshirts and hoodies somehow sell well all year round.

“We sell sweatshirts even in July at 105 degrees here,” says Smith.

She suspects those customers are taking the sweatshirts and hoodies home to cooler climates or plan to wear them inside air-conditioned venues.

THINK PINK AND PATRIOTIC

Colors go in and out of style, often driven by fashion featured in pop culture. Fordham says pink has been trending all summer long thanks to the popularity of the Barbie movie. People across the U.S. decked out in all things pink after the movie debuted in July.

“Pink is the hottest thing, stemming from the Barbie movie coming out,” she says. “Trend analysts out there are calling it, ‘Barbie core.’ A lot of retailers know this, and they made their buys for the season for that.”

While pink’s popularity may start to fade in the future, Fordham thinks it will

likely stay a prominent pick among consumers for at least another year. She says, “Pink is not going away anytime soon; it’s gained the mass appeal.”

Similar to Barbie pink, “Viva Magenta” was named Pantone Color of the Year in 2023. Fordham says she suspects pinks and reds could be a hit in the next year as a result of that announcement.

“Red is very empowering,” she says. “It’s a very optimistic color as well. It also gives hope for the future in terms of what’s going on with the economy. It’s a very hopeful color.”

2024 also marks a presidential election year, and Oberhauser says patriotic colors — red, white and blue — are likely to sell well on casual apparel at Imagine Gift Shop. He notes that his shop has historically done well selling more patriotic colors and themes on apparel during presidential election years, including 2016 and 2020.

Blue tones never seem to go out of style, particularly for men’s casual appar-

Casual apparel sales have picked up at B&B Department Stores the last few years.

el. Coastal retailers say navy, gray tones and powder blue shirts have sold well this year for men’s apparel.

“Blue seems to never die,” says Smith, adding that pink, white and lilac T-shirts are doing well for women’s apparel.

Among young kids, shark imagery tends to sell well thanks in part to the ongoing popularity of Baby Shark. Davidson says sharks have been a hit at B&B Department Stores for both boys and girls.

Fordham adds that mermaids seemed to peak in popularity on girl clothing about two years ago, but she says there was a slight resurgence in popularity this summer after Disney released its live-action version of The Little Mermaid in May.

“I have definitely started to see an uptick in sales of my mermaid items again,” she notes. “This actually makes sense because people tend to look toward fantastical creatures and other feel-good themes when there is a lot of conflict in

society. It kind of gives people an escape, even if just for a minute. The Disney movie I’m sure has played a part in this as well and was most likely remade for the same reasons.”

Sidders says applique and embroidery decoration techniques have also been trending this year.

“Applique and embroidery decoration techniques are absolutely on fire right now, not only on sweatshirts (where they’re more traditionally seen), but on tees,” he says.

Coastal retailers also should not neglect to offer a variety of name-dropped casual apparel. Oberhauser says over 90% of the T-shirts and sweatshirts at Imagine Gift Store feature the Naples name drop.

Smith says name-dropped apparel with a simple arch design often sells well at her store. She says Islands Mercantile sells name-dropped apparel for both islands nearby, including Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island.

She also ensures name-dropped T-shirts come in at least five to six color options for customers who are looking for a variety.

“Name-dropped shirts sell every day all day long,” says Smith.

Name-drop casual apparel is always a hit at Islands Merchantile.

PRICING IT RIGHT

Lower price points also have helped to boost casual apparel’s popularity in 2023, particularly with inflation on the rise.

“We were worried people would resist the increases, but we haven’t noticed too much complaint,” says Smith. “People have sort of understood that’s the way things are going. But it was challenging to keep getting price increases.”

She says Islands Mercantile tries to stock casual apparel at varying price points to appeal for customers from different socioeconomic backgrounds and provide something for everyone.

“We try to get some higher end casual apparel but also give people variety to where they’re not all $65 sweatshirts,” she says. “We want some lower price-point items since not everyone will spend that. You try to balance out higher-end items with some lower-priced options.”

Davidson says he has noticed customers are more conscious of price as they come to B&B Department Stores.

“People’s choices change; people are being more careful,” he says. “They look at prices, and everybody loves a deal.”

Sidders notes that coastal retailers might see customers scale back a little on their spending now and in the near-term future. “Leisure travel is very expensive, and it may be impacting how much travelers spend when on holiday.”

Come wintertime, Fordham doesn’t think customers will buy attire specific to Christmas or Thanksgiving like they used to in the past.

“With the economy the way that it is, people are not going to be buying things for specific holidays,” she says. “They will buy things that maybe look holiday — red and green in them — but will use the entire winter. They’ll want something to last longer than the holiday timeframe. People are watching what they are spending right now.”

She notes that Caloosa WaterWear plans to sell apparel with plaid patterns or navy tones this winter that will work for customers all season long.

Oberhauser says he also has noticed customers spending a little less this year, particularly in Naples. Imagine Gift Store, along with many businesses in Naples, were hit hard last fall by Hurricane Ian, and he says that has caused locals and seasonal tourists to spend a little less on apparel and gifts this year as the city rebuilds.

“A lot of residents have a second home or condo here, and they are avoiding spending much time here since Ian until things get squared away,” he says. “Those that are permanent are struggling with inflation and Ian repairs.”

As the city and businesses in Naples make repairs this year, Oberhauser says he wants to continue to focus on offering gifts that provide both value and quality to reflect the interests of a wide variety of people who frequent the shop.

“At Imagine, there’s always plenty of everything for everyone,” he says. “Quality, price and selection rule in 2023. When in doubt, stick to the basics.”

“Quality, price and selection rule in 2023. When in doubt, stick to the basics.”

Gene Oberhauser, Imagine Gift Store

WITH DANE COHEN

STORY BY KRISTIN ELY

COASTAL CONNECTIONS CONFERENCE KEYNOTE

SPEAKER DANE COHEN SHARES

HOW HIS SESSION WILL CREATE REVENUE-GENERATING IDEAS FOR ATTENDEES.

The Coastal Connections Conference is just around the corner, and if you haven’t made plans to attend yet, or are wondering what is in store, Seaside Retailer Executive Editor and Coastal Connections Conference Director Kristin Ely had a chance to connect with Keynote Speaker Dane Cohen, business development manager of Management One, to get some insights into the information he will be sharing during the keynote session. “Mastering the Inventory Game,” kicks off the Oct. 22-24 event at Margaritaville Resort Orlando on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Cohen was a panelist at the last Coastal Connections Conference, and post-conference surveys indicated attendees wanted to hear more from him. He was invited back to deliver more insights to beach, coastal and nautical retailers attending the event.

“I am so excited to be back at the Coastal Connections Conference. I had an incredible time at the first one, and I hear there is more in store come this October. I cannot wait to be back with the community, and we have a lot more to share at this session,” he says. “I think the reason so many people connect to what we were talking about in that discussion is we are talking about the most important thing when it comes to retail, and that is cash and the bottom line and how to really move the needle. We find from each one of our presentations, that retailers can walk away and walk back to their store and really make some changes that will have an immediate impact.”

Cohen shares more about his background and the advice he plans to give retailers during the conference in the following excerpt from his interview with Ely.

Kristin Ely (KE): Could you start by telling us a little bit about your background and your role with Management One?

Dane Cohen (DC): I have a varied career in the retail and wholesale industry, which has all led me to Man-

agement One. I started my career back in the trade shows, so I’m no stranger to the fashion events and buying events of the industry. From there, I ran a wholesale business for a very successful fashion designer men’s brand in New York, and I did their global and domestic wholesale.

I then joined an independently owned department store where I was their director of retail working across

to be profitable through their inventory purchasing.

KE: How do you work specifically with customers to help them with their inventory and bottom lines?

DC: We do a lot, so I am going to condense it down to one word because I think it is the most important takeaway:

about markdowns, we help retailers put together a road map to all these decisions through budgets.

Once you are on that inventory plan and really keeping track of how much is going out in cash, how much your sales are tracking to the plan, how much markdowns you are taking so that you can make sure that your gross margin and your maintained markup stays on track and where you need it to be in order to cover expenses — once you start making those decisions and viewing them through a strategic lens, there’s not many retailers out there who won’t see a shift in their business for the better.

buying, visual merchandising and hiring on the store level.

I’m currently at Management One. We are the largest provider of inventory planning and merchandise intelligence for retailers. And so what we are essentially doing is helping retailers have a full-scale understanding of how

budgets. Fifty-two percent of all your cash expenses will go right back into your inventory.

There is no more important place to have a budget than around your purchasing. So when you are going to market, when you are making replenishment orders, when you are making decisions

KE: Tell us a little about what you plan to cover during the Coastal Connections Conference.

DC: We won’t be able to teach the extensiveness of an open-to-buy planning in one hour, but what we can get across in this session is what are the funda-

“When you look at topics like markdowns, margin, pricing, we’re going to say some pretty controversial but explainable methods to overcome cashflow issues in these areas.” — DANE COHEN, MANAGEMENT ONE

mentals to running a cashflow positive retail business, and there are a few beliefs that retailers hold onto that we want to challenge in this session.

And so just by making some slight tweaks in your thinking and your approach to buying, which again, can be implemented immediately on return — we hope there is an understanding behind the core principles behind buying with a budget and buying with the idea of cashflow in mind, not just margin.

When you look at topics like markdowns, margin, pricing, we’re going to say some pretty controversial but explainable methods to overcome cashflow issues in these areas.

KE: How will coastal retailers benefit from your presentation?

DC: I don’t want to share everything, but I will tell you one [thing]. Pricing. This is a huge area where we see people have walked away from our presentations with immediate changes in thoughts on their pricing, and that’s because we find that most vendors are pricing for their wholesalers and not for their bottom line.

And here’s the most interesting part about pricing: It is one of the few decisions you can make in your business that is pure bottom-line profit. So if tomorrow I go back to my store and I look at some of my merchandise and make a decision to raise retail prices by $1 here or $1 there, that is a pure profit play. Any dollar increase is going right back to your bottom line and there’s no cost to it.

Pricing is one of those areas we’re

going to focus a lot of our attention on. And I would highly encourage any of the retailers that are coming to the conference that when they get back in their store that very next day, start thinking differently about pricing and use some of the principles we’ll talk about and watch how slight tweaks can really open up those bottom-line dollars.

Dane Cohen is business development manager for Management One. He brings more than a decade of experience in the fashion, wholesale and retail industry to the Management One team. Management One, based in Tucson, Arizona, provides merchandise planning, business insights and education to independent retailers. It offers proprietary software to help retailers grow their businesses.

MEET DANE! Resister for the Coastal Connections Conference, Oct. 22-24 at: www.coastalconnectionsconference.com.

TUNE IN! Listen to more of the interview with Kristin Ely and Dane Cohen at online at: www.seasideretailer.com/podcasts.

STORY BY KRISTIN

LEAVING A LASTING IMPRESSION

Summer vacationers, spring breakers, snowbirds and fall festival goers may make up a very eclectic mix of people, but if they are visiting your seaside town, odds are they have something in common when they are shopping your gift or souvenir store for a memento from their visit. It doesn’t matter what your coastal customer is in the market for — a T-shirt, a hat, an ornament, a sticker, a tote, a towel or a decoration — adding the location to the product gives it that special touch that gives customers another reason to buy.

