Museum Store Fall 2011

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tips to better pricing

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using or codes

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packaging idea gallery

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Fall 2011

Museum Store helps cultural commerce professionals operate more effectively, find sources of museum-quality products and contribute to the missions of their institutions.

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Volume 39

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Features

MsA sTAFF

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ExEcutivE DirEctor

Beverly j. BA rsOOk

COMMUNICATIONs sTAFF sEnior managEr for communications

sTePHAnie PeT ers

28

communications EDitor

kATHy CisAr communications anD officE assistant

syBil FAUrer

ADMINIsTRATIvE sTAFF

32

AdriAnA HerA ld sEnior managEr for mEmbErship anD programs

BridGeT dUMMeTT ClAire leMAsT er confErEncE & Expo sErvicEs coorDinator

jenniFer AndersOn officE aDministrator

18

36

sKIEs AMERICA PUBlIshING COMPANY

42

art DirEctor

jACQUelyn M errill EDitor

MATT W illiAMs

proDuction managEr

Cindy Pike circuLation

Allen nelsOn

maiL: Museum store Association 4100 e Mississippi Ave, ste 800 denver, CO 80246-3055 www.MuseumstoreAssociation.org Phone: (303) 504-9223 Fax: (303) 504-9585

Welcome to my (New) World Can a new store build-out or remodel be all things to all people?

Find Your Niche leverage your strength in a competitive market by employing a niche marketing strategy. By sHeilA ArMsTrOnG Idea Gallery: Packaging discover a few great shopping bag and packaging ideas from your peers.

Departments

aDvErtising

MAry PeT illO

E-maiL: speters@museumstoreassociation.org Please provide your full name, location and institution or company name.

Thinking Outside the Black and White Box Find out how other cultural institutions and museum stores are using Qr codes to increase visitation and revenue.

By MArGe d. HAnsen

CAndrA H endriCks

hOW TO CONTACT Us

Come Play With Us Check out this 2011 Children’s Products Buyer’s Guide for ordering items for the little ones. By APril Miller

By TrACi rylAnds

DatabasE aDministrator

mEmbEr & EDucation sErvicEs coorDinator

Issue 3

32

42

4

President’s Message embracing change, building a stronger MsA.

6

Executive Director’s Message What have we done for you lately?

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Communications How to turn a cell phone into a handshake with foursquare. By jOe dysArT

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aDvErtising: Mary Petillo, phone: (503) 726-4984 Museum Store magazine (issn 1040-6999) is published quarterly by the Museum store Association.

Postmaster: send address changes to Museum store Association 4100 e Mississippi Ave, ste 800 denver, CO 80246-3055

Customer Relations Are personal shopping services worthwhile or hardly worth it?

By CATHerine neWTOn

16

Financial Management Ten tips to better pricing.

By AndreW AndOniAdis

44 44 45

© 2011 Museum store Association inc. All rights reserved. except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, no part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from MsA. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Museum store Association. Printed in the UsA. MsA and Museum store Association are registered in the U.s.

Patent and Trademark Office.

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Cover image: istockphoto.com/© vitmihailov

New Releases Advertiser Index Product News FALL 2011 | MUSEUM STORE

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| president’s message |

Embracing Change building a stronger msa.

| by Valerie troyansky

t

he MSA board met in late July and dedicated most of its time to analyzing the surveys, task force reports, member and vendor forum feedback and individual comments that have come from every part of our organization.

Every board member was asked to review the material and look for major trends, key issues and Association strengths and weaknesses, as well as provide recommendations which would continue to raise the level of satisfaction among our primary stakeholders. Thinking outside the box was encouraged. It led to healthy discussion and a building of board consensus.

What immediate and visible changes can we make that will reinforce our Association as a trusted source for industry knowledge? Are we correctly balancing the three-part mission to deliver educational product, nurture an environment for networking and communication, and provide resources for products and services that benefit our members and affiliates? How do we deliver the best products and services that we can on our limited budget?

By the end of our meeting, the board had recommended a number of changes for the annual Conference affecting communication, educational sessions, networking and buying opportunities. For more information about the findings and changes, please go to About MSA on the MSA website and click on MSA News.

location, location, location It will come as no surprise to the majority of members that for the annual meeting location, city access and networking matter most to you. Cost, while a factor in deciding whether your institution can attend the meeting, is less of an issue once you have secured travel approval. What is more important is locating the meeting in a place where you can see the town, visit cultural institutions and their stores, and network with your colleagues. While selecting the venues for the annual Conference requires long-range planning with contracts and deposits, MSA Executive 4

Director Beverly Barsook has undertaken the Herculean task of re-locating the 2012 meeting to a more appealing location.

I am pleased to report that Beverly is finalizing plans for us to go to New Orleans.

We owe a great deal of thanks and appreciation to her for making this location change possible despite major obstacles. With a better cultural setting, improved networking opportunities, the continuation of vendor and member forums, a higher level of educational programming, and other meeting changes, everyone will want to participate in the 2012 MSA Conference & Expo. So mark your calendars for the new dates of April 14-16 and start budgeting now.

networking Among the other key points the board found is that the network of geographic chapters, the discussions by level of experience and the sharing of information by income levels do not work for the majority of MSA members. Arranging “local” chapter meetings has become a burden for many, and is not an effective way of serving the educational and networking missions for which chapters were established. Networking must cross all boundaries, be they geographic or based on length of service or experience.

At our fall board meeting, the board will focus on the topic of old chapters and new directions. It is clearly time for a fresh approach to solving the question, “How do we more effectively break into smaller groups?” Cultural commerce professionals need the time and opportunity to exchange information by cultural type, not by ZIP code, and MSA should facilitate this communication. Please send comments and ideas on this topic to me before Oct. 1, and stay tuned for further updates as we move forward. We’ll see you in New Orleans in April 2012!

the core purpose of MsA is to advance the success of cultural commerce and of the professionals engaged in it. An international association, MsA is governed by a seven-member board of directors.

board of directors President

v alerie troyan sk y the metroPolitan museum of art new york, ny

first vice President

elizab eth (be th) rick e r new mexico museum of natural history and science albuquerque, nm

second vice President

stac ey stachow wadsworth atheneum museum of art hartford, ct

secretary

c hac ho he rm an san diego museum of art san diego, ca

treasurer

c and ace alle n museum of new mexico foundation shoPs santa fe, nm

directors at large

stuart hata de young and legion of honor/ fine arts museums of san francisco san francisco, ca -and-

b arb ar a le n hardt crystal bridges museum of american art bentonville, ar

Valerie Troyansky valerie.troyansky@metmuseum.org

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A

s we reach the point in the year when our members start looking towards the holiday season, we here at MSA are looking back at our accomplishments for the year and what the Association can do to provide an even better experience for members in the coming year. We are continually looking at new opportunities to provide more value in your membership and ways to move MSA to the next level.

Over the past year, we focused on providing additional educational opportunities and improved communication. We completely

articles and access vendor ads with live links.

At the 2011 MSA Conference & Expo, we included forums to encourage discussion among both members and vendors.

As I look forward to the upcoming year, I am pleased that we are continuing to expand on our efforts. In the coming months you will see more educational opportunities outside of the annual Conference & Expo, membership campaigns aimed at increasing new members, a first-year member retention program and a focus on increasing awareness of museum stores to consumers. Based on post-Conference survey feedback, you will

We are continually looking at new opportunities to provide more value in your membership and ways to move MSA to the next level. redesigned the MSA website to provide an improved online experience and better access to information. MyMSA has become the Association hub by providing the ability to form communities of members with like interests, encourage discussion and inform members about the latest MSA news.

Increased presence on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube have provided additional ways to connect with both members and prospective members, and are a move in the right direction for connecting with a new generation of cultural commerce professionals. An educational video series with practical advice for running a retail store was extremely well received. “Numbers by the Book,” a guide to managing nonprofit retail finances, has become a top-selling MSA publication.

Digital issues of Museum Store magazine are now online, providing the ability to view past 6

see an increased level of education sessions and additional networking opportunities at the 2012 MSA Retail Conference & Expo.

All of these efforts are the result of a committed board of directors, a dedicated staff and feedback from our members.

We want to hear from you so that we can continue to provide benefits that strengthen the Association as a whole.

In the next few weeks you will receive your MSA renewal information. I hope that you will look back over the past year and find that the benefits of being an MSA member are well worth sending that form back in. Our members are what make MSA unique and we appreciate your continued support.

Beverly J. Barsook bbarsook@museumstoreassociation.org

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COMMUNICATIONS

Foursquare Deals HOW TO TURN A CELL PHONE INTO A HANDSHAKE.

M

useum stores with a demographic that skews toward the young and techno-lusty may want to check out some interesting marketing opportunities offered by free GPS-driven social networks, including foursquare.

| BY JOE DYSART

museum visitors—rather than just those shopping at the store—netted the best results overall at her museum.

Willa Koerner, a social media associate at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, agrees. She says her museum’s tattoo special with foursquare—get a free temporary tattoo when you check in at the rooftop coffee bar—has resulted in increased foot traffic throughout the facility, including at the museum store.

“The foursquare special has to be of

(Above) Foursquare co-founders Naveen Selvadurai (left) and Dennis Crowley started the company over a kitchen table a few years ago. (Right) The Blanton Museum of Art saw increased foot traffic with a recent foursquare promotion.

