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Meet Buyers From… Kid’s Swim And Resortwear Stores 
Now that we’ve taken a look at the swim brands that will be at the events at Playtime Paris, Playtime & Kid’s Hub New York, and The Tiny Show on Tour Los Angeles this summer, it’s time to turn to the buyers from kid’s swim and resortwear stores in our community to get a sense of this sector of the kid’s fashion market.
We spoke with four buyers from around the world to put our finger on the pulse of this niche. They’ll share their boutique’s story, insights into how they curate their offer, and what they’re looking for from the market this season. Let’s meet some swim and resortwear stores!
Discover Fable, the children’s boutique at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando! Located within Disney World, Fable is like a fairytale brought to life. We spoke with the store’s Buying Manager, Michelle Perales, who also manages the men’s and women’s boutique. “We offer a magical shopping experience with a focus on high quality, stylish swim and resortwear,” she told us. Their goal is to offer a diverse range of products that cater to different tastes and needs. This ensures every family can find something they love.
In addition to swim and resortwear, Michelle said they have toys, plushies, sundries, skincare, ready-to-wear, and Disney apparel. It’s a logical product offering to accompany families as they soak up sun at the resort’s water parks, pools, and visit Disney World! “As a resort destination, we offer a full range of products to provide families with a one-stop shopping experience. With such an array of activities on site, it’s a natural fit for our clientele,” she explained. “I love when guests find that special piece to take home as a reminder of their stay,” she continued. Michelle explained that at Four Seasons Orlando, they believe vacations are a special time for families. They want to further enhance that experience with the products they offer in Fable.
As for trends in the market, Michelle has observed a shift towards more sustainable materials and multifunctional pieces. As a mother herself and a buyer, she’d like to find more variety for boys’ swim and resortwear. She also thinks there is room for more innovative sun-protective clothing that combines style and function.
Michelle says Playtime & Kid’s Hub New York is a fantastic place to discover new brands and children’s market trends. She loves visiting the event to connect with other retailers, discover the latest innovations, and find unique products to bring back to Fable.
In their store: Lison Paris, Rachel Riley (who Four Seasons Orlando has an exclusive, best-selling collab with!), Waterplops…
Meet Sand Dollar Dubai, a boutique celebrating travel, sunshine, and easy-to-wear fashion! It was founded by Lucy Gibson, who wanted to create a space where men, women, and children could find stylish, high quality swim and resortwear. Living in Dubai, Lucy said people are surrounded by sunshine and a lifestyle that blends city living with beach vibes. “Focusing on swim and resortwear just made sense — it’s part of how we live,” she said. She realized there was a gap in the market for products that felt luxurious yet accessible.
The offer she curates includes accessories like jewelry, hats, bags, and footwear in addition to swim and resortwear. “I decided to offer a full range of products because I love it when you go into a shop and they have everything you need,” Lucy said. “Life is so busy. At Sand Dollar, you can shop for yourself, grab something for the kids and your partner, and get things you may not have thought of like sunscreen or scrunchies,” she continued. When curating the selection, she focuses on finding items that are unique. With 5 locations in Dubai and a website that ships globally, Lucy said no matter where her customers are, they can take a piece of holiday style with them!
Lucy is looking for more fabrics that are protective, yet comfortable. She’s been seeing trends like sustainable and SPF fabrics, bright colors, pastels, and matching sets. She’s also noticed more seersucker in the market, which is super comfortable and offers room for kids to grow. Lucy buys on OrderWizz, finding it an easy way to place orders and seamlessly connect with her suppliers.
Find these brands: Badawii Beachwear, Lison Paris, Mer St. Barth, Early Sunday, Nessi Byrd, PQ Swim, Shade Critters, Rockahula Kids…
The Little Sunshine Store is a multi-brand online boutique founded by Lisa that is dedicated to offering stylish swim, resortwear, and sunny day accessories for children. She launched The Little Sunshine Store because she saw a gap for a kid’s store with sun-ready essentials available year-round.
Lisa is focused on providing a stress-free shopping experience. “It was really important to me that we offer a curated one-stop shop. This allows people to seamlessly shop for sunny days all year,” she told us. “In addition to swim and resortwear, we have everything from beach towels and picnic bags to sunglasses, sunscreen, and toys,” she continued. Her offer is a blend of established and emerging brands from around the world.
Lisa thoughtfully curates her selection, and is always on the lookout for new products to fill any gaps. She has a checklist of considerations for deciding whether to add something to her store. New products must fill a gap and work well with her current offering. The price point must be in-line with the offer, while maintaining her quality and value standards. If the brand isn’t well-known in the UK, Lisa says it’s helpful to have assets that share its story with customers. Finally, new products must feel different, while being high quality, stylish, and sustainable.
Lisa is searching for more exciting, value-led boys’ swimwear this season. She finds that the kid’s swim sector isn’t especially trend-led, seeing brands with core collections and seasonal drops as the strongest, citing Hunza G and Pepita & Me as examples. Lisa met Pepita & Me at Playtime, which was the first trade show she visited and remains her favorite. She also uses OrderWizz to centralize her brand orders during the busy buying season.
In Little Sunshine Store: Baïnes Collection, Lison Paris, Marie Raxevsky, Grech & Co, Nessi Byrd, Oséree Kids, PQ Swim, Pepita & Me, Slipfree, Petites Pommes…
The founder of Lil Swimmas, Sarah Antar, struggled to find products for her own children in suburban New Jersey, which led her to open her own boutique. Having grown up in a beach town, she had taken for granted easy access to swimwear, and wanted to cater to this need. “In my opinion, there’s nothing more fun than thinking about your next vacation, your next pool party, or your next trip to the beach,” Sarah told us. “That’s why we focus on swim and resortwear,” she continued.
When curating the selection for Lil Swimmas, Sarah focuses on staying ahead of the trends and finding products with good enough quality to withstand children’s high activity levels. In addition to swim and resortwear, Lil Swimmas has t-shirts, coverups, dressy resortwear, sandals, and accessories like hats and sunglasses. Like many of her fellow swim and resortwear stores, Sarah wants to be a one-stop destination for warm weather attire.
The current trends Sarah is seeing in the kids’ swim and resortwear sector are neutral colors and textured fabrics. She’d love to find more “out of the box” fashion styles this season. Sarah visits Playtime & Kid’s Hub for the great array of vendors. She also loves OrderWizz, finding it a perfect complement to the physical trade show for connecting with vendors she didn’t meet there.
On their shelves: We Are Kids, Yaarn, Lison Paris, BinkyBro, Molo, Búho, Coral & Reef Beachwear, Dalai Kids, Feather 4 Arrow, Snapper Rock, Flowers by Zoe, Habitual Kids, Iscream, Les Tout Petits, Mipounet, Pepita & Me, Nessi Byrd, Noralee, Pink Chicken, Shade Critters, Submarine, Malibu Sugar, Sunchild, The New Society, Planet Sea, Tiny Treats…
We hope you enjoyed meeting these swim and resortwear stores as much as we did! We’re certainly ready to soak up some rays after seeing their sunny stores.
For fellow retailers looking to curate the best selection for their store, click here to get your pass to shop an expertly curated selection of brands at Playtime Paris, Playtime & Kid’s Hub New York, and The Tiny Show on Tour Los Angeles this summer. You can also create a buyer account on OrderWizz for free, empowering you to curate your selection and restock all year round from international brands.
