Seaside Retailer - September/October 2022

seaside retailer B E A CH | CO ASTAL | NAUTICAL

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR BEACH, COASTAL AND NAUTICAL RETAILERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

Margaritaville Resort Orlando is transforming its gift shop into a high-end shopping experience for guests and residents.

Retail in

Paradise

+ Inside: 30 Products to pamper your patrons 40 Forget about boring fixtures

Fi nd

th BE cu e la AC st te H om st T er sty OW s w le E an s b LS t, ea ! p. ch 56 go in g

70 Stock up on casual threads

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 | VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 5

In Every Issue 6 8 14 16

EDITOR’S NOTE Are you ready for fall show season?

98

EVENTS CALENDAR Beachy book ideas for your seaside store.

102 112 114 116 120

RETAIL NEWS Two new sustainability partnerships.

COVER STORY: RETAIL IN PARADISE

Margaritaville Resort Orlando’s gift shop is raising the bar, p. 18

TAKING STOCK Create the ultimate autumn display.

CUSTOMERS COUNT Small phrases create big results.

EVENTS COVERAGE Get merchandise ideas for your seaside store.

BEACH READS Learn this powerful way to view vendors.

18

PRODUCT SHOWCASE Make plans to attend these future industry events.

RETAILER REFLECTIONS Coverage from past and upcoming industry shows.

AD INDEX Easily locate an advertiser’s ad and website.

PAGE 82

Check out the Coastal Connection section to learn about apparel trends in seaside stores.

Features Product Trend: From necessity to indulgence....................30 Take health and beauty product offerings to the next level.

Style Trend: Beach towel bliss.............................................. 56 Give customers beach towel options they can see and feel.

Presentation: Fun with fixtures............................................40 These fixture ideas will elevate your store’s look.

10 ways to make a splash with social media........................ 66 Super charge your social media campaigns with these ideas.

Product Focus: It’s all in the name....................................... 46 Name-drop products appeal to locals and visitors alike.

Fashion Focus: Capitalizing on casual................................. 70 These casual styles are popular with the beach crowd.

46

70

122

Starfish Award winner Pauline’s Gifts supports troops in its Gloucester, Massachusetts, store.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

You can rely on Seaside Retailer and all these wonderful events to help you be successful for the next busy selling season.

Karen Carr Publisher & Creative Director karen@seasideretailer.com 330-591-2575 Kristin Ely Executive Editor & Conference Director kristin@seasideretailer.com 858-684-7744

Fall is calling

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

It’s hard to believe we have yet another summer season under our belts! Just as you finally feel

like you can pause and take a breath after a busy summer, it’s time to pack up and hit the road again to attend all the great retailer events that are happening this fall. Seaside retailers are always working, if not in their stores, then on their stores. But luckily for you, you love what you do, so all those late nights, weekends at the shop and road trips are well worth it.

You may have received this copy of Seaside Retailer in the mail, or perhaps you’ve picked it up at one of the many events where we are distributing the magazine. Either way, we are glad to have you as a reader. We hope you enjoy the latest issue and find valuable information for your beach, coastal or nautical store.

Inside you’ll find many helpful tips, inspiration and product ideas, including trends in beach towels, casual apparel, name-drops and health and beauty products. You’ll also gain some insight into how to incorporate interesting fixtures in your store. And in our cover profile on the Margaritaville Store at the new Margaritaville Resort in Orlando, you’ll find out how William Hill, the store’s new manager, is creating a retail paradise for guests to experience. Attendees of the Coastal Connections Conference, Oct. 3-5, will get to hear Hill speak and experience the resort and gift shop firsthand. We are so excited to be hosting our first conference for beach, coastal and nautical retailers in this island-like setting.

Whether you are attending Surf Expo, Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show, Coastal Connections Conference, Panama City Beach Gift Show, Corpus Christi Souvenir & Resort Show, Ocean City Resort Gift Expo, Smoky Mountain Gift Show, IGES, Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show or all of the above, we hope you have a great time exploring new products, meeting with vendors and gaining insights.

Indeed it is going to be a busy fall, followed by a busy winter, and then before you know it, it will be that bustling spring and summer season once again. You can rely on Seaside Retailer and all these wonderful events to help you be successful for the next busy season. And if you get a chance, we hope you’ll find time to swing by our booth at Surf Expo. We’d love to meet you and you’ll have the opportunity to subscribe to Seaside Retailer or renew your subscription.

Fall is an exciting time for our industry because after months of helping customers find souvenirs, gifts, apparel and beach accessories, it’s now your turn to do the shopping. But the most important task of all this fall is not just to make sure your store is stocked but to also ensure you are not running on empty. Take some time to relax and rejuvenate so you’ll have the energy and motivation to make 2023 your best year yet both personally and with your business.

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Katie Turner Sales Manager katie@seasideretailer.com 219-206-1140 Kelly Rosaaen Circulation Manager subscriptions@seasideretailer.com Kristen Hampshire Senior Editor khampshire@seasideretailer.com Tom Borg Columnist tom@tomborg.com Natalie Tan Columnist info@natalietan.com Cathy Donovan Wagner Columnist cathy@retailmavens.com Brooke Bilyj Contributing Editor brooke@bantamedia.com Mary Elizabeth Williams-Villano Contributing Editor maryvillano068@gmail.com Jeanne Larsen Administrative Assistant Christine Welman Website Development Bob Thompson Business Advisor Seaside Retailer is published six times a year by: Breakwall Publishing LLC 3593 Medina Rd. #117 Medina, OH 44256 800-764-5302 Subscriptions and address changes: Seaside Retailer magazine P.O. Box 7216 St. Paul, MN 55107-7216 Entire contents copyright 2022 Breakwall Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. Materials in this publication may not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

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R E TAI L N E W S

MAKING WAVES q The Admiral’s Daughters events raise money for Alzheimer’s Association

Lindsay Amerault, founder of apparel brand The Admiral’s Daughters, organized the Jax Purple Parade and evening gala at Beaches Museum in Jacksonville, Florida, June 11, as part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s The Longest Day initiative. With more than 150 participants in the parade and 80 gala tickets sold, the events raised $22,000 to benefit local programs and services from the Alzheimer’s Association Central and North Florida Chapter.

Amerault’s personal experience as a caregiver to her father and late mother inspired her to create the fundraiser and awareness event. It honors local residents impacted by the disease, shows support and encouragement for others in her position, and provides a sense of community where caregivers and families can connect.

T. Jazelle partners with Gift for Life

H.E.L.P. by T. Jazelle has debuted an exclusive, custom-designed bracelet benefitting World Central Kitchen.

The bracelet is the latest in T. Jazelle’s “Give Back Collection,” which raises funds for local and national charities.

It was available this summer through the Kimberly Wahlberg showroom at Atlanta Market, and at Anne McGilvray & Co. at Las Vegas Market and Minneapolis Mart.

“We are humbled by the creative ways our vendor partners have raised funds for hunger relief,” says Cole Daugherty, Gift for Life Chair. “This new bracelet from H.E.L.P. by T. Jazelle is a perfect example of the ways in which a custom product can make a significant impact on fundraising.”

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Virtu Made partners with TerraCycle Global Foundation Virtu Made, a brand that’s products symbolize the harmony between humankind and nature, has announced it has joined forces with TerraCycle Global Foundation to remove and recycle ocean-bound plastics from waterways.

TerraCycle Global Foundation’s mission is to reduce the flow of plastic waste from rivers and canals before it can reach the ocean. In close partnership with local communities, the foundation designs world-class river waste prevention, collection and recycling solutions in regions of the world suffering from heavily polluted waterways.

“We chose TerraCycle Global FoundaTerraCycle Global Foundation removes one tion because they clean the planet, not just pound of trash for each Viru Made item sold. the oceans,” says Ryan Dedola, co-founder of Virtu Made. “Their main focus is innovating methods to clean and recycle all kinds of waste on planet Earth. Because of this, we know that partnering with TerraCycle Global Foundation is a strong choice.”

Eric and Ryan Dedola founded Virtu Made in the 2010s after traveling the world. They were fascinated by the diversity of cultures, art and natural beauty that make up the planet. As they trekked around the globe, they met artisans in Guatemala, Bali, and Turks and Caicos. They soon began working with them to promote their crafts.

While repping artisan-made products, they met the team at TerraCycle Inc. The TerraCycle team made the brothers aware that tons of waste are dumped into rivers, oceans and landfills daily. Eric and Ryan felt the gravity of this global issue and knew they needed to be a part of the solution. Virtu Made’s mission was born — to make commerce a driving force that positively affects the environment.

With the new partnership, for every product Virtu Made sells, TerraCycle Global Foundation will remove one pound of trash from rivers, canals and oceans.

Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services, a leader in testing, inspection/audit, advisory and certification, has contracted with TerraCycle to provide conformity assessment services.

These services are designed to verify the company’s recycling operations and adherence to the Recycled Claim Standard.

“Transparency and honesty are important to us,” says Ryan Dedola. “We like that TerraCycle uses a third party to verify that what is being claimed is true.”

In conjunction with the partnership, Virtu Made has launched a new line of bracelets. The bracelets are made out of colorful textiles by artisans in Bali and feature a stainless steel charm with Virtu Made’s logo, with the V and M resembling waves.

The company also sells throw blankets that are handcrafted in Africa, along with other artisan-made wooden chimes and jewelry.

“Virtually everything we make is already making a difference, and by adding a new partner to our business which is focused on cleaning the oceans, we are able to do even more to give back to the Earth,” says Ryan.

RETAIL SNAPSHOT: 42% of consumers will begin shopping earlier for the 2022 holiday season than they did in 2021 to try to stay ahead of rising costs. (Source: Salesforce) www.seasideretailer.com

R E TAI L N E W S

Sea Bags becomes North Sails sustainability partner Sea Bags, a Maine based company that makes bags from reclaimed sails, has been selected

by North Sails as a sustainability partner.

North Sails, a sailmaker with operations in 29 countries, produces sails for racing and cruising. Sea Bags and North Sails are working together in consequential ways to divert retired sails from incinerators and landfills, paving the way for the sailing industry to collectively reduce waste.

The first step in the non-exclusive partnership kicked off at the end of 2021 by completing a sweep of all of North Sails’ North American company-owned lofts located across 11 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces and a collection in Europe. In the first four months of 2022, together North Sails and Sea Bags have saved approximately 5 tons of sail cloth from landfills.

“We are thrilled to formalize our longtime working agreement with North Sails,” says Beth Greenlaw, Sea Bags president and chief sustainability officer. “As a beginning

10 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

and end to the supply chain, we together can work to improve sustainability in sailing and support a better future for our oceans and environment. With both companies leading a variety of sustainability initiatives, our goals will be measurable with plans for continuous improvement.”

Sea Bags plans to recycle any type of sail including 3Di, woven Dacron, woven nylon spinnakers and laminated sail cloth.

With a mutual goal of promoting sustainable sailing, North Sails customers will be invited to donate any retired sails at corresponding sail loft locations. Sailors and customers who repurpose their sails will receive a list of steps every sailor can follow to sail sustainably inside a Sea Bags sail cloth boater’s pouch.

“What makes this partnership exciting and different, is the commitment between our two companies to look into all the different parts of a sail and find sustainable end of life solutions for the various components,” says

A partnership between North Sails and Sea Bags is diverting retired sails from landfills.

Jono Macbeth, North Sails sustainability manager. “One of the consequences of producing sails with exceptional performance and longevity, is that the sail material becomes difficult to deconstruct in a truly sustainable way. Rather than shying away from this, North Sails and Sea Bags are working together to find solutions. We are all well served when the marine industry collaborates to maximize product usage and lifespan, producing a positive environmental impact.”

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R E TAI L N E W S

Mud Pie expands flagship showroom space at AmericasMart Atlanta Mud Pie, a leader in the gift, decor and lifestyle industry, has acquired additional space for the brand’s flagship showroom at AmericasMart Atlanta, Building 2, Suite 680. The expansion, which brings Mud Pie’s Atlanta showroom footprint to 20,900 square feet, debuted to retailers in July at Summer Atlanta Market.

All 1,264 square feet of new display space will house Mud Pie’s growing Baby & Kids gift collection, and will resemble a traditional retail environment.

Mud Pie and OneCoast cut the ribbon on Mud Pie’s new AmericasMart showroom.

Mud Pie President Fred Pannek says, “We are thrilled to expand our flagship showroom in Atlanta and offer retailers a glimpse of what Mud Pie products will look like in their stores.

Our aim is to create a lifelike retail setting where buyers become shoppers, while also taking inspiration to create show-stopping holiday displays.”

Mud Pie celebrated the expansion of the brand’s AmericasMart Atlanta showroom with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, July 14, 2022, during Atlanta Market. Mud Pie’s leadership team was joined by partners from OneCoast to toast to the addition.

“It was an absolute thrill to celebrate Mud Pie’s showroom expansion during Atlanta Market and showcase our fastest-growing division — Baby & Kids gift,” says Pannek.

“We received outstanding feedback from our retailers who were excited by the new gift offerings and took inspiration from the storelike environment we created.”

Mud Pie debuted its Fall/Holiday 2022 Home, Kids and Women collections in Atlanta during the summer event.

Management One calls on retailers to support Ukrainian refugees Management One, a provider of merchandise intelligence for independent retailers, has partnered with Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society to help provide clothing and supplies to Ukrainian refugees. HIAS is a four-star charity on Charity Navigator with 130 years of experience working around the world to protect refugees forced to flee their homelands.

Management One is asking retailers to donate aging, unsold apparel, footwear and other inventory through HIAS sites or local community drives and other organizations which support the refugee crisis in their area.

“So many refugees are coming to America from Ukraine with just the clothes on their backs,” Marc Weiss, CEO of Management One, says. “We thought we could help welcome them to America by reaching out to our retail clients and partners for clothing contributions. Retailers who are overstocked on unsold goods use a variety of outlets to move them out and make way for new, fresh merchandise.”

The cause is close to Management One’s heart. The company has a colleague whose wife and her family are from Ukraine. “We also have other synergistic partners who do business in Ukraine and are working with them to provide financial assistance,” says Weiss.

But that’s not the only motivation behind the effort, according to Weiss, “We have been in awe of the courage of the people of Ukraine. We wanted to do something that was a win-win. Retailers can impact their cost of goods to reduce their taxes and provide a source of need and comfort to those whose lives have been so tragically impacted.”

For a list of drop-off locations, visit https://adobe.ly/3SwC5HM.

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TAK I N G S T O C K

BY NATALIE TAN

Create a display that reflects the season

As crowds thin and your customer profile changes a bit, ideally, so does your merchandise selection.

Being able to relate with your target audience and being relevant for the season is key.

Retail consultant Natalie Tan helps businesses develop unique blueprints to drive sales. Contact her at: info@natalietan.com www.natalietan.com

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F

or many seaside locations, summer inventory is likely winding down and clearing out. It is now time to look at innovative ways to capture the fall market. As crowds thin and your customer profile changes a bit, ideally, so does your merchandise selection.

Your display style can enhance your product values and resonate with seasonal customers. Perhaps it is a shift from a loud, fun and carefree summer style to a more relaxed, easy-on-the-eye vibe incorporating comforting colors of the season. Here are some pointers: • Place feature displays at the entrance of selling spaces. This sets expectations as to what customers will find. For example, a locational kitchen accessories section will have a beautiful captivating set-up before the presentation of mass product displays.

• Start with a nesting table. I prefer three tiers. This creates a cascading approach to the display. Three-tier displays provide a pathway for the eye to go up and down. It will attract shoppers’ attention.

• Set up a lush wreath or tree. Choose a theme related to the products housed in the section. A souvenir

kitchen accessories area, for example, will trim the wreath or tree with things such as tea towels, small gadgets such as can openers, spatulas, measuring cups, etc. Stick to a single color family such as earth tones like ochre yellow and russet.

• Convey one story per feature display. However, when merchandising multiple categories in a single unit, find a unifying theme such as fabrication, end-use purpose or color.

• Display small items at eye level. Follow this by items such as spatulas, tea towels, coffee mugs and plates. The bottom tier may house larger items such water pitchers and kitchen rugs.

• Start with a wreath to center the seasonal display. This will be sitting on the main table with its back supported by the smallest table. Then fill with products using the plan outlined earlier. For an autumn-themed tree or trees, flank the tables on either side. If it is one tree, to the right of the tables will be ideal.

With a dynamic display showcasing merchandise and reflecting the season, your customers will feel right at home in your store this fall.

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CUSTOMERS COUNT

BY TOM BORG

Small phrases create big results

You want to stand out from your competitors, and these two phrases can help you and your staff do it.

T

he point of sale is a great opportunity to set your store apart from the competition.

It may seem like common courtesy or pretty basic, but teaching your employees a few simple responses to use when interacting with customers at this stage can go a long way in how the shopper perceives your seaside store. Surprisingly, not every shop on the block is doing it.

When a customer completes a purchase no matter how small, make sure your employee makes eye contact with them and sincerely says, “Thank you.”

Employees should avoid using the phrase: “No problem.” Subtle as it may be, it has a negative connotation.

When a customer thanks you or an employee, enthusiastically respond with these words: “You are most welcome!”

Remember, you want to stand out from your competitors, and these two phrases can help you and your staff do it.

BE SINCERE

Tom Borg is a retail consultant, speaker and author of “True Small Business Brilliance.” Contact him at: 734-404-5909 tom@tomborg.com www.tomborgconsulting.com

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There was a very well-known retail chain that had printed by the cash register what it wanted the cashier to say to the customer when the sale was completed.

At one time, this retail chain even had a campaign giving the customer $5 if the cashier didn’t say thank you. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. The result was a

cashier who sounded like a robot and avoided making sincere eye contact with the customer at the close of the sale.

What the management of this retail chain did not understand was that it’s not possible to force employees s to treat the customer courteously in person or on the phone. So how do you work toward getting that kind of consistent behavior?

It starts with who you hire.

TAKE ACTION

Look for these three important qualities: 1.) They like themselves; 2.) They like other people; and 3.) They have a sincere desire to help and serve other people.