Once seen as a quirky way to use your cell phone to broadcast your precise location to friends, complete strangers and/or local merchants, foursquare is being embraced as a serious marketing tool these days by hundreds of thousands of businesses and organizations.

Essentially, museum stores and other businesses use the service to offer special deals to visitors who “check in” at the store’s brick-and-mortar location with foursquare-enabled cell phones.

Mary Douthit, store manager at The Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas, says a foursquare promotion targeting all 8

actual interest and value for the visitors,” Blanton’s Douthit adds. “So it is important to know the audience, and what kind of incentives they may be interested in.”

One way to up the ante is to run a museum promotion with American Express, which rolled out a new campaign with foursquare in June. Under the offer, American Express will automatically process discounts and specials for its card users who check in and make a purchase at participating museums and retailers.

Some of the deals are fairly aggressive. The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, N.Y., for example, is offering 20 percent off a $25 purchase made under the American Express promotion, while Sports Authority is running a “spend $50 get $20 back” deal.

“The success of our pilot just a few months ago proved that American Express’ digital capabilities and foursquare’s expanding application created something extremely powerful,” says Ed Gilligan, American Express’ vice chairman. “We’re thrilled to take this partnership to the next level. For us, this is just the beginning.”

As with all foursquare deals, consumers take advantage of the offer by downloading an app from foursquare’s website, which enables them to check in with all participating businesses.

Generally, users redeem foursquare offers by showing their cell phones to a museum store cashier, who reads a coupon code off the phone and then punches it into the register for the discount.

But the American Express promotion is more elegant. Instead, store personnel simply swipe the foursquare purchase with the American Express card, and the special discount or other deal is automatically processed by American Express. The card company is able to pull this off by requiring shoppers to register for its promotion at the American Express website. Once registered, card members “load” the specific store specials they want to redeem right onto their card, and American Express takes care of the rest.

“The load-to-card functionality of the Smart Offer APIs provides the millions of American Express merchants with an

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effortless way to serve up specials,” says Dennis Crowley, foursquare’s CEO. With the promotion, the card company also announced plans to release an easy-touse online tool soon that will enable museum stores and other businesses to create other couponless offers backed by American Express.

During the past two years, increasing numbers of museums and retailers have made foursquare popular by texting electronic coupons and similar specials to passersby carrying foursquare-enabled cell phones. For some, the couponing effort has resulted in significant gains in spontaneous foot traffic.

In addition, foursquare has attempted to stoke interest by pre-designing a number of offers museums and retailers can activate with their foursquare accounts. These include deals for “swarms” of friends who visit a store simultaneously and “flash” specials good for only a short period of time.

The service is also imbued with a sense of play. Members can use foursquare to alert other users to their precise whereabouts for spontaneous meet-ups. And they can post

reviews of restaurants, nightclubs and other gathering places on foursquare, which can be shared across the foursquare community.

Already on the social media radar, foursquare turned heads again earlier this year with its report that it had signed up its 10 millionth user worldwide. Currently, more than 3 million people “check in” to foursquare every day, and more than 400,000 merchants

scrambling for market share include Gowalla, Yelp Check-ins, Groupon Now and Loopt.

This phenomena in GPS social networking is seen as part of a larger trend by some marketing consultants, in which digital media is expected to devour an increasingly larger share of local advertising dollars. “Our analysis indicates that as advertisers move to online, mobile and, particularly, the variants of social

Currently, more than 3 million people “check in” to foursquare every day, and more than 400,000 merchants and organizations are promoting with the GPS service in some way. and organizations are promoting with the GPS service in some way, according to a report on the company’s website.

Not surprisingly, some of the biggest guns on the Web are trying to elbow in on the upstart’s success. Facebook offers a similar check-in service it calls Places. And Google features check-in social networking as part of its Lattitude service. Other key players

media, we are fast-approaching a tipping point where digital media will soon become a dominant segment of the local advertising marketplace,” says Tom Buono, chief executive officer at BIA/Kelsey, a market research firm.

Overall, BIA/Kelsey predicts digital media—delivered to consumers via mobile, Internet or other electronic methods—will grab 23.6 percent of all local ad spending by 2015.

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Fortunately, testing the waters with foursquare and similar services generally only takes a few minutes, and can translate into substantial increased foot traffic and sales for your museum store—although, to be fair, it can also be a complete dud.

With foursquare, museums sign up for the service by logging onto the foursquare website, searching for their business name in foursquare’s directory and claiming the establishment as their own. (If your museum store is not listed, you can easily add it yourself.)

Once you’re verified as a bonafide representative of your organization, you can try out the service by activating pre-designed foursquare specials that have a proven track-record with other businesses.

The company even offers an online dashboard, which can be used to track and distill which specials work best for you.

Featured reports include accounts of total daily foursquare check-ins over time, your most recent visitors, your most frequent visitors, the gender breakdown of your visitors, the time of day people are checking in and similar stats.

So far, there are seven pre-designed specials you can run with the click-of-a-mouse: • Friends Special: Friends that arrive as a group at your museum store get a discount or other reward.

• Swarm Special: Designed for the more adventurous, this special rewards a pre-determined number of complete strangers with rewards for “swarming” your store at a specific time.

• Flash Special: Perfect for foursquare types passing by your location, this special offers a discount or reward that may only last a few minutes.

• Newbie Special: Any foursquare member who checks into your location for the first time gets a discount or other reward—one of the easiest ways to create new customers.

• Check-in Special: A coupon or reward for anyone who checks into

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your store, whether they’re completely new or a longtime customer.

• Mayor Special: One of the most commonly used promotions, this generally rewards a person who frequents your store more than any other customer. The concept may sound goofy, but there are people who consider jockeying for Mayorship of a business as an all-consuming, never-ending, competitive sport.

• Loyalty Special: This rewards customers who repeatedly check in and buy a predetermined number of times, who repeatedly check in during slow business hours, and similar variations.

Given the ease-of-entry, experimenting with GPS-driven services like foursquare seems like a no-brainer. For the rabidly interested, there’s even a new online trade magazine exclusively devoted to tracking the burgeoning business of location-based services and advertising, called Street Fight.

Joe Dysart, an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan, N.Y., wrote the article “Kirk to Enterprise” in the summer 2010 issue of Museum Store.

He can be reached at (646) 233-4089, joe@joedysart.com or www.joedysart.com.

Check out these websites for more information: foursquare: www.foursquare.com/business American Express: sync.americanexpress.com/foursquare Facebook Places: www.facebook.com/places Lattitude: www.google.com/mobile/latitude Gowalla: www.gowalla.com Yelp Check-ins: officialblog.yelp.com/2010/01/ youre-gonna-want-to-checkoutyelp-for-iphone-v4.html Groupon Now: www.groupon.com/now/about Loopt: www.loopt.com Streetfight: www.streetfightmag.com

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customer relations

Personal Shopping Services WORTHWHILE OR HARDLY WORTH IT?

O “

n paper, a personal shopping service looks good as a member benefit, but not much has come of it here,” says a children’s museum store manager who prefers to remain anonymous. “I get maybe one call a year asking for the service. On the plus side, it doesn’t add much extra work, either.”

His observations echo those of an art museum store manager. “We offer the service, but we’ve never been able to devote resources into getting it going,” he admits.

“Other priorities always seem to come along that take our time and energy.”

Their candid comments aren’t exactly glowing endorsements of personal shopping services, but before you stash the idea in your store’s back drawer, read on. There are ways to make the service a welcome addition for members, and profitable and enjoyable for you.

Trusted guide At the National Museum of American Jewish History in downtown Philadelphia, Pa., personal shopping services are a member benefit at the $1,000 level and above.

Kristen Kreider, director of retail operations at the museum’s store, says she regularly gets three or four calls a month requesting the service.

12

| by catHerine neWton

When a member initially contacts the store, Kreider sets up a file folder with the member’s name, contact information, credit card number (with the member’s permission), and history of purchases. To protect the member’s privacy, only she and the store manager have access to the folder. “Our store sells works by Jewish artists and artisans, and we also carry ceremonial Judaica pieces like menorahs and kiddush cups,” Kreider says.

“So it’s not unusual for members to call us for gift suggestions. If they’re pleased with the service, they can pick up the phone the next

time out of their busy day to drive downtown, find parking and look for the right gift.”

Kreider also is available to assist with instore purchases. “We frequently get requests from non-Jewish shoppers who trust us to help them select an appropriate gift for their Jewish friends,” she notes. “If shoppers need a half-hour of our time and some handholding, we’re happy to oblige.”

Another service provided in the store’s 1,800-square-foot space is a bridal registry.

“We offer the Jewish marriage contract called the ketubah, which is a beautiful piece of

“If shoppers need a half-hour of our time and some hand-holding, we’re happy to oblige.”

—Kristen Kreider, National Museum of American Jewish History time there’s a wedding or bar mitzvah in the family, and say, ‘Send my grandson the same gift that I bought for my nephew.’”

Other members might call Kreider and ask her to narrow down possibilities from the store’s online selections and e-mail photos of a few items to choose from. “Then, we wrap the gift impeccably and ship it,” Kreider says. “Recipients see that the gift comes from the museum, which pleases members because it shows their support for the institution. And, they haven’t had to take

artwork hand-lettered with text chosen by the couple,” says Kreider. When the couple come in to select their ketubah—often with their parents—Kreider takes advantage of the opportunity to suggest a bridal registry.