When trying to determine what types of items to include name drops

on, the sky is the limit. Many wholesale companies can customize a product to your location, and when the imagery also reflects the region, the product’s popularity can skyrocket.

“Name drop is king,” says Doug Ingalls, manager, 1 Brilliant Gift. “Our customers have found that namedropped products sell through considerably better, in some cases three to five times better!”

Ingalls is seeing a huge uptick in name-drop requests from his retail customers. “Consumers that visit seaside locations typically visit many destinations, sometimes multiple per year,” he says. “Memorializing the destination with a name drop memorializes a ‘par-

ticular’ destination, which is important from a souvenir perspective, and with our products as a customer will typically collect one or more name-dropped items from a destination.”

The drinkware company’s Wanderer collection featuring hand-drawn art representing specific icons from a destination are among its bestellers. The “iconology” as Ingalls refers to it includes many of the standard seaside imagery: ocean life, lighthouses and beach themes.

HEADWEAR TRENDS

Angel Santos, art director for Capsmith, a wholesale company with a primary focus on headwear, says, “Name-dropped merchandise is the way to go if you want

Name-drop merchandise is offered across many categories, appealing to many customers looking for a constant reminder of a favorite vacation or destination.

ELY

Town Pride’s wide selection of name-drop products also includes ZIP codes, nicknames and acronyms.

LOCATION SPECIALIZATION

1 | Capsmith: Name-drop caps, www.capsmith.com; 2 | Beacon Design: Sea turtle name-drop Christmas ornament, www.beacondesign.com; 3 | Cape Shore: Name-drop resin sea glass and wood seahorse ornament, www.cape-shore.com; 4 | Brass Reminders: Sea turtle and hibiscus name-drop decal, www.brassreminders.com; 5 | A&F Souvenir: Matching ceramic sea turtle mug and shot glass, www.afgift.com; 6 | Sincere Surroundings: Rustic wooden wall picture featuring sea turtle, www.sinceresurroundings.com; 7 | The Cottonseed Marketplace: Sand-keeper ornament, www.cottonseedmarketplace.com;

8 | Impulse Souvenirs: Road Trip name-drop pin, www.impulsesouvenirs.com; 9 | 1 Brilliant Gift: Wanderer Florida name-drop glassware, www.1brilliantgift.com; 10 | Alaskan Suncatchers: Bodega Bay, California, name-drop suncatcher, featuring pelican, www.alaskansuncatchers.com; 11 | Kool Tees: St. Thomas name-drop dog bone toy, www.kooltees.com; 12 | Xplorer Maps: Cape Cod map double-walled stainless steel travel drinkware, www.xplorermaps.com.

to offer a very unique shopping experience for customers.”

He explains that name-dropped merchandise allows you to stand out from the competition by offering something others do not have, as well as offering excellent gift options for your customers.

“Consumers want a way to remember their vacation, and what better way than to carry name-dropped headwear?” Santos says.

Custom name-drop styles featuring tropical and sea colors are popular with Capsmith’s coastal retailers. “Retailers are in search of headwear styles they can custom name drop and will serve as a timeless souvenir,” Santos says.

Capsmith offers offer both overseas and domestic name-drop programs, which Santos says allows for maximum flexibility regarding purchasing power as well as when you need your merchandise delivered. “We have an in-house art department that can work with your needs, as well as in-house digitizers and over 110 embroidery heads.”

MAGNETIC ATTRACTION

If inexpensive and impulsive are the adjectives you want from your name-drop merchandise then magnets are a good way to go.

“Right now, our wooden magnets are really hot,” Joe Perkins, co-owner of Cottonseed Marketplace, says. “I think that’s because people are looking for an inexpensive souvenir that doesn’t clutter up their home.”

According to Perkins, name-dropped merchandise helps connect the buyer with the destination long after they have left. “When they see the name of the location or the store months later, it

“name drop.” That’s because product designs featuring a destination name are custom created for each retail customer.

The company does have a Road Trip design that it offers customers in different locations to protect its exclusivity promise. Impulse Souvenirs Sales Manager James Melley says retailers interested in offering name-dropped products should “focus on a list of the most important things that visitors want to see in your area to be a central part of the art and designs for your location.”

SOMETHING THAT STICKS

Brass Reminders focuses on namedropped decals. The company’s free point-of-purchase (POP) display shows off 32 name-dropped designs specifically selected for a retailer’s location.

“People want souvenirs of where they have been,” says Brant Durham, owner of Brass Reminders. “Namedropping will significantly increase your sales over the same item without a name drop.”

And his POP display has a great system for increasing sales year-overyear. “If you have a rack program like ours, discontinue your worst-selling

in the USA from recycled materials, like the glass suncatchers his company offers, also tend to be a strong selling point.

The company recently incorporated its signature suncatcher medallion designs into a nightlight. The location featured on the medallions are coupled with designs that also capture the location. Dolphins, turtles and nautical-themed icons are popular with coastal customers.

“Adding a name drop elevates the product; it takes it from a pretty, well-designed item to a must-have souvenir,” says Tara Merrill, sales and marketing manager, Cape Shore. “In our experience, a product with a customization will always outsell similar products which aren’t name dropped.”

brings back very specific memories of their trip. It’s a great way for customers to relive their experiences with friends and family. That’s great word of mouth marketing, too.”

Magnets, keyrings, stickers, hats and T-shirts are all mainstay collectibles for people visiting a destination, and Impulse Souvenirs offers it all. But you won’t catch its sales team using the word

20% of designs at the end of each season. Pick replacements from new designs and you'll continually increase your sales each year.”

MAKING HOUSE CALLS

Stephen Swallow of Alaskan Suncatchers agrees that customers tend to prefer name-dropped items over generic souvenirs. He adds that souvenirs made

She recommends being specific in the message. “Using both the city and the state will increase the value of the product and make it more enticing to the customer. If your location is near a popular beach or state park, use that to your advantage and add a few items with that name drop as well.”

As for what to name drop, Merrill is seeing success with sea glass and natural materials like shells and driftwood. She says, “Customers are looking for a souvenir that reminds them of their vacation. Sea glass and shells are the perfect beachy souvenir.”

Home decor company Sincere Surroundings offers free name drop and no

Daisy Mae Designs’ name-drop products are easy to pack and take home.

Wooden ornaments from The Cottonseed Marketplace are trending.

“Focus on a list of the most important things that visitors want to see in your area to be a central part of the art and designs for your location.” — JAMES MELLEY, IMPULSE SOUVENIRS

minimums, which allows retailers to test out the products to know which items do better, according to Abbey Grooters, marketing manager.

“Anything name drop and full customization sells well because these

options help stores set themselves apart,” Grooters says.

And in today’s competitive marketplace, name dropping is one more way a retailer can set their store apart. “Creating a name-drop collection and defining your store as the premier location for gifts and decor with name drop will carve out a niche for you and give your customers a clear place to go when searching for specialty items only you can offer,” says Grooters.

REGIONAL APPEAL

Ornament manufacturer Beacon Design sells a lot of its sea turtle name-drop ornaments in seaside destinations, but other designs have regional appeal.

“We have noticed that the success of our products varies depending on the location,” says Christine Duong, marketing coordinator. “For instance, the Blue Crab name drop does particularly well in Maryland, where they are prominent, while the Rock Lobster name drop sells

well in New England. In California, the Brown Seals name drop is a hit. As for more general coastal name drops, the Adirondack Chairs on the Beach name drop is a favorite due to its appealing appearance of the coast.”

Offering location-specific and customized products with store names or locations can help retailers create a unique shopping experience and distinguish a store from competitors, Duong says. “This can attract more customers to their store and can serve as souvenirs for tourists, potentially increasing the likelihood of repeat business.”

When choosing products to sell, Duong suggests it’s best to consider your store’s location and target audience.

“For instance, if you’re a retailer near the beach where sea turtles and whales are often seen, it’s a good idea to offer items related to those animals,” she says, adding, “To stand out, you could also customize product names to include your store name or reference your

“Anything name drop and full customization sells well because these options help stores set themselves apart.” — ABBEY GROOTERS, SINCERE SURROUNDINGS

PRODUCT FOCUS: NAME DROPS

A penny can go a long way

Everyone’s got a little change to spare, so why not use that to your advantage? Nearly everyone recalls crushing a penny into a keepsake — in fact, for many it is a rite of passage when visiting their favorite places — so help your guests to take home a piece of their experience with a pressed penny: a memory you can hold in your hand.

Venu+ is among the companies that offer handcrank and electric penny presses that are custom designed and themed to suit your brand/location.

Along with the machine encasement, each collectible souvenir features custom-minted artwork best suited for your unique venue.

“There are few, if any, rivals for offering guests a permanent reminder of their visit at such a reasonable price point,” says Elizabeth Hawkins, Venu+ director of marketing. “And having a custom-branded penny press machine featuring a variety of bespoke coin designs not only attracts attention and sets your business apart from the rest, but also keeps visitors and collectors coming back for more.”

location. By creating a unique shopping experience, you can attract more customers to your store.”

NOT JUST THE NAME

When it comes to including a popular destination on a piece of merchandise, it doesn’t have to be limited to just the name. Tamara Moran, president of Town Pride, suggests that seaside retailers “think outside the box.” “Slogans, shapes, try adding the area code, ZIP code, acronyms or nicknames of your area in addition to items with the name of your location,” she says. “Choose products that are good quality, on trend and have good sell-through and then add your name drop.”

Town Pride’s custom-knit blankets and tote bags that are made in the USA of recycled cotton are bestsellers in seaside locations. She advises seaside retailers to consider customer demand for items of local love, vacation destinations and places that are nostalgic when trying to determine what items to name drop.

“Look for on-trend quality goods you can add a nod to of your unique destination,” Moran says. “We offer trend designs and color combinations specific to an area. We have no setup fees, which equals better margin, and we do all of the design work for the retailer, making it super easy.”

Tote bags, kitchen towels and coasters are among Daisy Mae Designs’ most popular sellers in coastal stores. In addition to their name drop, customers

are drawn to the products’ packability and functionality, according to founder Kristy Sickles. “Shoppers want to bring home something tangible to remember the fun they had on a vacation. Our totes help them remember the trip and are functional for everyday use.”

THOW ’EM A BONE

Even dogs can get in on the name-drop fun. Kim Lopilato, owner of Kool Tees, has had a lot of success in seaside locations with her company’s name-dropped bone toy. “The bone is a great toy for dogs, and with a name drop it adds that souvenir aspect which makes it a great seller for people who are vacationing with their dogs or who have a dog waiting for them at home,” she says.

Retailers can add their city, state or store name to the bones for free. “In many cases, we can even add your store logo,” says Lopilato. “We do 99% of our artwork ourselves in our office. We can also custom design something if you had an idea but don't know where to start.”

Lopilato highly recommends carrying some sort of name drop merchandise. “People love to grab something with the location name to bring home. Try to start in a category where you think there is a lot of interest.”

No matter what is on your customers’ souvenir lists, you can help them find the perfect item to remember their trip. Every time they see the name drop, they’ll think fondly that your store was the one that delivered good memories.

RISE ABOVE THE TIDE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

Seaside retailers can navigate the uncertain waters of social media with these strategies.

