Beach Supplies and Apparel Sunglasses, Toys and More at Beach Stores

By Hilary Larson

At Shades of Charleston, a two-boutique South Carolina chain, beachgoers and vacationers will find towels for as little as $16. But the top-selling towel — and one of the store’s best-selling beach items overall — is a $40 style from nomadic that is fast drying, antibacterial, crafted from recycled materials and even sand resistant. "They are killer," enthused Alex Carbonell , manager at Shades of Charleston's Mount Pleasant store. "You pick them up and the sand shakes right off them."

Carbonell explained that Shades of Charleston shoppers favor distinctive, high-quality products they can't necessarily find elsewhere. "We cover multiple price points, and we aim to cover the beach lifestyle — not just sunglasses or towels, but everything you need for a day at the beach."

Like Shades of Charleston, beach stores from Maine to California do a brisk business in the basics, year after year: sunglasses, towels, bathing suits, apparel and toys. But to be successful, retailers say, you have to balance these items with fresh, updated merchandise that inspires an impulse buy.

Byron Bay sunglasses from the Maui Jim brand are a great example. Even at $262, they are among the best-selling items at Shades of Charleston. "They combine performance and fashion,” explained Carbonell. “They're great frames, a comfortable fit, a high quality lens, and they look good on any guy.” To stock winning items like this at the 2,200-square-foot store, the Shades team relies on close relationships with vendors and sales reps. "When something great comes out, we buy it," the manager explained.

After more than 30 years in the beach business, Monterey, Calif., Retailer Kelly Sorensen knows what his customers want. His 6,000-square-foot store, On the Beach Surf Shop, transports customers into an island fantasy with thousands of bamboo poles, a 300-gallon fish tank, and a floor crafted of real sand mixed with epoxy. "Our store is for people whose dream is to be in the tropics, surfing all day," explained Sorensen.

His top-selling merchandise is a mixture of the tried and true — Quiksilver, Billabong and other classic surf brands — and newer lines popular with coastal customers, like Pura Vida bracelets and anklets. The Salty Crew apparel brand is a hit "with little kids as well as their grandfathers," Sorensen observed.

While spring and summer bring a flurry of tourists, Sorenson estimated his clientele is about 80 percent locals. His most popular merchandise is toiletries from the Sun Bum line, which has an irresistible scent reminding people of the beach. "It's a great branded sunblock, and they've expanded it to hair care," Sorensen explained. "People really enjoy that smell. We sell a ton of their air fresheners, too."

Just because a beach happens to be in northern climes doesn't mean shoppers aren’t looking for pails, shovels and frisbees. At Ulmer's Drug and Hardware in Kenai, Alaska, "we sell a ton of beach supplies for kids," said Owner Patrick Mede . "You can't swim in the water

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