Every summer, thousands of people take the ferry to Kelleys Island, a popular Ohio vacation spot. People enjoy the island’s bars, restaurants and outdoor activities such as fishing or camping.
For visitors who want to commemorate their time on the island, Kelleys Island Clothing Company has been a go-to shop for name-dropped apparel and souvenirs. Customers are drawn to the store’s vibrant T-shirts displayed prominently along the two main walls of the store.
Comfortable yet stylish T-shirts and sweaters are popular among customers at Carpinteria Beach Company.
Carla Pelz, who owns the shop alongside her husband, Kevin, says vacationers love to buy coastal, name-drop apparel at her shop.
And Kelleys Island Clothing Company is not alone. Vacationers and locals alike in seaside locations all over the country love purchasing name-dropped shirts, hoodies and caps to remember their trip or show off some town pride.
In Santa Barbara, California, Carpinteria Beach Company carries a wide range of beachwear and gifts, such as beachy T-shirts, sweatshirts, loungewear, caps and more. Store Manager Kate Mascari says the shop caters to locals and tourists alike by offering one-of-a-kind merchandise.
“Locals love to support where they’re from, and tourists that come in want a little memento of Carpinteria,” she shares. “You have both areas of clientele wanting things that say Carpinteria. That’s what does best for us.”
Cater to the crowds
Since many coastal and lakeside destinations are popular vacation spots, it is important to make sure apparel options resonate with tourists coming into town during peak season.
Mascari says Carpinteria Beach Company serves quite a few tourists throughout the year, with most coming in the summer months to camp at the Carpinteria State Beach campground.
“We have a great camping ground at the end of the main street that goes right to the water,” she explains. “So we sell a lot of name-drop sweatshirts and apparel geared toward people camping or doing a beach trip. I make sure we have a lot of sweats and T-shirts that say Carpinteria since that’s what they’re seeking out.”
Throughout the year, April Daze Boutique in Stuart, Florida, carries a variety of trendy coastal apparel options and gifts for customers. But March and April mark busy season for the store with many spring breakers coming to town, so Owner April Hope says she makes sure she focuses on having apparel that will appeal to college students at that time.
“For spring break, I always want to have a few more crop tops, shorts or dresses,” she explains. “Spring breakers love cute T-shirts or dresses.”
Name-drop shirts are always popular at Kelleys Island Clothing Company, but Pelz adds that she carries some popular sports shirts in late summer to appeal to customers who come to watch football games at bars on the island in early fall.
Pelz says she’s learned to lean on customers when deciding what to carry each season. “We listen — what are people looking for?” she explains. “Then we start to tailor our inventory for the things people are asking for most.”
Tailored for trends
Many customers seem to be seeking out comfortable yet classy looks in coastal communities. Mascari says nice-looking loungewear and activewear have been big in her area.
“In small coastal cities, people want something to wear all day that’s comfortable yet slightly put together that’s not too dressy,” Mascari says. “People might be grabbing lunch with friends but don’t want to be dolled up.”
Nautical themes and name-dropped apparel are popular sellers at Kelleys Island Clothing Company.
Hope agrees that the coastal comfort look is trending.
“People are wanting more smart-looking, dressier T-shirts,” she says. “We’re still casual in Florida, but people still want something put together. It might look like a tennis skirt that you can workout in or go out to eat in it when you add a cardigan.”
She adds, “Cute sneakers that you can wear with everything is also huge right now.”
The comfy yet cute vibe is popular with women. Achieving this look can be tricky, but Mascari says she displays some great pieces to show how it works, such as matching sweat sets or linen pants with a nice, loose-fitting top.
Men, on the other hand, seem to love classic name-drop T-shirts. Mascari says she’s also seen a rising demand in shorts that double as swim trunks.
“Guys don’t like to pack a lot when traveling — they want something they can wear throughout the day,” she says.
Hoodies are also very popular. Even in warm climates like Florida, sweatshirts sell year-round. Hope adds, “We do great with our Stuart name-dropped sweatshirts, especially the ones that are lightweight.”
Attention to detail
In addition to carrying apparel that is both classic and trendy, placing some accessories near apparel displays can boost add-on sales.
Hope says she always mixes in some hats, bags and jewelry with apparel. She adds that hair accessories have also been popular lately.
“Right now a big thing is hair ties that look cute as a bracelet and that also can be used to pull back hair,” she explains. “Hair clips are also huge right now. A lot of the nautical ones like octopus or whale hair clips have been really popular for us.”
In Stuart, various shades of blue are often a hit in the apparel category.
“Blue is always a No. 1 seller,” says Hope. “It’s tried and true, but overall blue and white are huge in Florida.”
April Daze Boutique stocks up on vibrant, cute apparel options early in the year to appeal to spring breakers.
Although neutral color tones are trending these days (consider that Mocha Mousse won Pantone Color of the Year), Mascari says she often sticks to carrying brighter color tones in her clothing section, such as turquoise, yellows, corals and blues.
“We always do a lot of bright colors,” she says. “That’s our goal — for people to walk into the store and see bright, happy merchandise. I think people find that refreshing.”
Paying close attention to the vibe of the community and what customers are asking for is key when Mascari selects apparel for Carpinteria Beach Company.
She says, “The reason we’re doing as well as we do is we know the community we’re working with. We know what they’re looking for and listen when they have suggestions. When you have a good relationship with the community you’re in, they want to see you succeed. Locals make an effort to shop with us. The more you know your community, the better your store is going to do.”