STORY BY CRYSTAL VILKAITIS

In the balmy air of the coast, amid the rhythmic ebb and flow of the waves, coastal retailers craft unique experiences for their customers. However, with the vastness of the digital ocean, many of these retailers find themselves adrift. The culprit? The underestimated potential of social media.

Too often, retailers put social media on the back burner, or have no plan outside of posting when they think of it. This isn’t solely a coastal dilemma. Independent retailers worldwide agree, confessing their sporadic posts about new items, events or sales, executed in an almost haphazard manner. The reality is that while the store might be an organized haven, their social media is the back room where everything is just thrown in.

RESISTANCE AND FEAR: THE DIGITAL STORMS

“Isn’t TikTok for kids?” or “I’m not tech-savvy, I'll mess it up.” These are refrains echoing through retailer discus-

e-commerce giants like Amazon to the big box stores offering everything under the sun, competition is fierce. However, this is where the strength of independent retailers shines through. Unlike the

EMBRACING SHORT-FORM VIDEO CONTENT: THE NEW WAVE

Scroll through any social media platform today, and it’s evident: Videos dominate. Especially short, engaging clips. Tools like reels and TikTok aren’t just trends; they are powerful communication channels. They capture attention, tell a story in seconds and most importantly, build relationships.

sions. There’s an underlying fear on social media — of appearance, of technology, of making mistakes.

But here’s the crux: To ride the digital waves, one needs to do it afraid. The vast reaches of Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and more aren’t mere platforms; they’re thriving marketplaces and communities waiting to be tapped into.

INDEPENDENT RETAILERS MUST SET SAIL ON THE SOCIAL SEAS!

Consumers today stand at crossroads flooded with choices. From global

giants, indie retailers don’t merely sell; they connect.

Being local and rooted in communities, they have trust in spades. Every customer isn’t just a transaction but a neighbor, a friend, a story.

And this narrative deserves the spotlight, especially on social media. When a customer sees a familiar face presenting a new product on Instagram reels or shares a laugh over a quirky TikTok, they don’t just see a store and its products. They see people. They see the community. They see stories.

It’s one thing to post a beautiful photo of a product. It’s another to show its creation, the hands that crafted it, the laughter that went into its making and the proud store owner presenting his or her hard work. That’s the power of shortform video content.

CHARTING THE COURSE

So, how should seaside and coastal retailers navigate these waters?

1Embrace the power of people: Put faces to the store. Share stories, behind-the-scenes moments and build a

The reality is that while the store might be an organized haven, their social media is the back room where everything is just thrown in.

— CRYSTAL VILKAITIS

narrative that focuses more on the people side of your business than your products. 2

Plan and be consistent: Social media isn’t a one-time affair; be consistent with posting. Create a calendar. Plan content. Stick to a schedule. 3

Do it afraid: Mistakes will happen. But the beauty of social media lies in its forgiveness and the ability to pivot and learn. Plus, when we mess up, it’s relatable and creates even more trust and connection. 4

Engage and build: Respond to comments, share customer testimonials,

and cultivate an online community that mirrors the in-store experience.

In the vastness of the digital realm, the uniqueness and authenticity of independent seaside and coastal retailers can be their compass. In the world of algorithms and data, human connection is the true north, and that’s what indie retailers have in abundance.

It’s time to harness the tides of social media. Don’t merely try to stay afloat; aim to soar. The digital horizon awaits, and it promises vistas of connections, communities and uncharted success. So, anchors away, dear retailers. The social seas beckon!

I hope to see you at the Coastal Connections Conference, Oct. 22-24 at the Margaritaville Resort Orlando. My session “It’s Your Time to Shine Online” will help you create content that helps you be memorable in a sea of forgettable. Learn more at: www.coastalconnectionsconference.com.

Let’s connect! Follow on Facebook or Instagram at @crystalmediaco

Crystal Vilkaitis is a worldclass social media expert and powerful speaker who helps retailers shine online and bring their unique brilliance to the local and global masses. Fueling retailers with confidence to grow their visibility and results, Vilkaitis is on a mission to help Main Street businesses thrive. She founded Crystal Media in 2012, where she’s worked with thousands of retailers to increase traffic, sales and profits using social media.

BEAUTY AND THE

STORY BY KRISTIN ELY

Beach

Every beach enthusiast wishes they could bottle up a bit of the ocean and take it home with them. As it turns out, many health and beauty companies are bringing those desires to life with products that offer those same wonderful scents and sensations as the ocean delivered through soaps, perfumes, shampoos, lotions and more.

What’s more is these products appeal to a variety of customers. “Seaside destinations draw in a diverse crowd, from those who call the area home to vacationers and travelers passing through,” says Rachael Farquhar, sales, marketing and social media director for health and beauty products manufacturer Luxiny Products. “Self-care products like ours cater to various demographics, making them a versatile addition to your store.”

She says self-care products, especially those with attractive packaging or scents, can encourage impulse purchases, increase customer loyalty and lead to cross-selling opportunities.

An example it the company’s Citrus Splash Beach Bar “for beachgoers stopping in for sunscreen, bathing suit covers or a beach towel.”

Luxiny Products’ beach-themed bath bombs are a hit with families at the beach, according to Farquhar. As a mom herself, she says, “I love spending the day with my kids, but as the evening has us winding down, letting them take a bath with one of Luxiny’s moisturizing bath bombs is a sure way to get them to settle so that I can tuck them in and spend a little alone time with my spouse.”

Luxiny manufactures a host of selfcare products, including bath treats, lotion, aromatherapy and haircare products that are all made in the U.S.

“Our bath bombs are made with coconut milk powder and sweet almond oil; they leave your skin feeling soft and smelling great,” she says.

The company’s shampoo and conditioner Bars are a new idea to many people, and they draw a lot of interest, according to Farquhar.

She says, “They are made with great ingredients that help people achieve healthier-looking and feeling hair. Par-

Beachgoers are indulging in health and beauty products that connect them with the sea.

PRODUCTS THAT PAMPER

Help your customers bask in their beachy glory with these health and beauty offerings.

complexion vanishing zinc oxide mineral sunscreen, www.cotzskincare.com;

scent to protect against flies, gnats, fleas and ticks, www.bodyguardbugspray.com;

with

offers a touch

1 | CŌTZ: Flawless

2 | Bodyguard: A bug spray

a tropical

3 | The Grecian Soap Co.: Island Citrus avacado body butter,www.greciansoap.com; 4 | Luxiny: A delightful Sea Turtle rainbow burst bath bomb, www.luxiny. com; 5 | Sugared Mango: Wavy Rainbow Soap in berry scent, www.sugaredmango.com; 6 | True Ocean: Beach Hair – a sea salt spray that provides a wind-kissed, beachy look, www.mytrueocean.com; 7 | MacKenzie’s: Premium, nongreasy and moisturizing mineral-based sunscreen, www.fishermanandscrub.com; 8 | Maui Vera: Reef-friendly mineral sunscreen that

of Hawaii, www.mauivera.com; 9 | Inis: Rejuvenating body butter, www.inis.com; 10 | Key West Body Scrubs: Exfoliating salt scrub, www.keywestbodyscrubs.com; 11 | Dolphin Wood House: Caribbean waves soap bar, www.dolphinwoodhouse.com; 12 | Shower Candy: Travel-friendly pineapple mango milk hydrating shampoo bar, www.showercandy.com.

ents love our shampoo bars for themselves and their kids because they don’t have to worry about their kids dumping half a bottle of shampoo in their hair, and they help cut down plastic waste.”

SEA-SCENTED SALES

Karen Wilkinson, marketing director of Inis, says the health and beauty product category can help boost sales in seaside locations. “This category delivers strong incremental sales, particularly if the health and beauty products have an ocean or sea ingredient, fragrance or theme.”

In addition to the brand’s nutrient-rich sea ingredients such as seaweed extracts and sea minerals, all its bath and body products contain the scent of Inis the Energy of the Sea. “Our customers absolutely love the unique, refreshing and uplifting scent,” says Wilkinson.

But it is not just that signature scent customers are going for these days. “Both our Replenishing Body Oil and Rejuvenating Body Butter are trending this

year due to consumers looking for mega-hydrating and moisturizing options,” notes Wilkinson.

She adds that health and beauty products are good for repeat business. “If buyers find a wellloved collection in this category, they can most certainly count on repeat and future sales as the products are highly consumable,” she says.

Laura Hatt, owner of Dolphin Wood House Soaps, agrees. “The benefit of having health and beauty products in your store is that it can turn a customer into a repeat customer. The regular customer will come back time and time again to your store to get their favorite product as they may not be able to get that same product within 15-20 minutes of drive time from their house.”

She adds that the impulse buyer can also turn into a regular customer in one of two ways. “They either come back to the same town each year because it holds special memories and/or they shop online with you to get their perishable items that can invoke good memories.”

SMALL BATCH SOAPS

Dolphin Wood House Soaps offers wholesale and white-label products. “We offer you and your customers the opportunity to benefit from a small woman-owned business that produces handcrafted beauty products using quality ingredients that your pocketbook and skin will cherish,” Hatt says. “From the favorite bar of soap to the colorful bath bomb, health and beauty products are

Self-care products cater to many different demographics.

never going to go away or out of style.”

All Dolphin Wood House Soap products are made by family members and family-like friends. “Because of the small overhead, limited touch factor and U.S.-sourced ingredients, retailers and customers can rest assured that the product they are interested in was not mass-produced and will be unique in its own way just like them,” says Hatt.

OCEAN APPEAL

True Ocean is another company with a specialty derived from the ocean. “We bring the goodness of the ocean’s minerals and skin conditioning qualities into an amazing line of body products including salt soaks, sea salt hair texturizers, salt scrubs and mineral-rich lotions,” says Darin Trimble, principal at True Ocean.

When offering health and beauty merchandise, Trimble says shoppers like to “smell and feel.”

“We’d recommend displaying ‘testers’ that are easily accessible, as a way to spark an interaction with the products, connecting the shopper with the merchandise, often resulting in a sale or an enjoyable shopping experience.”

And coastal stores can let customers test out True Ocean’s newest offering — a beach perfume called Coastal for the seaside-loving individual. Trimble notes that health and beauty merchandise is a great choice for the seaside retailer because the category is seen as useful if buying for themselves and is considered a premium gift if purchasing for another.

“It’s much more exciting to purchase heath/beauty from a niche, boutique brand at a beautiful seaside shop versus a mass-produced brand at a traditional big box or pharmacy store,” he says.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Even insect repellents and sunscreens can have a more lavish vibe than a utilitarian one. Key West Body Scrubs’ all-natural

Destress in a pinch

Nancy Rothner is the creator of Pinch Me Therapy Dough. As a clinical hypnotherapist who specializes in stress reduction, she says she’s seen first-hand the toll that tension takes on the body and mind.

“I embarked on a quest to create a simple, holistic, stress reduction technique that could be used anytime, anywhere. A non-prescription, drug free, ‘as-needed’ relief supplement that stressedout souls could use ‘in a pinch’”

People of all ages are channeling stress relief with Pinch Me Therapy Dough. The placating putty was developed using the proven scientific methodology of color and scent as they relate to relaxation — all in the convenience of a portable tin.

And ocean themes are among the company’s top sellers: Sun, Beach, Ocean and Surf offer a fun and effective way to quickly unwind and destress while evoking thoughts of the tranquil ocean.