From there you educate, train and reinforce them for consistently demonstrating sincere courtesy in action. You can do this by helping to build their self-confidence, which makes treating others with courtesy and respect come easily. Even if they possess those three essential qualities, the most important factor in their conquering courtesy is how they see you treating staff and managers.

Your behavior lays the groundwork for how they will treat the customer.

By taking these actions, you can cultivate a culture of real service that will separate your gift shop from your competitors. Contact me for a free list of questions to lead a discussion on this topic at your next team meeting.

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C O V E R S T O RY

STORY BY BROOKE BILYJ

Retail in

W

Paradise MARGARITAVILLE RESORT ORLANDO IS TRANSFORMING ITS GIFT SHOP INTO A HIGH-END SHOPPING EXPERIENCE FOR GUESTS AND RESIDENTS.

hen guests enter the retail store at Margaritaville Resort Orlando, they’re not just walking into any coastal hotel gift shop; they’re embarking on a vacation experience. The tropical Jimmy Buffet soundtrack, the growing selection of beachthemed merchandise and the memorable customer service on par with the surrounding theme parks take visitors to a tropical oasis.

“We like to be a fully immersive experience so as soon as you walk in, you’re transported into vacation mode,” says Elizabeth Brackman, director of rooms.

She’s been heavily invoved in the retail operations since the resort opened in 2019.

The iconic Margaritaville brand, named after Jimmy Buffett’s famous song, embodies the laid-back island lifestyle that his fanbase of “Parrotheads” embrace, in the setting of a high-end luxury resort. The

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300-acre property in Kissimmee, Florida, encompasses the 186-room Margaritaville Hotel, 12-acre Island H2O Live! Waterpark, 200,000-square foot Sunset Walk shopping center and hundreds of residential living units — with more accommodations and amenities currently being added.

FROM TRANSACTIONAL TO EXPERIENTIAL The Margaritaville Store, located right inside the hotel lobby, reflects the relaxing vibes of the resort with mementos to remind guests of their tropical getaway. Now under new management, the retail store is evolving to offer shoppers more of an experience than a mere transaction.

“I’ve started to see our store as less of a store and more as a performance space,” says William Hill, retail store manager since June 2022. “The product is our scenery that has to look presentable and

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William Hill is transforming the Margaritaville Store in Orlando with upgraded fixtures, new products and exceptional customer service to deliver an experience that goes beyond the transaction. Photos: Tony Laiacona

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 SEASIDE RETAILER 19

C O V E R S T O RY

The newly upgraded Margaritaville Store complements the resort’s vibe and showcases products by category, with inventory expanding so guests can find what they need on-site.

“I’ve started to see our store as less of a store and more as a performance space. The product is our scenery that has to look presentable and inviting.

We are the actors so we’re the ones engaging the audience and drawing them into our environment.

That really generates a relationship with the guests, and that turns into sales.”

— WILLIAM HILL

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inviting. We are the actors so we’re the ones engaging the audience and drawing them into our environment. That really generates a relationship with the guests, and that turns into sales.”

By leveraging his sales success and performance background to infuse entertainment into Margaritaville’s experience, Hill is taking the store to the next level of upscale resort retail. As the island-inspired resort grows, the retail store is shifting its mix to keep guests and residents in the “Five O’clock” spirit.

SETTING THE SCENE As soon as Hill joined the team in June, he started making small changes to the store’s layout and product selection to better reflect the Margaritaville vibes. “This store had been run like a gift shop,” he says, “but now we’re running it like a high-end retail environment.”

The first step was updating the signage throughout the store to match the upscale brand of the resort.

“When I came in, barely anything was priced. There were little explosion signs throughout the store that had the prices.

I took them all down and started pricing everything [individually],” Hill says. “Some of the display pieces were in acrylic stands, and I ordered wooden ones instead to make it look upscale. We have upscale clients here, so the way you present yourself and your store makes a big difference.”

Hill completely rearranged the 1,700-square foot store — moving fixtures

around to create a more natural flow of traffic and separating products into clearly defined sections for more convenient shopping. Now, guests can easily scan for island-inspired clothing, toys, decor, housewares, drinkware or gifts for fellow Buffett fans.

The most popular buys are apparel items — ranging from a huge selection of branded T-shirts from Margaritaville’s primary licensed vendor, G-III Apparel Group Ltd., to upscale resortwear like button-down shirts, polos, dresses and cover-ups from Island Reserve. At least half of the items in the store are branded with the Margaritaville logo or other Parrothead mantras like, “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere.”

Hill also added a kid’s section in the back corner of the store, where he’s building a bigger selection of toys and games to keep the resort’s youngest guests entertained. Previously, the store only carried a few kids’ items like pool floats, goggles, plush and clothing, but Hill felt they were missing out on the full potential of the children’s market.

“I’ve been ordering a lot more games and toys; I can’t keep them in stock,” he says. “The next big thing I want to bring in is family attire: matching pieces for dad, mom, son, daughter, and baby.”

Since guests often bring their dogs along to the pet-friendly resort, Hill is introducing pet products too. He wants to make sure there’s something there for every member of the family. “People want to have a one-stop shop,” he says. “If they’re here on vacation,

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C O V E R S T O RY

“People want to have a one-stop shop. If they’re here on vacation, they don’t necessarily want to go to Target.

Let’s offer it so they can buy it here.” — WILLIAM HILL

Convenience offerings span from drinkware to pool toys and pet products.

they don’t necessarily want to go to Target.

Let’s offer it so they can buy it here.”

BUILDING A HIGHPERFORMING TEAM Hill brings 15 years of retail management experience to his new role at the Margaritaville Store. Since moving to Florida in 2017,

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he’d been working for the hospitality group, Landry’s Inc., starting at T-Rex Cafe as a sales associate and working his way up to retail manager at Rainforest Cafe. Prior to that, Hill lived in New York City, where he managed a GameStop location and a seasonal Halloween pop-up store.

Hill also spent several years hosting educational parties for kids through a company called Mad Science of Long Island, and even worked as a stand-up comedian — leveraging his acting degree to entertain crowds.

Wherever he has worked, Hill has tried to model his customer service after Disney.

With this approach, he treats retail more like an immersive experience than a one-time transaction.

“I’ve always looked at how Disney runs their company,” he says. “Disney is very successful for a reason, and that’s because of

their [customer service]. You have certain expectations of the cast members when you walk onto their property, and that’s the same expectation I have of myself and my staff.”

Hill says his staff ’s “performance” with guests is critical to the retail experience. He encourages employees to be perky, playful, and professional in their interactions — starting by greeting shoppers immediately when they walk into the store, and then engaging with them on the sales floor.

“We’ll try to strike up a little conversation, and if possible, act like their personal shopper,” he says. “Walk them around the store, introduce them to the sales, talk about all your new items, make suggestions of things around the area. They absolutely love that.”

Hill’s retail staff consists of three part-time and three full-time employees. When hiring new associates for the team, he looks for these

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C O V E R S T O RY

friendly traits first. “I hire for a personality, not experience,” he says. “Obviously, I’d like you to have both, but I can teach you how to ring out a register and fold a T-shirt. I can’t teach you how to be personable, so it starts with that attitude.”

FOSTERING LOCAL LOYALTY When Hill started working at the Margaritaville Store, he didn’t hesitate to strike up conversations with customers, especially full-time residents who live in cottages on the property. When cottage owners come in, Hill encourages his staff to ask them, “What are you looking for? What are some things you wish we had, or we’ve had in the past that we don’t have anymore?”

Firsthand feedback from residents at the resort prompted Hill to bring in new Margaritaville-branded products like furni-

Experience the store and more in October

Attendees of the Coastal Connections Conference, Oct. 3-5, will have the opportunity to experience Margaritaville Resort Orlando firsthand.

The conference designed for retailers of beach, coastal and nautical merchandise is being held at the resort.

Retail store manager, William Hill, will share more of his merchandising ideas with attendees during the session “Maximum Impact Store Ideas” Tuesday, Oct. 4, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Following the session, attendees can unwind during the appropriately named “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere Party.”

Come enjoy the island vibes of Margaritaville while soaking up fresh ideas and hot trends to take home to your own seaside store.

Visit www.coastalconnections conference.com.

24 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

ture, bicycles, dartboards and cornhole games.

By listening to his regular customers and experimenting with new merchandise at their request, Hill strategically tests out new ideas in the store.

“We’ve got to keep it fresh and introduce new stuff as regularly as we can,” he says, “just to keep the regulars excited about new things coming in.”

In addition to G-III and Island Reserve, which supply apparel to all Margaritaville Stores, Hill received a list of other vendors that the Orlando retail location worked with previously. But he was also given the freedom to introduce new products and suppliers to give the store a unique, upscale flair.

“Another Margaritaville Store might carry the same branded shirts, but then we have vendors that the other stores don’t,” he says.

“It’s really up to us individually what we want to carry.”

ATTRACTING TOURISTS Located practically next door to Walt Disney World Resort — with other popular Florida

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attractions like Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Orlando nearby — Margaritaville Resort Orlando is a convenient epicenter for family vacations. The resort even offers guests complimentary shuttles to these neighboring theme parks.

However, the Margaritaville Resort is designed to offer a complete array of amenities on-site so guests don’t have to leave the property to enjoy their stay. With the hotel’s full-service spa, fitness center, playgrounds and multiple pools surrounded by sandy beaches, cabanas and tiki bars — along with Island H2O Live! Waterpark and Sunset Walk shopping center which features dining, special events, and live entertainment — the resort is a destination in itself.

“You can just enclose yourself in the paradise that is Margaritaville Resort without ever having to step out onto the streets of Orlando,” Hill says.

Being located in a tourism hub has obvious advantages. “People are in vacation mode, and when people are in vacation mode, they’re ready to spend,” Hill says.

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C O V E R S T O RY

Apparel inspired by Jimmy Buffett’s style puts guests in the “5 O’Clock Somwhere” mindset.

For the past year and a half, Margaritaville Resort Orlando has been running such consistently high occupancy rates that it barely seems like a seasonal business. On a random Wednesday in July, for example, 180 of the hotel’s 186 rooms might be booked, with at least a two-week waitlist for the spa.

“Post-COVID, we have stayed busy yearround,” Brackman says. “You’ll see a dip in occupancy when school starts, but nothing like you’ll see at other seasonal locations.”

To keep up with this steady demand, Margaritaville Resort Orlando is undergoing a multi-phase expansion project. The addition of 79 more rooms at Margaritaville Hotel will bring the total room count to 265 in 2022.

Future expansion plans for the property include increasing the selection of long-term living options like the Margaritavillas, an apartment community and an Embassy Suites

by Hilton Condo Hotel.

To keep up with this expansion, the Margaritaville Store is undergoing some renovations of its own. Hill plans to add additional wall and floor fixtures and other creative displays to present an evolving mix of products and branded merchandise.

After all, he says, the scenery of the store’s layout and selection is just as important to the overall experience as the performance of the well-trained employees. (And, of course, the background music, which in this case, includes plenty of Buffett.) Orchestrating all of these components is the key to the Margaritaville Store’s success.

“I see the store like a puzzle,” Hill says, “and I love being able to move the pieces around and figure out what piece goes best where, whether it be a vendor, a product or a person I hired, and seeing the success that happens from those decisions. It’s really about figuring out what people really want and then blowing their minds the best that we can.”

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But this also presents a lot of competition for the customer’s dollars — and competing against Mickey Mouse is a tough battle. Hill often sees kids gawk at plush or toys on his shelves, only to hear their parents say, “No, wait ’til we’re at Disney World; you’re going to want to buy something there.”

This competition makes it even more important to stock a wide variety of mer-

“It’s really about figuring out what people really want and then blowing their minds the best that we can.”

— WILLIAM HILL

chandise and Margaritaville-branded items that shoppers can’t get anywhere else, while offering a memorable experience and a friendly environment that makes people want to come back.

“They don’t just want to take home a souvenir; they want to take home a memory,” he says, “which is why it’s so important to have that interaction, because we are affecting these people’s vacation.”

EXPANDING ACCOMMODATIONS

H E ALT H & B E A U T Y T R E N D S

Not only do soaps and bath bombs encourage a beach-inspired skin care routine, their scent and beauty add a sensory addition to coastal home decor themes.

STORY BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE

S

mart coastal stores keep their shelves and check out areas stocked with lotions, ointments and gels, balms and more that offer protection and relief from the sand, sun and saltwater. These items are beach necessities for the hair and skin, which can take a beating after a day of sunning and swimming. But health and beauty products can go beyond the basic needs of beachgoers and toward products that pamper customers and indulge the senses.

“There is a growing demand for organic content and high-quality spa products that you don’t normally find out of that space,” says David McCord, founder of Maui Vera, of coastal shops. His organic spa company offers natural sunscreens and sunburn relief products that also appeal to customers’ desire for simple, natural ingredients.

30 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

“We try to go the cleanest route possible — how skin care should be — very simple,” he says.

Danielle Conte of Conscious Coconut says, “There is no greater place to recognize the need to minimize our impact on the environment than near the coast. Between product ingredients that are harmful to our oceans and wildlife to the damage that wasteful packaging leaves behind, it’s imperative to move toward plant-based, organic products and biodegradable or recyclable packaging.”

Brook Gramann of Lanikai Bath and Body, which owns a shop in Kailua, Hawaii, and offers its products wholesale, agrees, “Customers are also looking for a company that uses recycled paper, cardboard or plastic, not a lot of excessive packaging, too.” www.seasideretailer.com

© ADOBE STOCK | PUHIMEC; BIRGIT REITZ-HOFMANN

Take your health and beauty products to the next level with bath and body brands that inspire got-to-have-it purchases.

H E ALT H & B E A U T Y T R E N D S

When health and beauty companies partner with charitable organizations, it makes the products even more meaningful, says Darin Trimble, principal at True Ocean LLC.

lightweight, fragrance-free makeup base.

“An all-in-one lotion, wash or cream that is easy, simple to use and offers loads of benefits is appealing,” Gramann says.

“There is a growing demand for organic content and high-quality spa products that you don’t normally find out of that space.” – DAVID McCORD, MAUI VERA His company ‘s bath and body collection is made from mineral-rich seawater. “We continue to see growth in sustainability and eco-friendly, including ‘for profit’ organizations partnering with non-profits to help them achieve goals related to critical issues such as climate change and pollution,” he says.

There are many options when stocking a health and beauty section, from beach-must haves to products that are designed to remind customers of a tropical escape.

SOAKING UP THE BENEFITS Customers appreciate simplicity in their health and beauty regimens, according to Gramann. Lanikai’s Kukui lotion doubles as a

32 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

Products containing cannabidiol, a hemp-derived compound known for antiinflammatory and neuroprotective properties, are another way coastal shops can offer destressing, antioxidant-rich face and body care.

“CBD skin care products help address skin issues like dry skin, itchy skin and fine wrinkles,” says Sara Dewberry spokesperson for Naples Soap Co., which offers an array of CBD products, including bath bombs, pain relief cream, facial oils, dry body oils and patches with hemp extract.

SHOPPING WITH THE EYES Health and beauty products aren’t just sitting in a makeup bag anymore. “As people are

home more often now, they are changing the decor in each room, and the bathroom is no exception,” says Laura Hatt, creator of Dolphin Wood House. “In the past, customers were okay with a single-color soap bar in any color as long as they liked the fragrance. Now I have customers who like my fragrances but also look for designs and different colors.”

Hatt says consumers are “not only shopping with their noses but their eyes also.”

Color attracts buyers. They associate a hue with their home’s decor and then sniff to see if it’s a real fit. In fact, some customers’ main purpose for purchasing the soap is as decor. Shower bombs displayed on a shelf are also a way the bath products double as an aesthetic boost to a bathroom.

Prettily packaged bath bombs from Beluga Bath double as decor.

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“Yes, the color goes down the drain and will not color your water as a bath bomb will, but when you have the shower bombs sitting on a shelf or in a cute basket, that little bit of color gives a room an extra pop,” Hatt says.

Hatt produces her own soaps through Dolphin Wood House and creates products for soap makers using their recipes. She sees her business expanding. “Sales are up and people are spending more money on luxury and impulse buys,” she says.

And because visitors spending time by the water want to take home mementos, “nothing reminds a person of a special place or memory like a fragrance,” Hatt says.

“When you take a shower, you do a lot of uninterrupted thinking, but smell that bar of soap with the pretty bright colors and you can be instantly transported back to the time on the beach when you and your loved ones were sitting on the warm sand in the sunshine, eating fresh vanilla ice cream, Simple ingredients are a focus of Lanikai Bath and Body’s nourishing products.

34 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

while the waves lap at your feet and you’re laughing together.”

Beluga Bath notes a demand for bath and shower bombs. “There are peaks for both products,” Kelly Orts says. “Most individuals enjoy bath bombs during the winters and shower bombs during the summers. Either way, you add a special treat to a daily ritual that can make it feel more luxurious.”

SCENTS-ABILITY Plant-based and skin-friendly fragrances are in demand. “Natural products must also offer real therapeutic benefits for the skin, as well as contribute to a customer’s wellbeing,” Gramann says. “Our fragrances are authentic to the fruit or flower and are light.”

Especially for sensitive skin, attention to fragrance ingredients is crucial, according to Danielle Sterling, owner of Sugared Mango Soap Shop in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

“Fragrance is the main sensitizer for most people, so our products are low in fragrance and plant-based except for one product, the I’m Not Vegan tallow soap,” Sterling says.

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H E ALT H & B E A U T Y T R E N D S

3 4

2 1

5

8 7 6

11 9

10 12

1 | Waxhead: Tinted sunscreen paste, www.gowaxhead.com; 2 | Conscious Coconut: Hair and skin coconut oil, www.consciouscoconut.com; 3 | Inis the Energy of the Sea: Replenishing body oil, www.inis.com; 4 | Sugared Mango: Wavy rainbow soap, www.sugaredmango.com; 5 | CoTZ: SPF 45 mineral sun stick, www.cotzskincare.com; 6 | Maui Vera: Organic sunburn relief and after-sun moisturizer, www.mauivera.com; 7 | Beluga Bath: Deep blue bath bomb, www.belugabath.com; 8 | Aloe Up: SPF 30 sunscreen lotion, www.aloeup.com; 9 | Dolphin Wood House: Caribbean Waves soap bar, dolphinwoodhouse.com; 10 | Lanikai Bath and Body: Kukui face and body lotion, www.lanikaibathandbody.com; 11 | Soap Lift: Eco-friendly soap dish, www.soaplift.com; 12 | True Ocean: Foaming mineral bath, www.trueoceanproducts.com.

