Waterpark and Theme Park Apparel Plus Sunglasses

A Q&A with Brand Manager

Chris Nicoli, Canobie Lake Park, Salem, N.H.

Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties (SGN): What are your top sellers in apparel, and why are they selling so well?

Chris Nicoli (C.N.): Regarding apparel, T-shirts and hoodies typically always sell the best. However, in the past few years and specifically 2022, we are finding that any apparel with tie-dye seems to be exceeding expectations. This is followed by any apparel item considered to be “retro.” We are seeing that guest demand for retro items are those with designs appearing to be from the 1970s and 1980s.

SGN: Why is apparel such a strong seller?

C.N.: Although apparel has not always been a strong seller when compared to souvenirs, we are seeing growth in this category that is directly related to design and fabrication quality of the merchandise.

SGN: How do you train your staff to help customers with their buying decisions? Why do these methods work?

C.N.: Our training method for suggestive selling is to give our team members the complete ability to suggest what they like and what they would purchase. If our team members believe in a product, they will ‘talk it up.’ Trends do vary greatly based on the individuals scheduled in the various shops throughout the facility. Team member buy-in is the most important part of upselling, as if they don’t like it, it will seem forced or scripted.

SGN: What types of merchandise do you offer that pairs well with apparel? Do you merchandise these items with apparel?

C.N.: Hats, if not specifically considered as apparel, are the most popular item that pairs with apparel purchases. We do have hat/t-shirt combos that do well. We also find that designs that complement apparel on souvenir items such as stickers, keychains, water bottles, etc. make them more appealing when purchasing apparel. If they look like they pair well, they will pair well.

SGN: What makes a good display?

C.N.: A well-rounded display sways guests more than having multiple options available. Gone are the days where various shirts or sweatshirts are hanging on racks or on walls. Putting a hoodie on a mannequin combined with a hat, water bottle, towel, and more create a larger amount of individual complimentary sales when a guest can “see themselves” in a display. We are in the business of entertainment and need to paint the whole picture of what you could look like.

SGN: What types of sunglasses are selling best now?

C.N.: The Park offers a standard assortment of relatively generic sunglasses. We don’t have a large selection as we are seeing anything at or less than the $10 level generally sells the most. Typically, sunglass purchasers have either forgotten their own at home or realize it would be more comfortable wearing them while enjoying our park and/or water park and consider them disposable.

SGN: Anything else you’d like to add?

C.N.: One of the items that we are seeing have made an enormous resurgence is any kind of rocks or gems. We see the interest lies specifically in the ability to “bring home a piece of the Park”. We are also seeing that a large variety of attraction specific stickers are doing well as each guest may have a different favorite ride or themed area. Providing only our key attractions limits those who like to collect or who enjoy attractions a bit off the standard path. ❖