Stop Buggin Me Spray is a prime example. It is a newer trending product for the handmade, Key West, Florida-based health and beauty product manufacturer.

“It does keep those pesky misquotes and no-see-ums away,” says Angie Garcia, president.

The company also sells After Sun Aloe Vera Whipped Butter that Garcia says is popular in the summertime but can be used year-round.

“Our customers love using this after a long day in the sun, it helps cool down that sun burnt skin and moistures your body,” says Garcia.

All-natural ingredients are trending, according to Garcia, and coupled with beach-inspired scents and ingredients customers “can take home a little bit of paradise with them when they purchase these products from your store.”

SAFER ALTERNATIVES

With more attention being paid to preserving coral reefs and protecting marine life, many sunscreen manufacturers are offering options that are better for the environment.

While MacKenzie’s is best known for its Fisherman Hand Scrub, the brand’s Ocean Safe Mineral Based Sunscreen has become a staple in seaside stores.

“MacKenzie’s is unique in its commitment to providing mineral-based sunscreen that is safe for both the user and the environment and educating cus-

tomers on the harmful ingredients found in many chemical-based sunscreens on the market,” says Michael Ayles, founder and CEO of MacKenzie’s.

He adds, “Consumers are paying more and more attention to the ingredients they put on their body’s largest organ (the skin). That is why MacKenzie’s is committed to using clean, natural ingredients whenever possible.”

According to Ayles, MacKenzie’s

True Ocean’s new Coastal perfume is designed for seaside-loving individuals.

Inis Body Butter offers hydration coupled with its signature sparkling scent.

Ocean Safe Mineral Based sunscreen provides retailers an opportunity to carry one of the very few small-batch, mineral-based sunscreens made in the U.S.

CōTZ’ All-mineral sunscreen is also reef-friendly and works by reflecting away harmful UVA-UVB rays before they can penetrate the skin. The product is free of chemical sunscreen filters, oils, preservatives, fragrances, parabens, gluten, and phthalates, according to Gillian Barrie, assistant marketing manager.

Other products include CōTZ Flawless Complexion SPF 50, which Barrie describes as “moisturizing and leaves a soft, dewy finish that’s ideal for everyday use at the seaside or home.”

Maui Vera’s Reef-Friendly Mineral Sunscreen is formulated with a clear zinc

oxide that applies as a transparent lotion, hydrating and protecting your skin from overexposure, according to Maui Vera founder David McCord.

“Knowing the environmental impact that chemical sunscreens have on Hawaii’s reefs, we designed a reef-friendly formula,” McCord says. “It was important for Maui Vera to prevent further damage to our environment as well as design a clean chemical-free solution for sun protection.”

Sun Gel to restore damaged skin back to its healthy, balanced state.

BIG BOX ALTERNATIVES

When it comes to personal care, big box retailers are starting to carry many of the brands independent retailers carry in their stores, according to Ayles.

And for customers who aren’t proactive about applying sunscreen, Maui Vera offers solutions to help.

The company’s organic After Sun Gel can be applied as a healing ointment. The gel is designed to alleviate the harsh symptoms of excessive sun exposure.

Maui Vera also offers Sunburn & After

“Retailers and consumers alike are tired of seeing the same brands — many of which are owned by large parent manufacturing companies. Everyone is looking to discover new, small batch personal care products. Bonus points for a commitment to clean ingredients,” Ayles notes.

Barrie agrees, “Unique products that aren’t widely available in chain drug and food stores make a nice addition to sales and add to the customer experience.”

Learn more about eco-friendly sunscreens in the article “Guide to Reef-friendly Sunscreens” on pg. 64

“Unique products that aren’t widely available in chain drug and food stores make a nice addition to sales and add to the customer experience.” — Gillian Barrie, CōTZ

STORY BY KATIE DAY

GUIDE TO REEF-FRIENDLY SUNSCREENS

Help customers reduce their exposure to harmful rays while also protecting the environment.

Abig concern among ocean scientists and beachgoers is the impact that chemical sunscreens are having on the marine environment. This has led to bans on the sale and use of chemical sunscreens in states and island communities such as Hawaii, U.S. Virgin Islands and Aruba.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended removing all chemical sunscreen ingredients from their list of “safe and effective” ingredients due to concerns about human health risks. Also, there has been a surge in the production of “reef-friendly” sunscreens — but what does that actually mean, and how safe are these sunscreens to the marine environment?

Mineral-based sunscreen is often used as a reef-friendly option as an alternative to chemical-based sunscreens. While mineral-based sunscreens are better for the marine environment than sunscreens that contain toxic chemicals, such as oxybenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene, there are still risks associated with their use. The most common active ingredients in mineral sunscreens are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

HOW DO I KNOW IF A SUNSCREEN IS “REEF FRIENDLY”?

Beware! Unfortunately the terms “reef friendly” and “reef safe” are not regulated, so you can’t always trust products with this description. It’s important to check the “active ingredients” label on the back of your sunscreen or personal care product to ensure that reef-harming chemicals are not included.

The size of minerals can also have an impact. Be sure to use micro-sized (or “non-nano”) mineral sunscreens to avoid nanoparticles, as these smaller particles can be toxic in high concentrations.

It’s also advised to stick with lotions and avoid spray or misting sunscreens, especially those that contain titanium dioxide as it may be harmful to your health if inhaled. Finally, it’s always good to use products that cut back on single-use plastic packaging, either by using containers that are reusable, have high recycled content or are made out of minimally processed plant-based materials.

Check the label on the sunscreen! Make sure your sunscreen does not contain the following harmful substances, including

those on the Haereticus Environmental Lab list:

• Oxybenzone

• Avobenzone

• Octinoxate

• Octocrylene

• 4-methylbenzylidene camphor

• PABA

• Parabens

• Triclosan

• Nanoparticles or “nano-sized” zinc or titanium

• Any form of microplastic, such as “exfoliating beads”

Avoid chemical-based sunscreens and choose non-nano mineral based sunscreens instead. In addition to concerns about chemical sunscreens negatively impacting coral reefs, the

STAY INFORMED. To

FDA has recently proposed removing all over-the-counter chemical sunscreen ingredients (including avobenzone, octisalate, homosalate and more) due to the potential for adverse human health impacts during use.

SUN PROTECTION ALTERNATIVES

Sun management will help limit exposure to harmful UVB and UVA rays. Even mineral-based sunscreens can negatively impact fish and coral reefs at high concentrations. The best thing we can do is limit products when recreating in high-use areas. Effective sun protection methods include a balance of:

• Avoiding sun exposure during peak sun hours, when possible

• Covering up with hats and clothing

• Using a more reef-friendly sunscreen.

www.beachapedia.org/reef_friendly_sunscreens.

REN Clean Screen Mineral Sunscreen, Manda, Avasol, Raw Elements and Bare Republic are among the brands considered “reef safe.”

SPREAD THE WORD

It’s also important to spread awareness about the issue to friends, family, customers and community members.

In 2018, Hawaii passed the first ever statewide ban on oxybenzone and octinoxate sunscreens. Soon after, island nations including Palau, Bonaire and Aruba followed suit.

Ensure that your store and neighboring stores are offering “reef-friendly” sunscreen products. You can also advocate for local legislation that bans the sale and use of toxic sunscreens.

Katie Day, Surfrider Foundation’s senior manager of science and policy, helps to ensure that campaigns are thoughtfully planned and supported by accurate scientific literature.

learn more about “reef-friendly” sunscreens and the impacts of chemical-based sunscreens, and for more sunscreen options, visit

STORY BY MEGAN SMALLEY

IDEAS

ADD-ON to maximize displays

When customers visit That Shore Store in Wildwood, New Jersey, many are drawn to a display in the corner of the shop. An old mail sorting cabinet from the U.S. Postal Service holds mugs and greeting cards. That Shore Store Owner Irene Farrelly also placed a cozy chair stuffed with pillows and blankets next to the display to make customers feel at home.

“It generates a lot of conversation,” she says of the display. “Maybe I wouldn’t come here to buy a mug, but now I’m staring at the mugs because of this piece.”

Eye-catching displays such as this one can help seaside retailers sell add-on items in the store, impulse buys that can boost revenue.

That Shore Store in Wildwood, New Jersey, displays a variety of mugs and greeting cards in an old mail sorting cabinet.

Kathy Cruz, co-founder of The Salvaged Boutique in Lakewood, Ohio, and founder of the Savvy Shopkeeper consultancy, says coastal retailers should carefully craft add-on displays in their stores. Creating strong add-on displays requires some time, but many can be implemented immediately and on a small budget, she says. She offers retailers six ideas for revamping add-on displays in their shops.

1Add dimension. Retailers can fall into a pit trap of creating flat displays that lack dimension. If a display comes off as flat, customers will likely ignore the add-on products the retailer wants to promote.

Cruz says retailers should consider ways to make displays pop so that they

are more aesthetically pleasing.

“Sometimes raising displays above to eye level helps,” she says. “Even if it’s small risers or using upcycled items like a crate to raise things up to a person’s eye level, improving displays aesthetically like that could benefit for add-on sales.”

Granite Hall Store in Round Pond, Maine, offers a wide variety of gifts to customers visiting the store — T-shirts, coastal-themed home decor, kitchen items as well as candy and toys for kids. Jane Frost, a store manager at Granite Hall, says she ensures her displays match the old-timey feel of the store.

“We use barrels and line them up and wooden containers that balance and make for a real, vintage, old-fashioned feel — a country-store feel that is appealing,” she says.

When Farrelly opened That Shore Store, she decided to use items from home to hold displays as a way to give the store character. She notes that the old mail sorting cabinet display is particularly special to her.

When she grew up, her parents displayed the old mail sorting cabinet in their basement, and she was often mesmerized by that cabinet as a young girl. In addition to the cabinet, she brought in her beloved upside-down Christmas

Granite Hall Store uses barrels and wooden containers for its add-on displays.

“We use barrels and line them up and wooden containers that balance and make for a real, vintage, old-fashioned feel — a country-store feel that is appealing.”

— Jane Frost, Granite Hall Store

tree to stock holiday decor. “I really try to incorporate displays that were not what you would see when you went into any other store,” Farrelly says. “I love the fact that I brought in stuff from my own personal life to tell people a story.”

2Group items that complement each other. Grouping items that complement each other well within shop displays also could help to boost add-on sales. Cruz explains that if a

retailer features a charcuterie board on display, the retailer should find complementary products to pair with the board.

Granite Hall features a variety of rooms for customers to browse. Frost says the rooms each have a different focus — one focuses on stationery and greeting cards; another focuses on toys and gifts for kids; and another room features a book nook in a corner. Frost says she prefers that add-on displays match the focus of the room they’re in.

At That Shore Store, Farrelly has a “rainy-day station” display that showcases add-on items that customers might want to buy on a gloomier day on the island — puzzles, games, paint by number and nail polish kits.

3Simple signage

An aesthetically pleasing display might not be enough to encourage customers to take the next step to buy the add-on products. Cruz says retailers should make things as easy as possible for customers by including signage at the display. She says signage should encourage customers to make a purchase or offer unique information about the products to keep them browsing.

Cruz’s shop in Lakewood sells home decor and gifts, with a focus on helping customers refurbish their vintage finds. The shop also sells furniture paint for refurbishing projects.