“Instead of pots and pans, we develop a list of Jewish art or ceremonial pieces that the newlyweds would like to have in their home.”

Kreider admits that she could do more to promote the service. “We need to reach out to our donor list more often—whether by direct mail letters, e-mail or articles in the museum’s newsletter—to remind them about personal shopping,” she says. “It might even encourage members at the $500 or $750 level to up their contribution to qualify for the service.”

Kreider thinks of one patron, in particular. “A well-known celebrity calls me to help her acquire pieces that are difficult for her to find, but easy for me to locate. I know her tastes and what she collects, so I

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customer relations

could be more proactive about calling her or her assistant when I see something she might be interested in.”

Having some fun Personal shopping services can be part of a one-time event, too. When the Tryon Palace North Carolina History Center in New Bern opened a greatly expanded museum store last fall, staff wanted to reintroduce the shop and its merchandise to the local community, boost sales, and “have some fun,” says Paul Brown, retail merchandise manager.

“We came up with the idea of ‘Men’s Night Out,’ a special shopping event we held on the Monday evening before Christmas,” he says.

Three weeks prior, Brown and his staff of volunteers started handing out wish list

cards to female customers who came into the shop. The women could choose items they wanted as gifts, fill out a card with their gift wishes, their name, and the name of their significant other, and drop the card in a fish bowl. Signs on counters and e-mail blasts to members further promoted the idea.

When the doors opened for the afterhours event, the store was ready with “Santa’s hot wings,” cold beverages, and holiday music while the staff helped the men find their pre-selected gifts, suggested other items for purchase and wrapped the presents. “We made the guys’ buying experience easy and enjoyable,” Brown says. “They didn’t have to make any hard decisions, so they had fun. It was successful both financially and to build more local awareness of our museum store as a good place to shop for gifts year-round. We plan to repeat the event this year, and may eventually expand to Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.” Brown shares a few tips for a successful personal shopping event. First, he says, ask

your most outgoing volunteers to staff it— individuals who won’t feel bashful about approaching shoppers and getting add-on sales.

In addition, hold a training session to demonstrate how to talk-up the event beforehand and make sales that night. And, have a policy that gives shoppers the option to return a gift if the recipient doesn’t care for it.

As for his own wish list, Brown would love to build a year-round service with records of shoppers’ phone numbers, e-mail addresses, birthdays, anniversaries and buying preferences, so he could notify them when something of interest comes into the store or goes on sale. “Salespeople who work on commission, such as those in highend retail jewelry, do this all the time,” he says. “I think it’s something we could do more of, too.”

Catherine Newton is a freelance writer based in Denver, Colo. She last wrote on how a museum shop could pair with a sponsor in the “Productive Partnerships” article for the 2009 summer issue of Museum Store magazine.

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financial management

10 Tips to Better Pricing HOW TO MAXIMIZE REVENUE AND INCREASE PROFIT.

1. The goal of your pricing policies is to maximize revenue. That doesn’t mean every product should be priced to the maximum the customer can bear, but that collectively your retail pricing structure brings in customers (or at least doesn’t scare them away), enhances the brand and reputation of the store and museum, provides value, and—in cultural commerce unlike commercial retail—has something for every visitor’s budget. Value is the worth of something compared to the price paid and is not necessarily synonymous with lowest price.

2. The retail price needs to take the Cost of Goods (including costs associated with the development of proprietary product), Freight-in, the recovery of Operating Expenses, allowance for price reductions, discounts and shrinkage, and profit goals into consideration.

Since museum stores are rarely charged 16

for rent, the largest operating expense is usually salary and benefits with a wide difference between those museums with a paid staff with benefits and those with volunteer staffing.

3. To allow for the full impact of intuitive retail pricing and to maximize margin, I recommend you (at least figuratively) determine the probable retail price of a product that is not pre-priced before learning the cost. In other words, evaluate a potential product, determine the probable retail price for your retail environment and then ask the cost. If your gut feeling about the

istockphoto.com / © Audrey roordA

R

etail pricing is a combination of financial goals, math and intuitive input based on knowing your visitor/customer. Welldocumented personal experience, financial statements and POS-generated reports form the knowledge base that can be used to maximize profitability.

Every line item below Net Sales is an expense. The only place retail management can create the pool of money required to cover expenses and generate a profit is at the top of the Income Statement, and that relates directly to retail pricing.

Some tips to better pricing include:

| by anDReW anDOniaDiS

To keep the pricing process as simple as possible, establish a core pricing strategy by department then adjust, if necessary, for individual products. retail price isn’t sufficiently above the cost to fit your margin and pricing policies, look for another product that meets your criterion.

4. To keep the pricing process as simple as possible, establish a core pricing strategy by department then adjust, if necessary, for individual products. For example, for a department you may initially multiply cost times 2.3–2.5, and then mostly keep the final retail price in that range. However, if perceived value and competition allow, you should increase the retail price to what the market will bear. On the other hand, if perceived value and competition require, you can lower the retail price to a more attractive level. Pricing below your core

pricing strategy should be a very rare occurrence. To further simplify the pricing process, the initial markup can include the recovery of standard Freight-in (rather than calculating the distribution of freight costs among all items on an order). A further increase in price may be necessary for extraordinary freight circumstances. This approach balances long-term margin requirements with short-term pricing flexibility.

5. Prestige pricing is appropriate for select products in many museum stores. Prestige pricing is the application of an enhanced margin, which may result in comparatively higher prices because of uniqueness, high

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quality, limited supply or other factors that justify higher prices. Proprietary products, such as one-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry, can qualify for prestige pricing. The style of packaging, and merchandising the products in an ambiance that enhances the perceived value, helps to support this pricing.

6. Multiple pricing is the selling of multiple products for one price. For example, like the Ohio Statehouse Museum Shop located in Columbus, Ohio, many stores in capitols already sell gift baskets for legislator gift-giving, and the store at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum has had good success packaging a t-shirt and sweatshirt with the same graphic, together. This is more than a strategy for markdowns or sales events, because anecdotal evidence shows that consumers perceive this as value pricing and will spend more.

priced, unique, proprietary and attractive products until the evidence shows that you have reached the maximum acceptable to your visitors within the retail environment of your museum. This limit may be different today than it was three years ago or will be next year, so it’s a moving target, but well worth pursuing because of the enhanced profits. It is my experience that most museums are surprised by how far they can push the

price for attractively merchandised products like these.

Andrew Andoniadis is the principal in Andoniadis Retail Services, a consulting firm that has specialized in revenue-generating strategies for museum stores for 19 years.

He can be reached at (503) 629-9279, Andrew@MuseumStoreConsult.com or w w w. Mu s e u m St o re C o n s u l t . c o m .

Andoniadis Retail Services is a Champion Level Sponsor of the 2009 MSA Retail Industry Report.

7. Visitors will often follow suggestions of quantity to be bought at a good price.

If you suggest how many you want your customers to buy and give them an attractive price, they will often do what you tell them. Five postcards for $4.50 or 10 25¢ rocks are examples.

8. Take pricing input from many (staff, suppliers, volunteers, competition), but only one person should set the pricing strategy and specific prices.

9. Constantly and consistently measuring various margin-related calculations is an important tool. This includes evaluating the impact of price changes on demand and the resulting revenue and profit. Maintaining a clear record of when pricing changes are made and running customized POS reports to detail the impact will produce definitive analysis of your pricing policies and price changes.

10. I am a strong advocate of incrementally pushing up the price of higher-

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merchandise planning

Come

Play WITH

US By April Miller

The 2011 Children’s Products Buyer’s Guide

W

hen ordering items for the little ones, vendors suggest cultural commerce buyers look for interesting products offered at fair prices.

“Shopping for children, particularly in a museum store, provides an opportunity for a combination of positives that are not always easy to find: educational, environmental, economical, enhancing and enduring,” says Cindy Kolling of Kolling Cards and Things Made Here! Yet, she adds that kids’ products still need to be fun. “When they visit a museum, they are likely to be excited about the subject and want to learn more. They

need to take a bit of the experience home with them.”

If what they take home happens to be made in the United States, handmade or an eco-friendly item, vendors say all the better. Products not easily found in the mass market, something “the new generation of parents seeks out more and more,” says Ramona Pariente of Safari Ltd., will also give your store added appeal.

“The children’s section, like the rest of the shop, should be a destination experience with as much unique product to that museum as possible,” adds Soft Stuff Creations’ Lorne Kotzer.

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COME PLAY WITH US At BSW Toy, President Bob Muniz notes that there is renewed interest in “family” products—those that “can be enjoyed by many members of the family circle,” he says.

“We have seen the sales of our products that have this focus grow astronomically.”

In-store displays (don’t hesitate to ask vendors what point-of-purchase materials they can provide) should be targeted to both adults and children. Show how products can be used; screen videos; have samples out for play; and greet and take interest in your young visitors just as you would your other shoppers.

“These kids are your customers of tomorrow,” Kolling says. “Introduce them to the quality, educational, creative and energizing products that reflect the museum experience.

Take time to discuss interesting features of your products as you would with an adult.”