36 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

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H E ALT H & B E A U T Y T R E N D S

Some want assurance that there are no palm oil ingredients in products, Sterling says.

“That’s because it adds to deforestation of tropical areas.”

LOW-MAINTENANCE HAIR Another trend on the rise in the health and beauty department is low-maintenance yet luxurious haircare routines, according to Conte. “Customers are embracing their natural hair texture by straightening and curling only when necessary,” she says. “This not only saves time but is also in response to fear of damage or hair loss.”

Seaside retailers can support their customers with this offering by stocking natural air-drying products like salt spray as well as color and preswim protectants.

Product education helps shop owners sell innovative health and beautiful products.

Conte gives retailers tips to share with customers such as running coconut oil through the hair before a swim.

“This creates a shield against chlorine, sun and saltwater, which damages even the

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healthiest hair,” she says. She adds that coconut oil has a natural SPF of 4 to 6.

SAVVY SUNSCREENS Roughly 55 gallons of chemicals seep into the waters of Maui everyday — from sunscreen.

The number sounds astounding, but McCord says it’s not surprising “when you figure how much tourism we have here.”

Hawaii recently banned two ingredients commonly found in many sunscreens: oxybenzone and oxtinoxate. Both are known to suffocate coral reefs when leaked into oceans, leading to coral bleaching and defects in sea life reproduction.

“Really, there’s a push for everyone to get on board with reef-friendly mineral sunscreens that step away from chemicals that are in sunscreens and cosmetics, in general,” McCord says.

“It’s a slow movement but it’s picking up steam. And it’s not just about reefs — it’s in our pools, lakes and absorbing into our skin.”

McCord and his company Maui Vera are collaborating with marine biologists that are

Maui Vera mineral sunscreen is a reeffriendly, clean, chemical-free solution.

studying these ingredients in sunscreen and cosmetics. “They will come out with some interesting information as they get deeper into it,” he says. Sea urchins are a current focus.

Maui Vera products are paraben-free, do not contain the two banned chemicals, and include essential oils rather than fragrance.

Kjell Ellefson of Aloe Up agrees buyers are more conscious about the sunscreens they purchase. “They want to use a product that is good for them and for the environment,” he says. “They are informed about ingredients

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 SEASIDE RETAILER 37

H E ALT H & B E A U T Y T R E N D S

Inis the Energy of the Sea’s bath salt bar immerses customers into the experience.

and how they affect their health and the world around them, so it is more important than ever for retailers to pay attention to what sorts of sourcing and initiatives the products they are carrying have.”

Ellefson also sees a trend toward easyto-use sunscreens as well — spray and go — “even though a lotion sunscreen can be two to three times more effective.”

INSPIRED BY THE OCEAN Goat’s milk and olive oil are staple ingredients in The Grecian Soap Co.’s products, which are free of parabens, sulfates and harsh chemicals. Those with skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis rave about the creamy, gentle bars, lotions and butters, says founder Steven Stamatis.

The company pairs its products with sustainably harvested sponges from the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas that are absorbent, antibacterial and long lasting. “The natural sea sponges in many of our products are a built-in scrubber,” Stamatis points out.

Retailers can take advantage of health and beauty product companies’ display sets to showcase products. It’s especially helpful when there is information about the products’ ingredients and benefits. “That makes customers more attracted to it,” Stamatis says.

Ocean-inspired bath and body products give vacationers a way to relive their time by the coast after they return home. And the sensory aspect of health and beauty conjures up good vibes.

Ellefson says grab-and-go products across all health and beauty categories, from sunscreen to cosmetics, can be a large income generator. “With travel volumes returning to normal or steady growth levels, it is more important than ever for seaside retailers to be on top of their game,” he says.

NECESSARY LUXURIES A benefit of bath and body is consumers’ consistent interest. “They are always seeking out 38 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

H E ALT H & B E A U T Y T R E N D S

high-quality bath and body, wellness and skin care products that are beneficial, help them feel good and look good,” Gramann says. “We call these ‘life’s necessary luxuries.’”

Karen Wilkinson, marketing director, Fragrances of Ireland (USA), makers of the Inis Energy of the Sea line, suggests,“Try a compact assortment and display, especially when first trying out a new brand. Plus, testers!”

Health and beauty products complement seaside retailers’ offerings as a high-margin product that requires little shelf space, Trimble points out. “It also provides high sell through rates,” he says. “Retailers are looking for products that can’t be found at every corner shop and are branded or labeled in a way that represents the town or region.”

Another appeal of bath and body lines, notes Trimble, is they can be used immediately, “similar to purchasing a T-shirt or dress to wear out that evening.”

“A customer can apply a product such as a body spray, which they bought that afternoon at a coastal shop. The immediate benefit enhances the purchasing experience and,

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Sensory sales

Where’s the best spot to display health and beauty products in your seaside shop? According to Danielle Sterling, owner of Sugared Mango Soap Shop, Virginia Beach, Virginia, the answer is simple. “By the counter.”

She explains, “Sometimes, it’s an afterthought that becomes a major thought once they try the product. By the counter, it gives them a moment to ponder, ‘Oh, what’s this and what can it do for me?’”

Lip glosses are often an expected last-minute checkout grab, specialty deodorants that do not contain aluminum, hair butters or sugar scrubs are different and intriguing. These can be real luxury wins for customers, Sterling says. “Another easy win is hand lotion. Everyone needs a squeeze of lotion to keep in their purse, and even guys [like keeping lotion] as long as it’s nothing too greasy.”

That’s a remark Sterling hears from customers all the time about her bath and body products — that they’re not too greasy. Another is the creaminess factor, which makes them feel pampered without the sticky after-touch.

frankly, is more fun!” he says.

And because the many health and beauty products are used daily, customers are constantly reminded of their visit.

Leave a lasting impression on your customers with products that help them reap the healthy benefits and keep their beloved beach vacations front of mind.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 SEASIDE RETAILER 39

P R E S E N TAT I O N

Portside’s reclaimed and antique fixtures are finished in decorator white and distressed for an attractive, cohesive look throughout.

fun

WITH FIXTURES

Fixtures don’t need to be boring; they can have personality and spark conversations and sales.

STORY BY MARY ELIZABETH WILLIAMS-VILLANO

M

erchandising a seaside store is probably one of the biggest tasks a store owner, manager or buyer has. Stores based in coastal locations carry a wide variety of goods that can range from home decor like candles and wooden signs to beach accessories like beach towels, sunglasses and sunblock. There’s also souvenirs like drinkware and T-shirts to factor in.

And while choosing all the right items to carry is important, deciding the right fixtures to display them on could be the deciding factor between an item that flies off the shelf or one that collects dust. These tables, shelves, racks and other receptacles upon which your store’s offerings will rest might seem like a secondary consideration, but the decision of what to incorporate impacts your store’s overall vibe and bottom line.

“Fixtures help define the personality of a business,” says consultant Nicole Leinbach, founder of Denver-based independent retailer consulting firm, Retail Minded. “You want to make sure that they complement your overall branding, including the personality you want your consumers to feel. It should be part of your initial thought process as you are designing the store.”

Conventional store fixtures such as rounders, racks and spinners, while functional, don’t have much personality. Happily, there is a world of other furnishings out there that are loaded with it.

GREAT CRATES Wood conveys warmth, texture and a homey, welcoming feel. If you visit 98 Treasures, Gulf Breeze, Florida, a store with multiple vendors, you’ll see a lot of wood in the form of small wooden crates, the kind you can get at a craft store.

“They’re amazing,” says owner Heather Bennett. “So cute, and they look really good with the coastal decor, suggesting crab traps 40 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

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P R E S E N TAT I O N

An antique boat doubles as a nautically inspired display table at Maine and Ivy, while reclaimed shelving adds interest, coupled with hobby finds like antique tennis rackets.

and things like that. They give the store a really nice beachy vibe.”

And they’re versatile. “You can stack them, you can use them as lifts and risers. I have some screwed into my walls to make displays.

I use them on top of shelves, too, so that I get two shelves in one,” she adds.

Medea Harris is lucky enough to have access to the real deal — antique lobster crates.

They fit perfectly in her New England-preppy/ yacht-club-themed store Maine and Ivy (also the name of her clothing line), Boothbay Harbor, Maine. “The antique lobster crates are authentic ones from this area,” she says. “I’ll tip them on their sides to feature pillows that we carry or hang dresses from them.”

Their portability appeals to her as well.

“Freestanding displays are easy to maneuver,” she says — which also fits the way she views her business, as a favorite outfit that she wears a lot but changes the accessories.

dockside location helps her do just that — by letting her reap a bounty of discarded items you can smell the salt air on.

“When they hoist boats out of the water, they put these big wooden blocks underneath to keep them standing upright so they can work on them,” Hille explains. “When they’re done, they leave them laying all over the shipyard. So I’ll take them and use them to elevate my products on the tables just to give them some height and dimension. The boat blocks are an absolute must for me.”

She finds other discards, too, that are ripe for rescue. “When electricians work at the shipyard, they’ll take wire off these big wooden spools. When they’re empty, I’ll paint them and use them as tables.”

Hille has some custom-built fixtures, but she hasn’t had to rely on them strictly.

As she discovered, put the word out that you’re looking for salvage, and you might be

“The antique lobster crates are authentic ones from this area. I’ll tip them on their sides to feature pillows that we carry or hang dresses from them.”

– MEDEA HARRIS, MAINE AND IVY Wood is also the watchword at Portside, a gift store in Noank, Connecticut. “Nothing I have is a standard fixture like a spinning rack,” says owner Wendy Hille. “Instead, I have a variety of repurposed and reclaimed wood items that I use in the shop. The closest thing I have to something traditional are some Kallax cubes from Ikea, but everything else is made from vintage barn wood or old batten doors, things like that.”

Portside is located in an old boat repair shop “right on the dock of a shipyard with a big glass garage door that opens up to the dock.”

Hille strives to preserve the old-timey seafaring vibe that’s built into the store, and her

surprised at what comes your way. “A friend of mine brought me a mantel from a fireplace that his builder was getting rid of,” she recalls.

“I installed it under one of the windows and it became a great-looking display.”

As did an old vintage sink. “My plumber pulled it out of an old house — it’s perfect in here,” Hille says. “I use it to display little travel-sized lotions from the Farm + Sea line that I carry. Above that I have an old antique white shelf that I got at the same place I get my vintage wood. I like the mix of the wood and the nice, crisp enamel sink next to it.”

Bennett, too, is part of the Sisterhood of the Salvaged Sink. “I have this really old dry sink that I use for my kitchen tools. It’s a good way to display them without having random

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SALVAGED AND FOUND ITEMS

P R E S E N TAT I O N

stuff everywhere. I’ll never sell it because it’s a conversation piece. It’s interesting to look at, and it also gives the customers something to talk about.”

Found and salvaged fixtures make sense for cash-strapped proprietors trying to survive the pandemic. “Many merchants are on a dime these days,” says Leinbach.

“Maybe new fixtures aren’t in their budget.”

These items come loaded with atmosphere and are frequently free. What could be more budget-friendly than that?

REPURPOSING ANTIQUES (AND OTHER STUFF) In setting up Maine and Ivy, Harris took the antique cherry wood dining table she inherited from her grandmother and did something to it that she says made some of her girlfriends shudder.

“I cut it in half and mounted one of the halves to the wall to use as a display.” Although her friends kept asking, “Are you sure you want to do this?” she was resolute.

“I said, ‘Absolutely,’ — and I just love the

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Rethinking slatwall

Slatwall can be a controversial topic among seaside retailers. Many dislike it because of its generic look and the fact that it can start looking shabby in fairly short order — and that’s shabby without the chic. Built into many retail spaces, it doesn’t easily fit the vibe the owner of a nautical-themed store may be trying to achieve.

But these demerits can be overcome, as Heather Bennett, owner of 98 Treasures, Gulf Breeze, Florida, a multivendor coastal shop, has discovered.

“I love being able to utilize the slatwall,” she says. “It really helps me maximize space that would otherwise be hard to use.” Bennett hangs many different objects from it: a chalkboard, canvas bags, framed pictures and some of the small wooden crates she uses throughout the store.

To preserve the slatwall’s appearance, Bennett is careful how she works with it. “I screw in-between the slats, not through the boards themselves,” she says.

“It’s basically pressed wood, and when you screw into it, well, it looks terrible.”

Weight is another consideration. Once, a shelf holding the Dixie Belle chalk paint she sells got overloaded, and a couple of the slats broke. “Now I keep that display really shallow, only a couple deep, because the paint is super heavy.”

Would she recommend slatwall to another retailer looking to open a seaside store? “I would, definitely,” she says. “It’s great to have something you can add hooks and shelves to for displaying smaller items so you don’t have clutter all over. If I’m going to have clutter, it needs to be organized clutter — and the slatwall helps me achieve that.”

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 SEASIDE RETAILER 43

P R E S E N TAT I O N

PRO TIP #1: Let people know you’re looking for salvaged items, and you might find some interesting fixtures.

PRO TIP #2: A beautiful or unusual fixture can become a conversation piece and promote add-on sales.

PRO TIP #3: Traditional fixtures don’t have to be boring. Find ways to spruce them up to match your store’s vibe.

44 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

way it looks.” She even thinks her grandmother would have approved.

Other reclaimed fixtures at Maine and Ivy include an old rope ladder and a set of moose antlers. “You see those antlers in a lot of homes here in Maine,” says Harris. “We use them to display hats. And the rope ladder is the kind they would throw over the side of a ship. We display more hats and also shoes on its rungs.”

New stuff can be made to look old, as Harris discovered when she needed wall racks. “We just literally went to our local hardware store, got pipes, spray-painted them antique gold and mounted them to the wall,” she recalls. “We also used them to make standing clothing racks. They’re fabulous for long dresses and also purses and bags because you can adjust the height however you need,” says Harris.

While Harris concedes that the plumbing supplies have “an industrial kind of look,” they also convey a nautical feel. “They look just like the sort of heavy pieces you would find on a sailboat or ship.”

Of all of Portside’s reclaimed furnishings, two long wooden farm tables are among Hille’s absolute must-haves. “They’re the center of all my displays,” she says.

Hille uses other repurposed items, large and small, wherever possible. Instead of plastic mannequins, for example, she uses antique dress forms, the ones with the metal cages on the bottom. Her shopping bags hang from an old metal boat cleat. “I look for reclaimed items on Facebook Marketplace,” she says. “I found this great three-piece metal rack with beat-up wooden drawers. I painted those white and keep my extra candles in there.”

FIXTURES THAT SELL A beautiful or unusual fixture can become a conversation piece and promote add-on sales. “Putting your products on a fixture that people are drawn to makes them want to buy what’s on top of it,” says Hille. “It’s a mechanism that gets people to want to purchase things,” she says. “I’ll set up tables to show how the different items would look in people’s homes, so they can visualize that.”

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P R E S E N TAT I O N

chairs’ back. “It was positioned right outside the dressing rooms, and the sales associates were trained to take a scarf and say, ‘This would be a fun accessory for that outfit.’”

The chair helped sell the scarves. “That’s the big takeaway,” says Leinbach —”that the best displays and fixtures function as additional sales associates” — ones that you don’t have to pay or manage!

MAKING IT ALL WORK TOGETHER 98 Treasures’ slatwall is lined with whitewashed containers and hooks.

The strategy works. “When people walk in here, the first thing they say is ‘I want you to come to my house and decorate it!’” Hille says. “If people want their homes to look like my store, there’s no better compliment for me.

That’s my measure of if I did a good job.”

Leinbach recalls “a really beautiful, big vintage chair in a clothing and accessories store reupholstered in hot pink, which fit the store’s personality and branding.”

The store had draped long scarves over the

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One might think that having so many disparate elements would make a store look as if a swap meet just exploded. But Hille manages to pull everything together in a look she describes as distressed farmhouse.

Sticking to one color is key. “My store is very monochromatic,” she says. “Everything is uniform; I paint everything decorator white, then distress it. Then I accent the tabletops with neutral colors — grays, navies and tans.

It gives the store a cohesive look, so you don’t have a million colors going on, and it makes the merchandise stand out better.”

Perhaps the best example of the distressed

farmhouse look is a reclaimed door that was made into a table — its legs, the columns from an old porch. “It was put together so it looks really rustic,” Hille says. “I painted it so that it has a nice, shabby-chic, chipping-paint look.

And I also have a beautiful old Dutch cabinet where I store a lot of linens, things like that.”

Even if you’re stuck with a bunch of traditional fixtures, Leinbach suggests “zhooshing” them up. “If you exclusively have traditional fixtures, and you’ve not been able to or can’t afford to change them (or they’re built in) you can still incorporate creative ideas.”

Like creating a display atop or around a conventional rack or rounder, says Leinbach.

“You can put something on the top shelf of a rounder that’s complementary to your store’s aesthetic — use it as a place to incorporate nautical or coastal-themed displays,” for example, an old diving helmet surrounded by sea-scented candles.

Using unusual fixtures is a wonderful way to express your seaside store’s unique personality — and your own. Why not give it a whirl?

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 SEASIDE RETAILER 45

N AM E D R O P F O C U S

Photos: Maeghan Spurr

STORY BY KRISTIN ELY

It’s all in the

NAME Apparel, home decor and gifts featuring a name are powerful items that appeal to locals and visitors who have a fondness for the location.

46 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

W

hen seaside retailers think of name-drop merchandise they often consider its appeal to visitors to the area, but when mother and daughter duo Pam and Alyssa Smith opened Locally Yours in Plymouth, Massachusetts, they had more than visitors in mind.

“We started back in 2018 when I was still in college with the idea that our town was missing some really cool local apparel,” Alyssa says. “We started focusing on landmarks in our town that aren’t necessarily for the tourists so we do local beaches and places that the locals really love and love to represent.”

Customers can find a variety of apparel and coastal gifts like candles, coasters, home decor and pillows. Alyssa describes the store as having a coastal touch without being “too over the top.”

“Everything is whitewashed with gray tones. Just the perfect amount of flare.”

White Horse Beach, Long Beach, Bug Light, the local lighthouse, and Brown’s Bank, a sandbar that can only be reached by boat, are among the local hot spots that can be found on various items in the store.

Hoodies, coffee mugs and pillows are some of the popular name-drop items that locals flock to. And it’s not just the name of the location. The local ZIP code 02360 and the latitude www.seasideretailer.com

“Locals like to represent where they come from in the apparel they choose, and the home decor that has their hometown on it is just a reminder of where they come from.” – ALYSSA SMITH longitude coordinates, 41.9584 N, 70.673 W, get a lot of traction. The store also sells a fair number of hats and apparel that play up the town’s nickname, America’s Hometown.

“Locals like to represent where they come from in the apparel they choose, and the home decor that has their hometown on it is just a reminder of where they come from,” says Alyssa. “We also have a lot of people in town that have beach houses and the items also mean a lot to them.”

Visitors to the store also know they are getting something unique. Pam is a graphic designer and Alyssa studied fashion merchandising in college. They design the all the logos that appear on the apparel, glassware and tea towels.

Locally Yours specializes in all things Plymouth, which locals love.

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“They are getting something totally custom, something they aren’t going to find at any other store on the waterfront,” says Alyssa.

POPULAR EVERYWHERE This name-drop trend extends beyond the Massachusetts coast. According to Tamara Moran, president of wholesale company Town Pride, the custom name-drop trend is more popular than ever.

“Consumers want to bring back a piece of their time in a destination and hold on to the memories of that experience,” she says. “There is also a growing trend in town pride, a sense of community and pride around where you live and the community you are part of.”

And there are many ways names can be dropped. It doesn’t have to just be the spelledout location.

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N AM E D R O P F O C U S

“Beyond the name of the town or state we can incorporate coordinates, ZIP codes and area codes. We are also seeing a trend in elevations and the last three digits of a ZIP code for larger demographics.”

Town Pride carries a variety of merchandise that can be customized. Apparel is one of its top selling categories for seaside destinations. And it’s not just T-shirts and sweatshirts.

Knit custom sweaters and custom blankets are very strong for second homes, boat owners and tourists, Moran notes.

“Our custom map collection is one of our top reordering lines,” she says. “Seaside locations offer lots of interesting points to add fun graphics like beach umbrellas, lighthouses, sea animals, sail boats and ferries. The hyper custom nature of the line is so unique consumers just can’t get enough of it.”

Nautically Northern’s latitude longitude cuff bracelets can include the latitude and longitude of any location etched into them. The use of the latitude longitude coordinates are a more subtle way to keep a special place close to the heart than using the actual name.

“The most popular locations are beaches or general town locations,” says Nautically Northern founder, Laurel Ryan.

A NO-BRAINER Carrying name drops is somewhat of a no-brainer in for a seaside store.

“A name-dropped product will always out-sell a similar product that is not customized,” says Tara Merrill, sales and marketing manager, Cape Shore. “When a customer is shopping for souvenirs, they are looking for an item that will bring back memories of their trip — whether they hang it on the tree once a year or use it for that first cup of coffee each day. A pretty, high-quality product will sell, but if you add a name drop with a city, state or tourist destination, it elevates that product and catches the customer’s eye.”

“A pretty, high-quality product will sell, but if you add a name drop with a city, state or tourist destination, it elevates that product and catches the customer’s eye.” — TARA MERRILL, CAPE SHORE Merrill recommends being as specific as possible in the message that is being used. “Using both the city and the state will increase the value of the product and make it more enticing to the customer,” she says.

“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.”

Ornaments and drinkware bearing name drops are bestsellers in seaside shops, according to Merrill. “Don’t be scared to carry ornaments year-round. They will sell no matter the season.”

Karen Sotomura, owner of Joseph K. Co., agrees that souvenir ornaments are always an easy item for visitors to buy. “When the ornaments are regionalized and name dropped with the store’s location, they become the best sellers,” she says.

Renee Gutzwiller, founder and creator of Island Haus Co., agrees.

“We are seeing a huge uptick in sales with our name-drop coffee mugs and ornaments,” she says.

Souvenir retailers are in the “Where have you been?” business, notes Brent Durham, owner of Brass Reminders. Because of that, namedropped souvenirs simply sell better than generic souvenirs, he says.

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N AM E D R O P F O C U S

“If you are in a coastal area, your customers are looking for memories of their trip,” he says.

DIFFERENTIATING THE DROP Setting your seaside store apart in its namedrop selection is possible. Moran suggests retailers look for the more unique options and fun trending products with name drops.

Those just starting out, might try something that isn’t only hyper local, but includes 50% broader name drops like the state or the coast and 50% more niche like city or town, she advises.

Daisy Mae Designs has a collection of over 10,000 vintage maps. “You name the location, we’ll find the perfect map in our collection for the product,” says owner Kristy Sickles. “Our kitchen linens are really popular and easy to incorporate into any decor.”

In Sickle’s experience, the more specific the item, the better it does. “Often, shops will start with state maps for our collection, then later order town specific merchandise and find that the more specific items generally sell

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Name drop to the next level It’s one thing to promote the location where your store is located, but it is quite another to make your store the destination with your products. Shops can take their stores to the next level of making them the destination by incorporating their own private label among the products they carry.

Dave Seehafer, business analyst of Global Wave Ventures offers both on the products he carries. “I think of private label as an extension of the name drop.

When I think of name drop, I think of location, so if your gift shop is in Daytona Beach, Florida, you carry products that say Daytona Beach, Florida. The next level is to put your store brand on there.”

Such a move doesn’t work for every coastal shop, however. The store needs to have a unique brand identity that customers will want to promote.

Brent Durham, owner of Brass Reminders, also cautions against name dropping the store, “unless you are the Salty Dog Cafe or another unbelievably popular brand.” “Do one or two if you think it will work, but keep in mind that your customer is coming to your store because they are visiting the beach.”

But if your store does have fan following, coastal retailers can take their offerings one step further into private label by creating a brand within their store, giving it a name and trademarking it. “Then it’s a brand within a shop,” explains Seehafer, who adds that different price points can be attached to each level.

Seehafer will share more on this topic during a session panel titled “Emerging Beach, Coastal and Nautical Product Trends,” at the Coastal Connections Conference, Oct. 3-5 in Orlando, Florida. More information is available at www.coastalconnectionsconference.com.

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2

Etched in

1

MEMORIES These name-dropped items will etch a place in customers’ hearts.

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10 1 | Cape Shore: Turtle weekender mug, www.cape-shore.com; 2 | SJT Enterprises: Surfboard wood plaque with bottle opener, www.thousandsofsigns.com; 3 | Joseph K & Co.: Jetskiing Santa, www.josephk.com; 4 | Daisy Mae Designs.: Myrtle Beach map pillow, www.daisymaedesigns.net; 5 | Island Haus Co.: Charleston, South Carolina, playing cards, www.islandhausco.com; 6 | Brass Reminders: Palm Beach decal, www.brassreminders.com; 7 | Alaskan Suncathers: Suncatcher made from recycled glass, www.alaskansuncatchers.com; 8 | Global Wave Ventures: Silipint silicone drinkware, www.globalwaveventures.com; 9 | Nautically Northern: Customized wooden cutting board, www.nauticallynorthern.com; 10 | Town Pride: Name-dropped wooden sign, townpride.com; 11 | TownWear: T-shirt with customizable trademarked triptych, mytownwear.com.

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better because they are unique and difficult to find.”

Merrill says that variety is key. “Offer a mix of realistic, fun and natural designs so that you are meeting each customer’s needs.”

“These chosen images are featured in our trademarked triptych on the back of your shirts,” says Medeiros. “We also use a letter logo with wave cut-out on the left chest of your shirts that call out your town name.”

“Every town-loving tourist and community member wants to hold onto the places they cherish most.” — JESSICA MADEIROS, TOWNWEAR Ryan suggests picking products that evoke emotion. “Name-drop items should make a customer remember all the great memories associated with the name-dropped area.

LOCAL LOVE “Selling a name-drop product like TownWear is a great way to help your customers celebrate your town that is so cherished and meaningful to them,” says Jessica Medeiros, vice president of BER Inc. – TownWear.

TownWear is an apparel brand that celebrates what makes each town special by highlighting three images chosen by each retailer that are meaningful and unique to their town.

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TownWear apparel also showcases coordinates that go directly to a seaside store, or to a landmark in the community. The coordinates are found on the right sleeve and under the triptych on the back of the shirts.

“Every town-loving tourist and community member wants to hold onto the places they cherish most,” says Madeiros. “You cannot go wrong with carrying a product that highlights the place where they build some of their most cherished memories and milestones.”

SOUVENIRS THAT SELL Brass Reminders Decals offer a free name drop on its display of 32 designs. Stores can use different name drops on different designs.

“Our name drop decals are among the top grossing products per square foot in many stores,” says Durham. “You might not expect it from a $6.99 retail decal, but our display holds over $9,300 of product at retail, and stores can turn that several times a year. Customers don’t just buy one, they buy several at a time. They are one of the most frequently purchased items in coastal stores.”

As for overall name-drop product advice, Durham suggests that seaside retailers shouldn’t name drop all of their offerings the same way.

“Have a variety,” he advises. “For example, if your store is on Cocoa Beach you should name drop most things Cocoa Beach, but you might name drop a few things ‘Florida’ and ‘Space Coast’ as well. If your store draws from several beaches, have some of each of those beach names on your display.”

Whether your store caters to the hometown crowd or the vacation tourist, you can offer quality name-drop products that help your customers feel close to their favorite destinations.

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BEACH TOWELS FOCUS

STORY BY KRISTIN ELY

BEACH TOWEL

Bliss

Help customers find the right beach towel by giving them options they can see and feel.

T

owels are a basic necessity for any beachgoer, but the towels available to your customers today can be described as anything but basic. Style options, special features, fabric type, print, color and size are just some of the options customers consider when they are on the hunt for that perfect beach towel to purchase for their next beach outing.

Customer preferences vary, and what they seek in a towel is no different. Some may be looking for a low price point, while others are looking for luxury. Still others might prefer Turkish over terry or cotton over rayon. No matter what your customer is seeking, you can provide options to fit just about any preference.

Towels that can also be used as a sarong or wrap, like this one from Riviera Towel Co., are gaining popularity.

BREAKING WITH TRADITION The heatwave that hit much of the country during the summer of 2022 had beach visitors seeking natural fibers and goods made of cotton, bamboo and rayon, according to Marcel Schneider of product distributor A to Z Towels.

Mary Watters, owner of Charleston, South Carolina-based wholesaler and retailer, Beachables, agrees, “100% cotton is an all around winner. Sustainability, natural fiber and durability are all key.”

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Towels that serve multiple purposes, like Beachables, and vibrant colors, patterns or stripes like these from A to Z Towels are hot trends.

According to Shannon DiPadova, co-founder of Riviera Towel Co., the trend is to move beyond a traditional terry cloth towel toward towels that are multipurpose. “That’s why Turkish towels are so popular,” she says.

“They can be used as not only a towel, but also can be used as a sarong or wrap. They are also great for travel.”

“No one wants a boring beach towel. Woven patterns, embellished and interesting colors are definitely the favorites.” – MARY WATTERS, BEACHABLES

Lou Donovan, owner of towel brand Louka Gold says she is selling more of her luxury range of beach and pool towels as of late.

“People are looking for quality and are willing to spend a little more for a towel that will last upwards of five years.”

Turkish cotton reins supreme in Donovan’s experience. “It remains the most popular choice for beach towels, and this is due to the natural qualities of Turkish cotton being highly absorbent, fast drying and sand resistant — perfect for the beach.”

Angele Mitchell, founder of Turkish towel company Wonderfouta, agrees, “Cotton is king, but textured towels are in strong demand as opposed to the regular flatwoven.”

Wonderfouta carries a Lions foot towel and a Oudja weave that are more intricate and heavier than flatwoven towels “and that is the appetite that will definitely carry in 2023,” she 58 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

says. “Thicker, richer and fuller in body than just stripes.”

Polyester is a hot seller for wholesaler Mutual Sales due to its sand-repellent qualities, says Samantha Walker, sales manager, but she adds, the company still sells a large amount of cotton and velour.

Tommy Bahama beach towels are constructed in soft cotton terry velour which is highly absorbent, low linting and fade resistant, according to the company.

“They are printed in a reactive dye that keeps colors vivid even after repeated washings and sun exposure — they are also easy care and machine washable, which means you can use them every day,” Chrisann Furciato, senior vice president of licensing, says.

High-performance fabrics like microfiber are also growing in popularity, notes Jan Soolman, owner of Clutch Towels. “They are super absorbent, quick drying and very compact,” she says. “It just makes life easier.”

But she adds, “Performance is only half of it. Beach towels should be stylish and fun!”

BEYOND BORING Soolman hand selects each color and creates all the bright and happy designs featured on her towels. Each towel includes an elastic band which inspired the brand name.

“The bright colors and fun designs are really eye-catching in stores, and my unique elastic band keeps the towels neatly folded Customers like the fun patters and display options that Clutch Towels and Salt N Rays products allow.

together, making them super compact and space-saving, which is great when store space is at such a premium,” she says.

“No one wants a boring beach towel,” Watters says, echoing the trend. “Woven patterns, embellished and interesting colors are definitely the favorites.”

Another attribute to Watters’ Beachables that make them anything but ordinary are their uses. They also double as a large beach bag and chair cover. “No more boring beach bag and separate towel that just won’t stay put on your chair,” she says. “The Beachable will consolidate all your beach-day necessities, transform into your full-sized Turkish towel and fit over the back of your chair where it will stay put throughout the day.”

The Sol Wrap from Salt N Rays offers UPF 50 sun protection, another fabric category that is growing with more awareness of sun cancer risks. As the name indicates, it is not only a towel but can be worn as a wrap, protecting the skin from the sun’s harsh rays.

“UPF items for seaside retailers are essential,” says owner Christy LaSalle, who in addition to selling her products wholesale, also owns a brick-and-mortar store in Shelton, Connecti-

cut. “They also want sand-free and compact options because this is what their customers are looking for as well.”

In her store, customers spend time picking out patterns for each person they are buying for. “The more options, the better,” she advises. “The cute prints make it easy to buy for multiple people. Everyone wants their own.”

Though styles and prints can vary by geographic location, Schneider says blues, oranges, teals and turquoise are always the most popular solid towel colors. He adds, “Basic stripes and stripe combinations are always in high demand.”

Popular prints include flowers, hibiscus, tropical landscapes and animated or graphic animals such as flamingos, sharks and turtles.

Alex Harvey, licensing and marketing director for Guy Harvey says tropical prints and all-over geometric prints are trending. The brand’s most popular print is the Americana Sailfish followed by the Porpoise Group.

Nomadix towels are made of postconsumer recycled materials.

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Large motifs of florals, vibrant colors, and mix and match prints with solids or stripes are among Tommy Bahamas biggest trends.

Designs that mimic beach elements and movements are also big sellers such as watercolor and painterly applications featuring fluid and washy strokes for the movement of the water. The designs “inspire people to think of their next summer getaway,” says Furciato.

Walker has noticed a surge in souvenir/ name-dropped towels. “Consumers have been gravitating toward souvenir towels with the name of the destination they are visiting. They also make great gifts,” she says.

SUSTAINABLE THREADS Beyond the designs, consumers are going deeper than ever before into the ethical practices of the brands they are purchasing, and towels are no exception. Not to worry. Plenty of towel brands are embracing the sustainability movement.

The fabric used in Nomadix towels are made from certified post-consumer recycled plastic. “Our fabric is quick drying and made

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BEACH TOWELS FOCUS

TRENDY Beachgoers won’t be able to resist wrapping themselves in these stylish fabrics.

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Towels 4

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1: A to Z Towels: www.atoztowels.com 2: Wonderfouta: www.wonderfouta.com 3: Riviera Towel Co.: www.rivieratowel.com 4: Mutual Sales: www.mutualsales.com 5: Nomadix: www.nomadix.co

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6: Guy Harvey: www.guyharvey.com 7: Clutch Towels: www.clutchtowels.com 8: Beachables: www.beachables.com 9: Salt N Rays: www.saltnrays.com

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10: Tommy Bahama: www.tommybahama.com

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BEACH TOWELS FOCUS

of sustainable materials, which buyers seek out,” says Elena Qualls, Nomadix director of sales. The company is also part of 1% for the Planet, an organizations whose members donate at least 1% of annual sales to support environmental causes, and it is carbonneutral certified.

Clutch Towels are also made from 50% recycled water bottles. Clutch Towels, Tommy Bahama, Louka Gold and Riviera Towel Co. towels are all Oeko-Tex 100 Certified meaning every aspect of the product is free of harmful substances.

“They have been tested for 100 harmful chemicals and substances and declared free of these, therefore making them not only safe for your skin but also for the planet,” says Donovan of the 100% natural Turkish cotton used in Louka Gold’s products.

GETTING THEIR ATTENTION Carrying soft, beautiful, versatile towels for your customers is only half the story of managing a successful towel section of your store. Merchandising is the other 50%. And

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towel wholesalers have plenty of advice for moving towels.

“Retailers tend to display towels folded.

That works great for solids and stripes and when the client is already looking to buy a towel, but customers also have a tendency to buy when they see the full designs,” says Schneider. “By showing the full towel, retailers can get customers’ attention even if they weren’t initially planning to look at towels.”

He also suggests variety. “Having many designs available increases the chances of a sale. I always tell my clients having six pieces of 10 styles is better than 20 pieces of three designs.”

And lastly, he says to customize. “Clients are more inclined to buy a towel with customization, embroidered or printed. This provides the experience and the perfect souvenir.”