“Just because we know how to refurbish a bathroom cabinet doesn’t mean

That Shore Store boosts add-on sales by grouping items that complement each other well.

everyone knows,” she says. “We make a checklist that customers can grab and quickly see all things they need to work on that project.”

Cruz says she usually places that checklist within an add-on display in the store. She notes that coastal retailers can have similar informational signage at their displays: Make a beach bag checklist, listing five or six items that customers absolutely must have for the perfect beach bag, and sell those items around the display.

4Create a bundle. Retailers should find ways to bundle items within add-on displays, according to Cruz. For instance, a coastal retailer promotes that “perfect beach bag” for customers in the display with all items needed tucked into the bag. Cruz advises against discounting bundled products on display, unless the items had already been on sale or aren’t in season anymore.

“So many store owners have a lot of

After-hours add-on sales

A few years ago, Irene Farrelly noticed that Wildwood, New Jersey, didn’t have many upscale gift shops when she was shopping for a gift for a friend so she decided to open That Shore Store to fill that gap in May 2021.

Before opening That Shore Store, Farrelly worked full time as an event planner. With a background in hospitality and event planning, Farrelly likes to host a wine and paint night at the store every month after normal store hours. For the first hour of the event, Farrelly invites wine and paint night attendees to shop around the store and receive a 10% discount on items. Then the attendees settle in for wine and painting. Farrelly says she often participates and tries to engage with them during the event.

“I think the little discount helps,” she adds. “People often wait to purchase something until paint night because they know they’ll get a 10% discount.”

During normal store hours, Farrelly says she invites a mixologist to the store once a month as well for a cocktail hour. She says that event also draws in customers who don’t normally shop at the store.

That Shore Store also invites a permanent jewelry specialist to host an event during store hours once a month to weld permanent jewelry for customers.

Farrelly says she has “a million ideas” of other events she can try to host to draw people into the store to get additional sales. This winter, she wants to host a “meet the maker” night for customers to meet local Wildwood artists. She also wants to host more holiday-themed events, such as Christmas in July.

mindset roadblocks around pricing,” she says. “They feel like if the customer is going to buy four items instead of one, the customer expects to have a discount. That’s not the case. So many times, you can bundle and not discount it one bit. It’s a convenience factor for the customer, the no-brainer that they want more than the discount.” 5

Regularly refresh displays. Coastal retailers might not have the same customers every other week, but many stores do have loyal customers return semiregularly, even if that means once a month or once every other year.

the cash wrap to avoid clutter and promote no-brainer impulse purchases, she advises. “It can be popular magnets that sell, or maybe it’s a travel-size sunscreen lotion that’s grab-and-go and easy that they can just pop into their bag.”

For Granite Hall, Frost keeps a limit of just featuring one add-on item at the cash wrap.

“This store is a little different,” she says, explaining that the store features a lot of penny candy near the register that is a big draw with the kids. “The cash wrap is covered in penny candy and can’t squeeze more in, except these little keychains on display.”

Although the add-on displays may seem fresh to tourists and infrequent customers, they can become stale to returning customers.

Frost periodically moves displays at Granite Hall to make sure the store is easy to navigate and so that the displays catch customers’ eyes better.

Cruz says the frequency of loyal customers can help a retailer to determine how often to change add-on displays.

She says, “In my store, we have loyal customers who come in at least every two weeks. For me, that determines the frequency of changing my displays. It doesn’t mean every display has to be redone every two weeks. But for me, every month, I move at least two displays or refresh them.”

Farrelly enjoys rearranging her shop displays often enough that regulars are happily surprised with the new layout.

“I change it a lot,” Farrelly says. “I’m Type A. I clean off a table and say, ‘Hmm … this would go better over here.’ I promote a sense that things are always changing.” 6Capitalize on the cash wrap. Impulse buys sell well at the cash wrap. It’s that last spot a shopper stops when checking out. Cruz suggests promoting some add-on items by the register that might get lost in other parts of the store.

Stick to selling smaller items around

Farrelly placed a small, uniquelooking table with bins on top right by the cash wrap to promote add-on sales at That Shore Store.

She says, “It makes you look at it and pick the items up while standing there.”

IMPLEMENTING CHANGES

Making changes to add-on displays can be simple. Cruz notes that retailers can make many changes quickly and on a budget as well.

“Any store owner, regardless of budget, can implement half of these immediately and it wouldn’t cost much,” she says. “Most of these don’t require a ton of effort.”

She explains that if a shop owner wants to add a more eye-catching table to display products, the shop owner can try to find a nice table or riser at a thrift store. She adds that signage also can be printed at home for free, using online resources like Canva to make a sign that looks professional.

When Frost began working at Granite Hall, she spruced up the store’s add-on displays by incorporating thrifted objects that match the store’s old-time vibe.

“Our displays are really warm and appealing to people,” says Frost. “I think people feel a comfortable warmness when they come in here. We’ve collected over the years a bunch of wooden barrels and boxes for displays. It doesn’t need to take much.”

“So many store owners have a lot of mindset roadblocks around pricing. They feel like if the customer is going to buy four items instead of one, the customer expects to have a discount. That’s not the case.” — Kathy Cruz, The Salvaged Boutique and Savvy Shopkeeper

ROB MARSHALL’S PERSPECTIVE ON Christmas retail

Packable ornaments are easy take-homes for remembering the good times on vacation.

ChristmasMouse Williamsburg,VA

NO ORDINARY ORNAMENTS

Specialty ornaments are the calling card at Christmas Mouse, comprising about 80% of sales — and there are 33,000 items in rotation on shelves in the nine shops owner Rob Marshall operates along the eastern seaboard.

“When folks are on vacation, they want to take home a memory of their adventures, whether that’s hang gliding off Jockey’s Ridge in the Outer Banks or finding ornaments based on their interests,” Marshall says.

Ballet, soccer, alma maters, pop culture, camping, jingle bells, you name it. Naturally, there’s a strong focus on nautical holiday themes, from lighthouses and mermaids to name-drop mementos. Themed trees, up to 50 of them depending on the store, are dressed to the nines with ornaments, tinsel, lights and other accessories for sale.

“You’re basically walking through a forest of trees and lights,” Marshall describes.

He’s sure to set the mood for winter wonderland shopping, even if it’s a blazing

STORY

90 degrees out on the beaches. When guests enter Christmas Mouse, they are transported to a holiday haven.

“We have Christmas musing playing and cinnamon brooms throughout, so you feel the warm, inviting atmosphere,” he says.

HOSPITALITY IS ALWAYS IN SEASON

Holiday spirit carries on to the customer service approach at Christmas Mouse. It’s back to the Golden Rule, “and we remind our associates the most important thing is to just treat people as you would want to be treated,” Marshall says. “It’s easy to lose sight of just being kind and having someone say hello to you. We want people to come in and feel welcomed.”

The way ornaments and holiday goods are presented is also designed for a hospitable and smooth shopping experience, as well. The decked-out trees are the basis for displays with peg boards flanking those that hold similar-themed items.

“We start with a tree, then a peg board, blend that into another tree and another peg board, and it flows this way all the way around the store,” Marshall explains.

This setup creates a traffic pattern, which is important during the stores’ busy seasons in summer and through the end of the year, with “November and December also very strong,” Marshall says. This is because more local customers are finding Christmas

BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE

PHOTOS: ELIZABETH COLLADO

Christmas Mouse ornaments feature nautical holiday themes, including name-drop mementos.

COASTAL CONNECTION

Mouse during off tourist seasons.

“More recently in places like Myrtle Beach, where there is a bigger retirement community and a lot of construction 20 to 30 miles beyond the beach, we are seeing a lot more regional traffic,” he says.

Of course, Christmas Mouse does

cater to tourists — but the locals and visitors buy different types of holiday products. While lighted products like glitter water lanterns, resin trees and Santas are trending, those aren’t as easy to pack and take home as ornaments.

But aside from those, other simple grab-and-go-home items that are easy to flat pack include wreaths, hand towels, lit canvases, stockings, Christmas cards and calendars.

Christmas Mouse also stocks collectibles for guests, such as Byers’ Choice Caroler figurines, playful Jim Shore figurines and Possible Dreams Clothtique

Santas in a variety of poses — including with Frosty the Snowman or petting a Labrador with a stocking in its mouth.

STOCKING UP

Marshall stocks up for the year at the Atlanta Market, and he says his buying preference is “not really trend oriented.”

“We maintain a large selection of coastal and tailor products based on the store location,” he says.

Christmas Mouse has three shops in the Outer Banks in North Carolina with a mall popup; locations in Duck and Nags Head, North Carolina; a North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, store; an outpost in Pawleys Island, Virginia; a Virginia Beach, Virginia, boutique; and two souvenir destinations in Williamsburg, Virginia, including the headquarters with storage for inventory.

“The store manager directs how trees are decorated, so in Pawleys Island we had a turtle tree at the door and she used colors with blues and greens — it

Christmas Mouse stores stock ornament options to suit every age and stage of life.

was pretty and a bit different,” Marshall shares.

Most of all, Marshall wants to be sure there are ornament options that suit every age and stage in life, an assortment of hobbies and alma maters, along with celebration moments like Baby’s First or anniversaries.

This year alone, he bought 9,100 different items to sell across his stores. Stocking up has been key since the pandemic, he points out. “We used to be more seasonal with our buying, but a couple of years ago, I said, ‘If it’s a good item and a vendor has it, then we need to have it.’ That has changed our buying patterns and warehousing.”

Before, Marshall typically maintained an inventory of about 3,000 items in the Williamsburg warehouse. Now, there are 5,100 items in storage so he can be sure shelves are full.

See it, like it, buy it is the way he approaches acquiring inventory. Because if you don’t have it, you can’t sell it.

And people are thinking Christmas even at the beach, he adds. Among surf shops and souvenir shacks, customers find the holiday vibe to be an inviting change of pace. Marshall says, “Our stores are an annual stop for many beachgoers.”

“We used to be more seasonal with our buying, but a couple of years ago, I said, ‘If it’s a good item and a vendor has it, then we need to have it.’ That has changed our buying patterns and warehousing.”

— ROB MARSHALL

Christmas Mouse owner Rob Marshall stocks up at Atlanta Market.

ELLIE OCZKOWSKI’S PERSPECTIVE ON Christmas retail

Get personal and offer original ornaments that send customers back to their happy place.

TheChristmas VacationShop BarHarbor,ME

TYING CHRISTMAS WITH VACATIONLAND

The ritual of unearthing Christmas tree ornaments from storage and finding just the right branch where one can dangle, sharing stories and “remember whens” with family all the while, was inspiration for The Christmas Vacation Shop in Bar Harbor, Maine.

“These gifts are memories that reflect a moment in time, an experience, family, joy — that is the driving force of the ornaments,” says owner Ellie Oczkowski, who is often found creating the items in the shop.

As a coastal Christmas tradition, Oczkowski celebrates Bar Harbor and nearby Acadia National Park, along with scenic attractions like Cadillac Mountain, Thunder Hole, Sand Beach, Jordan Pond, Bass Harbor Lighthouse and the blueberries that flourish along the coast.

“Because we are in Bar Harbor, lobsters are incredibly popular as are blueberry-themed ornaments and products, along with anything shells and driftwood,” she says.

