It is difficult to walk into any shop in a major beach town without finding an assortment of products that bear the name of the town or nearby beaches. Seaside retailers have to make sure their selection of souvenirs with a location name are unique, well designed and well crafted to appeal to today’s shopper who has boundless choices for where they spend their souvenir dollars.
“We’ve designed pins for hundreds of major landmarks and cities around the world, for people to travel around the world and collect,” she explains. “To make it even more fun, the company has a mobile app, which collectors use to track their pins, discover new places and to find stores where they can grab their next pin.”
The biggest seller for The Cottonseed Marketplace, Tampa, Florida, is the Sandkeeper Christmas ornament. “They are designed to hold a very small amount of sand as a vacation keepsake that really connects the customer to a place and time,” explains Carrie Perkins, co-owner.
“We are very excited about the versatility of these keepsakes to adapt to specific locations,” says co-owner Joe Perkins.
“Our Blue Crab and Great Blue Heron name-drop keepsakes are top sellers for coastal retailers,” she says. “These items feature elegant designs capturing coastal essence with customization options.”
“We also have baseball caps, cozy fleece blankets, decals, tote bags and postcards. There’s something for everyone,” says Jessica Medeiros, vice president and operating manager of the Mattapoisett, Massachusetts-based company. TownWear’s adult tees and hooded sweatshirts are its bestsellers.
Town Pride offers one of the largest selections of name-drop products in one place — “everything from note pads to charcuterie boards, to knit sweaters, all made in the USA,” says Tamara Moran, president of the Yarmouth, Maine-based company.
But luckily for Gimbel and other retailers looking to offer unique location-mentions on their merchandise, there are a number of wholesalers who do offer items that can be customized to a location.
ALL ABOUT LOCATION
The Monda Company also does customized products that include location names. Kristyn Wuebbolt, founder of The Monda Company, describes the company’s popular Monda Pins as a “travel and collect pin concept.”“We’ve designed pins for hundreds of major landmarks and cities around the world, for people to travel around the world and collect,” she explains. “To make it even more fun, the company has a mobile app, which collectors use to track their pins, discover new places and to find stores where they can grab their next pin.”
FOR EVERY PURPOSE
For Impulse Souvenirs, Kent, Washington, magnets reign supreme in the name drop and custom category. James Melley, national sales manager, says the company’s magnets featuring a UV print with soft enamel coating are a top seller. The company’s offerings also include keychains, bottle openers, patches, stickers, pins, caps, beanies, tote bags and T-shirts. All can feature unique designs including the location name.Ornaments, drinkware, magnets and mini dishes are among the many products offered by Cape Shore, Yarmouth, Maine, and adding the name drop is something Tara Merrill, marketing manager, recommends retailers do. “Adding a name drop elevates the product; it takes it from a pretty, well-designed item to a must-have souvenir,” she says. “In our experience, a product with a customization will always out-sell similar products which aren’t name dropped.”
NAME-DROPPING NOEL
Christmas-themed souvenirs are a great way to combine Santa and sandy locales. Honolulu-based Joseph K sells regionalized Christmas ornaments as souvenirs.The biggest seller for The Cottonseed Marketplace, Tampa, Florida, is the Sandkeeper Christmas ornament. “They are designed to hold a very small amount of sand as a vacation keepsake that really connects the customer to a place and time,” explains Carrie Perkins, co-owner.
“We are very excited about the versatility of these keepsakes to adapt to specific locations,” says co-owner Joe Perkins.
“Our Blue Crab and Great Blue Heron name-drop keepsakes are top sellers for coastal retailers,” she says. “These items feature elegant designs capturing coastal essence with customization options.”
Beacon Design is introducing new name-drop pieces for 2025. “This exciting lineup includes both reimagined classics and innovative new designs, offering retailers a fresh array of customizable options to captivate your coastal clientele,” says Duong.
TALK OF THE TOWN
TownWear has seen success with its range of products that are all about localization. Products include T-shirts, long sleeve tees, hoodies, crewneck sweatshirts and other apparel that range from newborn to adult.“We also have baseball caps, cozy fleece blankets, decals, tote bags and postcards. There’s something for everyone,” says Jessica Medeiros, vice president and operating manager of the Mattapoisett, Massachusetts-based company. TownWear’s adult tees and hooded sweatshirts are its bestsellers.
Town Pride offers one of the largest selections of name-drop products in one place — “everything from note pads to charcuterie boards, to knit sweaters, all made in the USA,” says Tamara Moran, president of the Yarmouth, Maine-based company.