Across Hilton Head Island, Camp Hilton Head invites visitors to take Hilton Head home with them.
Vacationers don’t traditionally “camp” when they visit Hilton Head Island, but the camping motif has worked well for Camp Hilton Head, a gift and souvenir business on the island.
In the 1980s, Camp Hilton Head Owner James Bradshaw was a real estate developer working alongside Hilton Head Island’s Charles Fraser to turn the island into a popular resort community. The Harbour Town Lighthouse is a picturesque spot on the island’s southwest tip, and Bradshaw recognized that the location would be the perfect spot to open a gift shop for people looking to buy mementos at the end of their vacations.
Bradshaw wanted the spot to stand out — he envisioned a hut with wraparound screens full of unique souvenirs that tourists could take home.
“He wanted to do something a little different and open a shop with a camping feel to it,” explains Camp Hilton Head Vice President of Operations Alex Brown.
Camp Hilton Head opened its flagship store in a 500-square-foot covered gazebo just steps away from the Harbour Town Lighthouse in 1981.
The small shop reminds guests of time at summer camp. When the shop debuted, employees even dressed up like camp counselors to play along with the theme.
The seaside retailer’s employees no longer dress up like camp counselors, but Brown notes that it has kept its welcoming atmosphere and always sticks true to its motto of “Take Hilton Head Home with You.”
“We’re still offering up that quality customer service,” he says.
“We try to have a warm, welcoming environment when folks are coming into our stores, complete with beachy music. It’s a good vibe.”
Memorable merchandiseSince opening its flagship store in 1981, Camp Hilton Head has expanded its presence in the area to make sure visitors can find them in just about any corner of the island. The retailer has two gazebo-shaped shops by the Harbour Town Lighthouse as well as one shop on the island’s Coligny Plaza shopping center. Two shops called Hilton Head Shirt Company at Hilton Head’s Fresh Market Shoppes and Tanger 2 Outlets in Bluffton, South Carolina, are also operated by the retailer.
 There is a souvenir for everyone at Camp Hilton Head, including shirts, plush, bibs, mugs, shot glasses and more. Photos: Caitlin Ryan Although the souvenir industry on Hilton Head Island can be competitive, Brown says Camp Hilton Head tries to stand out from the noise by offering long-lasting merchandise at each of its locations.
“We tend to see people returning to our shops wearing apparel they bought from us several years ago,” says Brown. “That’s true to our motto, ‘Take Hilton Head Home with You.’ The good thing about our stuff is you can take it home and keep it for a while.”
Brown says the retailer carries gifts and souvenirs that will appeal to people of all ages and demographics.
“We have occasions where we’ve got grandparents, parents and the kids all coming in, and our buying department does a good job offering up styles where generationally everyone can get something for a nice family photo,” Brown shares.
Camp Hilton Head Buyer Jill Griffith says she tries to find vendors that offer high-quality merchandise. She adds that some vendors are exclusive to Camp Hilton Head and Hilton Head Shirt Company.
Griffith says the retailer makes sure products come in a range of price points so that any vacationer can pick out the perfect gift or souvenir as well.
“All of our stores carry the same merchandise so that we are consistent,” she says. “Very frequently when our customers are visiting the area, they’ll be in Harbour Town one day and Coligny Plaza the next. They may have seen something at Harbour Town that they forgot to pick up. We want to make sure we have it for them wherever they are on the island.”
Popular picksCustomers enjoy Camp Hilton Head for the souvenir apparel selection as well as a variety of other collectibles, such as coffee mugs, magnets, keychains, caps, picture frames and more. Many souvenirs feature the Hilton Head Island name drop along with popular icons on the island, such as the Harbour Town Lighthouse.
 Cropped shirts as well as oversized hoodies all bearing the Hilton Head name drop are popular at Camp Hilton Head. Souvenir magnets are a top seller at each of the locations, as well as name-dropped ornaments. But Griffith notes that name-dropped apparel tends to be the bestseller across the board.
“We sell tens of thousands of T-shirts every year,” she says, noting that simplistic Hilton Head Island name-dropped shirts do best. “Generally speaking, the simpler the better. A simple collegiate-looking arch design works for the apparel with simple black lettering.”
The retailer carries apparel styles that appeal to all ages, although styles evolve over time depending on fashion trends each year and season.
“One of the things that has been very popular with our younger customers lately are crop tops, and we’ve even brought them in for girls as well,” says Griffith. “The ones for the girls are a modest, boxy crop. I’ve gotten some positive feedback from parents and grandparents who appreciate the modest crop tops so the girls look both stylish and age appropriate.”
She adds that bright graphics on T-shirts and sweatshirts appeal to younger boys coming in the shops — think shark- and pirate-themed shirts.
People also seem to love oversized sweatshirts. She says young women will come in and ask for sweatshirts that are several sizes too big for them.
Although crop tops and oversized hoodies are trending today, Griffith says these preferences may change. She shares that she is always trying to listen to customers and gain insights from store managers to make sure she buys trending merchandise for the stores each season.
“Listen to your customers,” she advises. “When I’m in stores, I’m eavesdropping on conversations. If I hear a customer say something, I’ll talk to them about it and ask, ‘What do you like about this?’”
Digging into retail inventory data also helps Griffith keep a pulse on what to buy for the stores each season.
“Look at your numbers — your numbers don’t lie,” she says. “I may not personally like a design, but I’ll buy it if I know it’s going to appeal to a certain type of customer.”
Building the familyIn addition to taking care of customers and ensuring quality merchandise, Camp Hilton Head looks out for its employees. Brown can attest to that — the vice president of operations has been with the company ever since he was a teenager in 1990.
“I was sweeping floors in our warehouse, doing other duties like that,” he shares. “Now I’m the vice president of operations. One of the things we really pride ourselves on is promoting from within, really operating as more of a family-operated business than anything else.”
The seaside retailer has about 15 full-time employees year-round, but Brown notes that the team grows to around 50 employees for the busy April to Labor Day vacation season.
Finding and training new workers each season can be tough, but Brown says it’s of utmost importance.
“We could argue that merchandise is the most important thing. But I always argue that our people are our biggest asset,” he says.
To encourage team members, Camp Hilton Head often incentivizes them based on performance. Brown says the retailer has awarded employees with $25 gift cards for receiving a 5-star review, or he’s bought employees lunch for having the best-performing storefront in a given month.
Brown adds that watching employees grow their careers is particularly rewarding for him.
“What I enjoy most about Camp Hilton Head is we have the opportunity to grow people,” says Brown. “We tend to have folks that are hired here for their first job as a freshman in high school. They come back summer after summer. Then they ask for a letter of recommendation when they go start their career. That’s the most fulfilling part for me — the growth of people.”
Employees also enjoy the retailer’s close-knit work environment.
“I love the family atmosphere, the collaboration with my co-workers,” shares Griffith. “And, of course, we say this all the time but everybody who lives here thinks this is such a wonderful place to live. We have the added bonus of getting to meet people from all over the world every day.”
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