Sisters Rikki and Remy Radkay grew up in Hampton, New Hampshire, where they developed a deep connection to the surf industry while working at Cinnamon Rainbows Surf Co.
During their time at the University of Tampa in Florida, they found themselves missing the close-knit surf shop community from back home and struggled to find swimsuits that fit their style and needs. In 2019, the sisters launched Sand Surf Co., a swim store for “anybody with any body,” where customers are encouraged to embrace their authentic selves.
Now, five years later, Sand Surf Co. has grown into one of Florida’s leading swimwear retailers. Rikki recently took a break from the day-to-day hustle of running a retail business to share her insights on the current state of swimwear retail in Florida.
The women’s swimwear industry is constantly evolving, with unique challenges in every region. What are the key obstacles and opportunities of being a swimwear retailer in Florida, and how do you stay ahead of the competition?
Sand Surf Co. co-owner Rikki Radkay: One of the amazing opportunities of working with swimwear in Florida is that we have sunshine year-round. Even on our “winter days” a bikini remains a necessity and if it ever gets too cold, we are always hopping to the Bahamas or farther south. Additionally, we get to teach people daily that everyone has a bikini body! Swimwear can be scary for some, but when you walk into Sand, we handpick styles meant to accentuate the parts of you that you love. Many people are simply just picking the wrong bikini for their body type, and we are proud to change people’s perspective and confidence around swimwear daily. Bikinis are really like art to us, and many of our clients collect swimwear, as styles are often a time capsule of the current times’ trends.
One of our largest obstacles has been the emergence of fast fashion brands like Shein or the instant click of shopping on Amazon. At Sand, we are known for our styling and product knowledge, something you do not get when shopping on a platform like Amazon. Both online and in-shop, we work to educate people on the reality of fast fashion. Although a $12 bikini is tempting and sounds amazing, many don’t know the reality behind that price point – that it means unfair pay and work environments, as well as an immense impact on the environment.
We strive to deliver quality, sustainable, and ethical products with an array of price points and styles for every body type. Grounded in our connection to nature and spreading positivity, we love the daily opportunity we get to educate people on the missions and values behind the brands we pick for our little sunshine hub, Sand Surf Co.
You recently hosted an event in collaboration with Kulani Kinis, where the first 15 customers to spend $50 or more on Kulani Kinis received a gift with purchase and were entered to win a Sand + Kulani swag bag valued at $250.
How did the event perform, and why is it important for brands to partner with brick-and-mortar retailers on grassroots events like this?
Rikki Radkay: Yes, we love our annual Gratitude Bead Bar with Kulani Kinis. We align immensely with Kulani’s branding and values, so it is always great to get to work so closely with them. This event is fun for all ages and allows us to spend quality times with our community as well as create some buzz in our off season.
The surf shop we grew up working in, Cinnamon Rainbows, was always a safe place for your good days and bad days and we truly want to bring that energy to our community in Tampa Bay. Additionally, we still remember the Billabong bus pulling up to the shop and our local surf spot, the Wall, and giving out a bunch of goodies – it creates a deeper connection with all brands involved.
When partnering with Kulani Kinis, we get to give away exclusive Kulani Kinis goodies and engage with our community while saying thank you for being a part of our Sandy family with a complimentary bead bar. Kulani understands the role their retail partners play in their business, which is refreshing in the age of many brands forgetting that their wholesale accounts are their original influencers. It is important for brands to partner with brick-and-mortar because anyone can sell online but when you visit a shop you learn about that brand, whether it be their mission or their fit – stores are the true ambassadors that will make people more connected to brands.
We love our core brands, but we really find passion in finding up-and-coming brands that we align with. Being in a shop can offer a lot of growth to a company. For example, this year we began to carry OneOne Swimwear. The brand has a great online presence but many of our clients were excited to learn about their fit in person and did not know what amazing practices they follow, such as their suits being made to order so they are not overproducing and adding to the issue that fashion poses to the environment.
If brands want to create a connection with their consumers and build a brand following with longevity in mind, brick-and-mortar puts a face to the brand while creating impact in communities with employment. On average $68 of every $100 stays in the community when spent at a local business. Brands that care about the big picture matter.
Sand Surf Co.’s online business is growing as well. Are you using any specific marketing strategies, such as email campaigns or social media, to boost awareness of your website? If so, which tactics have been most effective, and how do you implement them?
Rikki Radkay: We are so excited to grow online – spreading our mission globally is a huge goal. This is an area where we can grow and learn a lot, but it is so fun to send quality goods all over the world! Since we started with such little capital behind us, we do very little paid advertising. In our marketing we are grounded in the authenticity of the industry we grew up in and what makes it special, so I think that shines through the marketing and content we create.
We look at it as an expression and education opportunity for our brand, balancing content that educates on our product and the experience we offer at the shop.
We do find it necessary to use as many strategies as possible as people receive things so differently, some love engaging with our social media but haven’t opened their email for a decade while some live in their email and never engage with social media platforms. Within our five-year goals, online growth is a massive one for us. Online is saturated with brands posing as something they aren’t, so we are excited to showcase our values and quality goods.
Which brands are currently trending at Sand Surf Co., and are there any new brands that have recently caught your eye?
Rikki Radkay: Current trending brands at Sand Surf Co. include: Kulani Kinis, Yaint Local, OneOne, Capittana, and Duvin. We will remain with our core brands that are staples but have loved finding small upcoming brands to grow with.
Kulani has grown so much over our partnership and it is amazing to see them flourish but remain true to themselves.
Capittana is a special brand to us as they are also sibling owned and make an amazing impact on fashion with their ethically handcrafted styles.
Yaint Local is based out of St Pete and is packed with witty localisms and Florida pride.
In the oversaturated world of fashion, we are looking for passion and creativity, styles that beam with thought to create a positive impact on the industry, whether it is revolutionary design or impact on the world we all share and future generations will inherit.
Editor’s note: This interview was produced by Building the Revolution, which is dedicated to preserving surf shop culture.
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