Color Crush: Top-Selling Apparel at Theme and Water Parks

By Karen Appold

Tie-dyed apparel continues to be all the rage at some water and theme park gift shops.

In particular, James Mayall , director of games and merchandise at DelGrosso’s Park & Laguna Splash in Tipton, Pa., said the tie-dye aquariums blue and tie-dye rainbow color tone youth T-shirt with an urban print is the best-seller in this category. “Tie-dye has been very popular and a top seller over the past five years,” he said. “The shirt’s urban print works well with guests of any age.”

Tie-dyed name-dropped T-shirts sell especially well for Michael Cordani , merchandise manager at Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Ga. In fact, he said any clothing items that are tie-dyed are hot items, including tanks and shorts.

Tie-dye tees and hoods are popular for Nikki Coyle, corporate retail director at Kalahari Resorts in Pocono Manor, Pa., which has an indoor waterpark. “Tie-dye made a comeback several years ago and is still on trend for all ages,” she said. Its eight shops, which range from 150 to 6,200 square feet, carry eight colors in both youth and adult sizes. The shops have also had success selling tie-dye clothing for toddlers and infants.

Another popular seller for Mayall is the Adult Sports Seal Live in Tell T-shirt in three different colors including sangria, ice, and sage with a white faded print. “They are popular because of the collegiate design, which is found on a lot of college-branded apparel,” he said. This particular apparel also incorporates the park’s 75th anniversary in the design, which helped to make it one of the top three sellers of apparel for 2022.

The adult Park Grove Cromer Sweatshirt with a hood in navy with a white print and a white sweatshirt with a hood featuring a navy print is also a good seller for Mayall. “Similar to the T-shirts, the sweatshirts are popular because of the collegiate design which is found on most college-branded apparel,” he said. Also, because the park is situated only 30 minutes south of Penn State University’s main campus, using blue and white in the design increases the apparel’s demand.

Name-dropped promo tees from Prairie Mountain also take the cake at Wild Adventures’ seven shops. “These do well because of the sheer cost of the item,” Cordani said. “We have to purchase a large quantity in

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Color Crush (From page 142) order to get the right pricing.” He charges $30 for two or $19.99 for one.

Swimwear is another good seller for Cordani. “You would be surprised at how many guests come here who need swim suits,” he said.

A top-seller for Coyle is the Adult Popularity crew neck sweatshirt. “Crew neck sweatshirts are back and this embroidered one is unisex and has great crossover appeal for all ages,” she said.

Stocking New Items

If something is a good seller, Mayall recommended keeping it for at least a few seasons. “If it continues to be a best-seller, why change it?” he said.

When looking for new apparel to stock, consider using programs. “A strong program could include multiple pieces of apparel and accessories such as hats and bags,” Mayall said. “This appeals to guests, especially teenagers who tend to purchase