Staple Souvenirs for Seaside Stores: Apparel and T-shirts

By Sara Karnish

Apparel—namely, the basic T-shirt—is one of the most consistently profitable categories for seaside store proprietors.

Retailers give many reasons for its continued success. “T-shirts and sweatshirts are our bread and butter, especially the unisex styles. Most people just want something that says ‘Maine,’ and we sell lots of graphic tees. Lobsters are my most popular graphic,” said Ann Hoppe, manager and buyer at Puffin’s Nest in Rockland, Maine. “They sell well because the mid-coast is a tourist destination, and every week we have a new group of families. They want something that says ‘Maine,’ or ‘Rockland, Maine.’ And anything with a lobster or puffin—puffins especially. The puffin is the Atlantic sea bird that only visits Maine for a few months out of the year, so they are kind of intriguing and mysterious.” Froukje “Kiki” Gillespie , manager at Rosemary Beach Trading Company in Panama City Beach, Fla., has similar success with the basic tee: “Our top selling apparel item is the short-sleeved T-shirt. [It’s] the perfect souvenir for everyone.” Jonathon Cooley , owner of Mr. Bill’s Shirt Co. in Traverse City, Mich., said of tees—“They’re popular because they’re a local souvenir—anything name-dropped with Traverse City [sells] He offers custom printing, as well; customers can choose a graphic from the selections available and have a shirt printed on the spot.

Brent Burke , general manager at Island Beach Gear in Ocean City, N.J., said his customers also gravitate toward basic tees, but many look for apparel with a little something extra: “Customers want apparel that has a certain function. Anything with UV blockers sells well for us—T-shirts, rash guards, lightweight UV hoodies, pants. Folks are out in the sun and are concerned about looking after themselves. People are getting more savvy as far as fabrics, and there are some amazing fabrics out there with great UV protection. They’re designed to keep you cool as well as protected from the sun. The customer is savvy enough to know the difference [between fabrics with UV protection and without it].” Burke said the clothing brand Salt Life has been a consistently strong seller—“We do well with it year after year. We had a new brand this year do really well for us—a company called Toadfish [Outfitters]. They’re wonderful from the perspective as they have a great conservation ethic—they take some of the money they make and put it back into restoring the oyster beds in Chesapeake Bay.”

Merchandising is one of the most creative aspects of retail, especially with apparel. Hoppe displays some of her tees and outfits a mannequin outside her store in good weather. She also creates eye-catching window displays to entice foot traffic to come in and shop. In the store, Hoppe groups merchandise by theme—“I’ll do an all-lobster theme or all-puffin theme with the icon and color coordinated. The theme is a good eye catcher,” she said. Burke also utilizes grouping, adding, “I group by category, and I always lead with our best. This doesn’t always mean our most expensive. The way we define ‘best’—how much time will a person get out of the item? [We] want to make sure this individual gets a high-quality product that’s not disposable. [We] want it to last. [We] do our homework so customers get their value and the item will last a long time.”

When it comes to merchandising, Gillespie stressed the importance of neat, organized displays to make it easy for customers to browse and buy. “If it’s hard, they won’t bother. Don’t overstock—that makes it hard, too, and I believe it devalues the item. Neatness is so important—the messier it is, the cheaper it is. We are constantly refolding shirts all day to keep the stacks neat. Make your displays inviting. We have started hanging our more expensive apparel items, so it is important to keep the hangers tagged with a size ring and in order. Again, make it easy for them to find and buy.”

Burke said selling more T-shirts comes down to listening to the customer. “Come to the store or buy from us online—we want to find the right fit for you. We learn about the customer. All of those things boil down to being a really good listener. We let the customer drive the car and find the best fit for their lifestyle.” When it comes to colors, Burke said it’s been “fun to see the more pastel colors coming back. That was big this year—we saw that with several brands, and it’s still going strong. People are loving the corals, aquas, and the ‘washed’ look. It’s a nice look and a great color palette.”

Cooley said their excellent customer service helps to sell more T-shirts. “We are downtown, so we are a heavy foot traffic store. Be friendly to everyone. And being able to print a design on the spot helps,” he said.

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