Gift Report

Gifts at Waterside (From page 52) long-time owner of Captain Gulls Gift Place, said the quality, made-in-the-United States windchimes that the store carries do strong sales for her. “I think the fact that they are made in America helps to sell them.” The windy environment also encourages sales. She added, “I also do well with locally made pottery, and quality sweatshirts. The latter definitely do well because of windy days at our location; we are right across from the beach. Sterling silver jewelry is another quality item that she carries and does well with. She related that she relies on local vendors to find new items in these areas.

Culbertson started her store in 1980, after selling concrete seagulls and other statuary. The over-2,000-square-foot store is also renowned for its handblown glass items and seashells.

And on Bainbridge Island, Wash., Teresa Collier , owner of Plum, related that all of her shop’s gift items are appealing to customers because they are distinctive and locally made. The Pacific-Northwest style shop includes home goods, garden goods, apparel, books, and jewelry.

Top Theft Prevention Tips

Top theft prevention tips often have a double focus in coastal stores: maximizing interaction with customers and keeping items visible and in cases are the key steps.

At Ta Dah in Solana Beach, Calif., Owner Kim McGrath said, “We always interact well with our customers, and we know what is going on in our store. We have cameras, and we keep small highend items in cases.”

In Lincoln City, Ore., Marie Best, co-owner of Coastal Creations, reported that “We have very few problems with theft prevention. We’re a small town, and everyone knows everyone, really. We do keep some of our smaller higher end items in cabinets.”

Rachel Maile, co-owner of Coast Highway Trading in En-

Located right in the island community’s downtown Winslow, she said the eclectic and unusual aspect of her top-selling quality merchandise is a big part of its draw. Her personal curation is also what ultimately drives sales. “That’s true whether the items we are jewelry items or vases or the beautiful snow globes that I sell all year ‘round. Each of the items I carry is also merchandised in a way that highlights how special they are.” She said that an attractive display is absolutely key to promoting and selling quality gifts.

That said, display aside, she’s recently had to change her assortment due to the pandemic. “People are interested in more moderate gifts now. So, I needed to bring in new items, in part because people aren’t entertaining as much as they used to during the holidays.”

There has also been a style and interest change, she noted, in terms of what kinds of items are the most appealing for customers. “A lot of our floral holiday items were difficult sales this year; people were looking for items that were more comfortable and whimsical. Things that have a tactile feel like alpaca throws do well now as well. I think warmth and comfort are definitely what feels important.” cinitas, Calif., reported, “We try to keep higher-end items placed higher up on shelves, away from kids. We have locked jewelry cases, too. Overall, I would say that height is one major thing we do for prevention; we hang some things out of reach. But honestly, it’s also all about customer service and interacting with people as well.”

Also located in Lincoln City, Ore., Carol Culbertson, owner of Captain Gulls Gift Place, said that she also keeps certain items on higher shelves or hangs them – such as the wind-chimes she carries. Additionally, other small items are kept enclosed in cabinets.

And on Bainbridge Island, Wash., at Plum, Owner Teresa Collier has put a lot of thought into creating an attractive layout for her store that also is designed to maximize theft prevention. “Our jewelry is within a 6-to-8-foot radius of our cash wrap at one end of the store. We are directly opposite the front door, so I can see people come and go. But, anything that I don’t feel is a safety issue I have laid out around the store.” She added, “I keep the flow, the visual line, open to the store, so I don’t have anything blocking that. And because we are small, I focused on maximizing the layout of the store. For example, I created a glass top over our wrap counter where people can pull out the jewelry and look at it, rather than having it locked up and inaccessible, but I can still see what is happening when they do.” ❖

Additionally, she said, “People are looking for items that are beautiful, items of value that also give them a sense of comfort. For example, our bamboo diffusers were a new item this year that were very popular, in fact we sold out of them.”

Finding more of these higher-end gift items has led Collier to trade shows in Atlanta, Las Vegas, and New York in the past. This year, she is more focused on using online searches to find items to carry in her 850-square-foot shop. “Shopping online, that’s a little trickier. We are getting inundated with webinars, videos and online catalogs. And none of it is the same as looking at a showroom window as you are walking by, where you can see, touch, and make a quick decision. Shopping online, it is more difficult to decide what’s best.” Despite the length of time it might take at present to find the items she wants to carry, she searches out the items that fit her shop’s aesthetic and resonate with customers.

In short, shoppers can find a bevy of high-end treasures washing up at coastal gift shops, and the time is still right to create a special experience to attract customers. ❖

Coasters, Magnets, Luggage Tags, and Key Rings

Exotic Sea Images, LLC, offers coasters, magnets, luggage tags, and key rings featuring exotic and colorful images from the tropical seas, including dolphins, sharks, lobsters, fish, and coral reefs.

(For more information, visit www.exoticseaimages. com, call 703-425-0200 or 888-857-6576, or circle 19 on the reader service card.)