FEATURE STORY Selling Classic Coastal Images

Gifts, Souvenirs and Decorative Signs at Seaside Locales

Trendy isn’t exactly the first word that comes to mind for coastal souvenirs. Instead, seaside retailers report that decade in and decade out, it’s the classics that sell — from anchors and starfish to mementos branded with beach names.

“Crabs, starfish, boats, anchors — those are always huge,” said Jennifer White , owner of Cottage Flair in Old Saybrook, Conn. “With your coastal stuff, you’re selling the same motifs every year.” visitors, White gets a lot of mileage out of her window displays. “I have customers who come in and say, ‘I walked by last night coming back from the restaurant, and I saw this item in the window.’ ”

At her 1,000-square-foot boutique, this year’s top seller is the Cutlery Couture line of marine-themed tableware. Decorated with starfish and shells, the novelty cutlery is sold in burlap silverware pouches. “People can use them for a buffet or to set a beautiful table or when they go out on a boat or a picnic,” White explained.

At Artesana, a 3,500-square-foot emporium in Pensacola, Owner Josephine Daniels favors blue and green displays that reflect the Florida seaside vibe. She’ll even put out blue pumpkins alongside seashells in fall, to make her seasonal display “more coastal looking,” the retailer explained. “We like to keep it bright and airy.”

Daniels’ shoppers are looking for local items and souvenirs that remind them of Pensacola. Among the store’s best-sellers are area-made and Pensacola-branded candles, decorative beach pillows, and tumblers customized with local beach emblems. “We also a do lot of Blue Angels items because we’re right by the bay,” said Daniels, referring to the Pensacola Beach Air Show featuring U.S. Navy flyers known as The Blue Angels.

Coastal-themed dish towels are another popular item. White carefully coordinates her beachy houseware displays, “so people know so how to put it out and what looks good with what.”

Decorative signs with slogans like “Life’s a Beach” are a hit at Cottage Flair and many other coastal boutiques. “The most popular ones say things like ‘Welcome to our Porch’ or ‘Life is Better on the Patio’ — anything about the deck, beach or patio,” said White. Local decorators favor vintage style signs crafted from old door panels with mottos like “All You Need is Love...And The Beach.”

With plenty of foot traffic from tourists and seasonal

Military shoppers are also a big factor in Guam, where a reduction in tourism due to the pandemic has prompted gift shops to shift emphasis. With fewer visitors buying souvenirs, retailers like Elaine Kwok are selling more items for special occasions like birthdays and graduations.

“They don’t want anything extravagant or luxurious,” Owner Kwok said of her mostly local clientele at Gifts Motion, a 100-square-foot outlet at the Agana Shopping Center. Instead, Kwok does a brisk business in plush fish and other animals for children, travel items like fancy soaps in carrying cases, and the customized friendship bracelets her store is known for. And she ro-

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