Ultimately, the shop’s purpose is to provide unique finds and holiday decor so guests can celebrate their beachside visit. Personalization is paramount for some customers and is available for any ornament, as is the one-of-a-kind aspect of the Christmas ornaments Oczkowski makes and curates for her 150 Main Street boutique.

“Everything I carry is souvenir driven, but the focus is always leaning toward coastal Christmas, Maine, New England and Bar Harbor,” she says. “We tie in Christmas with vacationland.”

HANDMADE AND ONE OF A KIND

Craftsmanship and connection to the locale are running themes that inspire Oczkowski’s artwork and the products she sources from other artisan vendors and suppliers.

“My designs are also driven by what customers are asking for, and as the owner, I can test small batches of new items I make every day and see what folks like,” she says. “Listening to customers is the No. 1 reason any of my products are in the store.”

Also, Oczkowski is committed to supporting local “women self-starters,” seeking out entrepreneurial spirits who appreciate collaboration and community. “This is how we offer unique items that are not found in other locations and stores in Bar Harbor,” she says, reiterating a remark she hears often from

STORY BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE

PHOTO: BRITTANY ATWATER

The Christmas Vacation Shop in Bar Harbor, Maine, features a number of coastal-inspired ornaments.

guests who shop the store. “I love the collaboration that goes into stocking the store and all of the creativity.”

The byproduct of local ingenuity is a one-of-a-kind experience. No two ornaments, even of the same design, are exactly alike.

And because the shopper demographic is all over the board — children, families, couples, young, old and in between — the inventory is a reflection of who’s perusing displays. “It’s widespread,” Oczkowski says.

The shop’s bestselling lobster claw ornaments are an example. Kids might reach for the Santa Clause “Claws” ornament with the jolly old elf’s face painted on the crusher claw and the hat on the pincher. Mom might want the snowman version with an ocean blue background.

Oczkowski themes every display based on the ornaments. Yes, she uses the slat wall in parts of the store along with table displays and furniture pieces. But she adds a customized feel to the grid areas by organizing similar ornaments together, such as lobsters, shells and ceramic ornaments with blueberry motifs.

“It’s humbling. We hear so many folks tell us, ‘We put these on our tree every year, and we come back every year to get a new one.’ It means a lot to me.” —

No matter what, it’s completely individualized. Oczkowski says, “They are all slightly different.”

DECKING DISPLAYS

Rather than resorting to efficient yet standard grid-and-slat wall displays,

Then, you’ve got Bar Harbor buoy designs and Acadia National Park naturescape ornaments — all popular grabs from the racks.

Painted glass ball ornaments depicting detailed scenes are another collection at The Christmas Vacation Shop. Mural-esque designs illustrate lighthouses, puffins, loons, Eagle Lake, Cadillac Mountain and other park destinations.

Aside from tree decor, the shop is a treasure trove of gifts, such as jewelry

Store owner Ellie Oczkowski says no two ornaments in her store are exactly alike.

ELLIE OCZKOWSKI

Oczkowski says customers return year after year for her handmade ornaments. crafted from sea glass and beach finds like a crushed lobster mussel blue clam abalone shell jewelry pendant. It’s as if you gathered a smattering of these quintessential coastal elements in your palm and sprinkled them like confetti into a bold, round bauble.

A section of wood gifts combines ornaments both painted and some with jig-sawed voids in the shapes of a Maine moose or, of course, the ever-popular lobster. Wooden buoys and slender tree trunk cross-sections bearing rings and subtle painted designs are also originals that shoppers take home to deck their halls and remember their times in Maine.

As for the No. 1 selling products?

Oczkowski says, “It’s the ones I create.”

Vacationers return year after year to collect another special piece from her business, which started 20 years ago and has amassed a following. Just ask Tripadvisor.

It’s not just the ornaments that evoke memories and become family keepsakes. It’s the relationships guests form with Oczkowski as they scavenge the kitschy New England beach store for something that suits them just right.

“It’s humbling,” Oczkowski says. “We hear so many folks tell us, ‘We put these on our tree every year, and we come back every year to get a new one.’ It means a lot to me.”

GARY CHATNIK’S PERSPECTIVE ON Christmas retail

Coastal Christmas tree themes can run the gamut, from bright tropical tree themes to more neutral, nautical tree themes.

TheChristmasShop andGeneralStore Manteo,NC

DREAMING OF A BEACH CHRISTMAS

Holidays are personal. That’s why inscribing ornaments and keepsakes with names, dates and milestones is a beach vacation tradition for customers who visit The Christmas Shop and General Store in Manteo, North Carolina.

“Personalization is our bread and butter,” says owner Gary Chatnik, who operates five year-round Christmas shops and several seasonal popups in shopping malls during the holidays along with his wife Vicki. “People come in year after year to get an ornament with their family name and vacation date, and it helps them remember their trips.”

The wide array of ornaments are keepsakes and great gift toppers, Chatnik says. Pair an ornament with a gift card and you’ve got a readymade present.

The Christmas Shop is also known for lavishly decorating coastal Christmas themed trees that inspire guests to recreate a rendition of their own at home. All the “dressings” are in store for customers to deck

out a beach-inspired tree from top to bottom.

STORY

“There are so many aspects to coastal Christmas,” Chatnik says. “It’s a fun theme to go with because there are so many ways to incorporate shells, color, ribbon and garlands.”

“There are so many aspects to coastal Christmas, and it’s a fun theme to go with because there are so many ways to incorporate shells, color, ribbon and garlands.” —

Longtime manager Pat Lassen agrees that the personalization is a big seller, but another aspect to the success of the store, according to her, is the friendly staff.

“You can’t beat our customer service. We have the friendliest staff on the Outer Banks,” says Lassen, who’s spent the last 27 years making customers smile. “You know, we don’t go through a whole lot of workers. We have people that have been here for years. It’s just a lot of fun.”

SEASIDE THEMES

When imagining a coastal Christmas tree, Chatnik sometimes starts with a location — the Outer Banks, for example. “What

BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE

PHOTOS: THE CHRISTMAS SHOP AND GENERAL STORE STAFF AND NEIL GT PHOTOGRAPHY

The Christmas Shop stocks a variety of ornaments and other holiday keepsakes.

GARY CHATNIK

do you associate with the area?” he asks, guiding customers toward nautical blues and reds, silvers and some marina-style striped accents.

“There is a tropical coastal theme that is more Florida with bright colors in greens, blues and pinks, flamingos and beachy tiki huts,” he describes. “This comes together in a fun, playful way, or the tree can have an elegant look if you incorporate ornaments and ribbons in those colors.”

A neutral coastal tree will carry you through the holidays and months beyond if you choose. And many customers like to keep Christmas alive after the New Year because the lights and decor add brightness to winter days.

“A neutral theme includes silvers, golds and seashells,” Chatnik says of a look that is “not in-your-face colorful” and quite elegant.

Overall, Chatnik says of coastal Christmas, “It’s not just the red, green and white. It’s pinks, blues, silvers, golds

and it lends itself to creativity.”

’Tis always the season to be dreaming up the next best Christmas tree for the Chatniks, who took over the Manteo location from Edward Greene, the shop’s longtime owner. Greene opened it in the early 1970s. Because the Chatniks already owned stores up and down the coast, “this was not a huge leap,” he explains. “And we wanted to keep the legacy going.”

Indeed, The Christmas Shop is more than a store. It’s an experience with 25,000 square feet of ornaments, decor, gifts, locally made candy, gourmet foods, wine, jewelry and regional artwork for customers to explore.

Inside, you’ll find wreaths, accent pieces, tabletop items, handbags, accessories and a boatload of OBX name-drop apparel and products. “We run the gamut,” Chatnik says. Customers can trim their trees, take home souvenir holiday decor and shop for friends and family.

Popular coastal-themed ornaments

include sea turtles, jellyfish, sharks, Santas and Nutcrackers, according to Lassen.

Also popular are dog and cat products, Chatnik notes. Those include ornaments, of course, along with frames, pillows, socks, decorative signage, hats, mugs, blankets and more.

As for the shop’s presentation, the Christmas trees anchor displays and allow customers to shop by theme: coast-

Coastal-themed decor sells well at The Christmas Shop in Manteo, North Carolina.

al, North Pole, Grinch, vintage, silver and gold, black and white, winter blues, cardinal and more.

“Christmas is by far the best seller, followed by general store items,” Chatnik notes.

SIP AND STUFF STOCKINGS

There’s much more in store at The Christmas Shop, with a robust selection of penny candies, fudge, coffee, dips, sauces and other pantry delights that are mostly local and make great gifts or extras for under the tree.

“It’s great for kids who might not want to shop,” Chatnik says of the family-friendly environment. “A parent can help them pick out some fun candies and other treats.”

There’s a festive spirit for adults, too, with the addition of an expansive wine section, where daily tastings take place.

“We had this space in the general store we didn’t know what to do with, so we were inspired by a shop in Florida

that added a wine department and just loved the idea,” he says. “It’s something we will grow. People can keep returning to try different wines, and we don’t sell it online, but we are happy to ship or hold for pickup.”

Many of the wines are sourced from North Carolina, and there are Christmas-themed adult beverages, too.

One of the best sellers is a German mulled sweet wine that is served warm. “Even in the summer, it blows out of here,” Chatnik says. “It’s a popular gift and something nice to keep at home for the holiday.”

With 25,000 square feet of space, the The Christmas Shop is more than a store, it is an experience, and Christmas is the bestseller. might want to pick up something to nosh or sip on after enjoying the beach. For the shop, it’s a growing avenue to expand the demographic to locals, too.

The general store has a gifty vibe, but it’s also convenient for vacationers who

Overall, Chatnik says, “People love to come in, shop and get ideas for throughout the year, and many of them follow the posts we put out on social media for inspiration.”

SAVETHEDATE

OCT. 22-24

Coastal Connections Conference

OCTOBER

Oct. 1-3

The Travelers Show: Super Show Oaks, Pennsylvania www.thetravelersshow.com

Oct. 1-3

Minneapolis Mart Home & Gift Show Minneapolis www.mplsmart.com

Oct. 4-7

Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show

Las Vegas www.lvsouvenirshow.com

Oct. 6-8

GTS Greensboro Expo Greensboro, North Carolina www.gtshows.com

Oct. 8-11

CMC LA Market Week Los Angeles www.californiamarketcenter. com/lamarketweek

Oct. 9-10

Seattle Mart Fall Show Seattle www.seattlemart.com

Oct. 9-11

Miami International Mart Show Miami www.martofmiami.com

Oct. 10-14

Atlanta Apparel Atlanta www.atlanta-apparel.com

Oct. 11-13

Corpus Christi Souvenir & Resort Show

Corpus Christi, Texas www.pinnacle-shows.com

Oct. 13-15

Crescent City Apparel and Jewelry Show Slidell, Louisiana www.gtshows.com

Oct. 14-17

Shoppe Object High Point, North Carolina www.shoppeobject.com

Oct. 18-20

Panama City Beach Gift Show

Panama City Beach, Florida www.pinnacle-shows.com

Oct. 22-24

Coastal Connections Conference

Orlando, Florida www.coastalconnections conference.com

Oct. 22-24

Trendz

West Palm Beach, Florida www.trendzshow.com

Oct. 24-26

Northern New England Gift and Souvenir Show

Bartlett, New Hampshire northern-new-englandgift-and-souvenir-show .ueniweb.com

Oct. 24-27

Dallas Apparel & Accessories Market Dallas www.dallasmarketcenter.com

Oct. 29-31

Ocean City Resort Gift Expo Ocean City, Maryland www.oceancitygiftshow.com

NOVEMBER

Nov. 6-8

Atlanta Fall Cash & Carry Atlanta www.americasmart.com

Nov. 7-9

International Gift Exposition in the Smokies

Sevierville, Tennessee www.iges.us

Nov. 8-11

Smoky Mountain Gift Show

Gatlinburg, Tennessee www.smokymtngiftshow.com

Nov. 8-11

IGES

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee www.iges.us

Nov. 15-16

Mid-Atlantic Merchandise Mart

Philadelphia www.midatlanticmart.com

Nov. 17-19

Norton’s Gatlinburg Apparel, Jewelry & Gift Show Gatlinburg, Tennessee www.nortonshows.com

DECEMBER

Dec. 1-3

GTS Greensboro Expo Greensboro, North Carolina www.gtshows.com

Dec. 3-6

Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina www.grandstrandgiftshow.com

SAVETHEDATE

OCT. 29-31

Ocean City Resort Gift Expo

Top 5 reasons EVERY beach, coastal and nautical retailer should attend:

#1 Eight informative and highly relatable educational sessions.

