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Caribbean gift shops, resort boutiques and marina stores can order wholesale sunglasses from Florida in five steps: open a wholesale account with your business registration, choose your first styles and a display, name your Florida freight forwarder as the ship-to address, let the forwarder or a customs broker clear the shipment, and reorder by phone or email as styles sell. Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are the simplest places to start because they are US territories. |
Many island retailers assume that buying from a mainland supplier means complicated paperwork, a large minimum and a long wait. In practice, many Caribbean shops already receive goods through Florida on a regular basis. Sunglasses fit easily into that same pipeline. Once the account is open and the freight route is set, reordering is no harder than calling a local distributor.
This guide walks through the process step by step, explains what changes from island to island, and shows what island shoppers actually buy.
Why Island Retailers Buy From Florida
Florida is the Caribbean's closest major supply hub. Freight forwarders in Miami and South Florida consolidate shipments for retailers across the islands, so a box of sunglasses can travel with a shop's other inventory instead of on its own. Florida suppliers also understand the climate. Styles built for Gulf Coast sun, salt and sunscreen hold up in the Caribbean too.
And the customers are there. The ten busiest cruise ports in the Caribbean recorded more than 30 million cruise passenger visits in 2025, before counting the resort guests who arrive by air. A large share of them step off the ship or out of the hotel without the sunglasses they need.
Cruise passengers at the ten busiest Caribbean ports in 2025. San Juan and St. Thomas are both US territories.
The Five Steps to Your First Order
The ordering process, from opening an account to reordering best sellers.
Step 1: Open a wholesale account
Wholesale pricing is reserved for real retailers, so every supplier asks for proof that you run a business. West Coast Sunglasses approves wholesale accounts for businesses with a proper tax ID. Island retailers should have their business registration or license and their local tax number ready, and call our team to confirm which documents we accept for their island.
Step 2: Choose your first styles and a display
A first order works best as a complete fixture, not a handful of individual styles. Pick a mix of polarized, fashion and everyday frames that matches the shoppers who walk through your door, then add a display to hold them. West Coast Sunglasses offers free display programs, so a new account can set up a spinner or countertop unit as soon as the order arrives. Our guide on
building a sunglasses display that sells shows how to place it.
Step 3: Set the freight route
Most island retailers already work with a Florida freight forwarder. Give us the forwarder's warehouse address as the ship-to, and the forwarder adds your sunglasses to your next consolidated shipment by ocean or air. If you do not have a forwarder yet, ask other shop owners in your area which one they use. Referrals are the norm in island retail.
Step 4: Clear customs and receive
Your supplier provides a commercial invoice and packing list with every shipment. Your forwarder or a local customs broker uses those documents to clear the goods on arrival. What happens at clearance depends on where your shop is.
| Where your shop is |
Customs status |
What to expect |
| Puerto Rico |
US territory, inside US customs |
No international customs entry from the mainland. Local Puerto Rico tax rules apply to goods brought in. |
| US Virgin Islands |
US territory with its own customs process |
Mainland goods arrive duty free. The territory collects an excise tax at clearance. |
| Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos |
Separate customs territories |
Import duty applies. A local broker or your forwarder clears the shipment. |
| Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten |
Dutch Caribbean, separate customs |
Rules vary by island. Sint Maarten operates largely as a duty-free port. |
| Dominican Republic, Jamaica |
Separate customs territories |
A licensed broker clears commercial shipments using the invoice and packing list. |
Customs and tax rules change. Always confirm the current requirements for your island with your forwarder or customs broker before your first shipment.
Step 5: Reorder as styles sell
Once the first display is on the floor, reordering is simple. Keep a short list of your best sellers, check the display each week, and call or email your account rep when pegs start to empty. Reorders ride the same freight route, so there is nothing new to set up.
What Island Shoppers Buy
Caribbean shops serve a mix of visitors and locals, and each group shops differently. Build the first assortment to cover all of them.
| Shopper |
What they want |
What to stock |
| Cruise day visitors |
A quick replacement for the pair they forgot on the ship |
Grab-and-go classics and polarized styles at the register |
| Resort guests |
Style for the pool, the beach and vacation photos |
Fashion frames from the SOHO Collection and mirrored lenses |
| Boaters and anglers |
Glare control on the water and a secure fit |
Polarized sport frames and floating straps. See our guide to sunglasses for boating |
| Families |
Sun protection for kids that actually fits |
Kids polarized styles |
| Local residents |
Durable everyday pairs that handle heat and salt |
Frames chosen for coastal conditions |
Beach and resort styles from West Coast Sunglasses are made for bright island days.
Lens color matters more under tropical sun than almost anywhere else. Our article on
choosing lens colors for waterfront shops explains which tints move fastest. And because island shops serve visitors from around the world, our guide to
selling sunglasses to an international guest list has merchandising tips that translate across languages.
Tips for a Smooth First Order
- Start with one complete display. It is easier to learn what sells from a full fixture than from a handful of styles.
- Have your documents ready. Business registration, tax number and your forwarder's address speed up account approval.
- Ask which styles reorder fastest. Your supplier sees which frames and lens colors sell best in beach and resort stores.
- Photograph the display when it arrives. A photo makes it easy to match reorders to the pegs that emptied first.
- Train staff on two or three talking points. Polarized, UV protection and durability cover most questions. Our staff selling guide has simple scripts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Caribbean retailers buy wholesale sunglasses from a US supplier?
Yes. Island retailers open a wholesale account like any other store, then receive their orders through a Florida freight forwarder that ships to their island. Many Caribbean shops already buy other inventory this way.
What documents do I need to open a wholesale account from the islands?
Have your business registration or license and your local tax number ready. West Coast Sunglasses approves wholesale accounts for businesses with a proper tax ID, and our team can confirm which documents we accept for your island.
Do I need a freight forwarder?
For most islands, yes. A Florida freight forwarder receives your order, combines it with your other goods and ships it to your island. Your forwarder or a local customs broker then clears it on arrival.
Is ordering for Puerto Rico different from ordering for other islands?
Puerto Rico is a US territory inside US customs, so there is no international customs entry from the mainland. Local tax rules still apply. The US Virgin Islands have their own customs process, and independent islands require a full customs clearance.
What sunglasses sell best in Caribbean gift shops?
Polarized styles, mirrored lenses, durable everyday frames and kids sizes cover most island shoppers. Resort boutiques add fashion frames, and marina stores add sport frames with floating straps.
Cruise passengers at the ten busiest Caribbean ports in 2025. San Juan and St. Thomas are both US territories.
The ordering process, from opening an account to reordering best sellers.
Beach and resort styles from West Coast Sunglasses are made for bright island days.
Lens color matters more under tropical sun than almost anywhere else. Our article on choosing lens colors for waterfront shops explains which tints move fastest. And because island shops serve visitors from around the world, our guide to selling sunglasses to an international guest list has merchandising tips that translate across languages.
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