Surf Expo Feature Section

sustainable versions of the iconic Dixie party cup. “I met them when they had a prototype,” said Marjakangas, who now carries 10 different colors of the popular cups, branded with the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea logo. “They’re wonderful to work with — super flexible.”

It’s certainly easier to order from vendors down the street than all the way in China. That so much merchandise is still produced overseas puzzles Randy Bell , who owns Bell’s Beach Store in Pompano Beach, Fla. “With the tariffs the U.S. recently imposed on China, their goods are costing more, so I’m surprised not one of the companies I deal with has moved manufacturing here,” reflected Bell.

Still, like Marjakangas, Bell has benefited from Florida’s relaxed pandemic restrictions and is enjoying the highest-grossing of his 47 years in business. “Things have been great since January, and I haven’t had a day off since,” he said. “I went from my worst year ever to my best year ever, all in one year.”

Like retailers across Florida, Bell has seen the clientele shift from mostly vacationers to snowbirds and homeowners. To accommodate them, Bell’s Beach shop now carries more décor. “It is a different customer, and that home category is growing, with more people settling here in their retirements,” Bell observed. His American-made best-sellers are mostly souvenirs; they include a line of laser-cut wooden magnets, novelty candies, and T-shirts printed nearby in Florida.

In Vero Beach, Darcy Dunbar emphasizes the American-made merchandise she sells at Maison Beach, her 1,100-square-foot boutique. “On social media, I’ll post that it’s made in the USA, and I’ll let them know when they come into the store,” said Dun- bar. “Even though it’s displayed well, I still sell it.”

Maison Beach’s top seller is glassware from the Rolf line, which is made in Pennsylvania. Patrons love the variety of styles — wine glasses, drinking glasses, shot glasses, even ice buckets — and the coastal patterns. “People are shopping for their second, third, fourth and fifth homes, and looking for entertaining and decorative stuff,” explained Dunbar, who has owned the store for 11 years. “Houses here don’t stay on the market for more than five minutes. People buy furnished, and then start over with redecorating.”

At Maison Beach, another customer favorite is scented candles from Botanica, a local brand with a national following; $1 of each candle sale goes to a charity associated with that scent. The store’s top scent is Reef — scented with pomelo, passionfruit and sea salt — whose sales benefit the Great Barrier Reef. Grove, a candle featuring lemon verbena, orange and sea salt, benefits the Everglades.

Social consciousness is also a selling point at Coastal Comforts, another Vero Beach boutique. Co-Owner Chris Pawela sells lots of locally made bracelets from Four Ocean, a Boca Ratonbased line; the marinethemed jewelry company donates to ocean cleanup efforts. Customers also snap up vintage-style wooden signs, made in Montana and painted with the Vero Beach logo. And Pawela sells more colorful wooden fish when patrons discover they’re made by a Wisconsin artisan. “What grabs them is they’re a lot of fun, they make you smile when you see them,” said Pawela of the hanging décor. “When I tell people they’re American made, they like them even more.”

Women are Coastal Comforts’ primary customers, and when they come in, Pawela points out the Amer- ican-made items. It’s part of why the so-called lifetime candles do so well; filled with pure paraffin on a lighted base, these candles are also smokeless, odorless and endless refillable. “You can use them as a nightlight, or they’re a nice accent on a table,” said Pawela of the candles, which come in coastal motifs like shells and starfish.

Located in a pedestrian shopping area, near restaurants and a major resort, Coastal Comforts has a, well, comfortable coastal niche among affluent homeowners. “Vero Beach loves supporting small businesses,” Pawela affirmed. “All throughout COVID, we’ve done really well. And we keep it fresh; we don’t carry the same things every year.”

A block off the beach in Wrightsville, North Carolina, Sweetwater Surf Shop gets most of its traffic from passersby. “They’ll be walking along and just stop in,” explained Manager Carleigh Sion . Catering to the vacation set means stocking a good mix of local items and souvenirs like mugs, flip flops and stockers. Swimwear, surf boards, and accessories are shaped and sourced from local makers. “A lot of it is our own Sweetwater brand,” said Sion. “People on vacation want to bring home something local from where they’ve been — something with either our store or the beach name on it.” ❖