#2 Exclusive entrance to The Boardwalk vendor event.

#3

Jaw-dropping welcome bag and product giveaways from leading coastal brands.

#4 Cocktail parties, meals and breaks with delicious offerings ideal for networking

#5 Beautiful location with world-class amenities at Margaritaville Orlando!

Build relationships with top beach, coastal and nautical brands through a one-ofa-kind experience only at the Coastal Connections Conference. Learn more about them from the comfort of your chair during the Boardwalk Chat, mingle with them over cocktails, food and live music during the the It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere Party, and spend the day exploring their product collections during The Boardwalk!

“Being able to network with retailers from across the country was fantastic. We introduced three vendors in the gift shop that I met at The Boardwalk vendor event. The welcome bag was one of the best bags I have seen in the industry!”

— William Hill, Margaritaville Resort Gift Shop, Orlando, FL

Don’t miss out! All attendees receive a complimentary Welcome Bag filled with products from leading beach, coastal and nautical brands, plus a chance to win incredible prizes from Session Sponsors throughout the event!

“I have been to other retail conferences over the years, but having one specific to the coastal retail industry made this one a must-attend event. I look forward to the next one!”

— Kim Hannon, Ophiuroidea St. Michaels and Grasonville, MD

REGISTRATION INCLUDES:

“The Coastal Connections Conference is a great opportunity to learn from industry experts and network with fellow retailers who share similar challenges.”

— Sam Chang, IBCaribbean, Boca Raton, FL

• Eight interactive, highly informative educational sessions specially designed for seaside retailers.

• Exclusive entrance to The Boardwalk exhibitor experience.

• Cocktail receptions, meals, refreshment breaks and live entertainment.

• Multiple opportunities to connect with other beach, coastal and nautical retailers.

• Discounted hotel room rates at the Margaritaville Resort Orlando.

• Complimentary Welcome Bag and product giveaways from leading brands.

Coastal Connections Conference panel to share hiring and retention strategies

Coastal retailers who are looking for ways to improve employee hiring, training and retention can find answers at the Coastal Connections Conference. During the event, which takes place Oct. 22-24 at the Margaritaville Resort Orlando, attendees will hear from expert panelists with a background in building a strong team within their organizations.

The session, titled, “Build an All-Star Team,” takes place Sunday, Oct. 22 from 4:30-6 p.m. Attendees will learn steps to create a loyal and hard-working team in their retail operation so they can worry less and rely on their employees more.

Speakers include Kathy Cruz, founder and CEO of Savvy Shopkeeper; William Hill, retail store manager at Margaritaville Resort Orlando; Scott Hamblen, chief operating officer at Sunshine Ace Hardware/Crowder’s Gifts and Gadgets; and Kim Springsteen-Abbott, owner of Lady Gryphon’s Coastal Collections. Each speaker will share their experiences with building a successful team from hiring to retention and team building.

Cruz has turned her passion for independent retail into a top-rated podcast and online education platform to help brick-and-mortar store owners work smarter, profit more and grow. She also owns a home decor store.

Hill has done a complete overhaul of the 1,700-square-foot gift store at Margaritaville Resort Orlando since he began in June 2022. He brings 15 years of retail management experience to his role and is taking the store to the next level of upscale resort retail.

Hamblen has been with Sunshine Ace Hardware since 2016 and is responsible for store operations, merchandising and marketing divisions across its 12 stores, including two Crowder’s Gifts and Gadgets.

Springsteen-Abbott is owner of Lady Gryphon’s Coastal Collections Shop in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and CEO and sole shareholder of an award-winning equipment lease and finance firm since 1997.

“Each panelist has a unique perspective and different approaches that coastal retailers will be able to identify with and adapt to their own operations,” says Conference Director Kristin Ely.

To learn more about the Coastal Connections Conference, including registration, full speaker lineup and agenda, visit www.coastalconnectionsconference.com. Coastal Connections Conference will also be donating a portion of the proceeds from the event to Maui wildfire relief efforts.

Gift for Life welcomes Clarion marketing director to board

Gift for Life, the gift, stationery and home decor industry’s sole national charitable organization, has welcomed Samantha Grimaldi, group marketing director of gift & souvenir at Clarion Events North America, to its board of directors.

Grimaldi has worked with trade shows and events since 2010 across industries such as gaming, restaurant and foodservice and special ty retail. She was introduced to Gift for Life when she joined the gift & souvenir team at Clarion Events in 2019 and partnered with the organization to raise support for World Central Kitchen.

“I am so honored to join the board of directors for Gift for Life,” says Grimaldi. “I had the chance to work together with Gift for Life as they raised money for hunger relief throughout the pandemic and was able to witness the strong sense of community that the gift and souvenir industry has.”

Gift for Life was founded in 1992, and since then, it raised nearly $6 million for AIDS research and education as well as HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment with charity partners. In 2021, the organization pivoted its focus to online digital events with an emphasis on COVID-related hunger relief. This year, the organization is continuing to support programs that address hunger relief.

RedlineXpo launches

Las Vegas souvenir, gift and resort show

RedlineXpo has announced the introduction of a trade show designed to drive new business and bring new energy to the souvenir, gift and resortwear industry. The Reunion: A Souvenir, Gift and Resort Show, April 4-6 at The Mirage Convention Center in Las Vegas is designed to provide retail buyers the chance to browse new designs at a strategic time in the buying cycle.

The Reunion will showcase thousands of products from exhibitors across the U.S., as well as international manufacturers, according to show organizers. Nearly every category of souvenir and resort product will be on display with a wide array of designs making their debut at this show.

Industry leaders Doug Miller and Tim von Gal oversee the show as well as resort and souvenir trade show veterans Matt Miller, Evan Shoda, Dirk von Gal and Jhana Jordan.

“Despite every challenge in the marketplace over the last few years — and there have been a lot — this industry has stayed positive, continued to support one another, and put their heart and soul into everything they produce,” says Doug Miller, Co-Founder, RedlineXpo. “The Reunion is a chance for Tim and I to provide a better strategically timed event that the industry has been asking for due to some of the economical and supply chain challenges that we’ve all been dealing with. And, while we’re at it, we’re going to bring back the fun that makes this community of buyers and exhibitors so special.”

More information is available at www.thereunionexpo.com.

William Hill, Margaritaveille Resort Orlando

IGES, Enchanted Moments partner to launch Toy + On Trend Pavilion

The International Gift Exposition in the Smokies (IGES), the largest gift and souvenir show in the Smoky Mountains managed by New Yorkbased Emerald, has partnered with Enchanted Moments, a sales organization representing the toy and gift industry for the East Coast. IGES says the partnership will launch the Toy + On Trend Pavilion at the November edition of IGES. The pavilion will make its debut at the Sevierville, Tennessee, location of IGES, which takes place Nov. 7-9, showcasing more than 35 vendors to over 6,000 buyers.

“This new area will showcase many of the leading toy, trend, candy and impulse vendors in the USA,” says Tony Davis, executive vice president of Enchanted Moments. “It’s been such a pleasure getting to work together on this venture, which we believe will bring some exciting new opportunities for both our companies. We look forward to seeing what comes out of this amazing partnership.”

The marketplace will feature an array of games, toys and hobby essentials from trending brands, including Super Impulse, Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty, Deluxebase, Fun In Motion, Playvision, Big Discoveries, Grandpa Joe’s Candy and Incredible Play.

IGES says the Toy + On Trend Pavilion will be by other pavilions at the event. The pavilions will all be located within the Sevierville Convention Center, one of the two locations for IGES, the other being the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. IGES events take place Nov. 7-11, and registration is free for qualified buyers.

Las Vegas Market satisfies dynamic industry needs

New product introductions, expansive programming and advanced at-market technology combined to deliver a positive market experience for buyers and sellers at the summer 2023 Las Vegas Market, July 30-Aug. 3, 2023, at World Market Center Las Vegas.

“Las Vegas Market delivered on its promise as the industry’s premier West Coast destination for gift, decor and furniture sourcing,” said Bob Maricich, ANDMORE CEO. “Exhibitors and attendees alike forged valuable connections and generated new business opportunities through cross-category resources and networking offered only at Las Vegas Market.”

With attendance representing nearly all 50 states and 49 countries, buyers from around the world converged at Las Vegas Market to find the latest and greatest from 1,000-plus suppliers of furniture, decor and gifts.

“I love coming to this market! It’s very accessible to buyers from all over the country, and exhibitors are so easy to navigate throughout campus,” said Stephanie Sala, owner of Five Little Monkeys, Albany, California. “I come here to see trends and get a sense of what product I need to keep my store cutting edge within the industry.”

While the majority of attendees hailed from the West and Southwest, the summer edition also recorded a double-digit increase in buyers from the Southeast. In addition to interior designers and retailers large and small, Las Vegas Market hosted some 12 nationwide buying groups, bringing dynamic business connections and exponential purchasing power to the July event.

The summer 2023 Las Vegas Market featured some 3,500 product lines across the gift, bedding, decor and furniture categories throughout four buildings on the World Market Center Las Vegas campus, giving buyers the chance to discover an unmatched variety of product. More than 20 showroom updates brought a wealth of new and expanded resources to the July buying event.

Beyond exhibits, Las Vegas Market offered more than 30 events, educational programs and activities over five days of market.

Las Vegas Market’s reorganization and expansion of home furnishings resources continued this summer, creating a more comprehensive breadth and depth of decor and furniture product in an easy-to-shop environment.

Permanent showroom expansions and relocations also extended the range and number of resources available to both designers and retailers.

Summer 2023 capped 10 years of Las Vegas Market gift leasing momentum, with highlights including additions and expansions as well lease extensions by industryleading brands and sales agencies. The market’s ongoing gift category growth and development was evidenced by significant summer market expansions on C11 by sales agencies Fine Lines and Stephen Young, as well as long-term recommitments by Creative Co-Op, Gifts of Nature, NEST (The New Era Sales Team) and Road Runners.

