Retail on the Lake: A Southwest beach oasis

Offering go-to brands with a mix of namedrop items that tourists love gives customers a reason to return.

Located along the Bridgewater Channel by the historic London Bridge — the largest antique ever purchased — is a quaint shop that carries everything you need for a day on Lake Havasu in Arizona. From beachwear to accessories, jewelry and flip-flops, the year-round family-owned business delivers a lake shack themed experience in a major tourist destination.

“We are fortunate to meet people from all over the world,” says Stephanie Finch, whose husband Danny Finch opened it with brother, Dallas, in November 2019. Finch runs the daily operations of the English Village shop, which is a district on the water with charming retailers and a unique vibe. Many enjoy visiting because they can go “across the pond” without leaving Arizona.

Finch says Beach House runs a busy spring and summer business by keeping up with trends, including offering brands like Salty Crew apparel and Maui and Sons surf shirts and boardshorts. “Being by the water, we keep it casual and fun!” she says.

Maximizing space

“We have a register at either end of the store, and we utilize our wall and floor space to display merchandise,” Finch describes. Both registers come in handy during the busy season. “It also helps with loss prevention having someone at both entrances.” And the shop has even carved out a single dressing room for customers, which can help reduce returns.

Beach House Havasu’s items include fun lake-themed T-shirts for adults and kids.

Photos: Daisy Nelson

Vertical presentation allows the shop to maximize the area. “We utilize every bit of space we can, getting creative when necessary to display what we have to sell,” Finch says.

As for product selection, Finch builds an inventory of fun-loving, beachy items and says that in spite of being on the lake, customers are still after coastal themes that feel like vacation. “When I am shopping for merchandise, I look for prints with water, palm trees, boats and vibrant colors,” she says. “It is really similar to beach and coastal.”

And some items are not necessarily coastal but just plain fun. “A favorite for some of our customers is our T-shirts with VW buses on them,” Finch says. “I work hard to search for products that you might not see in every other touristy shop.”

“The biggest sellers are beachwear and Lake Havasu T-shirts,” Finch says, adding that items carrying the iconic London Bridge image are also attractive to guests. “No bad days,” is a popular Lake Havasu saying that moves when emblazoned on merchandise.

Beach House Havasu carries colorful, stackable bracelets.

“We refresh our stock constantly,” Finch adds. “We look forward to our spring season with all the latest trends with our beach brands. After a cool winter, we are ready for the warm-weather season products. Hats, cover-ups, swimwear, tees and flip-flops are a must.”

Beach House carries brands that include Roxy, RVCA, O’Neill Surf Co. and Billabong. Beachy straw hats hang from the rafters, and “little things” like velvet scrunchies or beaded earrings offer something for everyone at every price point.

The shop also carries fun buys that aren’t specifically lake focused but are appealing to those on vacation who are in an “anything-goes” mood. For example, vintage ballcaps bearing “Thelma,” “Louise” or “Don’t Make Me Go Beth Dutton on You!” are spontaneous good-time buys for the ladies. So are canvas tote bags made from repurposed canvas and military tents that are available in a variety of patterns.

T-shirts and crop tops from the local Lake Havasu brand Rvrlyfeco say “Live Free, Live Fast” and are created by a family with a “passion for LYFE on the lake and river.”

“I work hard to search for products that you might not see in every other touristy shop.” — Stephanie Finch

And capturing a carefree lake attitude are can koozies with phrases like, “I only drink beer on days that end with Y,” and “In our family, we don’t hide crazy we put it on the porch and give it a cocktail.”

A selection of kids’ items gives the younger ones something to take home from vacation, too. Those include namedrop T-shirts with sayings like “River Rat” and a colorful display of Hang Loose Bands bracelets, wristbands and ring bands that can be stacked, mixed and matched.

Seasonal variations

Because the weather is temperate year-round, there are plenty of visitors who frequent the lake town and the shop during what could be considered “off season.” For the most part, Beach House Havasu is always “on.”

“We get a lot of winter visitors who come to Lake Havasu for our warmer temps and beautiful weather — most of the places they are coming from are very cold and most likely have snow,” Finch notes.

She refers to Lake Havasu as “a bubble” that is a relaxing get-away “when the world is a little crazy.” In fact, this atmosphere is what drew her and her family to the lake 31 years ago, where they raised three children and are now grandparents. “We love the small-town, patriotic vibe we have here.”

And as for Beach House Havasu, Finch says, “I feel our store is unique because of our friendly atmosphere, the decor and the location, of course!”