A coastal concept

Cuffy’s of Cape Cod is not your ordinary coastal souvenir store. Over the past five years, owner Dominic “Cuffy” Albano has turned the longtime coastal store into a go-to retail destination on Cape Cod.

Located in West Dennis, Massachusetts, Cuffy’s spans 20,000 square feet and includes a picturesque boardwalk atop a pond and colorful landscaping that makes for a great selfie spot. The coastal store offers gifts and souvenirs for people of all ages visiting Cape Cod, from T-shirts and sweatshirts to toys, plush, home goods, pet accessories and other New England mementos.

Albano came up with the concept for the renovated Cuffy’s of Cape Cod over two decades ago, and he says he took a leap to invest in the store’s buildout in 2020. The expanded store is triple the size of the original storefront and features a turn-of-the-century seaside vibe with the decor and retail experiences. Today, the store is reminiscent of Disney World and its Main Street USA — just with a Cape Cod twist.

These snapshots showcase how Cuffy’s embodies Cape Cod flavors throughout the West Dennis store.

Photos: Bryan Stearns

Boardwalk experience

Cuffy’s features a turn-of-the-century seaside theme from the inside all the way to the outside of the store. A boardwalk and water feature outside often wow guests when they visit.

Cuffy’s appears as if it’s an outdoor mall with many small merchants from the outside, but Albano says it’s all connected on the inside as one big store with various themes in different sections of the store.

Tip: Investing in good landscaping features that wow passersby can help draw more customers to the store.

Coordinated variety

Cuffy’s of Cape Cod had a humble start — Albano first got into retail over 40 years ago by selling souvenir T-shirts from the top of his mother’s car on Route 28 in West Dennis. Even though the business has significantly expanded its product mix since then, name-drop T-shirts and hoodies remain a big category for the company.

Cuffy’s organizes some simple yet high-quality name-drop hoodies on a display table. The destination retailer neatly stacks the hoodies while also mixing in a variety of colors to appeal to more customers.

Tip: Mix and match different apparel colors together on a display table to create a more eye-catching display.

Simplistic sweets

Everyone enjoys browsing Cuffy’s penny candy selection in its confectionery section. Color-coordinated rows of jellybeans pop out along a back wall, and a giant sign that says “Cape Cod” is made entirely of jellybeans. Customers can fill a bag with a variety of penny candies for take-home treats.

Tip: Offering a spot for customers to fill a bag of penny candies is a great way to boost add-on sales for people wanting a sweet treat.

Creating sandscapes

Large, 20-ton sand sculptures always impress guests visiting Cuffy’s. Albano says the store features a new sand sculpture outside every year. On the inside, many intricate sand sculptures are used as centerpieces for merchandise displays.

This ship sculpture with playful sea critters draws guests to a selection of sea-themed plushies that are perfect souvenirs for the kids.

Tip: Coastal retailers can experiment with beachy elements like sand or shells in their displays to incorporate some natural ties to the destination.

Picks for the pets

Shoppers love when destination retailers offer a little something for their four-legged companions, too. Cuffy’s of Cape Cod leans into the fun with a display table full of pet-friendly finds —from treats and toys to collars and even cheeky “dog walkin’ socks” for their humans.

Tip: Appeal to pet owners with a display full of some souvenirs and gifts that they can take home to their furry family members.

Fun fixtures

Every room at Cuffy’s features a different theme — the emporium room, a general store room, a confectionery room and an old lifesaving station room.

The retro lifesaving station room is complete with a classic U.S. Life Saving Service boat that acts as a centerpiece. Antique trunks prop up boating shorts all around the boat, making for a well-done thematic display.

Tip: Thrift for antique furniture or decor that can help prop up merchandise in displays.

Show off the shirts

Apparel is a top-selling category at Cuffy’s, and families often come in wanting matching crew sweatshirts, T-shirts and hoodies to commemorate their vacation. Bust forms show off some fun styles that these customers may want to try.

Tip: Use bust forms to showcase your most popular souvenir hoodie and T-shirt styles.