Gifts of Nature, a sales agency for products that inspire, marked its 10-year anniversary as a Las Vegas Market tenant with a five-year lease renewal.

“When we came to Las Vegas in 2013, we were looking for new customers, more exposure and more reach, and that is exactly what this market has delivered for us,” said John Brown, Gifts of Nature president and CEO. “We have ambitious goals for this market going forward, and I’m confident in the prospect of meeting them.”

Las Vegas Market’s nearly 400 gift and home temporary exhibitors — some 25% of which were first-time participants — also reported positive energy and newly-opened accounts over four days at The Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas.

First-time exhibitor Alyssa Stanzione, design director of The Card Bureau, said, “This is our first Las Vegas Market. We found out about it through word-of-mouth, and I think we made the right choice in coming here. As we plan for the future, I want to expand to a bigger booth and come with more inventory. The diversity of buyers at this market has been wonderful for us, and we look forward to coming back.”

The winter 2024 Las Vegas Market is Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2024, at World Market Center Las Vegas.

New offerings drive revitalized summer Atlanta Market

The summer 2023 Atlanta Market, July 1117 at AmericasMart Atlanta, energized the gift and home industry with a series of new offerings — including an elevated arrival experience, new casual and outdoor resources and an enhanced @Market app — all presented against the backdrop of the new ANDMORE branding.

“This week, ANDMORE reintroduced itself as a tastemaker for modern marketplace buying and selling,” said Bob Maricich, ANDMORE CEO during the event. “New and exciting products across existing and new buying categories, engaging market events, professional and personal connections and the introduction of a new digital tool — all of these signaled a new era for Atlanta Market.”

Buyers from all 50 states and nearly 50 countries attended Atlanta Market, with an increase in northeastern, western and international representation at this event.

“Atlanta Market was phenomenal — the best show we have had yet in terms of volume of orders and the new contacts we made,” said Rachel Walker, artist and founder of lifestyle brand Happy By Rachel, who reports that she saw about 60% new accounts.

Some 14 industry buying groups and member-based organizations added to the overall buying power at the summer 2023 Atlanta Market. According to ANDMORE, the event featured 6,000 brands, 1,000 showrooms and 1,100 temporaries across the gift and home categories.

Buyers at the show also used the new @ Market app, which ANDMORE launched at Atlanta Market. With Scan & Go QR code technology, the app served as a digital contribution to help buyers in the marketplace.

According to ANDMORE, Casual Market Atlanta and Atlanta Market were held concurrently at AmericasMarts, extending crosscategory business opportunities for buyers and sellers from both industries. ANDMORE said members of the International Casual Furnishings Association voted to continue to hold the Casual Market concurrently with summer Atlanta Market through 2025.

“As we conclude the summer Atlanta Market on a high note, we look forward to raising the bar on our own ANDMORE promise, providing more opportunity for buying, selling and face-to-face connection for markets to come,” said Maricich.

Atlanta Market features 51 floors of showrooms and temporary exhibits. It returns to AmericasMart Atlanta Jan. 16-22, 2024.

WWIN, Las Vegas Apparel, to co-locate

Womenswear in Nevada (WWIN) operated by Clarion Events Inc. and Las Vegas Apparel operated by ANDMORE will co-locate at the Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas beginning in 2024. The collaboration creates a new destination and amenity-driven experience as part of Las Vegas Fashion Week each February and August.

The two buying events assemble under one roof to present over 500 brands in a purpose-built downtown Las Vegas trade show destination, designed to cater to the evolving needs of apparel and accessories buyers and sellers.

Clarion Events and ANDMORE say the co-location will offer marketgoers an improved experience with a broader depth of apparel and accessories styles, categories and price points with easier navigation, gift and lifestyle crossover brands.

“Listening intently to the feedback of our valued customers, we recognize their need for a fresh, innovative venue for order writing

in Las Vegas while staying true to the core values and amenities WWIN has maintained for over 20 years. We are proud to announce that the wait is over,” says Desiree Hanson, executive vice president of fashion at Clarion Events Inc.

Prior to this switch, WWIN had been located at Caesars Palace. This co-location shifts the home of WWIN to the Expo at World Market Center in downtown Las Vegas, which makes it easier for buyers to shop and exhibitors to write orders, according to the show organizers.

Las Vegas Apparel launched in August 2021 at the Expo at World Market Center. The semiannual market presents more than 100 exhibitors and over 150 lines as well as gifts, fashion accessories and point of purchase products available in the World Market Center Las Vegas permanent showrooms.

“This collaboration is a game changer for the industry,” says Dorothy Belshaw, executive vice president and chief growth officer, AND-

MORE. “The fusion of WWIN’s legacy and Las Vegas Apparel’s aligned, customer-centric approach creates new efficiencies and greater value for buyers by enabling them to see more and do more while at Las Vegas Fashion Week.”

Show organizers say the two markets will evenly divide the Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas, each maintaining individual brand identities and allowing buyers to shop between the two events. The markets will run concurrently Feb. 13-15, 2024, at the Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas, located at 435 Grand Central Parkway in Las Vegas.

Just like you wouldn’t go on a road trip without properly preparing and planning for it, you shouldn’t just head into this quarter without a plan.

HOLIDAY HIRING

Identify which roles and responsibilities you need to hire for. When you’re clear on who you need on your team, you will then be able to hire the right person for the job.

RETAILMavens clients have had great luck using the Facebook Jobs feature when hiring. It allows you to set application requirements, track your applications in one place and research prospective job candidates before inviting them to an interview.

TURN RETAIL STRESS INTO RETAIL SUCCESS

Are you feeling the retail stress right now? I’m checking in with you because we’re going into the fourth quarter, which can represent as much as 40% of your annual sales, and the pressure is real! Take a moment to recognize how pressure and stress manifest in your life so you can become aware when it’s playing a part in your emotions and reactions. Then let’s get in the driver’s seat and take charge of this season. Just like you wouldn’t go on a road trip without properly preparing and planning for it, you shouldn’t just head into this quarter without a plan. You do need to get it right this season, but you can accomplish that without

the stress and the pressure, with a plan and a strategy.

Let’s look at retailers’ most common fourth-quarter concerns and break them down into smaller steps to manage your stress and keep moving forward.

INVENTORY PLANNING

Create a sales goal for this quarter based on previous sales (and if you’re new, use sales projections to set a goal).

Have a plan for not running low on your best sellers — keep in touch with your vendors to stay on top of availability. Display your holiday merchandise early. 2023 will continue the trend of consumers starting their holiday shopping earlier than in previous years.

Bonus tip: Local love is big. Find local vendors to feature in your shop!

Then, support your new hires by having super clear expectations on their positions, so they can support you the way you need them to.

DRIVING HOLIDAY TRAFFIC

Consistently grow your email list. Email marketing is still the most effective marketing strategy available to independent retailers, and it will be key to reach your customers this holiday season.

Get clear on who you are and who your ideal customer is so that your marketing is as effective as possible!

Set yourself up with a consistent marketing process so you’ll see consistent traffic and sales throughout the holiday season — and after it, too!

IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN YOU PLAN TO FAIL

One thing I know for sure is that plans can and do change, but I also know that having a plan in the first place makes changes easier and less stressful to shift and refocus.

I’m here for you if you need some support, or if you just need a hand getting off that roller coaster. You don’t have to do this alone.

CATHY DONOVAN WAGNER guides retailers to grow their sales so they can pay themselves and their staff. Watch how here: www.retailmavens.com/increasesales.

On our radar

Looking for something new to offer? Here are some fresh ideas.

Mountain Graphics

Sail away to a favorite place with this name-drop ornament with coastal imagery. www.mtgraphics.com

Wayne Carver

Seagull International

Lady’s round crown fashion hat has contrasting textured braid trim and knotted cord. www.seagullintl.com

Personalized sea turtle key charm is the perfect souvenir for the seaside. www.waynecarver.com

Fun Dog Bandanas

Don’t leave your pooch out when it comes to fashionable beach attire. www.fundogbandanas.com

Beach Biscuit

Your best matey will be the bark of the town in this pirate collar. www.beachbiscuit.com

First & Main

LOLA and Co.

Make a coastal statement with this sterling silver anchor pendant with shell charm. www.lolacompany.com

Toadfish

Non-tipping can cooler allows you to enjoy a worry-free beverage at the beach or on a boat. www.toadfish.com

Turtle Tracks Family

The 10th in the series of factfilled, beautifully illustrated storybooks provides family fun.

www.turtletracksfamily.com

Soft, cuddly, octopus features reflective colors of the ocean. www.firstandmain.com

Sunies

Slide your feet into elegant and eco-friendly sea and ocean slides. www.shopsunies.com

Have a product you would like featured? Send a high-res image and description to: kristin@breakwallpublishing.com.

STARFISH AWARD

Winner: Twisted Sisters!

Location: Fernandina Beach, Florida

Owner: Kim Holwell

Caring for community causes

If a nonprofit or organization is in need on Amelia Island, you can best bet, Twisted Sisters! is waiting in the wings ready to help out where needed. It could be a pop-up shop, a fashion show or a straight donation to a cause. “My staff and I love giving back to our community,” says store owner Kim Holwell.

Located in downtown Fernandina Beach, Florida, Twisted Sisters! relocated to Amelia Island from Georgia in 2007. It didn’t take long for Holwell and her staff to start supporting local causes. “We are fortunate enough to live in a community where many of the retailers here support our local nonprofits and churches and our school system. It is just a really giving community,” she says.

OPEN FOR GIVING. Many local charities approach Holwell to donate in some capacity, including Women of Nassau County, Newcomers Club and the local women’s club. Holwell will also donate funds several times a year to Fernandina Beach High School’s art department for art supplies. For back to school, Twisted Sisters! also supports a local youth organization that takes donations of school supplies and clothing. Through that drive, the store donated 60 backpacks to kids in need.

And that’s not all. “I also try really hard to partner with companies,” says Holwell. For example, Twisted Sisters! carries a special shoe featuring butterflies on the side. Twenty percent of proceeds from sales of Penny’s Flight Butterfly Wedges are donated to the Penny’s Flight Foundation to find a cure for neurofibromatosis.

FOR THE CUSTOMERS. Holwell became interested in doing something with Penny’s Flight Foundation because one of her customers suffers from neurofibromatosis. The store also donates to Katie’s Ride for Autism because one staff member is very involved with the cause. The women’s boutique also hosted a Barbie party over the summer where it donated 10% of sales to the Nassau Humane Society.

Twisted Sisters! also recently sponsored a hole at a local golf tournament that benefited people with amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The store also sponsors a culinary student at Sonrisa School in Africa.

“A lot of times it is for my customers,” says Holwell of the charities she supports. “My customers know that we give, and they’ll say, ‘We have this going on and this is what it is benefiting. Can you help?’”

Starfish Awards recognize retail stores in our industry that are making a difference through charitable donations and efforts. Is your store worthy of an award? We’d love to hear from you!

Complete an entry form at www.seasideretailer.com/starfish-award

During Twisted Sisters! Barbie party over the summer, 10% of sales were donated to the Nassau Humane Society.

SPONSORED BY:

I think it is important if you are going to have a business in an area and you are going to rely on people to purchase from you to provide your living, then you must give back.”

— Kim Holwell

PHOTOS: KELLIE BOSTON