Crystal Laughton, Lonely Planet Publications’ sales department supervisor, JDS_Layout 1 5/13/11 10:56 AM Page 1

suggests creating thematic tabletops with toys and educational materials tied to specific exhibits. “Place material, especially colorful products and those with movement, at eye level for kids,” she adds. “And have display copies of books open to pages that will spark a kid’s interest in the subject.”

With museums often chosen for school field trips as well as a destination for parents enthusiastic about exposing their children to art, culture and knowledge, Laughton says that products aimed “at increasing a child’s interest of these subjects, presented in a lively, colorful manner, are the perfect fit for the educated crowd frequenting museums.”

Consider adding some of the following to your kid-friendly product mix: [1]

make some tasty treats, such as mochi (New Year’s sweet rice cakes). Bonus activities are available online.

[2]

New from Questar Entertainment is the “Animated Kid’s Bible,” that uses computer animation to retell classic stories from Genesis, making them accessible and comprehensible for young viewers. The three-DVD collection has been awarded the Dove “Family Approved” seal and presents Bible stories in a fun and engaging way. Bonus features include Biblical music videos and Bible facts.

[3]

A new game for animal lovers is Bright Spots’ award-winning Feelings in the Wild Bingo. For children ages 5 and up, it’s a colorful bingo game with a twist where animated characters express a variety of emotions. The game includes 50 tiles, eight bingo cards and 100 chips, and helps youngsters explore emotions.

Tuttle Publishing’s “All About Japan: Stories, Songs, Crafts and More” is written by Willamarie Moore and illustrated by Kazumi Wilds. It not only includes important facts about Japan but also teaches readers Japanese crafts and songs as well as how to

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New to Mudpuppy’s Spring 2012 line is the seven-piece Dinosaurs Puzzle Wheel. The fun, two-sided, round puzzle is illustrated with dinosaurs on one side and an educational color wheel on the other. Additional designs include: princess, under the sea, at the zoo and more. Puzzles come in a sturdy box with a colorful rope handle.

Brainogami offers a collection of fun and creative D-I-Y crafts and teaching tools, such as the stackable Top-See-Turvy wooden top (shown).

More than 30 models are available.

All of the company’s products are tested in the classroom and reviewed by teacher panels.

and hundred-headed Briaereus are brought to life in what is designed to look like a monster enthusiast’s scrapbook. The book is available from Getty Publications, part of the J. Paul Getty Trust.

[7]

[8]

“My Monster Notebook� by John Harris and illustrated by Mark Todd is an irreverent guide to lesser-known monsters from Greek mythology.

Creatures such as the Teumessian fox

*(1(5$/œ6Š &KDUFRDO LV DQ H[WUD VPRRWK ULFK LQWHQVH EODFN GUDZLQJ IRUPXOD KDQG FUDIWHG ZLWK RXU IDPLO\ IRUPXOD VLQFH 2LO IUHH DQG EOHQGDEOH *(1(5$/œ6Š ³WKH RULJLQDO´ FKDUFRDO SHQFLOV DUH RIWHQ UHIHUUHG WR DV ³5HG +RWV´ E\ DUWLVWV DFURVV WKH 86$ 0DGH ZLWK JHQXLQH ,QFHQVH &HGDU ZRRG DYDLODEOH LQ GHJUHHV DQG &KDUFRDO :KLWHŠ

The Dino Discoveries Oviraptor on Nest (5 inches long by 6 inches tall) from Safari Ltd. is a finely handpainted and accurate replica. It has been recognized for its authenticity and detailed painting of up to 25 different steps. All replicas are phthalate- and lead-free and each comes with an educational hangtag in five languages.

Choose from Found Image Press’ 40,000 images that can be printed on-demand onto any of its products, including note cards (shown is the Articulated Ballerina puppet), postcards, boxed cards, matted and unmatted art prints, magnets, blank

COME PLAY WITH US books and luggage tags. Easel desk calendars and postcard booklets, featuring vintage images, are also available.

[9]

Kolling Cards and Things Made Here! Minne-Mural coloring posters are detailed, carefully researched, hand-drawn designs by Northern Minnesota artist Cindy Kolling.

The posters are great as a travel activity, memento or wall art. More than 175 designs are available. Custom site- or subject-specific designs may also be ordered. Perfect for all skill levels.

[10] What happened to Venus de Milo’s arms? Lonely Planet Publications’ new series, “Not for Parents,� addresses this question and more.

Chock-full of colorful illustrations

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[18]

[19] and photos, this new series for ages 8 and up includes fascinating facts, quirky stories and cool stuff to know for children who are curious about exploring the world’s most exciting cities and countries.

[11] New from Late for the Sky is Spaceopoly. Players (ages 8 and up) can buy favorite celestial bodies and increase the rent by collecting stars and trading them in for orbs. Each deed card includes fun facts. The company is offering a 5% discount to those customers that mention the buyer’s guide.

[12] Frank the Gargoyle (shown) from Soft Stuff Creations is just one of the many custom plush toys the company has produced. Frank was created for Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site as part of its annual fall haunted house. Choose 24

your museum’s theme, a special event or an item in your collection to turn into a plush creation.

[13] American-made Shrinky Dinks 3-D kits from BSW Toy are the company’s best-selling line. Shown in dinosaurs, more than 17 sets are available, including space, zoo safari and butterflies. Countertop displays are included free with orders of 96 pieces or more. “Play date” sets, perfect for on-site groups and activity days, are also available.

[14] My First Weaving Loom from Historical Folk Toys measures 8 ¼ inches by 9 ¾ inches. The wooden handloom includes a wooden shuttle and separator, card comb, one-ounce skein of acrylic yarn in a variety of colors, cotton string, instructions and history of the toy. The beginner’s handloom is a good size for younger children.

[20] [15] The latest title from Thames & Hudson’s growing list of children’s books is “Operation Alphabet.” It’s the story of Charlie Foxtrot who finds learning the alphabet confusing. The Special Alphabet Service comes to his rescue, teaching him not only the alphabet but opening his mind to the world of books. Great for children ages 3 to 6.

[16] For more than 30 years, Vermontbased Maple Landmark Woodcraft has created high-quality, wooden toys, gifts and games. Shown is the classic biplane with two removable figures. As are all of the company’s pieces, the plane is crafted from locally sourced, sustainably harvested pine with hardwood components. All colors and details are done in non-toxic paints and finishes.

[17] With washable or dry-erase markers, children can doodle away on

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COME PLAY WITH US Modern-twist’s Kidz Placemats, available from Diane O’Donnel Contemporary Designs. Made from food-grade, hand silk-screened silicone, the mats won’t crease or rip. The 14” x 16” mats are great for mealtime as well as when traveling. A variety of creative, playful designs are available.

[18] High-quality and award-winning hand, glove and finger puppets are available from Folkmanis. The more than 200 animal and character puppets are inspired by nature and literature.

Shown are the mini cardinal, prairie dog and robin finger puppets, each 4 inches tall. The family business is headquartered in Emeryville, Calif., and has been creating carefully detailed and realistic puppets since 1976.

[19] Winner of the 2011 Red Dot Award and the International Design Excellence Award is Great Circle Works’ new Oblo Puzzle Spheres.

The 3-D spherical puzzle challenges and inspires kids of all ages. Made of spheres within spheres, the challenge comes when putting the pieces back together. The puzzle helps with motor-skills development.

[20] The award-winning Fractiles magnetic tiling toy is made in the United States and is for those ages 6 and up.

Use the tiles to create endless designs, from the simple to the complex: starbursts, spirals, butterflies, flower bouquets, spaceships, swarms of fireflies and much more.

Fractiles is available in three sizes: large, travel and fridge size.

It’s not just beautiful one-of-a-kind jewelry; it’s a 700 year old story.

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April Miller is a Cleveland-based freelance writer and editor. A regular contributor to Museum Store, she last wrote the “2011 Holiday Buyer’s Guide” in the summer issue.

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Retail Buyer’s Guide Brainogami www.brainogami.com (800) 948-0900

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Bright Spots www.brightspotsgames.com (888) 301-8880 BSW Toy, Inc. www.bswtoy.com (321) 972-3321 Diane O’Donnel Contemporary Designs www.dianeodonnel.com (716) 863-5200 Found Image Press www.foundimage.com (800) 927-3722 Folkmanis, Inc. www.folkmanis.com (800) 654-8922 Fractiles, Inc. www.fractiles.com (877) 277-3201 Great Circle Works www.greatcircleworks.com (416) 830-7536 Getty Publications www.gettypublications.org (800) 223-3431 Historical Folk Toys, LLC www.historicalfolktoys.com (800) 871-1984 Kolling Cards and Things Made Here! www.kollingcards.com (218) 268-4396 Late for the Sky www.lateforthesky.com (800) 422-3434 Lonely Planet Publications www.lonelyplanet.com (510) 250-6400 Maple Landmark Woodcraft www.maplelandmark.com (800) 421-4223 Mudpuppy www.wholesale.galison.com (212) 354-8840 Questar Entertainment www.questarentertainment.com (800) 544-8422 Safari Ltd. www.safariltd.com (800) 554-5414 Soft Stuff Creations www.softstuffcreations.com (888) 228-5001 Thames & Hudson Inc. www.thamesandhudsonusa.com (800) 233-4830

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COMMUNICATIONS

ISTOCKPHOTO.COM / © ANDREW JOHNSO

N

THINKING OUTSIDE THE

BLACK AND WHITE

MSA11_QRCodes.indd 28

BOX

BY TRACI RYLANDS

9/1/11 11:10 AM

W

ondering what those grainy black and white boxes are that keep popping up in magazines, on movie posters and business cards, even on a cup of coffee?