“Towels are best displayed hanging so consumers can see the whole design,” agrees Walker. “Hanging them in windows helps pique interest from consumers walking by.”

Qualls recommends keeping a variety of prints in stock and educating staff on their

features and benefits, while Watters advises retailers to display their towels and Beachables “in a way that will make the customer feel that they are just steps from the beach.”

Riviera Towel Co. packages its towels in wrap bands for easy stacking and displays, but DiPavoda says, “We encourage retailers to take some out of the wrap bands and hang them up so customers can see the different designs and feel the soft fabric.”

According to Mitchell, “Variety is really what gets towels sold.”

Harvey recommends displaying the towels in an area that shows off the artwork and allows the customer to feel the material, “which is one of the bestselling features of our towels.”

And don’t forget to engage the customer.

“Everyone could use a great towel for the summer, but many still don’t know that there are [other] options than a traditional, big bulky terrycloth towel, so tell them,” says Soolman. “Create a display with the bright colors, let them feel the unique fabric and display a sign shouting out the unique features.

Sales are sure to follow.”

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 SEASIDE RETAILER 63

S O C I AL M E D I A

Splash

10 WAYS TO MAKE A

WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

Super charge your social media campaigns with these effective steps.

S

STORY BY MADDIE GOODE

ocial media is without a doubt one of the best tools you can use to market your business. It allows you to meet your customers and intercept their attention right where they’re already spending their time. Social media allows businesses to connect and engage with their audiences in a way unlike any other.

However, with its ever-changing nature, keeping up with social media can feel like another job. You might think you’re falling behind or feel uncertain if you’re showing up in the right way. If that’s the case, you’re not alone. Here are 10 ways to improve your store’s social media presence to ensure your socials stay up to date and top of mind.

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1

Align your content with your SMART goals. SMART refers to specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timed. Always remember quality over quantity when it comes to social media.

You’re not posting just to post. Determine what your SMART goals are and create quality content that will help you achieve those goals. This is what’s going to resonate with your Perfect Customer Groups (PCGs) and help you reach the right audience.

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Post to your Facebook and Instagram stories daily. Stories appear at the top of the news feed when a user opens the Facebook or Instagram app, and they disappear after 24 hours. Stories are

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S O C I AL M E D I A

the perfect way to ensure you’re showing up in front of your customers every single day — helping to keep your business top of mind.

Since this placement is time sensitive, consider using Stories to share behind-the-scenes content or information about sales or events.

3

Post humanized content. Images and videos with people in them tend to get more engagement than those that don’t, so be sure to show faces in your content. As a business owner, you should be showing up, but it’s great to involve your employees too.

This is not only

68 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

PRO TIP: Post Stories to Instagram Highlights on your profile to organize your Stories and expand their lifespan. going to help engagement, but it will build relationships with your audience. Consistently seeing faces from your shop on social media will allow them to become more familiar with you as a person, which will build trust and ideally lead to sales. After all, people buy from people!

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Utilize short-form content. Short-form content is all the buzz. It can come in many forms, but most commonly we think of TikTok, Facebook and Instagram Reels. We’re seeing massive growth in organic reach and following on TikTok and Reels. This is because unlike your regular feed posts, users don’t have to follow you to see your Reels and TikTok videos. So if your content is relevant to your business and your PCGs, the algorithm will help your content find the right audience.

It’s one of the best ways to get discovered by new people organically or for free.

5

Go live on Facebook. On the topic of maximizing organic reach, Lives are the best way to do that on Facebook.

Facebook Live videos are viewed three times longer than prerecorded videos. Lives allow you to interact with your audience in real time in the digital space, almost as if you were having a conversation with them in person.

It’s humanized, interactive and the best way to get organic reach and engagement.

6

Add hashtags to your posts to increase discoverability. Conduct hashtag research to learn what types of hashtags your PCGs are searching for. On Facebook and Instagram, you should use three to four hashtags in any given post: one branded hashtag, one local hashtag, and one or two hashtags related to the post. On TikTok, you should use one to three hashtags that are as relevant as possible to your video.

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S O C I AL M E D I A

7

Use Facebook Albums and Instagram Guides to organize your product offerings. Facebook Albums allow you to organize your photos into different categories. For example, you could have one album for photos of beach accessories, one for home decor, one for apparel, etc. Similarly, with Instagram Guides you can group together related posts from your profile into one central post: the Guide! That way, if a viewer is looking for something specific while visiting your page, they can browse through that album or guide to see all you offer within that category, making it extremely user-friendly for your audience.

8

Update your Facebook cover photo.

This is a missed opportunity I see commonly among retailers. Your cover photo is one of the first things visitors see when they land on your Facebook page so it should be up to date and reflect whatever is currently going on in your store. Ideally, it should be updated once a month, but at least once a quarter take the time to put up some-

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thing fresh. If you have a sale or event going on, your cover photo is an excellent place to share that information. If there’s nothing in particular happening in your store, you can still update your cover photo every month with an image of your storefront or a fresh team picture.

9

Fill out your Facebook About section.

Make sure you’ve filled out as much information about your store as possible.

Be sure to include your contact information, hours, location and a description of your store, along with popular brands or products you carry.

10

Cover all the bases in your Instagram bio. Just like your Facebook About section, your Instagram bio

should include a bit of information about what your store specializes in, your hours and location, a link to your website and if you are feeling extra adventurous, maybe some emojis for a little bit of extra fun. Your viewers should be able to find basic information about your store regardless of what platform they’re visiting.

I encourage you to consider incorporating these 10 tips into your social media strategy.

These will help you stay top of mind, see more reach and engagement, and attract your target customers.

For more social media tips and best practices, attend my session, “Drive Traffic, Sales and Profits With Social Media" at the upcoming Coastal Connections Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Maddie Goode is retail social media strategist for Crystal Media, a company on a mission to help Main Street thrive and easily adapt to the ever-changing digital marketing world. You can hear more from Goode at the Coastal Connections Conference, Oct. 3-5 in Orlando.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 SEASIDE RETAILER 69

AP PAR E L T R E N D S

Capitalizing on Coastal shops can offer versatile wear-anywhere styles that appeal to customers’ beachy sides and their desire for comfortable threads no matter the on- or off-shore occasion.

STORY BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE

70 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

Casual L aid back beach vibes are one of the many reasons visitors find themselves in your seaside town.

Chances are, they want to embrace that style in the wardrobe they choose while enjoying their stay. They may even want to remind themselves of their time at the coast by taking back a T-shirt or sundress they find in your store to wear at home. And comfort is still key. Ever since

people became accustomed to comfort during the pandemic, there’s been no turning back.

“For 2023, people are looking for clothing that is both practical and comfortable,” says Kim Jones, owner of lifestyle apparel brand Tropical Vibes. “It’s become more about clothing that protects you and looks good

Mang activewear (pictured above) appeals to the outdoorsy, eco-conscious customer.

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AP PAR E L T R E N D S

8 casual apparel trends for the coming season

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MULTI-PURPOSE: Pieces that can be dressed up or down

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WORDS: Name-drops or coastal-inspired phrases

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COASTAL MOTIFS: Flora, sea creatures and landmarks

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COMFORT: Oversized, soft fabrics, and relaxed fits

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PERFORMANCE: Moisture wicking, sun protection

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SUSTAINABILITY: Fabrics that are environmentally friendly

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LIVING A LIFESTYLE: Appeals to a way of life

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GIVING BACK: Brands that support a charitable cause

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whether you are on the beach or shopping the boardwalk.”

Easy wear for anywhere is what casual apparel is all about, and many coastal shops are expanding their clothing inventory to accommodate a demand for pieces that can go from beach to boardwalk to bistro.

In general, we’re all dressing down a bit more since the pandemic, notices Shelli Maines of performance wear brand It’s The Beach. “With the way the world is, people are not required to dress up as much, so casual apparel is becoming even more popular,” she says. “People want to be comfortable, and our line is something you can literally wear from your bed all the way out to the beach and the dinner table, so it’s very versatile.”

The market for flexible attire continues to expand, with more and more beach brands adding versatile pieces to their collections as consumers gravitate toward casual offerings.

Bonus if those apparel pieces feature a location or coastal symbol, and it seems people can’t get enough.

“I’m seeing people buy more and more,”

It’s the Beach styles are meant to be worn from bed, to beach to dinner table.

says David Hall of Weekend Threads and the It’s Always the Weekend lines of T-shirts and hats. Name-drop items are a go-to for seaside retailers “so casual buyers can take home something to show off where they’ve been,” Hall says. And beachy motifs ranging from the always popular sea turtle to crustaceans,

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Coastal COMFORTS

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These casual shirts will help your customers exude coastal vibes wherever they are.

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1 | What the Fin: Salud, Cheers to Beers cotton tee, www.whatthefin.com; 2 | Impulse Souvenirs: T-shirt with custom art design exclusive to your destination, www.impulsesouvenirs.com; 3 | Buddy by the Sea: Savannah on dusty rose T-Shirt, www.buddybythesea.com; 4 | The Admiral’s Daughters: Sunny Hunny yellow V-neck tank, www.theadmiralsdaughters.com; 5 | Tormenter Ocean: St. Croix V-neck performance sea horse shirt, www.tormenterocean.com; 6 | Saltwater Born: Key West baby turtles long sleeve UPF 50+ dry-fit shirt www.saltwaterborn.com; 7 | Weekend Threads: It’s Always The Weekend namedropped tee, www.itsalwaystheweekend.com; 8 | Tropical Vibes: Blue and white men’s UPF 50+, vented, casual wear shirt, www.tropicalvibes.com.

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GO WITH THE FLOW

Top it Off Accessories’ easy sizes and seasonal phrases are a hit with shoppers.

starfish and anchors are mainstays.

“We are excited to just launch a manatee, which is pretty unique, and we introduced a new turtle made up of seashells so it offers a different spin on the typical turtle,” says Rebecca Fordham of Caloosa WaterWear.

There’s no lack of ideas for casual apparel that appeals to customers’ beachy sides.

Wholesalers have plenty to offer seaside retailers to help capitalize on the casual trend.

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Flowy tunics that feel like cashmere at appealing prices are a staple for Top It Off Accessories, which started 18 years ago as a homegrown operation creating ribbon belts, headbands and “other things we could make domestically,” says president Karena Rasser.

About a decade ago, she went to India and connected with a supplier of finely made, lightweight cotton tunics. Soon, this apparel item became a calling card for the brand.

“Since then, we have done more beach coverups and coastal wear with icons like starfish, seashells and anchors,” Rasser says.

The brand is “laser focused” on the East Coast from Maine to the Caribbean, she notes.

leggings as comfortable loungewear. “They can be worn both ways, which is what people love about it,” Rasser says. “ The benefit of tunics for retailers is the one-size-fits-all cut that does not require a fitting room, according to Rasser. Top It Off Accessories also offers a category sized small-medium and medium-large that is easy for gift and coastal shop owners to sell because these also do not require customers to try them on.

Speaking of versatility, the brand’s travel collection wrinkle-resistant line includes palazzo pants, activewear like skorts, dresses in several different cuts and tops. “We are really proud of that category and it’s coastally

“The biggest trend now we are seeing is having words written on T-shirts, sweatshirts, all different types of apparel that are inspirational or just fun.” – Karena Rasser, Top It Off Accessories The tunics appeal to shoppers ages 30 and older, with mature customers wearing them not just as beach and pool coverups, but with

inspired,” Rasser says of the floral, palm leaf and anchor prints.

The company has also rolled out some

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new body forms that Rasser says include “flowy less fitted dresses. That is the trend. and we do not see it disappearing.”

WEARING WORDS “Local Vibe,” “Lake Life,” “It’s Always the Weekend,” “Love” — the words on apparel is a big deal. Literally. “The biggest trend now we are seeing is having words written on T-shirts, sweatshirts and all different types of apparel that are inspirational or just fun,” Rasser says.

Top It Off adds seasonality to its pieces with Boardwalk Ponchos bearing “Beach” for spring and summer, and winter-time Holly Ponchos decorated with “Merry” or “Believe.”

Weekend Threads is all about spreading the message that every day is a beachy holiday with a message to “live life like it’s always the weekend,” Hall says. “We bring a weekend vibe to the clothing market.”

Namedrop T-shirts are in demand, Hall says, and so is the company’s trademark saying on tops that showcase a range of hobbies, from fishing and boating to just plain lounging on a hammock. “We can use that slogan

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Tees that please

If there’s one coastal apparel item that is a staple in most seaside shops, it is the T-shirt. “T-shirts are one piece of apparel that is liked and worn by people of all demographics,” notes James Melley, sales manager for Impulse Souvenirs.

“Available in full cotton and polyblends across a variety of colors, tees are the popular impulse buy when looking for that item to capture memories of their visit or the bring-home gifts for friends and family.”

And there are plenty of reasons why. “First, men and women both love to wear T-shirts. They really feel comfortable to wear and for retailers, it’s almost a must buy for visitors,” explains Melley.

He adds that T-shirts offer a special promotional opportunity. “With unique designs, they can capture visitors’ memories of their destination. Branded tees can engage consumers, existing customers and potential buyers in ways that traditional marketing can’t. Eye-catching tees spark conversation about their travels and continue promoting tourism in an organic way.

And if the quality is top-notch, they’ll keep coming back for that repeat purchase.”

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popular motifs for seaside retailers. Rasser is experimenting with print size. “They used to be very small in scale and we decided to make our prints larger, which completely changes

Hall says a fresh lobster boat design will do well with East Coast retailers, while the palm trees and hammock design sells in California.

“Fish are always important for our category. We are in the process of doing all of the pelagic fish, and we came out with a red fish and a snook.” – Rebecca Fordham, Caloosa WaterWear

Customers are drawn to the fun phrases on Weekend Threads’ shirts.

with a boat, a bicycle, really anything you can think of that makes you think of not working and enjoying life,” he says.

THREADS WITH A THEME Sea turtles, starfish, anchors, crabs, lobsters, lighthouses and palm trees are consistently

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the look of a collection,” she says. “We like to mix things up.”

The brand is attracting buyers who go for a larger floral print with yellows and oranges, which is a step away from the typical color palette, Rasser adds.

Fordham says, “Fish are always important for our category. We are in the process of doing all of the pelagic fish, and we came out with a red fish and a snook.”

Motifs tend to be regional. A retailer in Hawaii who purchased Caloosa WaterWear pieces selected pineapples, hibiscus and other florals. “In other areas of the country, florals would not sell as well,” Fordham says.

Overall, coastal motifs are not “crazy trendy,” Fordham notes, meaning they don’t go in and out of style. “We have typical pieces that do well year after year.”

FEEL-GOOD FABRICS Moisture-wicking, UPF, wrinkle-resistant and sustainable fabrics are filling racks and shelves in coastal shops as customers seek out materials that are cool, easy-care and protect them from the sun.

It’s the Beach polo shirts are made from 100% recyclable materials. “It’s the beach — and we are trying to keep it clean as much as we can,” Maines says. “With all the plastic

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waste in the world, I figured we would do what we can to help out in that aspect. And sustainable products are becoming more of a big deal.”

Top It Off offers a fine-gauge knit bamboo line of wraps and ponchos. “It’s lightweight, breathable and people wear it from Maine to Florida all year round,” Rasser says. “The quality is great at an amazing price, and we always keep it in stock because it’s something retailers like to count on.”

Jones is also seeing UPF wear be worn seamlessly from beach to street. “At Tropical Vibes, we’ve elevated sun protection to be comfortable and functional.”

UPF performance wear that is certified by The Skin Cancer Foundation is the mainstay for Mang, a family-owned business that commits to planting one Mangrove tree for every purchase. Kyle Rossin, co-founder and CEO with his brother Keith Rossin, was born and raised a fisherman. He says the clothing is designed for people who love the outdoors, want to enjoy it — and protect themselves from the elements. “All of our gear is designed

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with that in mind so you can go outside, wear it comfortably and stay cool because they are moisture-wicking and dry very quickly.”

Soft-to-the-touch T-shirts are a priority for customers too, Fordham says. “We specialize in polyester but people always want that cotton hand, so we have a V-neck that is doing incredibly well because of the cotton-poly blend and its wicking capabilities.”

locations in Georgia, Florida, California, South Carolina, Texas, Alabama and Delaware for customers who are trying to live the Salt Life.

CLOTHING WITH A CAUSE Brands tied to a cause that give retailers a story of giving back to share with customers are

EMBRACING A LIFESTYLE Some coastal brands like Salt Life embrace a lifestyle with their performance wear both in the performance fabric that can tolerate harsh conditions on the water and through the designs that appear on the items.

“Salt Life appeals to people in a very personal way,” Salt Life President Jeff Stillwell says. “If you love fishing, that is your version of Salt Life. If you love to dive, surf, chill on the beach, etc., that is what Salt Life is to you.”

In 2021, Salt Life recorded record retail growth and opened new doors in Texas and South Carolina. With the addition of several new stores in 2022, it now operates 20 retail

People find their own versions of Salt Life to reflect their water-related interests.

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“Our whole goal is to be able to physically show our customers that we are doing good by planting Mangroves.”

– Kyle Rossin, Mang increasingly important to shoppers to want to put their dollars where they can make a difference. “Having that mission and message helps promote the shop as more ecologically friendly,” Rossin says.

Mang started when Rossin was fishing in a stand of red Mangroves at Vestor Marine Lab in Fort Myers, Florida. He dreamed up a Mangrove camouflage that would help fund planting these important trees to protect coastal ecosystems.

“They are the No. 1 carbon sequestration tree in the world and provide that full linear canopy for birds, an understory for bait fish, Salt Life offers performance wear for those who enjoy ocean-related activities.

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a place for oysters to attach to the roots for water filtration — they attract so much life.

Anywhere with Mangroves near has more biodiversity and ultimately a healthier ecosystem,” he explains.

Mang will plant more than 150,000 Mangrove trees in 2022. The company partners with Florida restoration groups, municipalities and private residences to find new places to plant. It also runs its own farm and nursery in West Palm Beach, Florida, where it grows 25,000 to 30,000 Mangrove trees at any given time.

