A few weeks ago, I decided to take a yoga class. It had been at least a few years since I last did any sort of yoga, and I forgot just how amazing it makes you feel. One of my favorite parts is at the beginning of class, when the yoga instructor asks you to set an intention for your practice. This exercise got me thinking that setting an intention shouldn’t just be reserved for yoga, it should be something we do in our businesses too.
From the moment Karen Carr and I began Seaside Retailer in January 2020 and still today, our intention has always been to help beach, coastal and nautical retailers thrive. And we do that by providing you with information, inspiration, product ideas, advertising from relevant wholesalers and more. And you are able to receive the magazine at no charge as long as you are a qualified retailer. And it doesn’t end there. In 2025, we are hosting our third Coastal Connections Conference and our goal is the same: To help you thrive.
We will do that by giving you face-to-face access to industry experts whom you can learn from to elevate your store in a wealth of areas, from marketing to merchandising, to finances and more. The Boardwalk exhibitor experience and Boardwalk Chat that are part of the event are our way of helping you build relationships with vendors. And coming together with other coastal retailers is also invaluable for sharing ideas and getting inspiration. You can learn more and register at
www.coastalconnectionsconference.com.
"Setting an intention shouldn’t just be reserved for yoga, it should be something we do in our businesses too."
We are here for you and want to do whatever we can to give you the tools you need to succeed. Our latest tool, the Marketplace, is launching in August. This online directory, hosted at
www.seasideretailer.com, will give you the ability to search for wholesalers across a variety of product categories, learn about their product offerings and connect.
We are sure there are even more ways out there we can help seaside retailers in their businesses, and asking ourselves how guides our business decisions. What is your store’s intention? Is it to make customers smile? To make a difference in someone’s life by providing them with a quality keepsake? Whatever it is, think about it often as you go through your day, and don’t forget it even when you get distracted, busy and overwhelmed. Take a deep breath and slowly exhale. You’ve got this. Namaste.
