Wearables in Tune with a Get-Away Vibe Tips

to Sell More Accessories and Apparel at Resort Stores

It’s a busy summer at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan. After a pandemic year when many Americans lounged in sweats, vacationers are going out and splurging on new outfits to wear. “People want to feel good again,” explained Suzie Ashley, the hotel’s retail director. “And we dress up here.” At the hotel’s Grand Men’s and Grand Women’s boutiques, “we do a lot of men’s ties, suit coats — outfits our guests probably won’t wear elsewhere.”

For Ashley, the secret to selling more apparel is knowing the resort’s particular clientele. “Ours is a shopper from the Midwest who wants something different, something you don’t see in the mall,” the retailer explained. No cars are permitted on Mackinac Island, so guests enjoy strolling and showing off their duds — especially high-end labels. “We’ve found that people to shop by designer, so that’s how we group our displays,” Ashley noted. “We also go for color; we’re a colorful island.”

Grand Hotel also has a more casual boutique, the Mackinac Market Shop, for souvenir name-dropped merchandise. “Whether it’s a hoodie or a suit, guests want something they can’t find anywhere else,” said Ashley. “Anything with our logo on it sells extremely well — tees, sweats, towels.”

In Killington, Vt., the Greenbrier Inn & Gift Shop is having its best year in 42 seasons. Owner Kathy Iannantuoni , who oversees the second-generation family business with daughter Jennifer, can hardly keep up with the demand for delicate jewelry and unique handbags. Winter hats, scarves, and gloves are also popular with visitors looking to ward off the New England chill.

Iannantuoni has two tips for maximizing resort sales: sensitive pricing and eye-catching displays. “We have a wide price range, but it’s moderate overall,” the retailer said. “If people see something they like, they don’t have to think too much; it’s probably within their price range.”

In a 7,000-square-foot store, the Greenbrier has enough room to space out items. “Display really is key to everything,” said Iannantuoni. She favors what she calls “the Anthropologie look” — eclectic yet carefully considered groups of home décor like pillows and throws, jewelry, books, artwork and rugs. “We do vignettes all over our three floors, coordinating colors,” the owner said.

At another family resort, Cottage Place on Squam Lake in Holderness, N.H., - the lobby gift shop is shifting from apparel and accessories to gourmet edible gifts.

“We still have a few hats and Tshirts, but we’re trying to sell it down,” said Manager Nathalie Palmer . She is taking over from her mother, who is retiring after starting the business years ago.

“The gift shop was her passion, but I noticed over the years that there are quite a few things that don’t get sold,” reflected Palmer. With limited display space, “in terms of profit, we do much better with craft beer and wine, local cheese and stuff people forget at home, like shampoo.” Palmer groups items by category to help guests find what they need, with seasonal themes for inspiration.

The Indian Head Resort in Lincoln, N.H., is another vintage property, with a gift shop that dates to the 1930s. “We have an older store, and it’s kind of retro looking. It’s full with everything,” explained

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Wearables inTune (From page 142)

longtime Store Manager Gloria Spanos

In addition, Lincoln was the site of a fabled alien abduction — a legend bolstered by a state historical market documenting the supposed event. Alien-related items are the top souvenirs, Spanos said. Many of the best-sellers, from shirts to mugs and magnets, capitalize on that local lore with slogans like “Captured!”

But resort shops also profit by being practical. New Hampshire’s chilly nights take many a tourist by surprise — so when guests walk into the 1,200-squarefoot boutique, they immediately see a wall full of sweatshirts and coats on waterfall hangers. Spanos said hoodies are the most popular category overall: “We’re always restocking those, and T-shirts are a close second.”

Spanos groups styles together — a cardigan in four colors, for example — allowing shoppers to browse by item, color and size in one place. “I also try to keep up with new colors,” she advised. Sporty gray is the perennial favorite, but each year the store brings in trendy hues, like this season’s pink lemonade.

After all, color defines the resort look; coral, tur- quoise and yellow are hues that say vacation, an escape from workaday neutrals. “My store isn’t monochrome, white and gray and black,” noted Lori Plaisted de Losada , owner at Adornments & Creative Clothing in Meredith, N.H. “I bring colors together, colorful prints, coordinating and contrasting depending on the outfits.”

The store, at the Mills Fall Inn Marketplace, is one of two locations; the other is in nearby Wolfeboro. Plaisted de Losada favors displays that are “filled in, but not crowded,” with complete outfits merchandised to inspire clients. And there have been many this year: “People are dressing up again,” the retailer noted.

Dresses in feminine prints and luxe fabrics, “funky hats,” and novelty purses like wristlets are all flying off shelves. Semiprecious stone jewelry and sterling silver rings are this year’s top accessories.

“People just want to be out and about again, and they’re buying pretty new things to wear,” said Plaisted de Losada, who took over the store in January 2020 after having worked there for nearly 30 years. “Everyone’s tired of sitting on the couch in sweats. They want to look beautiful.” ❖