A quiet lake town has always been a draw for people who need a break from hectic city life. Vacationers are surrounded by nature and outdoor activities. Whether people want to swim, fish, lounge, grill, hike or even ice skate, lakes are year-round playgrounds for active and easy living.
“We see the lake market as a growing opportunity for our lakeside customers,” says DeVon Miller, director of marketing and e-commerce at P. Graham Dunn, a wholesaler in Dalton, Ohio.
Tara Merrill, sales and marketing manager with Cape Shore, a Yarmouth, Maine, wholesaler, says the inland/lake market has started to expand in recent years. She says, “Lake vacation dreams and memories keep us going through our hectic workdays and busy lives.”
Key icons
When it comes to lakeside products, there are some key images that stand out, including anchors, sailboats, canoes and compass roses, Merrill says.
“In land-locked states, people still love the water — whether those are lakes or rivers,” emphasizes Laurel Ryan, owner of Nautically Northern, a wholesale gift and jewelry company based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Ryan notes that lake locations often incorporate woodland themes as well as products that tout adventures, including hiking, boating, camping and exploring the great outdoors.
Baltimore-based MD-Brand manufactures clothing, dog bandanas and drinkware.
Birds like the iconic cardinal or darling chickadee are highly desired images as well, adds Lynn McKernan, vice president of product design and development at Rightside Design, based in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Lakeside retailers can use classic lake-inspired images to fill the shelves in their stores, inspiring shoppers to take little pieces of their trips or experiences back home with them.
For instance, people want to celebrate their lakeside trips with small engraved souvenirs, such as metal ornaments or keychains in lake or sailboat shapes. Especially when vacationers are traveling from a distance, they gravitate toward smaller items that can be carefully tucked away in a suitcase like picture clips or coaster magnets, says Abbey Grooters, director of marketing for the gift and home decor company Sincere Surroundings, Rock Rapids, Iowa.
“It’s about remembering the trip,” explains Mike Sayig, owner of Lakeshore Impressions in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan, adding that the goal is to offer fast-selling, high-quality products. “When travelers are visiting a new place, they want a trinket to commemorate their trip. That’s what makes these markets quite sustainable; people are always traveling.”
Lakeside colors
Lake products will typically come in a base of calming colors that are traditional and comfortable like pale blues, grays and light browns, McKernan says. Nautical colors like navy and white are also common pairs seen in lake products, sometimes adding a touch of red to the mix.
The latest trend is adding more natural, woodsy tones to this mix, including rosemary greens, pine greens and even a bold orange, McKernan says.
Holly and Jason Snider, owners of Leisurely Lakeside, Bryan, Ohio, like to add a rustic finish to their dark blue, gray, cream and blue-green color palette to reflect their key market: the Great Lakes.
“Customers love the ‘broken-in’ look and weather-faded colors often found along the Great Lakes,” the owners explain. “The colors of the Great Lakes can change dramatically with the weather even within the same day, so we take our inspiration from that, and our decor and products reflect that.”
Bringing the lake home
Lake-centric home decor items give customers who love the lake a chance to bring that lake feeling home. These coastal comforts include everything from pillows to pottery to switch plates and linens to totes and candles.
The market for lake home products is huge “because people who travel to the lake are staying in homes more than hotels today as they desire more privacy and serenity,” explains Ali Pfeifer, sales manager of Baltimore-based MD-Brand.
“It’s about remembering the trip. When travelers are visiting a new place, they want a trinket to commemorate their trip. That’s what makes these markets quite sustainable; people are always traveling.” — Mike Sayig, Lakeshore Impressions
P. Graham Dunn, a wholesaler, sees opportunities with lakeside customers.
Items like lakescape artwork and wooden blocks that spell out “L-A-K-E” can add those nautical feelings to a space, the Sniders explain. Decorating with outdoor adventure elements like canoe paddles or buoys of varying sizes is also a unique way for lakeside retail customers to blend a sense of lake activity memories into their home interiors, the Sniders share.
Homeowners looking to add a simpler edge to their decor may opt for actual wood slabs turned into signs that can stand on their own on tabletops, bookshelves or dressers, adding natural style, Miller says.
Other easy lake-themed home additions are kitchenware items like bottle openers, spoons and coasters that can be customized with lake outlines or themes. Cutting boards customized with a specific lake shape and the latitude and longitude of the lake are popular souvenirs or gifts, Ryan says.
Comfort all around
Lakeside retailers are also expanding their lake apparel collections to bring that cozy comfort to clothing with sweatshirts, long-sleeved T-shirts, embroidered branded apparel, and even branded personal accessories like tote bags and pouches that can all go from boat to beach to dinner out on the town, according to the Sniders.
Whether it’s hats, T-shirts, sweatshirts, bags, towels or blankets, lakeside retailer customers can get “everything a boater would need to be adventurous and casual on the water,” says Annette Alsobrooks, creator and owner of Lake Folks Designs, Soddy Daisy, Tennessee. “They are buying that awesome, casual lifestyle that they love.”
“Life at the lake can be energizing, relaxing, funny and sentimental,” explains Melissa Johnson at Lakegirl in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. “It translates to family picnics on the Fourth of July, water skiing till the gas runs out, fishing at dusk and singing around a campfire while fighting off the mosquitoes. Above all else, life at the lake is comfortable.”
The casual lifestyle is what drives clothing with lake puns and themes like Lakegirl, Rivergirl, Lakebaby and Dockboy.
Additionally, sunscreen struggles inspired Megan Luchtel to design Lake Label swimwear, particularly the sunsuit that offers full-body, UPF 50-plus coverage in lightweight, breathable material for kids.
Lakeside retailers can add a bit of whimsy and sparkle to soft sweatshirts and sun-shielding swimwear with lake-inspired jewelry, which continues to sell big at lake area retail locations, says Bret Kimes at DKD Co., which is based in St. Louis.
“Personalized jewelry is our most requested item, and we don’t see that ending any time soon,” Kimes says. “Popular link style necklaces and bracelets are easily customized.”
Kimes says jewelry with pearls, shells and flowers are on trend for 2023, as are requests for more sterling silver items.
Name dropping in high demand
Lakeside retailers are also taking advantage of their specific lake locations and surroundings by adding numerous customization options to their products, which has helped drive sales, Merrill says.
Sayig adds that he loves getting special requests and turning customers’ thoughts into tangible items that can be sold in stores.
Customization also does not have to be expensive or involve large orders, which helps retailers offer these options without holding excess stock, Kimes adds.
As Kimes says, “People love their lakes, and they are proud to wear or purchase products that promote and celebrate the area.”
