Retail as Respite Tips for Great Displays from Hospital Gift Shops

By Carimé Lane

The Maury Regional Auxiliary Gift Shop in Columbia, Tenn., is an oasis for patients, employees and visitors alike said Tracy Barker, gift shop coordinator.

“We want everywhere people walk into to be an area of respite and intrigue, especially during COVID times,” expressed Barker.

When customers first walk in, it’s important they feel like they’re walking into a special emotionally uplifting place that doesn’t feel like a gift shop in a hospital, she said.

At the Maury Regional, customers are first greeted with greenery and flowers when they enter, so it feels like you’re walking into a small green house. Then, immediately to the right is a display of beautiful jewelry and boutique clothing. These displays make you stop, look and emotionally pull you through the store, explained Barker.

None of the sundry items like medicine, balloons or candies are in the front of the store. The store is set up so the customers are led through the store to the necessities so customers can pick up gifts along the way to the sundry section, Barker said.

None of the display fixtures in the gift shop make you feel like you’re in a hospital, Barker said. Instead, they’ve thrift shopped for antique tables. Every table has a different theme and product explained Barker. Some of their tables also have pull out leaves that transform the shape as well.

“Don’t be afraid to mis-match, as it adds to the intrigue,” said Barker. And while you may want to match some things like wood, for instance, it’s OK if the tables are different shapes, Barker said.

They may cover the tables with velvet for the Christmas season and burlap and fountains in the summer. Your display must continually evolve as time progresses, said Barker. If you take items from the back of the store to the front, customers will see it for the first time, she said.

As they enter the store, customers walk into the greenhouse area and onto a circular vintage rug from Spiker and Co. “They pause in the middle of this circle and take in the color and freshness of this display,” Barker said.