Island Water Sports, a key high-volume retailer based in South Florida, continues to expand its reach.
Owners the Cottrell siblings – Cheyne, Karly, and Linsey – just added a fourth store in Pompano Beach to their growing retail empire.
We asked Cheyne about why the time was right to open a new store, how this location will be different, and how the all-important spring break period turned out.
Why were you guys interested in adding another store at this time – especially given the uncertain economic environment?
Cheyne Cottrell: We weren’t actively looking to open a new store, however we’re always looking for a good opportunity. We’ve been keeping an eye on this area for a long time. The next 12 to 18 months might get interesting with the economy, but the last 24 months have already been interesting in the surf industry.
I remember 2006 to 2008 being really hard, then once the bottom fell out during the global financial crisis, the worst was already behind us. Overall, we’re playing the long game. It’s an A-plus location, and with the hotels and development in that area, we didn’t want to pass it up.
The street view of Island Water Sports, Pompano Beach, Florida. Photo courtesy of IWS.
How many stores does the company now own and operate?
Cheyne Cottrell: We have four total, including the three Island Water Sports locations in Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach, and now Pompano Beach. We also operate Boca Surf and Sail in Boca Raton.
How big is the new store, and what kind of merchandise will it carry? Any differences from your other stores?
Vuori Women’s at the new Island Water Sports in Pompano Beach. Photo courtesy of IWS.
Cheyne Cottrell: The store is 3,000 square feet. At first we’ll carry a very similar merchandise assortment to our main store in Deerfield Beach, with a little less hardgoods, and a little more focus on fish and dive since it’s only seven miles from our Deerfield location. We are going to be careful not to cannibalize those destination items, but at the same time make it a destination for goods we’ve never really been able to fully represent in Deerfield due to space.
At the end of the day, the sales will dictate how much space we allocate, so we’ll be watching these first few months of reporting very closely.
Spring break is such a key time for South Florida – how has the season gone so far?
Cheyne Cottrell: Spring break was great. Late Easter always helps, and we got blessed with very good weather. Online sales were rough, but in-store sales made up for them.
Any interesting trends as far as products and brands that are resonating with consumers this spring break?
Cheyne Cottrell: Good quality, premium products are still trending very well. That ‘60s vintage look really took off on the men’s side for us, linen pants and all. Brands that complement that trend like Katin, Critical Slide Society, and Rhythm, had a lot of growth.
On the women’s side, it wasn’t as brand-specific, but if it had crochet, it seemed to sell.
The sandal wall. Photo courtesy of IWS.
