Every beach town has at least one store where beach-bound customers stop on their way to the ocean to stock up on beach essentials. Third Coast Beach Co. in Port Aransas, Texas, is among the stores that carry those last minute items beachgoers don’t want to hit the beach without.
“We’re considered a surf, beach, souvenir store,” describes manager Cali Orban. “We carry all major surf brands as well as soft tops for surf boards. We carry skimboards. We have a beach section where we sell beach toys, goggles and stuff like that, and we have a small souvenir selection as well.
For customers hitting the beach, there are a few staple items that get purchased time and time again. “They mainly buy boogie boards, and then we have beach toy sets like pails and shovels. The kids want to catch a wave on the boogie boards and they also buy beach balls and sand toys and stuff like that.”
The larger pail-and-shovel sets do better at the store because “if you have a lot of kids, you can use it for all of them,” explains Orban.
Third Coast also sells a fair share of beach bags — from totes to straw bags, netted bags for carrying shells, purses and fanny packs all from the major surf brands.
The Neso beach shade is also a popular beach product that Third Coast recently started carrying.
According to Anna Goldberg, Neso COO and creative, “Sun protection is becoming a necessity for beachgoers. We also see growing demand for beach furniture that is sleek and easy to use.”
Neso offers its beach shades in four sizes as well as chairs, a beach table and a beach adventure tote with accessories. Its best sellers include the Neso Grande beach shade, “perfect for a group of four to six people.”
“They’re portable, lightweight and easy to set up. They are UPF+50 and recommended by The Skin Cancer Foundation,” notes Goldberg.
GCI's popular Sunshade Recliner appeals to customers looking for comfort.
Sun shades aren’t the only sun blocking instruments people are bringing to the beach. BeachBub USA carries a lightweight beach umbrella system with specialized accessories like a tray table system, flag pole accessory and sun visor “to make your day at the beach more enjoyable and safer,” explains Michael Schermerhorn, CEO, BeachBub USA.
“Our beach umbrella system is our best seller and provides many features which our customers love. The umbrella system is easy to transport to the beach and can be set up in minutes by almost anyone,” he says.
The flag pole accessory provides an easy way to identify your position on the beach so kids playing in the water or running up and down the beach can always easily find their umbrella.
“Beachgoers are realizing that there are higher quality products in the marketplace that make their day at the beach easier, more enjoyable and safer, and going into 2023, they will continue to seek these products out,” Shermerhorn says.
New to the beach umbrella scene is Anchor Works. The company offers The Anchor, a beach umbrella stabilizer made of lightweight material with a patented design that includes a bowl at the base, which restricts the umbrella from blowing away. The company also carries the Classic Beach Umbrella. Both product lines have five variations of unique colors: dark blue, light blue, green, orange and yellow.
And it has some even cooler products in development. “In 2023, we hope to introduce our new Market Style Beach Umbrella, as well as a 28-watt, solar-powered USB charging port that attaches to the top of your beach umbrella and allows you to charge up your phone, speaker, etc. while enjoying your day at the beach,” says Annieva Conlon of Anchor Works.
Big sellers
Mr. John’s Beach Store in Folly Beach, South Carolina, carries a wide selection of beach chairs, umbrellas, blankets, beach towels, soft coolers, boogie boards, floaties, toys, footballs and frisbees for its beachgoing clientele.
“Out here on Folly, we don’t do Styrofoam, so we carry the soft coolers,” says owner Paul Chrysostom. He orders them from one of his major suppliers and they fold flat and provide insulation.
People don’t want to spend a ton of money on beach totes at Mr. John’s, so beachgoers can pick up a tote for only $10 to $20 to lug all their beach gear in.
Sunscreen is by far the store’s best-selling beach accessory. “I began selling Land Shark in 2022, and I’ve always had Australian Gold, but the last few years Sun Bum has become very popular,” Chrysostom says.
Beach towels are also a big seller, and in recent years the beach blanket has been popular, particularly the Baja Mexican style. “They’re comfortable. People like them. They are actually something they can use at home, too,” he explains.
Sunnylife is bringing back the underwater camera in 2023 as a fun throwback.
Chairs also sell well, but the last couple of years have been challenging, according to Chrysostom, due to supply chain issues. “I am hoping that in 2023 prices might go down,” he says.
GCI Outdoor has been a go-to chair brand for many beach, coastal and nautical retailers. It’s Sunshade Recliner has continued to be a best-seller since the product was launched as part of GCI’s Waterside line in 2016.
“Customers love the SunShade Recliner because of the unique comfort features included in the chair. From the rotating SPF SunShade for more (or less) sun coverage to the Pocket Pillow that turns the carry bag into a headrest, this is an ideal chair for those looking for a more comfortable beach experience,” says GCI spokesperson Amy Newton.
Supplier perspective
Jarrells has been supplying stores with the latest beach gear for over 45 years. Sales manager Dale Tucker says, “We carry everything, including chairs, umbrellas, towels, swimsuits, skim boards, straw hats, etc.”
The company’s customizable, printed, straw lifeguard hats are a hot item as people are increasingly interested in protecting themselves from sun exposure. Name drop tumblers are also a big seller as a reusable, insulated option for beachgoers with sustainability in mind. “These two products are in high demand,” he says.