They might seem new, but QR (Quick Response) code technology has been around since 1994 in Japan, when Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave created them to track auto parts. While Asian countries are very familiar with QR codes, the United States has been slow to catch on.

How Do QR Codes Work?

A

QR code is a two-dimensional bar code that can contain a large amount of information. To scan it, all you need is a smartphone and a QR code reader application, which can be downloaded for free.

According to ConverseDigital’s founder Tom Martin, “With the smartphone, a consumer can scan a QR code and access additional data about a product, service or attraction that is stored digitally on the Internet. This information can include audio, video, pricing, consumer reviews, or virtually anything that can be stored digitally.”

Martin points out that, as smartphone sales have increased in the United States, so has the appearance of QR codes. “With the growth of the smartphone platforms (iPhone, Android, etc.) that carry high-quality cameras and Internet connections, QR codes have become a marketing tool.”

By using free sites like bitly.com or budurl.com, anyone can create a QR code that will direct consumers to a website, audio clip or video. One of the most attractive qualities of a QR code is being able to track how many people are scanning it and who they are. Some tracking services are free (such as Google Analytics) while others require a monthly fee.

Martin explains, “Each time a QR code is scanned, your phone sends bits of information with the scan. Marketers can see where you were geographically when you scanned the code, they can see what kind of phone you are using and even which wireless service you subscribe to.”

He adds, “With higher-end QR code generators, you can link scans. Meaning, if I were to scan your QR code while reading a magazine at my office and I then scanned a code in your museum shop, you could link the two scans to show that your advertising most likely contributed or drove me to the museum and then the store. That’s the real power of QR codes from a tracking perspective.”

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THINKING OUTSIDE THE BLACK AND WHITE BOX Enhance the Museum Experience

S

ome museums are using QR codes to extend visitors’ experiences. Recently, 12 of the 92 member museums of the Association of Nova Scotia Museums took part in a QR code program to make better use of their collections’ research projects.

According to museum advisor Karin Kierstead, “We knew many of our members had multimedia content such as archival video footage, oral history interviews, curator or public talks, etc., but that much of this content was just sitting on storage shelves and in offices. We focused on interpretive content—additional information about artifacts, exhibits, or a historical event that would be educational and interesting to visitors.�

Costs included hiring a technical consultant and two interns, whose tasks included video and audio clip editing. Instructional posters were printed to introduce the QR codes to museum visitors and explain how they work. These posters were customized for each museum to align with their unique branding efforts.

Kierstead says, “We issued a media release and have been promoting the project through social media and found that the local newspaper and media associated with the 12 participating sites were very excited about such an innovative project taking place in their town.�

At the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, visitors can scan a QR code to get 10 percent off their store purchase. Another participating museum used a QR code to link to information about when local radio personalities would be reading selections from books sold in the museum store. “From what we have heard, visitors are very excited to see this in museums and are enjoying the sort of treasure hunt to find all the codes,� Kierstead notes. “We track the

Send Your Audience a Fresh Message

L

ocated in Highland Park, Ill., Ravinia Festival is the oldest U.S. music festival, running from June to September. Artists range from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to rock band Maroon 5, attracting a wide variety of guests. QR codes seemed like a natural fit to Director of Retail Operations Jennifer Wood. “We wanted to be more immediate, to keep things fresh,� says Wood. “We put together a list of things we could do to showcase it. We have it on business cards, posters, vehicle stickers, magnetic signage on cars. It’s just our logo with the QR code.�

With Ravinia’s changing roster of artists, Wood refreshes the information the QR codes link to on a regular basis. “I can link

CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART BOOSTS ADVERTISING WITH QR CODES

MAKE QR CODES WORK FOR YOU

W

B

hen The Cleveland Museum of Art opened their new antiquities galleries, they launched an extensive QR code campaign with the help of their ad agency, Brokaw. “We wanted to try QR codes as a way to bridge the traditional advertising we’d be doing with our growing move to digital communications,� says Marketing and Communications Director Cindy Fink. “A QR code on a kiosk, print ad or poster allowed us to drive a viewer/reader to our website for more information than we’d ever be able to provide in the traditional ad.�

Fink says making QR codes an integral part of their advertising efforts was successful. “We had several hundred scans of the codes throughout the summer and early fall of 2010 and believe they were an important aspect of the integrated marketing campaign HOW DO YOU SEE IT ? we used to drive attendance last summer to our new galleries.�

Download a QR code reader on your mobile device, and scan the code above to find out more.

30

usage statistics through goo.gl, the url shortener we used for the project. This provides us with information on the model of phone or device used to access the code, where the visitor was from, and the date and time of access.�

efore investing in QR codes, consider these steps. • Educate Staff: Explain how QR codes work so they can assist customers with questions, such as how to download a free scanner app on their smartphone. • Create Signage: Design a simple poster explaining what the QR code is and how to scan it. Place the posters in prominent areas. • Make it Worthwhile: Reward customers with valuable information or a coupon for a future visit when they scan your QR code. • Keep it Brief: Make audio/ video clips short. Older phones can have difficulty downloading larger amounts of information.

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to ticket offers and upcoming promotions, direct them to a featured sale on the store site, even construction updates.”

Wood says that while she cannot directly attribute any increased ticket or store sales to QR codes, she says the response is positive.

Moreover, embracing a new tool is breathing new life into Ravinia’s marketing efforts.

“Using the QR codes and releasing our new smartphone app makes us look more savvy, that we’re not going down the same old route,” Wood says. “We knew we needed to move on this technology because our audience expected us to.”

Wood points out that as technology evolves, even the static appearance of these black and white boxes is changing. ‘“A QR code has typically been that square. I just showed my boss a Wild Turkey [bourbon] ad that had their logo embedded in the QR code. So now we’re going to look at how far we can artistically push to get our logo embedded.”

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If Not Now, When?

A

s QR codes become more common, museum store managers should consider how they can capitalize on the new technology. That could involve synching efforts with the museum, who may already be using them.

“I think it is crucial you become best friends with the communications department,” Wood says. “Get it on their radar and work together. Even if it’s something small, if all you do is just have a presence and showcase a product as part of a campaign. It makes you look more well rounded.”

Traci Rylands lives in Atlanta, Ga., and recently contributed an article on the e-book reading revolution occurring in museum stores in the summer 2011 issue of Museum Store magazine.

To view video highlights of the 2011 MSA Conference & Expo in Rosemont, scan the QR code with your mobile phone’s reader!

Need a reader?

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WORLD

CORGAN ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS

Welcome to my (New)

By Marge D. Hansen

Can a new store build-out or remodel be all things to all people?

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OPERATIONS

It’s fabulous!

CORGAN ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS

Customers ooh and ahh over the new look and can’t spend enough time browsing and buying from all your impeccably merchandised displays. In your dreams? In reality, too. Good planning and retail know-how can deliver a fresh look that compels more visitors to explore the store, provide merchandising and storage space that improve functionality and, above all, enhance the shopping experience for customers. When new construction or a store redo gets the go-ahead, the wish list is generally a long one in hopes of encompassing a fix for every shortcoming, and additions that will elevate the store to near perfection.

Retail Manager Amy Gilchrist was recruited in January 2010 to work with architects Corgan Associates and Retail Consultant Mary Bloom to plan The Museum Store + Café, which now serves as the “front door” to The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, Texas. The entrance to the Texas School Book Depository, which houses the museum and original shop, is at the back of the building. When a ground-floor space became available in a historic building across the plaza, the museum board approved transforming it into a space that would provide visitors with a larger product selection and offer them, as well as area workers and the expanding downtown population, a chic spot to enjoy lunch or meet for coffee.

“We wanted to increase visibility for the museum from the plaza,” comments Gilchrist. “One of our greatest assets in the new space is the southern exposure and natural light. The architects did not want to block the sightline to the plaza, so that became the guiding aesthetic.”

Exposed brick and casement windows were preserved. A tile ceiling was removed to reveal original timber and beams, which were meticulously brought back to life. Retaining the ductwork and knob-and-post wiring merged historical elements with contemporary features like recycled aluminum, solid-surface counters.

Using minimal bracing, perimeter shelving “floats” in front of the historic brick walls.

Light fixtures and display tables were designed and produced by local artists.

Signage played a very important role in connecting the across-the-plaza spaces.

The project was not without setbacks.

The schedule took a hit when behind-the-scenes wiring and plumbing issues surfaced. The scope of food offerings was modified midstream, and a finicky espresso maker triggered a flood. Nevertheless, the store opened in July 2010 after five action-packed months under construction. Rave reviews continue to validate linking a new, high-energy perspective to an historic venue. According to Gilchrist, a phased “facelift” for the original store is in The Sixth Floor Museum’s future. Sales at the original store have not been diminished by the new store opening, resulting in an overall net gain in profits.

D

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welcome to my (new)

WORLD

Seating helps accomodate the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum’s 50-plus principal demographic.

