Networking, noshing and knowledge gathering were all on the agenda at this initial gathering of seaside retailers. The first Coastal Connections Conference was a big success. Held at the Margaritaville Resort in Orlando, Florida, Jan. 22 to 24, the event brought together over 100 participants, including seaside retailers from more than 13 states and dozens of vendors who exhibited in an exclusive buying event called The Boardwalk.
Consultants, store designers, veteran store owners and other experts gave presentations on different aspects of store ownership and management — everything from buying strategies to product trends and display ideas to open discussions with the audience on customer incentive programs and how to hire and retain good employees.
Before, during and after sessions, conference-goers enjoyed networking opportunities with other retailers and key wholesalers.
Keep that cash flowingThe event kicked off Sunday afternoon, Jan. 22, with the opening keynote session. Cathy Donovan Wagner, CEO and founder of RETAILMavens gave a talk on “The Fastest Path to Cash and Calm — Increase Cash Flow Now.” The most surprising bit of advice she gave was that “the old 50/50 initial markup rule doesn’t work anymore,” and presented a new formula for it.
Wagner also talked about the need to establish partnerships with vendors so that you can call them and work out another arrangement.
Shoes and showsSession II was a panel discussion on “Effective Buying Strategies,” moderated by Wagner.
The first two speakers, Cindy Henry, vice president of buyer services, International Market Centers, and Lisa Berry (Glosson), vice president, gift and souvenir division, Clarion, shared their trade show tips. Retailers were urged to plan ahead, including setting appointments in advance with vendors whose wares they’re interested in. Coming with a budget in mind was another suggestion, so there will be no need to cancel orders made during the heat of the show later on.
Asking vendors about show specials and other discounts was another bit of advice from both presenters. Henry urged anyone planning a visit to a merchandise market to take advantage of the educational seminars and, especially, all the opportunities for networking. “These can happen anywhere — in serendipitous conversations in elevators, at cocktail parties and even while waiting in line for a shuttle bus,” says Henry.
Dane Cohen, business development manager, Management One, gave an engaging talk focused not on merchandise shows, but on inventory. He urged retailers to “stop front-loading your merchandise,” in other words, putting all the new goods out during the first months of the year. Instead, spread them out throughout the year to keep cash flowing.
Cohen also said to mark down merchandise that isn’t moving.“It’s literally cash sitting on your floor uncollected.”
Color it funAfter a continental breakfast the next morning, a full day of sessions on Monday, Jan. 23, began with a panel session, titled “Maximum Impact Store Ideas.” Michael Hale, owner, founder and creative director, Retail Rehab, spoke about accentuating merchandise colors in a shop’s overall color scheme.
Hale challenged the audience to ask themselves if their stores are “fun to explore” and “accessible with clear paths.” He adds, “Don’t forget that your store is an extension of someone’s vacation.”
Kate Fratalia, vice president of retail at Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach, Florida, told attendees that customers will spend more for conservation-related products. The stores associated with the center carry items from “blue vendor” retailers that give back a portion of their profits to sustainable seas causes, and makes sure shoppers know that.
William Hill, manager of the Margaritaville Resort gift shop inside the host hotel, related some of the things he did to revamp and upscale the resort’s gift shop, such as placing high-demand items at the front and the back so shoppers must walk through the entire store.
Hill had some personnel ideas as well. “Hire people for their personality,” he suggests, and make sure they interact with customers instead of hiding behind the checkout counter.
“Just have fun with it!” was Hill’s final recommendation, adding, “don’t be afraid of failure — be terrified of regret.”
Retaining employees, customers and community goodwillEmployee onboarding and retention was the opening topic for the panel discussion, “Creating Coastal Connections.” Panelist Barbara McLaughlin, owner, Hobe Sound Beach Shop, acknowledged the difficulty in finding good employees and keeping them around.
Panelist Joshua Stewart, owner, Adventures in Paradise Outfitters, Sanibel Island, Florida, recommended memorializing on-the-job requirements in an employee manual. “It makes a small business look super impressive and it shows you put time and thought into outlining what you expect from them,” he says.
Kim Hannon, owner, Ophiuroidea, St. Michaels and Grasonville, Maryland, suggested doing happy hours and other social events with employees. “It helps make the store a fun environment.”
