This Marathon, Florida, store gives customers an unexpected treat of jewelry to select from.Visitors vacationing in Key West don’t expect to walk into Bayshore Clothing to buy jewelry. That’s exactly why the category works and is an anchor for the second-generation Marathon, Florida, shop run by sisters Teri Childress and Jena Anderson.
There’s a pleasant-surprise factor — an unexpected ooh-and-ah pull that guests experience when they gravitate to expansive, thoughtfully curated displays of jewelry from the most accessible price points to finer 14-karat gold fare.  Bayshore clearly displays many of its necklaces and pendants on neck busts and it has bracelets on bars to showcase what’s available to entice buys. Photos: Ashley Steeby
“A jewelry store feels more serious, and a group on vacation is probably not going into a jewelry store to buy gifts or souvenirs,” Childress relates. “But they come into our shop and see the range of pieces along with clothing and accessories. None of them plan on buying jewelry — until they do.”
While Bayshore offers a spread of sparkles and plenty of pendants to suit any budget, cost is a second thought. Anderson says people don’t “bat an eye”when buying multiple cocktails on vacation, so a jewelry splurge can certainly be worth the investment.
She sometimes shares this with customers, who often agree and then splurge on a special find.
From add-on to anchorJewelry wasn’t always a focus. Early on, the category consisted of simple, inexpensive accessories. About 20 years ago, however, the sisters began to see its potential as Pandora peaked in popularity.
“You have to show it to sell it.” — Teri Childress, co-owner
The store carried this legacy charm line during the height of the brand’s popularity, a time when jewelry evolved into a collecting hobby, not just a one-time purchase. Pandora was an early introduction in this sector.
At Bayshore Clothing, the line represented a way to capture beach memories with opportunities to expand with charms for each visit. The sisters saw jewelry sales increase.
“That was an eye-opener,” Anderson says. “It showed us people will spend more than you think, even on vacation.”
 A spinning rack is stocked with Pura Vida earrings and bracelets.
Childress began expanding the department with more sterling silver, gold, higher-quality materials and broader price tiers.
Introducing gold felt like a risk at first. “You have to show it to sell it,” she says, adding that purchasing one piece at time is too inconsistent and impractical, even if tempting.
There’s risk involved.
“At first, we set out some gold necklaces, but then we realized that aside from backups, displaying a pendant with a necklace sells both,” Childress relates.
Since these initial jumps into jewelry, Childress has taken the lead on expanding the category.
What sets Bayshore’s jewelry section apart is its range.
At one end of the spectrum are $6 Pura Vida braided bracelets. In the middle are best-selling necklaces in the $48 to $68 range from brands including Nau-T-Girl hook jewelry to a variety of sea glass, sourced locally. At the higher end are diamond-accented conch pendants in 14-karat gold, gold Atocha coin rings and other fine pieces that can run several hundred dollars.
“We can sell a $20 bracelet and a $600 ring in the same day,” Childress says. “Someone might come in for a T-shirt and leave with a necklace they didn’t plan on buying.”
That element of discovery is key. In a traditional jewelry store, customers arrive with intention. At Bayshore, jewelry becomes an unexpected upgrade.
Polished appeal Jewelry is visible at every turn at Bayshore. A rectangular checkout area is wrapped on all four sides with jewelry displays, ensuring customers encounter the category whether they’re browsing or paying.
 The store’s selection of Dune Jewelry comes complete with sand from the shores of Marathon, Florida.
Sterling silver and 14-karat gold pieces live in cases, while lower-priced and plated styles are displayed out of case but security tagged.
One operational reality: constant silver polishing because of salty Key West breezes. “Keeping the silver polished makes the biggest difference in the world,” Childress says.
A growing category without the labor: waterproof, tarnish-resistant jewelry. These styles often use gold vacuum plating over stainless steel or brass. Customers can wear them without worry.
Ready to wear The sisters continue refining the jewelry selection, balancing fashion and fine pieces, testing new materials and keeping the assortment fresh without straying too far from the coastal aesthetic.
The goal is to maintain jewelry as an integrated part of the lifestyle shopping experience Bayshore Clothing is known for. “That’s what keeps our shop and the jewelry here fun and what keeps it growing,” says Anderson.
Now, the store’s focus is on ready-to-wear jewelry with strong storytelling and impulse appeal — a balance that keeps the department productive without stretching staff too thin and allowing the sisters to give guests the simple purchases they desire.
What does Childress love about buying jewelry? “Picturing it in the store,” she says, calling out her own desire to bag baubles on impulse while on vacation.
“Make it rain!” she laughs. “This is vacation and what vacation is for.”
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