There’s more to being a successful seaside retailer than just the merchandise you carry. How it is presented determines whether a customer will want to come into your store and whether or not that merchandise gets noticed. During the January 2023 Coastal Connections Conference, attendees heard from seaside retailers, merchandising veterans and design experts on ways they could maximize store space, attract customers and increase sales.
Michael Hale, owner, founder and creative director, Retail REHAB, Los Angeles, kicked off the panel discussion. He calls upon his 30 years of experience in making retail spaces more functional and productive. His company designed the striking new Inis store in Huntington Beach that opened in March 2022.
Hale started off by saying that a seaside store should have a casual, playful feel. “all five senses should be engaged — sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.”
For design ideas, Hale suggested looking at home-decorating magazines and restaurants and not just other retail shops. “Accentuate the colors of your merchandise,” he advised. “Google ‘beach paint colors,’“ he said. “Materials like wall coverings, graphics, fabrics and paint go a long way toward creating a sense of place. You can put a big graphic over a slatwall.”
The speaker told the attendees to ask themselves, “Is my store fun to explore? Accessible with clear paths? Well-stocked? Clean? Do I have what my customers are looking and asking for?”
Hale said to also ask what your top-selling SKUs are and if they are in the right locations. “If, for instance, jewelry accounts for 20% of your sales, allocate 20% of your floor space to jewelry,” Hale said.
Your customers might come to your area just once a year, Hale said. “Don’t forget that you are an extension of someone’s experience of the area, of their vacation.”
Kate Fratalia, vice president of retail at Loggerhead Marinelife Center, West Palm Beach, Florida began by talking about how the Center holds special events throughout the year such as “going-away parties for sea turtles when they’re returned to the ocean. And at the end of the party people end up in the gift shop.”
Located at the largest sea turtle nesting grounds in the world, the Center cares for sick and injured sea turtles. Under her leadership, Loggerhead now has five retail operations.
The shops let customers know that their purchases go toward helping the turtles, Fratalia says, and stock items from “blue vendor” retailers that give back a portion of their profits to the cause of sustainable seas. “Customers will spend more for conservation-related products,” she said.
For design ideas, “think about where you love to shop,” suggested Fratalia. “What is it that you like about it?” She added, “You're asking people into your home, so make it clean and inviting.”
Like Hale, Fratalia reminded the assembly that “the last thing your customers will remember is their experience in your store.”
William Hill, manager of the Margaritaville Resort gift shop completely overhauled the 1,700-square-foot space since he started there in June of 2022 transforming it into a high-end boutique.
“In resetting the store, I remembered the adage ‘dress for the job you want, not the job you have,’” said Hill. He talked about how grocery stores are laid out, with the milk, eggs and meat at the back. “People come in for the staple items, but to get to them, they have to walk through the entire store. So put your high-demand items at the front but also at the back.”
“People want to buy where they stay,” added Hill. “Why would they buy a beach towel from me when they can get one at 5Below for $5.00? Because mine says Margaritaville on it.”
Hire people for their personality, he advised. “Make sure they approach customers, walk and talk with them and don’t just hang out behind the counter. Have them act like personal shoppers.”
Hill’s main advice: “Have fun with it! People want to buy when a store is a performance, so treat it like a Broadway show. Tell a story. And don't be afraid of failure — be terrified of regret.”
The Coastal Connections Conference was held Jan. 22-24 at the Margaritaville Resort in Orlando, Florida. Dates for the next edition will be announced soon. Visit www.coastalconnectionsconference.com to learn more.
