OCEAN CITY Southern Expo-
sure in Fenwick Island has become
a landmark over the years for re-
turning vacationers who have plac-
ed the store on their checklist of
things to do while visiting the resort
area.
Owner Tim Collins took a look
back in time this week to explain the
evolution of how the clothing and
accessory stores have become
what they are today.
"We have been in business down
here over 40 years, so it has been a
long haul," Collins said. "A lot of
things can happen over 40 years."
Collins and his wife, Gretchen,
are both from Bridgeville, Del. In the
'70s, Collins worked as a bellhop at
the Henelopen Hotel in Rehoboth
Beach and following college he
worked in management at JCPen-
ney's. At the time, he came across a
fellow who became his employer in
New York. This man was known for
designing and creating shifts, also
known as sundresses, that were
sold to well-known department
stores.
"In the first or second year I had
started to work for him, we would
have these guys come in from all up
and down the eastern seaboard
looking for last-minute summer
deals," Collins recalled.
Being familiar with the Rehoboth
area, they opened what became the
forerunner of the outlets in the area,
a store called Shifts Etc. Eventually
the store operated in several loca-
tions, including a couple in Ocean
City.
"We would bring a lot of the prod-
uct in that the department stores
didn't buy, or they didn't pick up their
contract, and we would bring them
down here and sell them at pretty
ridiculous prices," Collins said, ex-
plaining this was before the outlet
stores debuted, as well as TJ Maxx
and Marshalls.
Shifts Etc. operated for at least
four years before Collins' business
partner retired in 1976. Collins de-
cided to carry on a small portion of
the business, calling the stores
Right Angle, with locations in Reho-
both and Fenwick Island.
As the market grew, Collins
bought a piece of property in Fen-
wick in 1982 at 1200 Coastal Hwy.
and named the store Southern Ex-
posure, offering an upgraded mix of
products.
Next, Collins purchased the
shopping center immediately next
door to Southern Exposure to the
north and opened another clothing
store called Ocean Avenue that of-
fered garments at a more moderate
price. The store was eventually relo-
cated a couple blocks south on the
oceanside of Coastal Highway. The
store operated for a number of
years as Ocean Avenue until about
six years ago when Collins decided
to place all the businesses under
one umbrella, and the store became
what is referred to today as South-
ern Exposure seaside.
The Collins family has downsized
from multiple locations up and down
Coastal Highway to the two current
stores in Fenwick Island.
"Even though it is the same
name, it is two different formats,"
Collins said.
Southern Exposure seaside is
operated by Collins and his wife,
and the original location is now op-
erated by their son, Brian, and his
wife, Kirstan.
Southern Exposure seaside sells
merchandise at a lower price point,
Collins described. The store sells
different lines from the original loca-
tion except for an overlap on a cou-
ple of lines, such as the popular
brands of Fresh Produce and Tribal.
"Our merchandise mix is totally
different, and we are very price con-
scious," Collins said. "We try to
compete with the Macy's and the
Nordstrom's. We are very price
competitive."
Collins furthered the family will
make a trip to New York at least five
times a year to buy merchandise for
the clothing stores. Southern Expo-
sure seaside takes on brand names
A Collins Family Affair At Fenwick's Southern Exposure
Page 66
July 5, 2013
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
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STAFF WRITER
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