When it comes to finding gifts and keepsakes, Americans truly do place a higher value on American-made goods.
According to a November 2024 poll conducted for the Alliance for American Manufacturing, 77% of respondents said they prefer to purchase American-made gifts.
Recognizing this demand, some seaside retailers have made concerted efforts to market their USA-made and American-themed products in their stores. For some, it’s even part of their mission.
Maine-themed ornaments are big sellers at The Christmas Vacation Shop.
Since 2012, Bryan and Stacy Pritchett have owned coastal boutiques in the Florida Panhandle, including Mercantile and Duckies in Seaside, Florida, and Disco and Harbor in Rosemary Beach, Florida. The stores aim to provide the community with classic looks and gifts that are mostly American-made, earth-friendly and cause-driven. Store Manager Bailey Dybas says this mission is central to all decisions at these four coastal stores.
“Our American-made selection remains strong,” says Dybas. “That has been the original commitment since we opened — to have quality and transparency. We keep track of where our producers make goods.”
A painted American flag outside of the Mercantile store and some flags featured inside the store as display backdrops serve as small yet impactful details to let customers know that the store is focused on selling products made here.
On top of looking American, Dybas says the store regularly vets its vendors to check that brands and products align with the store’s mission of providing American-made, earth-friendly and cause-driven products. She shares that all of the store’s T-shirts are made in the U.S., along with some jewelry and gifts.
“I think you can walk into any store and look at their product and it defines who they are,” says Dybas. “This is important to us. By offering goods made in America, it helps us stay true to our mission and remind customers of why it matters to know where things come from and who makes them.”
An American mission
Providing American-made goods is central to the mission for other seaside retailers as well. Ellie Oczkowski started The Christmas Vacation Shop in 2003 in Bar Harbor, Maine, to sell her homemade personalized ornaments. It began as just a side job while she raised two small kids.
Sweet Bay showcases an adult sweater by some kids’ apparel.
Early in the business, she says she learned that customers wanted to find more USA-made and locally made goods. As the store grew and Oczkowski added new vendors, she says she made sure to carry as much American-made and locally made gifts and decor as she could. Today, she estimates that a little over half of the products are made in the USA or locally made.
A locally made four-sided buoy ornament sells out regularly for the store, along with popular UV-laser wood ornaments.
In Boothbay Harbor, Maine, Sweet Bay is also known for its Maine- and New England-made gifts, from Town Pride apparel to locally made jewelry and decor. Manager Cathy Rayle estimates that 80% of the store’s products are made in Maine or the USA.
Rayle shares that tourists appreciate that the store has a good, curated selection of products made in Maine and the USA that they can take home.
“We have people come from all over the world, and they want something made in Maine or made locally,” she explains.
Some nautical themed attractions also strive to promote USA-made goods, such as The Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia. Public Engagement Manager Andrea Pollock says that one of the museum’s missions is to promote American-made products. The store features playful nautical tea towels from Philadelphia-based Girls Can Tell Gift Co., and some anchor and mermaid pendants from Adorned by Aisha.
She shares, “For me, it’s all about being able to tell the stories behind the people who make the merchandise, especially when working with locally made items or small vendors made in the USA.”
Shown for success
Calling out American-made products through displays can go a long way for seaside retailers that want to delve into this category more.
Oczkowski says she has some signage in the store to call out products that are made in the USA and locally. Customer service plays a big role in upselling American-made gifts and souvenirs, she adds.
The Independence Seaport Museum displays nautically themed serveware.
“As soon as folks walk in the store, we welcome them to The Christmas Vacation Shop. Then we tell them a little bit about the shop — many of our items are made here, made in Maine, made in USA,” says Oczkowski. “Almost every person who walks in hears that.”
Mercantile occasionally has displays promoting an American-made product line, but Dybas says simply having one-on-one conversations with customers is key.
“We rely heavily on our floor staff to make customers aware of our products,” she says, adding that the store regularly trains its staff on all the brands it carries.
Being storytellers
When seaside retailers tell the story behind their USA-made products, customers are more inclined to connect with those items and buy them. It’s a win for customers, a win for vendors and a win for the store.
Simply expressing excitement over the USA-made products is a selling point at Sweet Bay in Boothbay Harbor. Rayle says she and her team try to share the stories behind products with customers.
“One of the things that works so well for us is myself and a couple of the people who work here are so passionate about the things that we have in the shop,” says Rayle. “Enthusiasm and passion are key. We’re enthusiastic about having our Maine artists, and that enthusiasm spills over to the customers.”
American-made products may come with a higher price tag in many cases, but Dybas says sharing the story behind the products can help alleviate price concerns.
“It takes a lot of persistence and risk taking and building relationships with the smaller makers and designers,” she says. “But we love supporting people who are keeping it at home.”
