The Coastal Connections Conference has announced that Kathy Cruz, founder of the Savvy Shopkeeper, will be the keynote speaker at the 2025 Coastal Connections Conference, September 18-20, 2026, at the Margaritaville Resort Orlando in Orlando, Florida.
With a passion for indie retail, an eye for trends and an analytical mind, Cruz has carved her niche as a go-to expert for brick-and-mortar business owners looking to thrive in the ever-evolving retail landscape.
As the founder of Savvy Shopkeeper, she has transformed her experiences and insights as a retailer and entrepreneur into a valuable resource for fellow shop owners. Through her blog, podcast and social media platforms, Kathy shares practical tips, success stories, and industry trends, empowering indie retailers to navigate challenges and maximize their potential.
"A Coastal Retailer's Profit Playbook" will kick off the educational portion of the event on Sept. 19 from 9:15-10:15 a.m.
This engaging and informative presentation is tailored for independent retailers in coastal destinations, providing them with insights needed to turn waves of seasonal traffic swings, visitor traffic and pressure to make the most out of peak moments into steady predictable profit.
"Coastal retail comes with big swings in traffic and demand,” says Cruz. “This session is about learning how to run your business in a way that stays profitable and cash flow stable through those shifts, not just during the busiest weeks of the year."
Attendees will walk away thinking differently about how buying, pricing, in-store messaging, and day-to-day operations work together to help your store stay profitable year round, not just when it’s busy.
And they’ll leave with actionable takeaways to implement immediately, including:
- A clearer way to interpret cash flow pressure during both busy and slower seasons, and what that pressure is really pointing to inside the business
- A smarter lens for inventory so buying decisions support both profit and cash flow across seasons
- How to build pricing discipline that protects margin without falling into reactive discounting
- A recommendation to consider how your in-store messaging and merchandising can function as repeatable standards, not just one off creativity
- How day-to-day operational systems directly impact profit and cash flow, especially during high volume seasons
- Why leadership level decisions, not just customer traffic, are what stabilize your business long term
Cruz adds, “This conference is a chance for coastal retailers to step out of day-to-day operations and think like business leaders. My session focuses on the decisions and systems that help your store stay profitable and financially stable all year long.”
Super Early Bird rates are still available. Register and learn more at www.coastalconnectionsconference.com.