A GiAnt Step ForwArd

i

n its previous life, the 790-square-foot store at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in Auburn, Ind., was tucked between two galleries in the interior of the museum, which is in the original art deco showroom of the former

Auburn Automobile Company, a National Historical Landmark. Bringing the new 1,000-square-foot location (plus another 200 square feet for the admissions area) forward and positioning it at the museum entrance was meant to make the store accessible to local traffic and promote activity during special events.

“We wanted the same wow-factor in the new space as people experience when they enter the classic car showroom,” explains Marcia Doell, museum store product manager, buyer and e-com manager. “The tile designs on the floor, the style of the store fixtures and countertops, and overall look is art deco ‘modern’ with a vintage historical viewpoint. This sensibility embraces our visitors and carries them into the first museum gallery where the real artifacts of the era are on display: streamlined art deco Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg classic automobiles, Italian tiered chandeliers, a bronze grand staircase, terrazzo floor and 30-foot ceilings decorated with bas relief plasterwork—all original.”

Doell’s timeline spanned 10 months: design—three months; construction—four months; fixture/lighting install—two months; and merchandising—one month. She realistically rates the new space as 90 percent successful. The new and expanded product selection has been well received. Art deco tile designs on the floor and archival images throughout the store have a strong connection to the collection. Small halogen tracks illuminate products, though Doell wishes she had more lighting. Central volume controls and high-quality speakers in “the three main areas of sound” allow for music in the store while other areas can remain quiet. Seating was added to accommodate its 50-plus principal demographic. One counter conveniently accommodates two POS stations. Because the space has no walls, when transactions really pick up during a special event, store personnel can easily access two additional POS stations in the admissions area.

The 10 percent that did not meet expectations includes the admissions counter that seems too large for the space, minimal

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wall display area and a too-small-to-beeffective backroom work space. Making the best use of fixtures, blending new and old inventory and product placement (things look very different in a new space) were Doell’s biggest challenges.

“Great visual merchandising skills were needed. Flexibility was my mantra,” she smiles. It seems to have worked out well.

With a significant uptick in revenue, the relocated store, which opened in mid2009, is on track to beat its original ROI projection of three and a half years. That has everyone smiling.

and far out to retrieve customers’ merchandise so we can ring it up,” she says. “We need more space for impulse items. Display cases 30” deep also make for deep reaching. When our fixtures were delivered, I was worried they were too high for kids to shop from them, so I brought in a few tables that are lower. I’m still working on how to improve my book shelving, which were created as 22” deep built-ins, with only two or three shelves per section—beautiful, but not very practical.”

The Crocker Art Museum’s renovated store offers more space for expanded product categories.

Amy giLChriSt the Sixth Floor museum at Dealey Plaza • Speak up and express your opinion.

• Be diligent so details on paper actually materialize.

mArCiA DoeLL

Come to the Light

Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile museum

t

he new Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architectsdesigned wing of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, Calif., which opened in October 2010, houses the redefined museum store. It could not be more different than the old store, which was located in Judge Edwin B. Crocker’s 1872 Italianate mansion and galleries. For starters, the new retail operation is near the entrance/exit of the new wing, where the previous shop was buried far from the front doors.

“We’ve had such a terrific response to the larger, brighter space and all the new merchandise,” says Museum Store Manager/ Buyer Michelle Alberigi McKenzie. “Our old store had wraparound windows, but they had a western exposure and the store got hot, even with air conditioning, all year round. We now have spots, fluorescents and an entire wall of north-facing windows.”

McKenzie came on board in 2009, after the layout/design phase had been finalized.

Two mandates were the heart of the new store project: create a beautiful and functional space that would increase revenue and, secondly, have a large stockroom with office attached to the store. That has been achieved. However, what’s on paper and day-to-day operations often diverge.

“Our wide cash wrap has a high ledge that means we have to really reach over the register

Some Advice…

• Seek input from everyone; don’t go it alone.

• Spend the money on lighting to create inviting settings and feature products.

• Stretch your thinking and imagine the store environment in eight to 10 years.

Similar to the eclectic mix in the galleries, the contemporary style of the building and the clean grey and white color palette, the new space seems to call out for more diverse and expanded product categories.

“It’s satisfying to hear things like, ‘This place is great, and they are always changing the merchandise,’” she says. Many frequent visitors have realized products turn over pretty fast. “If they see something and love or need it, they know they’d better buy it, as the item just might not be there when they come back.”

McKenzie now has the setting and square footage to try different things. She is particularly enjoying the high-visibility of the new location. Like The Sixth Floor Museum and Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum stores, the Crocker Art Museum’s new store “sparkles.”

Marge D. Hansen is a freelance writer based in Lafayette, Colo., who regularly contributes to Museum Store. She recently wrote the “Off-site Sales” article in the summer 2011 issue.

miCheLLe mCKenzie Crocker Art museum • A good retail designer can be a great resource.

• Do a physical inventory of the old store. You’ll have a more accurate count for setting up your new POS system.

AnDrew AnDoniADiS Andoniadis retail Services • Interior lighting in jewelry cases • Sufficient ambient lighting • Adjustable lighting to highlight small groups of products and displays • Adjustable shelving • Vertical merchandising capabilities • Casters on freestanding fixtures

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STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

FIND YOUR

niche

Leverage Your Strength in a Competitive Market

by Employing a Niche Marketing Strategy

BY SHEILA ARMSTRONG

W

e often hear shoppers say they love shopping in museum stores because they can find different and unique items they can’t find in traditional retail stores. In essence, museum stores are a retail niche market, branded with the enviable image of offering quality merchandise that is unique and vetted by the museum. The challenge is to make your museum shop more appealing by kicking up your museum store’s merchandise to a more well-honed niche.

“Niche marketing” is not a new subject. In fact, it’s used by many museum stores, but some are not especially successful. One of the secrets of being successful in niche marketing is to have a consistent strategy.

If you are a smaller museum store with 36

a limited budget, limited space and limited traffic, you have an opportunity to develop a specific niche marketing strategy targeted to your potential customer.

If you are a museum store supporting a larger institution with a variety of subjects or themes, you have a greater challenge to carve out your defining niche.

As all MSA members know, standard merchandise for museum stores include categories such as books, jewelry, home accessories, educational toys and games, apparel and accessories, etc. In today’s competitive market, more and more museum stores are realizing that they need to establish a stronger signature retail niche to increase sales. They are accomplishing this by being very innovative, creative and focused in sourcing products—creating

points of positive difference with signature merchandise reflective of the theme(s) of their museum.

Museum stores now, more than ever, are creating their individual niche, emphasizing that their merchandise is authentic to the theme and/or mission of their museum, striving to offer merchandise that is evocative of the place or experience, and providing memories of a visit to their destination. To achieve this they are continually searching for resources and local talent that can provide them with merchandise that supports their niche. Within all of these parameters, the store managers are also charged with offering merchandise that meets a broad range of price points for children and shoppers of all economic strata, and that generates traffic and sales.

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FIND YOUR

niche SUCCESSFUL NICHE MUSEUM STORES

T

o delve further into how museum stores are merchandising to capitalize on the niche of their museum, I recently visited two successful museum stores in niche museums: the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace and the Pacific Asia Museum.

Both of these museums were once the homes of two remarkable women who were considered to be trailblazers and visionaries. Both lived in the late 1800s through the early 1900s. Both traveled extensively and initiated unique careers—especially uncommon for women of their time.

These women left us with a legacy of not only their homes, which are now museums, but also of what they accomplished in their lifetime.

I wanted to find out how these museum stores leverage the strength of their museums’ niche to create a successful niche museum store.

Here is what I learned from two very diverse and very successful museum stores— one with an iconic Americana theme and the other showcasing a broad band of Pacific and Asian cultures.

The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace

M

y first visit was to Savannah, Ga., to visit the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA. Her home, a handsome English Regency house furnished in Victorian antiques, is now a museum celebrating her life with a special focus on her leadership in establishing the Girl Scouts.

The museum store is a great example of a niche store focusing on two complementary merchandise themes, carefully selected to relate to the lifestyle of the home and

Official Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace Girl Scout patches are available exclusively through the museum store.

to the heritage of Girl Scouts of the USA by the Store Manager and Buyer, Linda LeFurgy. LeFurgy attributes the success in creating this niche museum store to being true to the store’s mission, “to offer a wide variety of high-quality merchandise for sale that relates to the Girls Scouts of the USA, reflects the historic collections in the

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museum, general Victorian-related products that fit within the stated period in interpretation, and youth-oriented items that make available an appropriate mix of products for young people and adult visitors at a reasonable and profitable cost.”

Linda’s diligence in supporting that mission is evident throughout the shop.

The shop features early Girl Scout memorabilia and collectibles including replicas of books and games. There are official Juliette Gordon Low Girl Scout patches and note cards with sketches of the museum that are commissioned and available exclusively at the museum store. An especially innovative collection of merchandise is a selection of Girl Scout troop crafts that troops create and donate to the museum shop. Many of these are products that emphasize the trend to recycle. For example, there are origamilike change purses that are created from Girl Scout cookie boxes.

The store also has collections relating to the Victorian lifestyle of the Gordon family. Because tea time is one of the events scheduled at the museum in homage to the era, there is an extensive selection of tearelated merchandise in all price ranges.

