Special Gifts and Home Décor Section

Sellinga a Wave (From page 53) her sales, but display is also still “very important” for Meehan. “We have a good social media and online presence, but it’s still the in-shop experience that we provide which people love. We get a lot of repeat customers for that reason and for the products we carry themselves.” She caters to a diverse mix of local and traveling shoppers, and looks for a wide range of products to appeal to both.

She said, “We do have customers who come every summer annually to shop here, and they see the new things and have a fun experience as well as looking for the tried and true pieces that they love. We are a gallery as a well as a gift shop, so we also carry a lot of artisan goods from pottery and paintings to cards from local and regional artists. Having that kind of product mix is very important.”

And in Cambria, Calif., at The Garden Shed, speaking for Owner Ashley Gracey , the shop’s cashier, Katherine described another eclectic product mix. She said best-sellers include food items, plants, pottery, hummingbird feeders, and more.

“Probably our French milled soaps are the very top gift items, they are long-lasting and a beautiful prod- uct. But seriously, everything from pesto mix to potted violets does well. Having unusual items is key, such as our locally-made lavender honey and handcrafted iron bats for the garden, with ball-bearing eyes.”

In the category of personal care and candles, she cited Savannah Bee body lotion, heel bombs, the aforementioned French soaps, and a goat’s milk soap, as well as “A soap wrapped in wool. The wool is like a soft exfoliant. It’s made in Northern California, and after that soap is gone, you can use the wool as a holder for another soap if you’d like.” The makers send photos of the sheep they sheer to make the product. “It’s fun to keep an eye on the sheep as they grow,” she said.

As to selling more products, she said the store relies on display, personal customer service, and striking visual images on the owners’ Instagram.

All in all, it’s a varied mix of top sellers and display techniques at boutique shops in coastal and resort communities nationwide. ❖