The company has also introduced a new line of men’s and unisex swim trunks and matching shirt/short combos.
Sunnylife is a summer lifestyle brand created in Australia in 2004, established with a simple goal: to share Australia’s authentic summer style with the rest of the world. The company’s offerings include a range of products from iconic pool floats, beach accessories and outdoor games to kid’s swim accessories.
“We are most recognized for our pool floats that come in a variety of trendsetting designs,” says Jamilia Williams, U.S. head of sales. “Our customers are huge fans of our Luxe Lie-On Rose Float, as well as our Luxe Lie-On Campervan Float. We love that our customers can choose a Sunnylife float that speaks to their personality.”
The company has a fun new product in store for 2023. “We are bringing back our popular Underwater Cameras in four new colorways. They’re a fun throwback in that they take 35mm film, plus they’re submersible, reusable and are perfect for capturing moments at the beach or pool,” Williams says.
A new tilting mechanism for its Lux Beach umbrella in 2023 and new colorways for the company’s range of picnic cooler bags will also add some function and fun to a beach day in 2023.
A twist on totes
“One bag for many adventures,” is how Malibu Beach Gear is marketing its initial beach product, the Hands Free Tote. It has a design patent for its unique features, which include towel clips and straps, a built-in pillow, large dry pockets and a waterproof thermal-lined pocket to keep drinks cool.
“Customers specifically like the built-in features of the bag that make packing for a visit to the neighborhood pool or trip to the beach/lake easy and convenient,” says inventor Chris Dowell, who is president of Malibu Beach Gear. “Some customers like the detachable lounger pillow, while others like the towel clips to keep their towel in place.”
The Malibu Beach Gear Hands Free Tote will make its TV debut in the spring on QVC. The bag was a winner in QVC’s nationwide “Big Find” competition.
“The MBG bag was quickly identified as a bag with a lot of retail appeal and value as it combines multiple products together to make life easier for consumers,” Dowell says.
Tech protection is also gaining traction with the beach going crowd. Phoozy introduced its products to the coastal crowd during the September 2022 edition of Surf Expo.
“We started with phone protectors, which is migrating to other forms of tech protection,” says company spokesperson Jade Schwarting. A tech organizer, laptop case and can cooler are also among the company’s offerings.
The technology used in the products are borrowed from NASA. Phone cases range from the lightweight Apollo to the medium grade Apollo II and more rugged XP3. “They do a great job at preserving your battery life and giving you that extra protection you might want as well,” says Schwarting.
Beach-friendly footwear
Footwear for the beach is another area making strides in innovation. Floafers are foam shoes with rubber bottoms that make great beach or pool shoes.
“All of our shoes are odor-resistant, as well as antimicrobial, making them extremely easy to clean after a long day at the beach or pool. They are also all water friendly and have traction that makes them ideal for slippery surfaces or wet areas,” says the Floafers team in an email. "People love our shoes so much not only for the style but for how comfortable they are. We've created a shoe that can be worn from the board room to the beach.”
Another innovative footwear brand, Flopeeze, features an ankle hole that when snuggly adjusted to the foot, helps keep Flopeeze securely attached to your feet during a high degree of activity such as running on the sand.
The specially formulated rubber is flexible enough to mold around your foot, thin enough to provide a minimalistic barefoot experience, and thick enough to provide plenty of protection from hot sand, coral/shells in shallow water, campsites and back-beach trails, according to its website.
Trendy towels
As people are looking for more features in their towels, the Blu Towel from Rockpaperflower checks many boxes. They are made from recycled plastic bottles, are sand resistant, lightweight and quick drying, plus they roll and fold compactly.
“Take them to the beach, pool, camping, yoga, picnics and more. They are super-absorbent, quick-drying and repel sand. Lightweight and far less bulky than a traditional beach towel, they make the perfect fold-and-roll companion for traveling,” says Katie Shillinglaw, president and creative director. And there’s more. “Our versatile eco-beach towels are reversible. Get two great prints with one great towel.”
Another towel brand, Luv Bug, has found “retailers are looking for on-trend designs and colors that their customers will love. In addition to style, retailers are looking for towels that offer additional functionality, in addition to drying off.”
Luv Bug’s sunscreen towel fits that bill. Not only does it block 98% UV rays, it is compact, quick-drying, cooling and sand free.
For the treasure seekers
The beach isn’t just for swimming and sunning. Sand Dipper carries a range of products to help make beach combing, finding and collecting beach treasures more fun and enjoyable. Products in the Sand Dipper line include Sand Dipper poles in multiple sizes, shell collecting bags and a shelling fanny pack.
“Retailers and customers love the quality (anodized aircraft aluminum poles with stainless steel hardware and baskets) that lasts for years of beach combing and saltwater use,” says Gordon Beckhart, president and chief beach comber. “Customers love that they find treasures with no back issues. They have a great time discovering beach treasures and sharing their discoveries.”
As for trends Beckhart sees in 2023, he says,“The beach has been a great escape for all of us over the past few years with the unfortunate concerns about crowds with the pandemic. I think many of us rediscovered the meditative and relaxing nature of simply spending time at the beach, wandering, beach combing and listening to the waves. Well-made beach products for a more mature, yet kids-at-heart customer are in higher demand.”