This museum store has successfully carved out its niche specializing in merchandise that appeals to Girl Scouts of all ages and those who

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The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace museum store offers tea-related merchandise representing the Victorian lifestyle of the Gordon family.

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MSA11_NicheMuseumStores.indd 39

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FIND YOUR

niche

appreciate the lifestyle of the Victorian era… or those who simply enjoy a lovely tea set!

Pacific Asia Museum

M

y second visit was to the other coast, to the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, Calif., where I met with the Museum Store Manager Tai-Ling Wong. The Pacific Asia Museum was once the home of Grace Nicholson, a well-known art collector of the 20th century with a great appreciation for Asian art. As a result, she built the Treasure House of Oriental and Western Art, now the home of the Pacific Asia Museum, “to help introduce Asian arts to a new generation of Americans.” The architecture and exhibitions of the Pacific Asia Museum reflect the mission of the museum and provide a cultural resource for those who are passionate about Asian and Pacific Island art, and those

40

who have a cultural connection to Asia.

The Pacific Asia Museum Store is an excellent example of a niche marketing strategy.

It is a reflection of the museum’s collection— consistently highlighting the diverse Asian and Pacific cultures featuring many artisans both local and international, antiques, fashionable clothing and jewelry. By staying focused on offering merchandise true to the theme, Wong has created a niche that is popular with visitors and residents alike who admire Asian and Pacific cultures and their artistic interpretations.

She finds that shoppers have an appreciation of the quality of the shop’s products knowing they have been vetted by a knowledgeable staff and trust that their purchases are authentic and well worth the investment.

Wong has a disciplined focus, consistent with the Asian and Pacific product niche, utilizing many unique ways of merchandising her store. For example, she has discovered a local quilter, Grandma Dorie, who creates Asian motif quilts and wall hangings; a local craftsman, Ken Murano, who

Each Singing Bowl from The Pacific Asia Museum store offers a unique design and soothing sound in its own musical key.

makes one-of-a-kind wooden letter boxes; a local artist, Ashley Chen, who creates decorated gourds; and a local designer, Debbie Yumori, who specializes in jewelry designs evocative of Asian themes.

She also carries authentic antique Japanese tansu chests, some with secret compartments that make them even more interesting. Other examples of merchandise consistent with the niche’s theme are authentic Japanese woodblock prints done by four Scottish and

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American women who studied traditional Japanese woodblocking and “singing bowls” often used for meditation. Beautiful Japanese and Chinese scarves and kimonos in rich silks add a fashionable touch to the merchandise selection.

Wong does very creative resourcing to stay true to the store’s niche, but one of her most innovative resources for obtaining merchandise is a collection of artifacts from Pacific Asia countries that are on consignment from a former Peace Corps volunteer who is downsizing his collections gathered from his travels.

No wonder this museum shop was recently named one of the “Best of L.A.” by Los Angeles Magazine and successfully capitalizes on niche marketing!

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LEVERAGE YOUR NICHE

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n summary, what I learned from these two museum stores is that the advantages of a successful niche strategy are many, including: • Creates a destination “brand” in a competitive retail environment, generating higher sales volume.

• Builds a more loyal and repeat customer base.

• Allows for a more balanced inventory by addressing targeted customers.

• Lowers marketing costs due to target marketing instead of generalized advertising.

• Capitalizes on compelling merchandising presentations that tell a story.

• Increases public relations opportunities by positioning the spokesperson as an authority on the products for the media.

Sheila Armstrong is the executive director of the U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council (USCHT) and the director of cultural affairs and public relations for Shop America Alliance. The USCHT markets cultural and heritage tours to national and international visitors (both the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace and the Pacific Asia Museum are included in packages) at www.theCulturalTraveler.com. To learn more about USCHT, visit www.uscht.com. To learn more about the ONE Travel Conference, visit www.ONETravelConference.com.

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IDEA GALLERY

packaging de young and legion of honor/ fine arts museums of san francisco San Francisco, Calif.

“Inspired by the architecture of the de Young and Legion of Honor, the Museum Stores of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco refreshed their store identity and packaging with a pattern of vertical, multi-colored lines arranged in multiple tiers to represent the key architectural elements of each museum and their respective diverse collections. The refreshed store identity and packaging is derived from the original award-winning design created six years ago by Hizam Haron of Hizam Design, a San Francisco-based design firm.” —Stuart Hata

georgia o’keeffe museum Santa Fe, N.M.

©Kelly Powers PhotograPhy

“These bags are a non-woven fabric with a matte laminate over the front, back and bottom. We have the large shopping tote size or a smaller tote perfect for jewelry and smaller books. The bag is free with a $50 or more purchase, or, they can be purchased for $2.50. My cost was around $.96 each. It’s fun to see our shopping bags all over town and even have spotted them in airports and grocery stores. We also have plastic bags for purchases under $50—we don’t make people buy a bag.” —Janice Wrhel

american university museum at the katzen arts center Washington, D.C.

“Instead of custom bags, I am starting to use my business card, which includes hours on the back side and the following statement: ‘The American University Museum Katzen Museum Store has unique gifts for all your gift giving needs!’

It is much cheaper, unique and creative this way. I think it is a great way to brand.” —Ann Lee 42

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MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM Milwaukee, Wis.

“We brought in this bag program just before the holiday season in 2010. We love them because they are made of recycled paper, and the lunch bag polka dot one seems especially fun. We also find that guests will use it as a gift bag instead of asking for a box, which saves us money. Because we often have heavy exhibition catalogs, we did have to include a plastic option as well (not shown) but we chose one that is biodegradable.” —Karen McNeely

WHEATONARTS AND CULTURAL CENTER Millville, N.J.

“Our packaging is used in all three of our museum stores at WheatonArts and Cultural Center. The red gift boxes and white bows are complimentary with each purchase. We tried to create a signature look using our logo in white on the red boxes, accented with a white chiffon pull bow. We find it works for any occasion and it’s suitable for both men and women and eliminates the need for wrapping paper.” —Noele Alampi

INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM Washington, D.C.

“Our key motivations were to develop a ‘green bag’ that can be re-used and that carries the museum name for marketing and brand recognition purposes.” —Jodi Zeppelin

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| new releases |

A

s a cultural commerce buyer, you have the unique opportunity of extending and enhancing the experience of your visitors with educational and unusual merchandise. Here’s a sampling of the new products submitted to MSA for review in the past 90 days. (All review copies will be donated to qualified charitable organizations.)

EducAtionAl ProductS curiosity Kits® cardboard Adventures™ The Orb Factory Ltd. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (800) 741-0089 | www.orbfactory.com Wholesale: $6 | Retail: $20 This kit includes armor, a helmet, shield and sword, all made out of thick and durable cardboard. Kids fold and bend their cardboard to create a historical knight costume.

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| ad index |

2012 MSA Conference & Expo 48 Artwear LLC............................. 21 BeadArt from The Heart LLC .. 31 Brainogami .............................. 17 Bright Spots ............................. 39 BSW Toy ................................... 39 Bullpen Book Sales ................. 10 Clear Solutions Inc. ................ 41 Collaborators Publishing ........ 27 Crown Prince International..... 25 Deneen Pottery ........................ 14 EDC Publishing ........................ 40 Esprit Creations.......................... 34 Folkmanis Inc. .......................... 5 Found Image Press .................. 9 Fractiles ..................................... 6 Galison/Mudpuppy ................... 17 General Pencil ............................ 23 Getty Publications ........................ 7 Glass Eye Studio/ Global Village Glass Studio . 26

Great Circle Works .................. 34 Historical Folk Toys LLC ........... 9 JDS Solutions Corp. ................ 20 Kolling Cards and Things Made Here! .................................... 31 Late for the Sky ....................... 41 Lonely Planet Publications ..... 39 Maple Landmark Woodcraft ..... 6 Mata Ortiz to You ..................... 26 Messe Frankfurt ...................... 15 Nido Hook ................................ 11 The Orb Factory ....................... 26 Peace by Piece Fair Trade ...... 38 Product News ........................... 45 Questar Entertainment ............. 2 Recent Toys................................. 10 Safari Ltd. .................................... 13 Schiffer Publishing ..................... 44 Soft Stuff Creations .................... 41 Thames & Hudson ..................... 47 Tuttle Publishing ........................ 31

For detailed contact information about any Museum Store advertiser, please visit www.MuseumStoreAssociation.org and log in to the Member Directory.

Thank you for supporting our advertisers!

MuseuM store | FALL 2011

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FALL 2011

Zazou Scarves_Layout 1 8/23/11 3:08 PM Page 1RosenPub_Layout 1 8/24/11 2:22 PM Page 1

Design Master_Layout 1 8/24/11 2:24 PM Page 1

MSA’s Showcase of Specialty Store Merchandise CUSTOM PRODUCTS

BOOkS & RELATED

APPAREL/ACCESSORIES Retail $10–$90

Retail $10

Retail $4.50

Wholesale $5–$45

Wholesale N/A

Wholesale $2.25

&Print and Online Catalog

&Print Catalog

Ikat Fever Zazou’s latest offering for the enduring Ikat trend: the Ikat Shimmer. Combines the resist-dyeing technique with a delicate hint of silver. Green (shown), red and blue.

