Resort Style Redefined

by

Resort Style Redefined

By Mary Griffiths

Images by Brown Photography

Popping into Planters Exchange to see what’s new and exciting has been a St. Simons and Sea Island must-do for years. The shop first opened on Frederica Road in a cozy space next to Anderson Fine Art Gallery, shaded by a massive live oak and a distinct black awning. The shop was an extension of the personalities of owners Anne Whittle and Adgate Cole: curious, tasteful, and witty. The small store, filled with garden accents, home décor, casual fine jewelry, brightly colored oversized silk scarves, and unique gifts, and was a hit from the start. Customers quickly became regulars and always knew they’d find something distinctive.

Over time, Planters Exchange grew, and with that, Anne and Adgate realized an opportunity to move to a larger storefront in Redfern Village. The additional space allowed them to add carefully curated women’s apparel, fashion jewelry and select paintings from local artists to their eclectic mix. Their clientele enthusiastically followed them there, and along with the store, the number of customers grew as well. In fact, when Anne began to think about retiring, the store's strong following was a key element in the decision by new owners, Robert and Delaine Haulbrook, to take up the store’s mantle, pledging to continue its reputation while adapting it to their own comparable style.

Over the years, the Haulbrooks have enjoyed traveling to and living in wide-flung areas around the globe, wherever Robert’s career in the telecommunications industry took them. Delaine grew up north of St. Simons Island and her family had often vacationed here, so it was a goal of theirs to eventually retire on the island. After a number of international moves, and with their daughter Ansley reaching school age, they decided to make St. Simons their home in the U.S.

Fast forward 15 years, and Robert began casting around for interesting businesses that he could tend to and grow. As it so often happens here, Planters Exchange and Anne’s thoughts on retiring came up in casual conversations. Talks grew between the Haulbrooks and Anne, and her strong following with locals, part-time residents, and tourists, along with her clear direction of Planters Exchange, was a determining factor in Robert’s brave decision to enter the world of women’s fashion. As his interest in purchasing the store grew, he kept hearing women comment that Planters Exchange was their favorite store. Many further confided in him that not only was it their favorite store on the island, it was their favorite store on the entire East Coast!

As any new owner might, Robert wanted to broaden the merchandise mix to appeal to and attract a wider audience. Fashion was relaxing into more deconstructed and casual profiles, but his customers were invested in looking well put together, and it was essential for them to continue to look stylishly relevant. They sought clothing that was classic but with a twist, designed using beautiful fabrics, texture and thoughtful details, which they found at Planters Exchange.

He also realized early on that an important part of the store’s success was due to the respect and trust in the women who worked there, all of whom stayed through the acquisition and eventual move to the current new location. Their advice on market buying trips and vision of the anticipated changes to the store were invaluable in steering every detail through the transition period. Together with Robert, they worked as a team to add new apparel lines and sought an opportunity to expand with a larger store format with an entirely new look.

Early this year, that opportunity presented itself, and Planters Exchange relocated to where NANCY had been on Market Street, giving Robert the space to open a men’s clothing department. Again, Robert and his staff listened carefully to customers' suggestions for the new men’s collection, and were surprised that of the first three men asked, all requested a good selection of sport coats and a made-to-measure service for coats, suits and tuxedos. As the demand for dress clothes reached a large enough level to support the new store, Robert reached out to Mark Landis, who’d previously owned a well-respected local men’s clothing store, and now currently represents the Coppley apparel line, which is available at Planters Exchange. Coppley offers as many as 400 fabric options, and with Landis' expert custom fittings and advice, the result is an impeccably tailored garment that reflects current fashion, individual taste, and personal needs.

The men’s collection offers a wide range of dress shirts, ties, belts and shoes with the majority of the clothing being more casual, selected for the finer resort lifestyle. It also includes shirts, pants and shorts for both golf and fishing. Planters Exchange's brands offer rapid replenishment, allowing the store access to a brand's entire range of available colors, fabrics and sizes. This depth of inventory accessibility for the store helps resolve the frustrations of shopping online where a purchaser can't touch the fabric or know if it fits correctly. For example, with men’s pants, a customer has 16 options from which to choose. Once the style and fit are selected, there are 100 different fabric and color options available, all of which combine for a true custom pant that can be delivered within a few days. Future plans include custom made-to-measure shirts for both men and women. This service will ensure Planters Exchange’s customers have not only a perfect fit and style, but combined with the fabric selections, allows them to have truly individualized fashion that they had a part in creating for themselves.

These changes in retailing were quickly adopted by Planters Exchange andhave created a vibrant shopping experience for their customers. Their expanded apparel selections for women, and now for men, are more closely matched to what their customers are currently wearing and want for their wardrobes. For this year and beyond, this means a more casual and comfortable, yet still sleek and stylish, selection of apparel. The store is also benefiting from a change in how people shop. After months of mindless online shopping from often anonymous sites, or dashing in and out of large national chains, people are seeking a small boutique experience with professional, personalized levels of service offering suggestions, insights and assessments of what it takes to create an individualized fashion statement for their customers. Much like how Planters Exchange began almost 20 years ago, it’s still a favorite destination that continues to offer shopping inspiration that's sought by the discerning buyer.

Discover beautiful clothes perfect for the resort lifestyle for both women and men at Planters Exchange’s new location at 26 Market Street. Open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 912.638.9888. You can also shop online at PlantersExchange.com and follow them on Facebook at Planters Exchange and Instagram @plantersexchange.