Retail at its best evolves and matures with customers; ebbing and flowing with the demographic of the locale and the changing needs and desires of customers. As in many other cities, towns and neighbourhoods, retail in the tiny resort town of Provincetown too has morphed and matured in response to the demographic, shedding predictable sea-side clichés of seasonal retail for high design and sophisticated offerings.
Provincetown – more than Pilgrims
Nestled at the northern tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown was the original landing spot of the Pilgrims in 1620, prior to them venturing on to Plymouth. Over the centuries it has morphed from a small Portuguese fishing village in the 1700 & 1800s to an artists’ colony in the early 1900’s and then for the past forty or more years a popular summer vacation destination, particularly for the gay population. In fact, the town has actively promoted itself to the gay and lesbian market, becoming a mecca for LGBT travellers from all over the world. Now, the sleepy town swells from a population of 3,000 in the off-season to tens of thousands during the summer months – driving a thriving seasonal retail industry.
Retailers – know thy customers
Vacationing off and on in Provincetown during the past 25 years, I have witnessed the gradual maturing of its retail offering, in part due to the natural progression of the industry itself and in part to the changing desires of the demographic. Over time, Provincetown has emerged with an eclectic mix of retail that crosses classes and social strata from middle-American families walking in the footsteps of their Pilgrim forefathers, to affluent cottagers escaping their urban homes, to LGBT travellers in search of fun in the sun. Although diverse in seasonal retail offering, the skew is distinctly towards sophisticated urbanites – particularly the gay community.
While there have been complaints that Provincetown is becoming increasingly more expensive, the higher costs and shifting retail landscape can simply be attributed to the market. A popular destination with gay urbanites (as well as straight counterparts) from nearby Boston, New York and other cosmopolitan cities, Provincetown is in many ways the north’s version of South Beach or Palm Springs; a sophisticated and desirable getaway destination offering many of the comforts and luxuries of urban centres – including upscale retail. And savvy retailers here know how lucrative the gay market is. With higher than average disposable income and concentrated in large urban centres, the gay community is a demanding and sophisticated market with money to burn, especially while on vacation.
For the gay community, Provincetown’s retail offering runs the gamut, from the campy to the uber-sophisticated. From gourmet ice cream and donuts at Happy Camper, to curated collections of clothing, accessories and stationery at Map and Loveland, to designer furniture and accessories at Room 68, to premium wine and artisanal cheese at Perry’s Wine & Liquors, the retail mix meets the desires of the target market not only with sophisticated product but urbane retail design. This is anything but clichéd seasonal retail.
Here’s a sampling of some of the best that Provincetown has to offer:
