Quality Gifts at Getaways How Higher-Priced Items Fit in at Resort Stores

By Sara Karnish

Tourists seek out small items like magnets, postcards, and jewelry at souvenir and resort shops because they are lightweight and easy to pack. Name-dropped apparel is equally popular because it bears the name of a memorable destination. But at times customers want a more substantial memento of a getaway. This is where resort gift shop retailers can offer guests a range of unique, quality gifts, typically at a higher price point, which often assume a place of honor in their home.

Large- and small-framed maps of Delavan Lake, priced at $350 and $150 respectively, are among the quality gift best sellers at Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan, Wis., according to Sue Phelps , gift shop manager. “We are a generational resort, with many generations of families who have been coming here. I’m in my 26th year, and I’ve seen a lot of newborns who are now in college. We have a lot of repeat guests who have been coming here for quite a few years, and they are probably my biggest fans. We have some ‘newbies’ who are coming in and they are just in awe. They say our gift shop is very reasonably priced.” Phelps adds logowear is a strong seller, along with Minnetonka-brand moccasins. “I try to keep a [price point] ‘comfort zone’ for our guests,” Phelps explained. “Maybe they’re spending money somewhere else, like going out to dinner, so they are purchasing their gifts at a more reasonable price.”

Anything unique to a resort or area in which it’s located goes over well with customers. Jared Henzlik , director of retail at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Mo., said he and his team go out of their way to find one-of-a-kind items that also match Big Cedar Lodge’s brand and aesthetic to sell in the resort’s 6,500-square-foot shop. “Our best-selling quality gifts are Johnnie-O for men, Ivy Jane for women, and any handcrafted home goods,” Henzlik said. Lisa Leggett , shopkeeper at Union City Market in Union, Wash., a goto retail option for guests at Alderbrook Resort and Spa as the resort’s on-site shop undergoes renovation, said they are “located on the South Shore of the Hood Canal and cater to all types of travelers—from resort guests to hikers on their way to the Olympic Mountains. We inspire our shoppers with the bounties of the Canal and create a space where the traveler can take a part of their experience home with them.”

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