Mang built a project in The Bahamas with Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and also works with Bahamas National Trust and Friends of the Environment. And in Madagascar, a project that plants 10,000 trees a month with the help of about 40 employees “keeps up with sales,” Rossin explains. That way the brand can assure retailers and customers that it is accomplishing its goal to “Buy one. Plant one.”

“If you do not have enough time to give in your life, it’s easier for you to make a purchase and give back that way,” Rossin says. “Our

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whole goal is to be able to physically show our customers that we are doing good by planting Mangroves.”

That’s why Mang provides display pieces that help tell the story, and retailers can select from a signage catalogue. For example, one sign explains: “Since 2015, twin brothers Keith and Kyle Rossin have grown each Mangrove by hand for all of Mang’s Florida planting projects.”

As Mang keeps growing, Rossin says it is not only planting Mangrove forests throughout Florida, but also planting internationally

“in an effort to affect positive change in countries and coastlines affected by deforestation and pollution across the globe.”

When retailers can show that they’re thinking about the community and supporting companies that do good, they have a story to tell that resonates with customers. Rossin says, “Having that story is important. It feels good, does good and looks good too.”

Casual apparel may be laid back, but it is also full of possibilities. Your seaside store can be a go-to for comfortable coastal looks and relaxed seaside styles.

A ‘swell’ idea

When Matt Fiano and Geoff Maynard founded the apparel brand, North Swell, in Mystic Connecticut, in 2020, they had one mission: “to clean our shores one beach at a time.” The flagship store opened in the middle of summer that year during the pandemic. The two friends were trying to go for a coastal vibe combined with a tattoo culture style in its apparel designs that include comfy graphic tees, hooded sweatshirts, crew shirts, sweatpants and accessories.

“We really just focus on making things we like to wear, making designs that we like and putting them in comfortable styles that we like,” says Faino. That tactic might not work for everyone but in Fiano’s and Maynard’s case, it has been extremely well received by customers. The prints, sayings and vibe really resonate with people, according to Fiano.

“The highest compliment I feel like I can get is when I am standing in the doorway and I overhear someone say, ‘Hey, this is the store North Swell has developed a I was telling you about,’” he shares. strong following since its foundFiano sees a middle ground as far as ing in 2020. casual apparel styles go. “You see a lot of fitted styles of clothing, but then some things never go out of style like oversized hoodies,” he says. “They are a big kind of staple with any kind of brand having anything to do with the water or coastal life. If you are out on a boat at the beach at night you are still in a hoodie.”

And the fashions of the pandemic are here to stay, he says. “I think people are definitely gravitating towards staying comfy. You can see it in everyday wear.

Some things are a little more acceptable than they were before. You don’t have to get dressed up to go to meetings anymore.”

North Swell will introduce some tie-dye pieces into its lineup in 2023, and it is also expanding the brand into other retail stores.

“We are looking for some partners that we can create meaningful relationships with and be an extension of North Swell for themselves in their area,” says Fiano. “We are going to work with the retailer and make something special for them, not just another brand in their store.”

And as far as their ocean-saving efforts, North Swell has organized and participated in local beach clean-ups, already helping remove nearly 1,000 pounds of trash from local beaches and area streets in 2022. Proceeds from apparel sales are used to fund the efforts and volunteers are given a North Swell T-shirt.

North Swell also makes the clean-up events fun by gathering at a local brewery or other establishment afterward.

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STORY BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE PHOTOS: KATIE PHILLIPPI

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urf life attire kicked off with the landmark Quicksilver brand at Salty’s Surf Shop, where owner Joe Waters has built a store chock full of go-to wave-riding brands including Billabong, Sundek and Roxy — along with a house Salty’s line of namedrop apparel.

The shop has a longstanding reputation in Florence, South Carolina, where Waters opened in 1985, two years after the first Salty’s launched in Ocean Isle.

“Quicksilver was our first line and it put us on the map for sure,” says Waters, who eventually opened a Columbia store too.

But once he had kids, the back-and-forth to shops wore down on family life for him and his wife Connie, and his hometown of Florence became the focus.

Unlike the former Ocean Isle store, which has new ownership, Florence is year-round and gave Waters an opportunity to expand Salty’s stocks its own line designed

by Waters’ daughter.

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clothing lines to suit the “southern style” that locals are proud of and visitors enjoy experiencing.

“We got into southern clothing about 10 to 15 years ago and that really helped diversify the shop,” Waters says, noting the first beachfront store was strictly surf and gear. “Here, we have a big variety — when you’re in a small town, you’ve got to be everything to everybody, and we make it work because that’s what a small town is all about.”

His family is also integral to the business. Connie manages bookkeeping and their college-aged son Trevor is a built-in trendspotter. “He helps me pick out clothes and keeps me on the ball with what’s going on in his age group,” Waters says.

Their grown daughters Kelsey and Adrienne influence apparel style in a big way. (The Waters family is a surfing gang.)

Adrienne, a graphic designer, rolled out a few lines for Salty’s and beyond: Seak, Southern Salt and Southern Trucker.

“We put them in the shop and they are selling along with other lines we offer, and that has been really cool,” Waters says, Customers don’t realize the connection unless they ask.

“At Salty’s, we’ve been around for so long, we are generational, and people like that,” Waters says of the homegrown shop.

“And we accommodate what is happening in the moment, the styles people like here in town.” www.seasideretailer.com

DRESSED FOR SUCCESS

Casual apparel is a big part of how Salty’s has sustained decades in business, and a combination of known surf lines and lesser-found brands gives customers who are looking for specific names their finds — and something for shoppers who want something different. “We are not Displays of neatly folded shirts are organized by brand (left). A mix of inventory includes accessories like Salty’s caps (top).

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a boutique, we are a surf shop, so I stick with surf brand price points,” he says.

“I try to go for name brands and notoriety, and then style, comfort, price and quality,” Waters says. “I pull all of those together to come up with the right mix for Salty’s. Since we are a surf shop and not a boutique, I have to watch those price points and I can’t go too high.”

For Salty’s, that means staying in the $50 to $60 range for shorts and $25 to $40 for tops and T-shirts. “I definitely keep surf-wear in the mix but also bring in clothing the kids will wear — the preppy lines like Chubbies.”

The colorful swim trunks are wear-anywhere attire and so are the stretch-cotton shorts in neutrals.

Because of the way Waters buys, the high-profile surf brands and known names for accessories like Bogg Bags brought in business during the toughest years amid the pandemic. “The demand for those lines has meant so much,” Waters says.

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Among Salty’s surf and southern casual apparel offerings are Chubbies, Coastal Cotton, Fish Hippie, Southern Marsh, AFTCO, Quicksilver and Billabong.

LONGTIME LINES

Customers at Salty’s are connected to the southern lifestyle, “which is fishing, the beach, piers, water, boats and all that,” Waters says. “They love it.”

To capture that vibe, Salty’s carries lines that are unlike the main-market Vineyard Vines or Southern Tide. “Others carry that,” he says.

Sure, Salty’s offers big surf brands. “Our casual apparel includes lines that people like and hear about, and it’s a big deal to have the QuickSilver and Billabong lines that are tried and true.”

“I try to go for name brands and notoriety, and then style, comfort, price and quality, I pull all of those together to come up with the right mix for Salty’s.” — JOE WATERS But when it comes to seaside casual apparel, he looks for unique finds including Coastal Cotton, Southern Point, Fish Hippie, Southern Marsh and AFTCO, which offers fishing apparel.

He mixes this with accessory lines like Kavu bags and shoes

by Birkenstock, Savu, Toms, XtraTuf, Reef, Teva, Vans and the fast-selling Hey Dude line. “Those have been phenomenal for us, and they have some new designs coming out for 2023 that we are looking forward to seeing,” Waters says. “Bogg Bag has also been another big one for us.”

As for presentation, Waters keeps T-shirts folded on tables and all designs are spaced out. “We like to keep lines together as far as surf gear, the Chubbies and so on.”

An entry presentation table is decked out with seasonal gear.

“That’s what’s happening at the moment, whatever holiday is coming up — Mother’s Day, back-to-school…” Waters says.

Salty’s is surf and more with it’s big brands, homegrown lines and tags with unique southern comfort. Casual apparel complements the shop that is a go-to for boards, skates, water gear and beyond. Waters says, “People love to come in and see what is happening for the next season.”

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t’s all about the story — the why, the how, the cause.

Casual apparel brands with a purpose appeal to customers at The Sand Pebble in Punta Gorda, Florida, where co-owner Kat Lorini has cultivated a collection of men’s and women’s clothing to elevate the souvenir and T-shirt offerings at the longtime family business.

“Working with these brands, it has been really neat to see customers respond directly — they want to hear that story,” Lorini says, pointing to labels like Mang that plants a mangrove for every purchase.

“Working with these brands, it has been really neat to see customers respond directly — they want to hear that story.” — KAT LORINI “It’s a botanist out of South Florida and he and his brother go and plant a tree for every shirt — it’s what they do, and they are not in big department stores, so he can keep up with the growth and his aunt draws all the images for the shirts,” Lorini says of the give-back brand.

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print out the story on a sign and when customers see the price on the tag, they feel it’s worth it,” Lorini says.

Another example: The Duck Co. out of Arvada, Colorado, that assures its artists and associates are paid properly and receive benefits. “You feel better working with them. While the price is higher, customers really go for that quality, and we have been able to expand in those categories,” she says.

The company’s men’s shirts with humorous sayings are an easy seller. The company is officially licensed with Volkswagen.

The Sand Pebble carries a few shirts with the VW logo and the Punta Gorda namedrop. Lorini says, “Those blew out — I had no idea they’d do so well.”

SHORING UP BUSINESS

When The Sand Pebble opened in 1983, Punta Gorda was a quaint harbor town — it’s one of the country’s largest natural harbors.

Brands that give back like Mang and Saltwter Born are popular with customers wanting to see their purchases make a difference.

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A rainbow of apparel draws shoppers to hanging display and a slatwall offers versatility.

Lorini’s parents who met in Boston and fell in love with sailing had been cruising around the world on their 62-foot rig. It sank in the Bermuda Triangle, and the couple swam to a Bahamian island with less than 100 people living there. A mail

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boat would come monthly. Her father took a sea plane to Marco Island, Florida, and fell in love with the area. The couple lived there while waiting for insurance and other loose ends to settle with their beloved boat.

“They found Fisherman’s Village and bought the store, and it has been the perfect community for them. My father, Tony, has been building that store ever since,” Lorini shares.

Meanwhile, Lorini attended University of Tampa for business and earned a degree in fashion design and merchandising. She left home to work in New York City, designing high-end wares to sell in stores like Bloomingdale’s.

When her father had health complications six years ago, she returned to Punta Gorda to help at the shop and fell back in love with retail. “I found a couple of cool clothing pieces like a hand-crushed cotton, and we were able to raise price points but still offer affordable options,” Lorini says.

Punta Gorda was undergoing “a cool resurgence” at the time, according to Lorini. “Everyone was looking for more charm when they were visiting, and my dad had a great store that kept delivering.”

Since Lorini has been running the

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shop, The Sand Pebble’s casual apparel lines have expanded, and they’re thoughtfully curated. There are two main price points. One is quality-on-a-budget even if a shopper is not necessarily pinching pennies. “These are shirts we get in surplus like prints that are $8.99,” she says.

On the higher end, Spirit Jersey namedrop apparel is priced at $64.99.

“They’re long enough to wear with leggings, and a lot of our tourists from cold-weather states like them because they want something they can wear on the plane,” Lorini says. “I see them collecting Spirit Jerseys from different places, so it’s been copied, but they are looking for that tag.”

Otherwise, Lorini focuses on brands and styles that customers can’t find in other shops. One is a brand called Cottonseed Casual Wear out of Tarpon Springs, Florida. “We sell zip-up hooded jackets with a drop shoulder and the fabric is amazing,” she says.

Lorini is big on texture and fiber. And

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when she selects casual apparel lines, she looks at price point first and asks, “Why?” “Is the fabric special, is there a charitable donation involved, are you really giving back to the turtles?” are just some of the questions she wants the answers to.

EXPANDING APPAREL

Lorini is excited about the store renovations in progress and how improvements will help her display more casual apparel in an appealing way that invites spontaneous sales. She invested in a slatwall and rounders throughout the shop that allow for showcasing seasonal apparel.

“Our customers change from spring to summer to winter,” she points out.

Signage by clothing with a cause tell the story so shoppers recognize they’re buying more than a shirt or hoodie. And soon, The Sand Pebble will offer fitting rooms.

Training sales associates about the fabrics and brand stories is important to Lorini. “Product knowledge is what helps

Apparel complements souvenir offerings.

us at the store,” she says.

Lorini plans to expand casual apparel because she says it complements the shop’s souvenirs and delivers a more elevated yet accessible experience. “We are always looking to expanding the apparel side and bringing in more products that give back.

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STORY BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE PHOTOS: DAVID WELCH

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nne-Marie Eddy has a passion for threads — local labels, dresses for beach days and party nights, breezy knit ponchos and winter-wear for the year-round crew. “It’s transformative seeing people light up when they see something new in the shop or they saw a display outside and ‘have to wear it,’” says the owner of Coastal Supply Co. in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts.

Situated on the main drag up from the ferry, this is one of six towns on Martha’s Vineyard that is year-round, and Eddy tailors her clothing, accessories and decor accordingly. Initially, she opened the shop as Re-Fabulous Decor as an Annie Sloane chalk paint dealer. “I was painting hundreds of pieces of furniture.

It was a wonderful studio, and I started to carry jewelry with a local vibe and other handmade crafts,” she says.

The store expanded and so did Eddy’s desire to expand her inventory when Neatly stacked, soft cotton tops invite guests to touch and take one home.

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guests would walk in and ask, “Where is your clothing?”

“I love clothing, and it was a demand,” she says. “There are clothing stores in Vineyard Haven. We didn’t want to compete with them and they carry the larger well-known brands so we ended up carrying brands that do smaller inventory — and we love them!”

APPAREL APPEAL

Palatable price points and apparel that spans the seasons differentiate Coastal Supply Co. from other shops in the area that carry clothing. One popular line is Batela, a Spanish company with coastal appeal that offers zip-up hoodies, men’s sweaters, raincoats and sweaters. “That is our year-round brand and people come in asking for it,” Eddy says.

Pretty Pink Pineapple sweaters from a Newport, Rhode Island-based company are also top sellers for locals and visitors since many of them bear words like “coastal” and “local vibe.”

“People go to those when they are looking for sweaters to give as gifts,” Eddy says.

One with a lobster motif with the Martha’s Vineyard map coordinates draws attention.

“She is good about working with me to come up with custom designs every year,” notes Eddy. www.seasideretailer.com

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For instance, Eddy selects custom colors and weighs in on details. “We decide how the island image should look — should it be two-toned, show the inlets, have typing on it, include the NVY airport coordinates?”

The coordinates are big sellers. “We put them on hats and pillows, too,” Eddy points out.

She orders small batches from vendors on Faire that are different from the “big names” carried in neighboring shops, according to Eddy.

“I like not having to buy minimums and I can try out different brands. Usually, they deliver quickly, so I can get the product within a week or two and see how they do before reordering.”

ZIP code protection assures others nearby are not carrying the lines Eddy does, such as Guadeloupe, Pinch, Tulle and Batiste. Summer-weight knit ponchos from Loomist and Hand Loom are popular and double as linen beach coverups or casual attire for outings

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Casual apparel and accessories like hats complement other keepsake offerings in the shop.

when paired with leggings.

“Maxi dresses are big right now with bright colors and vibrant prints,” Eddy says. “A lot of people are looking for a dress for a cocktail party or day-wear. We like to offer pieces that have some sparkle to them like embroidered gold or silver.”

Prices range from $75 to $250, and the sweet spot is $125, according to Eddy.

Customers won’t hesitate to spring for a flowy, on-trend piece at that cost.

Eddy also carries dresses in the $55 to $70 range by brands like Top It Off. “They’re popular, preppy and shorter in a polyblend with anchors on them or bright florals for an everyday simple yet good quality dress, and they sell like hotcakes all day long.”

TRY AND BUY

About one-third of Coastal Supply Co. is apparel, and Eddy keeps pieces together

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C O A S TAL C O N N E C T I O N

on the left side of her shop on racks. “We keep a rack outside where we can catch people’s eyes in the summer,” Eddy says, pointing specifically to flowy dresses.

When people come in they might not be looking for a dress, but they’ll see one that catches their eye and come back later, Eddy notes.

Customers will loop around the shop starting with apparel then work their way to the back of the shop where we have candles and body creams, maps, wall decor, cards, ornaments and decorative oyster shells.

“It’s transformative seeing people light up when they see something new in the shop or they saw a display outside and ‘have to wear it.’” — ANNE-MARIE EDDY “They might loop back and say, “I want to try on this dress,” and Eddy trains sales associates to properly size and help select apparel for guests.

Everyone who works at the shop has personally tried on all of the apparel.

“It’s important so they can see how everything fits,” she says.

“One medium might fit completely different than another. We don’t push customers toward anything that doesn’t feel just right. We say, ‘Let’s try something else that would be more comfortable for you.”

This approach has helped Coastal Supply Co. rarely receive returns. “We always encourage people to try on clothes for that reason,” Eddy says.

Coastal Supply Co. still sells Annie Sloane paints on a daily basis and Eddy also holds workshops. “It has been a mainstay,” she says.

The shop no longer does custom painting. Associates are trained to consult with guests and provide instruction on how to paint their own pieces.

After 10 years in business, Eddy’s studio that evolved into a sought-after year-round coastal shop is thriving, and she’s looking forward to continuing to showcase fresh brands.

“I like having a little bit of everything for everyone — and not just offering items you only wear to one event.”