How to Draw Pets Some of the most fun things to draw are the most familiar.

Animals like cats, dogs, lizards and hamsters are broken down into simple shapes allowing aspiring artists to draw their favorite pet.

&Print Catalog

A Mini-Masterpiece!

Framed magnet is just one product in DesignMasters’ Q3 Program™ (High Quality, Low Quantity, Quick). Receive in 90 days! Low minimum quantities. No set-up/design fees.

THE ROSEN PUBLISHING GROUP INC. DESIGN MASTER ASSOCIATES INC. ZAZOU Phone: (646) 205-7477 Fax: (212) 614-7385 Phone: (800) 322-7583 Fax: (757) 566-8400 Phone: (800) 274-1868 Fax: (510) 848-6135 Live Your Dream_Layout 1 Store Products_Layout 1 9/1/11 10:06 AM PageHill 1 sales@designmasters.com Sunset Stomeware_Layout 1 8/24/11 2:27 PM Page 1 triciab@rosenpub.com info@zazou.com 1 8/24/11 2:20 PM PageMuseum www.rosenpublishing.com www.designmasters.com www.zazou.com

CUSTOM PRODUCTS Retail Call for quote

Retail $15

Retail $13–$16

Wholesale Call for quote

Wholesale $7.25

Wholesale $25.99–$32.99

&Print and Online Catalog

&Print and Online Catalog

&Print and Online Catalog

Custom Design Pop-Up Greeting Cards Historic treasure or cutting-edge icon—I can design a 3-D greeting card of your museum home. Custom pricing upon request.

Snow Paperweight A twist on the conventional snowglobe, our new square paperweight measures 4” x 4” and works well with both color and B&W imagery. Custom. Individually boxed.

Made in America Stoneware Personalized with your museum’s image. Bowls, soup crocks, vases, mugs, steins and more. Food safe. Oven, microwave and dishwasher safe. Individually hand-crafted by master potters.

LIVE YOUR DREAM DESIGNS Phone: (323) 226-0274 Fax: (323) 226-0274 www.liveyourdreamdesigns.com

MUSEUM STORE PRODUCTS INC. Phone: (800) 966-7040 Fax: (908) 852-5118 wood@museumstoreproducts.com www.museumstoreproducts.com

SUNSET HILL STONEWARE LLC Phone: (800) 509-4662 Fax: (920) 886-1116 info@shstoneware.com www.shstoneware.com

CONTENTS 45 AppAREL/AccESSORiES 45 BOOkS & RELATEd 45 cUSTOM pROdUcTS

46 FAiR TRAdE 46 GAMES & TOyS 46 hOME & GARdEn

46 jEwELRy 46 REpROdUcTiOnS

FALL 2011 | MUSEUM STORE

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Accents for Today_Layout 1 5/25/11 10:27 AM Page 1 Designs_Layout 1 8/24/11 2:29 PM Page Diane Kismet 1 O Donnel_Layout 1 8/24/11 2:26 PM Page 1

FAIR TRADE

GAMES & TOYS Retail $10+

Retail $3.25–$15

Retail $4–$14.99

Wholesale $4+

Wholesale $1.60–$7.50

Wholesale $2–7.50

&Online Catalog

Crafts Reflecting African History and Culture Authentic crafts, folk art, masks, recycled creations, toys, hand-painted greeting cards, advertising signs, jewelry, buttons and more, from Zimbabwe and Nigeria. Also one-of-a-kind!

ACCENTS FOR TODAY INC. Phone:1(212) 517-943812:11 Fax: (212) Motawi_Layout 8/23/11 PM 517-9438 Page 1 info@accentsfortoday.com www.accentsfortoday.com

&Print and Online Catalog

&Online Catalog

Vintage Sari Gift Bags Gorgeous eco-friendly holiday wrapping! Gift bags and pouches hand-crafted from recycled vintage silk saris.

Perfect for jewelry and small gifts. Always Fair Trade.

LEGO Lunch Box 8 The LEGO Lunch Box 8 enables your children to carry their lunch with that familiar LEGO feeling. It is lunchtime made fun!

KISMET DESIGNS DIANE O’DONNEL CONTEMPORARY DESIGNS Phone: (310) 822-8254 Phone: 863-5200 (716)Page 568-8458 NidoHook_SP11_Layout 1 3/1/11 9:56 AM Page Q3Art_Layout 1 1 (716) 8/30/11 3:11Fax: PM 1 g1@kismetstyle.com dod@dianeodonnel.com www.kismetstyle.com www.dianeodonnel.com

JEWELRY

HOME & GARDEN Retail $62–$207

Retail $22–$24

Retail $24/$50

Wholesale $31–$104

Wholesale $10–$13

Wholesale $12/$24

&Print and Online Catalog

&Print and Online Catalog

&Print and Online Catalog

Holiday—2011 Collection Hand-crafted gift tiles are created by Ann Arbor artisans in the Arts and Crafts tradition. Alhambra, Dard Hunter Tree, and Button Basket tiles all shown in Peppermint colorway.

Nido Hook Nido Hook is an innovative hook that securely hangs art from bookshelves without using nails or damaging fine woodwork. Patent pending.

Moda Necklace and Dew Drop Earrings Q3 Art makes fashionable, fun and affordable hand-dyed anodized aluminum jewelry, mobiles and clocks. To access website below, enter artist #20169, then enter the password: tra3q.

MOTAWI TILEWORKS

NIDO HOOK

Q3 ART INC. Phone: (877) 929-4258 Fax: (773) 929-4258 info@q3art.com www.wholesalecrafts.com/visitor

David Changar_double_Layout 8/25/11 10:59 AM Page 1 Phone: (818) 986-3727 Fax: (818) 986-6988 Phone: (734) 213-0017 x235 1Fax: (734) 213-2569

rdiesing@motawi.com www.motawi.com

info@nidohook.com www.nidohook.com

REpRODucTIONS Tiffany Miniature Vases These licensed reproductions are an asset to any museum store with an Arts & Crafts collection. They are not just beautiful; they sell fast, too! If you would like to reproduce your museum’s ceramics, please contact me.

2011

HOME AND GARDEN

Museum Store articles now online!

P RO D U C TS TO F R E S H E N U P TH E H OM E — I N S I D E A N D O UT

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DAVID CHANGAR CERAMIC DESIGNS Phone: (718) 842-6362 Fax: (718) 842-6965 David@DavidChangar.com www.DavidChangar.com Retail $31 & Print Catalog 46

Wholesale $14

choosing a consultant

Museum Store Association

| 36

outsourcing

| 24

join us in rosemont

Holiday Gifts Buyer’s Guide and

Museum Store Association

reading revolution

off-site sales

msa annual report

ADVERTISE.

REACH BUYERS.

Contact Mary Petillo to reserve space in the next issue. (503) 726-4984

MuseuM store | FALL 2011

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NEW from THAMES & HUDSON ThamesandHudson.indd 47

ART DECO POSTCARDS Patricia Bayer A unique survey of Art Deco architecture and design, told through 250 color postcards from the era 264 illus. | $27.95

A BIGGER MESSAGE: CONVERSATIONS WITH DAVID HOCKNEY Martin Gayford A self-portrait of this major artist, drawn from a decade of interviews and conversations with Gayford 161 illus. | $34.95

A COLORING BOOK: DRAWINGS BY ANDY WARHOL Warhol’s book of charming animal drawings, first created in 1961 and now available again

THE CROWN JEWELS Anna Keay The definitive record of a most remarkable collection, revealed through specially commissioned photographs and historical works of art 296 illus. | $65.00

THE EMPIRE OF DEATH Paul Koudounaris From bone fetishism in the ancient world to the painted skulls of Salzburg: an unusual and compelling work of cultural history 290 illus. | $50.00

FASHION DESIGNERS AT THE OPERA Helena Matheopoulos The most theatrical of arts inspires the most visionary designers to create extraordinary costumes for 28 popular operas 202 illus. | $60.00

14 illus. | $19.95 paper

Distributed by Norton

GREAT DISCOVERIES IN MEDICINE Edited by William and Helen Bynum An unprecedented account of turning points and breakthroughs in medical knowledge and practice from ancient civilizations to 21st-century technology 382 illus. | $45.00

M. C. ESCHER POP-UPS Courtney Watson McCarthy Specially created pop-ups explore the endlessly fascinating marriage of art and mathematics in Escher’s work 10 illus. | $29.95

PATTERN AND ORNAMENT IN THE ARTS OF INDIA Henry Wilson An illuminating, invaluable survey of Indian pattern and ornament as expressed in its architecture 223 illus. | $60.00

• For more information, visit thamesandhudsonusa.com

9/1/11 11:06 AM

. s s e n i s o u t b Get down .

N W O D t T s E u Then j G s e and date nge in venu a ch a ce n n ou rlea s ited to ann xpo--New O E & ce n MSA is exc re il Confe ke place 2 MSA Reta & Expo to ta ce n for the 201 re fe n o , 7th C al sessions site of the 5 t education a re will be the g r fo rs xpo, pee fabulous E ! Join your a d n a s April 14-16 pportunitie shop in tworking o us cuisine, o ci li e d exciting ne in dulge ouring into also can in the music p to where you ce n a d and hborhoods tion! historic neig ore informa m r fo d e n tu Stay the streets.

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