Dave Seehafer, business analyst, Global Wave Ventures, suggests that employees who do outstanding work should get some recognition for it. “Whether it’s public or private, it goes a long way” toward retaining that person in the job.
Stewart has had employees who worked for him as teenagers come back after college. He attributed it to the fact that “we offer benefits, vacation, time off and sick days. Also, I think we have a great atmosphere so they want to come back.”
The second part of this session dealt with customer loyalty programs. The audience was asked what sort of incentives they’ve tried and if they were effective. Janet Otten, in attendance from Hobe Sound Beach Shop spoke of her store’s “Beach Shop Booty,” frequent-shopper reward coins she gives out. “With 25 coins, they can get four coffee mugs or six shot glasses. If they spend over $100 in one visit, they get a free coin bank.”
“Give your customers something free with your logo on it,” suggests Seehafer. Several store owners in the audience shared their own experiences offering customer-retention and reward programs.
The third topic of this discussion dealt with how seaside stores can connect with larger communities. Many good suggestions were put forth by both the panelists and the audience members. For instance, Stewart talked about “Drinks with Josh,” a live Facebook vlog he did during the COVID shutdown where he went around and talked to other store owners on Sanibel Island.
Bright, easy and eco-friendly“Emerging Beach, Coastal and Nautical Trends,” was moderated by Seaside Retailer Editor Kristin Ely. She opened the panel discussion sharing trends from Seaside Retailer magazine coverage, including that “tourists are looking for high-quality products that will make their day at the beach easier, more enjoyable and safer,” and that this will be an ongoing trend in 2023.
Bright colors and fun patterns in beach accessories and apparel are also trending, according to Ely. As for home decor, Ely says the pandemic has made people value comfort as part of the equation.
Tommy Brown, retail manager and buyer of conservation goods, Saint Louis Zoo, shared how eco-friendliness, green-sourced materials and reducing or eliminating plastics has become important to customers.
“Seventy percent (of consumers) said they would change their shopping habits if they discovered a store or brand wasn’t operating sustainably,” he says, adding that shoppers increasingly desire products that give back to environmental causes, are socially responsible and are fairly traded.
Rochelle Lynn, divisional buyer, SSA Group, also talked about sustainable product trends. She stressed how it’s really important to use responsible sourcing in creating sustainable goods.
She said that SSA released a line of sustainable plush toys made from 100% recycled materials in 2017. Since launching the Quest Toy line, close to 7 million single-use water bottles have been recycled.
The Monterrey Bay Aquarium, where SSA manages the gift store, was the first facility in the U.S. to eliminate all single-use plastics.
Seehafer’s presentation was “The Evolution of Shop-Branded Goods.” He told the assemblage that it’s still a great idea to offer name-dropped items in one’s seaside store. Further, items that carry a store’s logo on them help establish a store’s brand and distinguishes it from all the other shops on the street.
Seehafer stressed that a shop’s logo should be simple and easy to read, saying, “If they can’t read it, you’re not going to build awareness.”
Getting SMARTThe last session of the event, “Drive Traffic, Sales and Profits with Social Media,” served as a motivator for beach, coastal and nautical retailers to invest time, ideas and implement improvements to their stores’ social media platforms.
Steph Bechard, brand and content manager for Crystal Media, said, “I hope you are able to write something down during this session that you can implement right away.”
She encouraged retailers to play the long game when it comes to social media; don’t expect tremendous results overnight.
“The long game is the social selling mindset where you are committed to consistently showing up for your audience as a small business owner, building your community (versus just selling to them) and building your brand,” she says.
She encouraged attendees to set SMART goals — Specific, Achievable, Relevant and Timed.
During a special ceremony on Monday, Jan. 23, recipients of Seaside Retailer’s starfish awards were recognized. The awards honor seaside retailers who support charitable causes and several were in attendance to accept their awards.
“We enjoyed all of it! The location, the professionalism of the coordinators,” said attendee, Pam Smith, retail director, Turtle Central, Bald Head Island, North Carolina. “The food was delicious, the content, meeting new friends in the business who have shared experience with coastal trends, business challenges, seasonal changes, etc. So priceless to be able to share similar experiences and learn how to overcome specific challenges when dealing with a coastal business!”
The Coastal Connections Conference returns to the Margaritaville Resort Orlando, Oct. 22 to 24. Information will soon be available at www.coastalconnectionsconference.com.
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