Racks of flowing dresses in a range of patterns appeal to shoppers.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 SEASIDE RETAILER 93

EXHIBITOR SPOTLIGHT SE LV CCC PCB TX OC

Surf Expo Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show Coastal Connections Conference Panama City Beach Gift Show Corpus Christi Souvenir & Resort Show Ocean City Resort Gift Expo

1

1. A to Z Towels: Printed and solid beach towels. SE: 2547 www.atoztowels.com

2

3

2. A.T. Storrs Ltd.: Wild Pearle necklace.

LV: 1111 www.atstorrs.com 3. Admiral’s Daughters: Sea Queen 100% cotton pocket tee. SE: 856 www.thesdmiralsdaughters.com 4. Aspen & Salt: Aquamarine necklace with freshwater pearls. OC: 410 www.aspenandsalt.com

4

5

6

5. Bags by Bruno: Customizable eco- friendly bags. CCC: 3; OC: 538 www.bagsbybruno-nj.com 6. Bali Queen: Alloy single strand woven turtle bracelet. SE: 2126; CCC: 20 www.baliqueen.com

8

7. Bamboo Source Tropical Decor: Metal and capiz shell octopus wall decor. LV: 2227; CCC: 2 www.bambootropicaldecor.com

7

8. Beachables: Signature beach towel, tote and chair cover. SE: 1760; CCC: 22 www.beachables.com 9. Blue Iguana Sustainable Enterprises LLC: Polarized, UV400 wood sunglasses. CCC: 6 www.myblueiguana.net 10. Brass Reminders Co. Inc.: America’s best-selling souvenir decals.

SE: 2726; LV: 714; PCB: 812; OC: 315 www.brassreminders.com 11. Buddy by the Sea: Savannah on dusty rose T-shirt. SE: 2042; OC: 301 www.buddybythesea.com 12. Caloosa WaterWear: Doubleinsulated turtle tumbler with lid.

SE: 2055; CCC: 21; PCB: 312 www.shopcaloosa.com 13. Cape Shore: Resin driftwood and sea glass angel ornament. SE: 2161 www.cape-shore.com 94 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

9 11

10

13

12

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EXHIBITOR SPOTLIGHT

PRODUCTS

SE LV CCC PCB TX OC

Surf Expo Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show Coastal Connections Conference Panama City Beach Gift Show Corpus Christi Souvenir & Resort Show Ocean City Resort Gift Expo

14. CoTZ: Prime & Protect tinted sunscreen. SE: 327; LV: 3015; CCC: 14 www.cotzskincare.com

16

15 14

15. Daisy Mae Designs: Map coaster set. SE: 2037; CCC: 15 www.daisymaedesigns.faire.com 16. Dune Jewelry: Dune x 4ocean cuff with ocean plastic supporting ocean cleanup. SE: 1749; CCC: 4 www.dunejewelry.com

17

17. Fancy That Gift and Decor: Coastal giving plate with shells and message.

SE: 2443; PCB: 722, 724, 726; OC: 113, 115, 117 www.fancythatgift.com

18 21

18. Faneema Cutlery: Stainless Damascus knife set. LV: 1747 www.faneemacutlery.com 19. Fin Pin Shop: Plush shark keychain.

SE: 2051; CCC: 17 www.finpinshop.com 20. Flopeeze: Funwear light recreational footwear. SE: 1704 www.flopeeze.com

20 19

21. FunDog Bandanas (The Dog Perk): Beach bum tie dye bandana. LV: 1646 www.fundogbandanas.com

22

22. Hang Loose Bands: Dae Break wristband bracelet. SE: 2256; LV: 3115; PCB: 713 www.hangloosebands.com

26

23. HeadLimes: Shark lime squeezers clip to any beverage. SE: 2357 www.headlimes.faire.com 24. HS Seashells: Metal & capiz large mermaid chime. SE: 2375 www.hsseashells.com 25. Impulse Souvenirs: Trendy beanies.

SE: 2349; LV: 2731; CCC: 1; OC: 207 www.impulsesouvenirs.com 26. Inis the Energy of the Sea: Home and linen mist. SE: 1737 www.inis.com/us

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25

23 24

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 SEASIDE RETAILER 95

EXHIBITOR SPOTLIGHT SE LV CCC PCB TX OC

Surf Expo Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show Coastal Connections Conference Panama City Beach Gift Show Corpus Christi Souvenir & Resort Show Ocean City Resort Gift Expo

28

27. It’s The Beach: Coordinating performance shirts and shorts.

SE: 2049; PCB: L5; TX: 104; OC: 412 www.itsthebeach.net

31

27

28. Jackie Gallagher Designs: New Sterling Silver Hooked on You pendant.

SE: 1835; OC: 2014 www.jackiegallagherdesigns.com

29

30 32

29. Jan Bixler Resort & Gifts: Raku Potteryworks’ sea life pottery. PCB: 228 www.rakupotteryworks.com 30. Key West Gear: 50 UPF performance shirt. SE: 2063; CCC: 7 www.keywestgear.com 31. Melissa Lew: Stainless steel kayak necklace. LV: 4100 www.melissalew.com

33

34

32. Middle Sister Jewelry: Sea glass necklace in sterling ring. OC: 2006 www.middlesisterjewelry.com

35

33. Mutual Sales: Five position aluminum chair. OC: 2405 www.mutualsales.com 34. Nau-T-Girl Jewelry: Hook anklet in Sterling silver or 14K gold. SE: 2028 www.nau-t-girl.com

36

35. Ocean Jewelry Store: Blue wave Sterling silver pendant necklace with crystals. SE: 1936 www.oceanjewelrystore.com 36. Ocean World Imports: Mermaid on a turtle figurine. SE: 2343; LV: 1051; CCC: 11; OC: 706 www.oceanworldimports.com 37. Powder Pouch: Starfish edition sand remover. SE: 2166 www.powderpouch.com

37 38

39

38. Pumpernickel Press: Coastal greeting cards. LV: 1338 www.pumpernickelpress.com 39. Seaside Retailer: Subscribe or renew subscription for free. SE: 2550 www.seasideretailermagazine.com 96 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

www.seasideretailer.com

EXHIBITOR SPOTLIGHT SE LV CCC PCB TX OC

Surf Expo Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show Coastal Connections Conference Panama City Beach Gift Show Corpus Christi Souvenir & Resort Show Ocean City Resort Gift Expo

41 40

40. ShipShapeStyles: CB-SP Stainless steel cuff bracelet. OC: 2205 www.shipshapestyles.com

42

41. SJT Enterprises: Surfboard plaques.

SE: 2460; LV: 2422 www.sjtent.com

43

42. Steamboat Sticker: Creative stickers.

SE: 2751; LV: 848; PCB: 310; TX: 416; OC: 218 www.steamboatsticker.com 43. The Beach and Back: Ocean wave bracelet. OC: 2504 www.thebeachandback.com

44

45

46

44. The Petting Zoo: Ombrez sting ray.

SE: 2243; LV: 831; PCB: 610-612; TX: 111-113; OC: 618 www.pettingzooplush.com 45. Tormenter: “Patriot” Waterman 5 pocket board shorts. SE: 1042 www.tormenterocean.com 46. Town Pride: Custom sweaters made in the USA. SE: 2563; LV: 2726; CCC: 19 www.townpride.com

48

47. True Ocean LLC: Mineral lotion with purified seawater, aloe and shea butter.

SE: 1766; CCC: 9 www.trueoceanproducts.com 48. Tula Blue: Wrap stacked, hand-spun rope jewelry collection. SE: 1655 www.tulabluerope.com

47 49

49. Turtle Tracks Family: Loggerhead Life, ninth in kid’s books and toys series.

SE: 2143

51

www.turtletracksfamily.com

50. Weekend Threads: Wagoneer tee celebrates the weekend. OC: 427 www.itsalwaystheweekend.com 51. Wellington Michael: Sterling silver collection. SE: 1828; CCC: 16 wellingtonmichael.com 52. What The Fin: Tequila sunrise performance shirt. SE: 949 www.whatthefin.com

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50

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E V E N T S C AL E N DAR

OCTOBER

VE SA TH E AT ED

Oct.3-5 Coastal Connections Conference Orlando, Florida www.coastalconnections conference.com

OCT. 3-5

Oct. 3-4 Seattle Mart Fall Show Seattle www.seattlemart.com

Coastal Connections Conference

SEPTEMBER Sept. 8-10 Surf Expo Orlando, Florida www.surfexpo.com Sept. 9-11 Norton’s Gatlinburg Apparel, Jewelry & Gift Show Gatlinburg, Tennessee www.nortonshows.com Sept. 9-11 Carolina Children’s Market Fort Mill, South Carolina www.charlottechildrens market.net

Sept. 13-14 New England Made Boxborough, Massachusetts www.nemadeshows.com

Sept. 18-20 REV Chicago Boutique Show Des Plaines, Illinois www.silverliningshows.com Sept. 20-21 Midwest Market Days Chicago River Grove, Illinois www.midwestmarketdays.com Sept. 20-21 TMC - The Merchandise Center Chicago; Schiller Park, Illinois www.tmcexpo.com

Oct. 6-9 Made in America Louisville, Kentucky www.madeinamerica.com Oct. 6-9 GTS Greensboro Expo Greensboro, North Carolina www.gtshows.com Oct. 7-9 American Craft Made St. Paul St. Paul, Minnesota www.craftcouncil.org/shows Oct. 9-12 CMC LA Market Week Los Angeles www.californiamarket center.com

Sept. 20-22 Trendz West Palmetto, Florida www.trendzshow.com

Oct. 18-20 Corpus Christi Souvenir & Resort Show Corpus Christi, Texas www.pinnacle-shows.com Oct. 22-26 High Point Market Week High Point; Thomasville, North Carolina www.highpointmarket.org Oct. 25-28 Dallas Kidsworld Market; Dallas Apparel & Accessories Dallas www.dallasmarketcenter.com Oct. 30-Nov. 1 Trendz West Palm Beach, Florida www.trendzshow.com Oct. 30-Nov. 1 Ocean City Resort Gift Expo Ocean City, Maryland www.oceancitygiftshow.com

E AT ED TH

Sept. 13-15 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market Dallas www.dallasmarketcenter.com

Sept. 14-15 Mid-Atlantic Merchandise Mart Philadelphia www.midatlanticmart.com

Oct. 16-18 Stylemax Chicago www.stylemaxonline.com

VE SA

Sept. 11-13 Miami International Mart Show Miami Gardens, Florida www.martofmiami.com

Oct. 2-4 Minneapolis Mart Home & Gift Show Minneapolis www.mplsmart.com

Oct. 12-16 Atlanta Apparel Atlanta www.atlanta-apparel.com

Sept. 20-23 Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show Las Vegas www.lvsouvenirshow.com Sept. 25-26 The Deerfield Show Deerfield, Illinois www.midwestapparel tradeshows.com

SEPT. 8-10 Surf Expo

98 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

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A RETAIL CONFERENCE WITH AN ISLAND VIBE! HURRY! REGISTRATION CUT-OFF IS SEPT. 15!

OCTOBER 3-5, 2022 • MARGARITAVILLE RESORT ORLANDO

LOOK AT EVERYTHING YOU’LL GET WHEN YOU REGISTER!

“

Informative educational sessions • Exclusive entrance to The Boardwalk Opportunties to connect with retailers • FREE swag bag • Product giveaways Cocktail receptions, meals, refreshment breaks and live entertainment!

PREMIUM SPONSORS:

Everyone will receive a special gift from each of the Premium Sponsors!

Plantinum Sponsor: Impulse Souvenirs Gold Sponsor: Bamboo Source Tropical Decor Silver Sponsor: Inis the Energy of the Sea Bronze Sponsor: ShipShapeStyles

SESSION SPONSORS:

You’ll have the opportunity to win a valuable gift from each of the Session Sponsors!

Beachables • Country Home Creations Devi & Co • Dune Jewelry • Kay Hova Art Nau-T-Girl Jewelry

I’m attending Coastal Connections Conference because it will give me the opportunity to network with peers and learn about progression in the retail industry.

I have learned over the years, expanding my network has been helpful in expanding our retail footprint and keeping up to date with industry trends and insights.” — Kate Fratalia, Loggerhead Marinelife Center All attendess will receive a FREE swag bag filled with products valued over $450!

SWAG BAG SPONSORS:

American Style Sunglasses • Bags by Bruno • Bali Queen • Bamboo Source Tropical Decor Cape Shore • CoTZ • Daisy Mae Designs • Fin Pin Shop • First & Main • The Grecian Soap Co. Impulse Souvenirs • Inis the Energy of the Sea • Key West Body Scrubs • Lake & Coast Lighthouse Keeper’s Pantry • Mutual Sales • My Beach Dog • Ocean World Imports Powder Pouch • Salty Britches • Sea Lark Enterprises • ShipShapeStyles • The Beach and Back The Wellington Michael Collection • Town Pride • True Ocean • Uniquely Coastal • What the Fin • Wild Republic

Included with registration: Exclusive opportunity to shop on The Boardwalk!

BOARDWALK EXHIBITORS:

Bags by Bruno • Bali Queen • Bamboo Source Tropical Decor • Beachables Blue Iguana Sustainable • Caloosa WaterWear • Cotz • Daisy Mae Designs Dune Jewelry & Co. • Fin Pin Shop • First & Main • Impulse Souvenirs • Island Haus Kay Hova Art • Key West Body Scrubs • Marloru • MTO Performance Wear • North Swell Ocean World Imports • Patti Biggs • Pearls & Camo • Rugged Seas • Town Pride True Ocean • The Wellington Michael Collection • Wild Republic

www.coastalconnectionsconference.com

- ADVERTISEMENT -

EVENTS COVERAGE

Retailers to share their best display ideas at Coastal Connections Conference The Coastal Connections Conference has announced that it will be featuring a session titled Maximum Impact Store Ideas during the event, Oct. 3-5 at the Margaritaville Resort in Orlando, Florida.

During the session on Oct. 4, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., attendees will learn successful display and merchandise strategies from seaside retailers, merchandising veterans and design experts to maximize store space, attract customers and increase sales. Speakers include: • Kate Fratalia, vice president of retail, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach, Florida • Michael Hale, owner and CEO, Retail Rehab, Los Angeles • William Hill, retail manager Margaritaville Resort, Orlando, Florida

Kate Fratalia, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, to speak at Coastal Connections Conference.

Kate Fratalia started with the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in January of 2000. Her business background has been instrumental in the growth and expansion of the facility as it stands today.

Under her retail management leadership, the portfolio for Loggerhead Marinelife Center has expanded from one retail operation to five including the campus store at Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach Pier, Manatee Lagoon, Tortuga Cafe and the Loggerhead Marinelife Center eCommerce platform, resulting in triple-digit growth.

Fratalia took lead responsibility for the design and buildout of the next generation retail store at Loggerhead Marinelife Center, which opened in November 2020.

With 30 years of experience in various retail capacities, Michael Hale and his team make retail spaces more functional and productive. Retail Rehab clients include Fragrances of Ireland, Princess Cruises, Lowes Resorts and Sheraton Hotels. Retail Rehab designed the new Inis retail store in Huntington Beach, California, which opened in March 2022.

The Inis showroom immerses guests in

Visit www.coastalconnectionsconference.com for more information about the Coastal Connections Conference, including speakers and session topics. Follow @coastalconnectionsconference on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

the scents and sensations of the sea, with 1,200 square feet of space and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of palm trees and the Pacific Ocean. Decor like the blue floors, white walls, soft cloud and sky felt ceiling detail and signature sea graphics reinforce the Inis brand energy. Hale will share the details behind the design along with other beach, coastal and nautical design inspiration.

William Hill has done a complete overhaul of the 1,700-square-foot gift store since he began with the Margaritaville Resort Orlando in June 2022. Hill brings 15 years of retail management experience to his new role and is taking the store to the next level of upscale resort retail. As the island-inspired resort grows, the retail store is shifting its mix to keep guests and residents in the “5 O’clock Somewhere” spirit.

Surf Expo launches new Connect tool Surf Expo, the premier watersports and coastal lifestyle marketplace, is launching Surf Expo Connect in conjunction with its upcoming show at the Orange County Convention Center’s West Hall in Orlando, Florida, Sept. 8-10.

Surf Expo Connect provides a seamless way for both buyers and exhibitors to create meaningful new business connections, make the most of face-to-face time and reach new vendors and customers.

The free Connect with Brands tool allows buyers to research brands and products, create a “must-see” list, email with brands, and reserve one-on-one time with them using the calendar system to request an appointment.

The Connect with Buyers tool allows exhibitors

102 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

to search registered buyers by location, title or product categories.

Exhibitors can also see a list of attendees who have shown interest in their company, message buyers, view appointment requests and manage meetings in the calendar function.

Each exhibitor at Surf Expo qualifies for 30 free emails and 30 appointment requests to buyers, which can expand the plan if desired.

“We always strive to add new benefits and resources for the buyers and exhibitors that attend Surf Expo,” says Roy Turner, senior vice president and show director. “We believe the Connect application will be invaluable to both buyers and exhibitors for building new business relationships.”

Over 600 exhibitors are participating in the September event, including 150 new brands. Connect is available for registered buyers and exhibitors on the Surf Expo website at www.surfexpo.com.

www.seasideretailer.com

EVENTS COVERAGE

Summer 2022 Atlanta Market saw robust order writing Confident retailers and designers anticipating a strong fourth quarter gathered at Summer Atlanta Market, July 12-18, to source trendsetting products, exchange ideas and connect with leading brands and company principals.

“Business was definitely robust this week at Atlanta Market as buyers and sellers reconnected — some for the first time since Winter 2020 — at the United States’ largest gift and

home decor collection,” said International Market Centers CEO Bob Maricich. “The nation’s buying power came to Atlanta to focus on sourcing must-have product in preparation for the fourth quarter.”

For many, the need to nurture vendor relationships and the concentration of leading gift and home brands drove buyers to Atlanta Market.

Atlanta Market has a big impact on our business — it’s the best market in the country,” said retailer Howard Henschel, CEO and President of Norman’s Hallmark who attended market with a delegation of six buyers sourcing for 68 locations in four states.

“We missed it during COVID and in January because of travel problems. We came this summer to see new trends, to negotiate and to speak to the principals of our various vendors — all very important for our business.”

Buyers were eager to stock up on merchandise for the fourth quarter.

104 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

Atlanta Market attracted attendees from all 50 states, three U.S. territories and 48 countries. Some 9% were new to Atlanta Market and 14% returned after a pandemic hiatus.

The geographic breakdown of Atlanta Market buyers has returned to more a traditional pattern with international attendance rebounding to prepandemic levels and notable growth in attendees from the Midwest, Northeast and Southwest.

The Summer 2022 Atlanta Market presented 8,000-plus gift and home decor brands in 1,000-plus showrooms and 1,110plus temporary exhibits including 250-plus new, expanded and relocated exhibitors. It launched two new categories — Boutique LUXE and Cash & Carry LUXE — and three new showcases: two Emerging Brands Showcases featuring up-and-coming gift and personal care brands and RISE by JuniperMarket by IMC. The next Atlanta Market is Tuesday, Jan. 10 to Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.

www.seasideretailer.com

EVENTS COVERAGE

Larger Las Vegas Market draws influx of new attendees Las Vegas Market continues its upward recovery trajectory with growth in retail and designer attendance, brand offerings and programming as it returned to its traditional timing, July 24-28.

“Las Vegas Market’s delivery of the experiences that buyers love — unique must-have product, the ability to connect with industry leaders and unmatched programming — drew attendees out of stores and studios to market,” said Bob Maricich, International Market Centers CEO. “A significant number of new buyers and those returning from a pandemic hiatus joined market loyalists to tap the power of Las Vegas Market as they plan for a successful end of 2022.”

The Summer 2022 Las Vegas Market posted an 8% gain in attendance over its Summer 2021 staging, indicating an acceleration in the market’s overall recovery from more than two years of COVID-19-induced disruptions.

Driving attendance growth was the 35% of attendees who were new to Las Vegas Market

www.seasideretailer.com

and the 9% that returned for their first market Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas in since before the pandemic.

Winter 2021 — created new opportunities for In total, the Summer 2022 Las Vegas both buyers and brands.

Market attracted attendees Of note was the RISE from 48 states, three U.S. pavilion presented by territories and 49 countries.

JuniperMarket by IMC with The Market’s largest 12 women-owned brands, domestic gains were in the new to Las Vegas, offering Northeast and Western myriad lifestyle products for regions, and international sale simultaneously at the attendance nearly doubled physical market and on the over last summer, pacing digital platform. attendance to near pre“We went to the pandemic levels. temporary exhibits first, More than 200 new, planning to spend about expanded or relocated half an hour there, instead Attendance continues to grow brands across thousands of we were there for four hours at Las Vegas Market. resources in the Market’s and wrote orders with seven 800-plus permanent showrooms and 350-plus new lines that we are very excited about,” said temporary exhibits tapped Las Vegas Market retailer Harlan Munneke of The Mole Hole in to make connections with new customers.

Solvang, California.

Expansion of the temporary exhibits — The next Las Vegas Market is Jan. 29 to the largest presentation since relocation to the Feb. 2, at World Market Center Las Vegas.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 SEASIDE RETAILER 105

BEACH READS

Beaches

These page-turners will make book worms out of beach lovers of all ages!

Awe-inspiring aerial photographs of beaches around the world are shot from doorless helicopters, creating playful and stunning celebrations of light, shape and perspective, as well as summer bliss. Combining the spirit of travel, adventure, luxury and artistry, Gray Malin’s work forges the synergy between wanderlust and adventure, creating the ultimate visual escape for anyone who loves the coast.

for the little

Minnows

Author: Gray Malin www.abramsbooks.com

The Hotel Nantucket

Filled with the emotional depth and multiple points of view as well as an added dash of Roaring Twenties history, this compelling beachside drama will captivate resort lovers while they relax by the water.

Author: Ellen Hilderbrand www.littlebrown.com

Fascinating Shells

Learn about the world’s most beautiful and quirky shells from the more than 8 million specimens held in the collection at London’s Natural History Museum. These shells have much to reveal about the history of collecting, the science of taxonomy and the human desire to understand the natural world.

Ocean Anatomy

Take a deep dive into the wonders of the sea with an illustrated look at how oceans formed, why the sea is salty and more. Includes colorful sea creature profiles and surveys of lighthouses and seafaring vessels.

Author: Julia Rothman www.storey.com

Author: Andreia Salvador press.uchicago.edu

The Life & Love of the Sea

Showcasing cutting-edge underwater photography from the world’s leading marine and nature photographers, this book takes a breathtaking visual tour of the ocean’s great diversity. Readers will experience land meeting sea with images of dramatic coastlines, barrier reefs and island chains, as well as the spectacular power of the ocean through a stunning collection of wave photographs. Includes bonus footage via a scannable QR code from award-winning underwater cameraman Steven Hathaway.

Author: Lewis Blackwell www.abramsbooks.com

112 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

Juno’s Merry Christmas

Celebrate Christmas with Juno the jolly seashell! Join Juno as he prepares for the festivities. Kids will learn how to rhyme and to enjoy all things Christmas.

Author: Maurine Tacito & Marianne Pasqual thejunobooks. godaddysites.com

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

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

Swig Life Escape to the islands with this bright hibiscus and sunny orange Island Bloom Loopi tote bag.

Eddie Forbes Art Pop open a brew with this handmade wall-mounted bottle opener ideal for any captain of their quarters. www.eddieforbesart.com

www.swiglife.com

Line + Cleat Buoy hand towel hand crafted with an old-time, classic flour-sack-towel feel includes hanging loop.

Rightside Design Studio Bird’s Eye Beach Scene coastal pillow captures the view from above just like a shorebird would see. www.rightsidedesignstyle.com

www.lineandcleat.com

Kurt S. Adler The sea captain nutcracker adds holiday cheer to nautical decor. www.kurtadler.com

Fair Winds Candle Co. Swim Call fragrance combines suntan lotion and summer flowers.

Beach Memories Jewelry Marquis sand bead earrings give a touch of elegance and a pop of color while evoking beach memories.

www.fairwindscandle.com

www.beachmemoriesjewelry.com

Pumpernickle Press Nautical Noel Christmas card includes all the markings of a festive holiday with a wintry coastal feel. www.pumpernickelpress.com

Devi & Co. The Dewi necklace dazzles with larimar and orchid blossom.

www.deviandco.boutique

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

114 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

www.seasideretailer.com

R E TAI L E R R E F L E C T I O N S

Remember, this is a partnership. A winwin relationship for both of you. You are asking for support so that you can double your business with them.

4

A

s we enter the busy trade show months, it is important to remember that vendors are more than just companies that you purchase goods from for your store. They are your partners, and if your business grows, their business grows too.

Talk about how you can help each other double your business. How you can double your business together?

Take these steps before going to your next trade show.

1

Identify VIP vendors.

These are the top 15 vendors whose offerings align with your store’s mission, vibe and customer base.

2

Develop a list of everything you can offer them. Be sure the list outlines how the vendor will benefit: • Highlight their products for a week in your store and in your front windows. Let them know how many cars drive by your windows.

• Send a featured vendor email series highlighting a product or benefit.

• Create videos about why you love their product and share them.

• Tell them about the reach that you have via emails and social media.

• Connect their product with a charity.

3

Remember, this is a partnership. A win-win relationship for both of you.

You are asking for support so that you can double your business with them.

5

Remind them that this is a limited opportunity for just a few vendors.

Tell them that you are talking to others and that you really want them to be a part of your VIP Vendor program. Offer them a limited opportunity.

6

Put your VIP Vendor program in writing. You only have to do this once and you can reuse it!

It really is that simple. Just ask. As Wayne Gretsky says: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Take this shot. Because vendor perks like extended terms, an order discount or free shipping has a huge impact on your cash flow — and improved cash flow will help carry you through the slow seasons.

Join me at the Coastal Connections Conference, Oct. 3-5, at the Margaritaville Resort Orlando, where I’ll share more strategies to increase your cash flow now!

CATHY DONOVAN WAGNER guides retailers to more profit, better sleep and living a life they love through group and private coaching programs, speaking events and a thriving online community. She is the 2022 Coastal Connections Conference keynote speaker. She can be reached at cathy@retailmavens.com or www.retailmavens.com.

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www.seasideretailer.com

© ADOBE STOCK | APINAN

A POWERFUL WAY TO VIEW VENDORS

Ask for what you need in return.

Think big. You could ask for December dating so that you don’t pay invoices until the end of the year or ask for 10% off all orders. Be sure to decide which is more important to you so you are ready to negotiate. Ask for access to the owner/ designer to interview for publicity. Find out if they’ll donate a fabulous item for a raffle or any promotional items for you to give away with a purchase. Ask if they can give you first access to goods that they are looking to liquidate. The ideas are endless.

T H E B O AR D WAL K

118 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

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T H E B O AR D WAL K

www.seasideretailer.com

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 SEASIDE RETAILER 119

AD I N D E X A to Z Towels/Dohler Distributor – www.atoztowels.com..................................... 57 A.C. Burroughs Wholesale – www.acburroughswholesale.com...........................88 A.T. Storrs Ltd. – www.atstorrs.com...............................................................................17 Aloe Up – www.aloeup.com............................................................................................ 35 American Style Sunglasses – www.americanstylesunglasses.com....................85 Annapolis Candle – www.annapoliscandle.com...................................................... 12 Aspen & Salt – www.aspenandsalt.com..................................................................... 93 Bags by Bruno – www.bagsbybruno-nj.com.............................................................. 23 Bali Queen – www.baliqueen.com................................................................................ 15 Bamboo Source Tropical Decor – www.bambootropicaldecor.com.................... 25 Beach Biscuit – www.beachbiscuit.com........................................................................ 5 Beach Memories Jewelry – www.beachmemoriesjewelry.com...........................113 Beachables – www.beachables.com............................................................................60 Beaver Dam Woodworks – www.beaverdamwoodworks.com........................64-65 Blue Iguana Sustainable – www.myblueiguana.net................................................68 Brass Reminders – www.brassreminders.com............................................................ 2 Buddy by the Sea – www.buddybythesea.com......................................................... 72 Caloosa WaterWear – www.shopcaloosa.com.......................................................... 76 Cape Shore – www.cape-shore.com............................................................................ 47 Clutch Towels – www.clutchtowels.com.....................................................................60 Coastal Connections Conference – www.coastalconnectionsconference.com......................................................... 101 Corpus Christi Souvenir & Resort Show – www.pinnacle-shows.com..............111 CoTZ Skincare – www.cotzskincare.com..................................................................... 33 Daisy Mae Designs – www.daisymaedesigns.net.....................................................50 Destination Jewelry – www.destinationjewelry.com................................................ 9 Difference Coin – www.differencecoin.com...............................................................69 Dolphin Wood House Soaps – www.dolphinwoodhouse.com.............................38 Drinking Straws Glass – www.drinkingstraws.glass................................................ 24 Dune Jewelry & Co. – www.dunejewelry.com............................................................ 22 Fancy That Gift & Decor – www.fancythatgift.com...................................................44 Fanema Cutlery – www.faneemacutlery.com.......................................................... 118 Fin Pin Shop – www.finpinshop.com............................................................................ 93 First & Main – www.firstandmain.com.........................................................................21 Flopeeze International USA Inc. – www.flopeeze.com............................................83 Foterra Jewelry – www.foterrajewelry.com................................................................ 10 FunDog Bandanas – www.fundogbandanas.com..................................................... 53 GCI Outdoor – www.gcioutdoor.com/waterside..................................................... 124 Gift for Life – www.giftforlife.org.................................................................................121 Hang Loose Bands – www.hangloosebands.com.....................................................84 HeadLimes LLC – www.headlimes.com.......................................................................44 HS Seashells – www.hsseashells.com........................................................................... 7 IGES – www.iges.us/reg22-ssr...................................................................................... 103 Impulse Souvenirs – www.impulsesouvenirs.com................................................ 123 Inis the Energy of the Sea – www.inisfragrance.com.............................................. 31 It's the Beach – www.itsthebeach.net......................................................................... 81 Jackie Gallagher Designs – www.jackiegallagherdesigns.com.............................89 Jan Bixler Resort & Gifts – www.rakupotteryworks.com...................................... 119 JD Yeatts/Chesapeake Bay – www.jdyeatts.com.....................................................117 Joseph K. & Co. LLC – www.josephk.com.....................................................................51 Key West Gear – www.keywestgear.com................................................................... 118 Kurt S. Adler – www.kurtadler.com................................................................................ 3

Lake and Coast – www.lakencoast.com......................................................................48 Lani Lau Hawaii – www.lanilauhawaii.com................................................................80 Lanikai Bath and Body – www.lanikaibathandbody.com......................................34 Lighthouse Keeper's Pantry – www.lighthousekeeperspantry.com................. 118 Lisart LLC – www.lisart.us..............................................................................................115 Melissa Lew – www.melissalew.com.......................................................................... 118 Mermaid of Hilton Head – www.mermaidofhiltonhead.com................................ 87 Middle Sister Jewelry – www.middlesisterjewelry.com.........................................85 Mutual Sales – www.mutualsales.com........................................................................ 59 Nau-T-Girl Jewelry – www.nau-t-girl.com...................................................................43 Nautically Northern – www.nauticallynorthern.com.............................................. 52 Ocean City Resort Gift Expo – www.oceancitygiftshow.com........................ 106-111 Ocean Jewelry – www.oceanjewelrystore.com.......................................................... 24 Ocean Sole – www.oceansoleonline.com...................................................................88 Ocean World Imports – www.oceanworldimports.com.......................................... 41 Old Salt – www.shopoldsalt.com...................................................................................77 Patsy Kane – www.patsykane.com...............................................................................28 Patti Biggs – www.pattibiggs.com................................................................................80 Panama City Beach Gift Show – www.pinnacle-shows.com............................... 110 Powder Pouch – www.powderpouch.com..................................................................39 Pumpernickel Press – www.pumpernickelpress.com..............................................11 Retail Mavens – retailmavens.com.............................................................................121 Riviera Towel Co. – www.rivieratowel.com................................................................ 61 Salt N Rays – www.saltnrays.com.................................................................................63 Saltwater Born – www.saltwaterborn.com................................................................ 79 Sea Lark Enterprises – www.soaplift.com..................................................................38 Seaside Retailer magazine – www.seasideretailer.com....................................... 119 Shard Pottery – www.shardathome.com.................................................................... 27 Shark Off – www.thesharkoff.com................................................................................26 ShipShapeStyles – www.shipshapestyles.com...................................................... 119 Shore Bags – www.shorebags.com............................................................................. 119 SJT Enterprises – www.thousandsofsigns.com..........................................................51 Steamboat Sticker – www.steamboatsticker.com...................................................49 Sugared Mango – www.sugaredmango.com..............................................................34 Surf Expo – www.surfexpo.com........................................................................... 100-101 T. Jazelle Boutique – www.tjazelle.com....................................................................... 29 The Beach and Back – www.thebeachandback.com ..............................................45 The Grecian Soap Co. – www.greciansoap.com........................................................ 37 The Petting Zoo – www.pettingzooplush.com.......................................................... 67 The Wellington Michael Collection – www.wellingtonmichael.com................... 92 Top It Off Accessories – www.topitoffaccessories.com.......................................... 73 Tormenter Ocean – www.tormenterocean.com........................................................ 75 Town Pride – www.townpride.com............................................................................... 52 TownWear – www.mytownwear.com............................................................................ 55 True Ocean – www.trueoceanproducts.com.............................................................. 32 Tula Blue – www.tulabluerope.com............................................................................. 42 Turtle Tracks Family – www.turtletracksfamily.com................................................84 Virtu Made – www.virtumade.com............................................................................... 13 Weekend Threads – www.itsalwaystheweekend.com............................................ 78 What the Fin Apparel – www.whatthefin.com............................................................71 Wheeler Manufacturing – www.wheelerjewelry.com.............................................. 91

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S TAR F I S H AWAR D

Winner: Pauline’s Gifts Location: Gloucester, Massachusetts Owner: Pauline Bresnahan

PHOTOS

: CANDY

McCALL

Proud to support servicewomen

“

“I can’t do enough to help these women. I was raised to give back. And I’m proud to do it.” — Pauline Bresnahan

Nestled in America’s oldest seaport is a longstanding gift shop that’s a point of pride for the north coast and a real hero to Operation Troop Support, a nonprofit headquartered in Danvers, Massachusetts, that helps deployed troops and loved ones back home with care packages, hospital supplies and more.

Pauline Bresnahan has been organizing a women-to-women donation drive at Pauline’s Gifts in Gloucester for the last five years and has collected more than 1,000 pounds of goods. She holds the drive in May for Mother’s Day and again during Labor Day to collect items in time for the holidays.

Socks, undergarments and other comfort items pour into her shop, with donating customers receiving a raffle opportunity to win one of Bresnahan’s signature hand-painted lobster buoys when they also sign up for one of her decorative painting events. Pauline’s Gifts also held a fundraiser to cover the shipping costs, which are over $19 per box. The store raised over $1,000.

LENDING SUPPORT

The outpouring of support is a testament to Pauline’s Gifts’ do-good spirit and inspires Bresnahan to continue the effort. She has even received heart-felt thank you letters from recipients. “When you open that letter and read how much they appreciate the boxes they get from us, it’s wonderful, and they talk about their children and — wow.

It’s such an amazing feeling to help like that,” she says.

Pauline’s Gifts opened in 1999, and Bresnahan has been a decorative artist for more than 40 years. She has served on the Gloucester Tourism Commission and is an advocate for the town’s women business owners. Pauline’s Gifts is also the largest retailer of American and decorative flags on Boston’s north shore.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT

Pauline’s Gifts is a local community advocate and supports deployed women troops with collection drives inside the store.

SPONSORED BY:

Her 1,000 square-foot shop also holds displays of greeting cards created by local artists, jewelry, nautical gifts and driftwood art, along with signature Gloucester hats bearing the seaside city’s 1623 date of founding inside a fish design. “I’ve been blessed to be in a great community that really supports their local stores,” she says.

And as a fifth generation “Gloucester girl” and fourth generation business owner, entrepreneurism is a family tradition Bresnahan continues.

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.

122 SEASIDE RETAILER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

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