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AMERICA’S MOST TRUSTED PUBLICATION FOR THE SOUVENIR & RESORT GIFT INDUSTRY | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
BEACH AND PIER STORES CATER TO OCEAN LOVERS
Vacationers love what these coastal souvenir stores are serving up year after year.
IRRESISTIBLE IMPULSE BUY DISPLAY IDEAS
Customers will not be able to pass up these merchandising ideas for quick add-on sales.
MAKING A SUSTAINABLE
Splash Georgia Aquarium’s merchandise reflects its mission of ocean and aquatic life preservation.
Q&A: ZOO AND MUSEUM PRODUCT TRENDS TO FOLLOW
Buyers share what items are big hits at their venues and how to merchandise them.
Ne NE w W de pr ! st od FR in u ES at ct H io id n e ID re as E ta fo A il s r S to yo re ur .
COVER STORY
CONTENTS
IN EVERY ISSUE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024 | VOLUME 63 | ISSUE 1
8
EDITOR’S LETTER
Ringing in the New Year with exciting additions.
12
RETAILER ROADMAP
Discover the stores featured in this issue.
14
NEWS BRIEFS
Travel is picking up in 2024.
20
TRADE SHOW CALENDAR
Make plans to attend these upcoming trade shows.
34
22
TRADE SHOW NEWS
Coverage from past and upcoming trade shows.
COVER STORY The Georgia Aquarium gives visitors an up-close view to the creatures of the sea, both in the exhibits and the gift shop. Genaron Reynolds offers a glimpse into the operation she’s thrilled to oversee.
SOUVENIR FOCUS: Beach & Pier Stores
40
Beach towns rely on tourists to buy souvenirs to remember their vacations. Find out how shop owners keep selections fresh and what they consider must-have’s.
4 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
26
FRESH IDEAS
Cabin & lodge, food and zoo animal product ideas.
76
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
Get fresh new product ideas for your store.
78
SHOP TALK Tips for putting your best foot forward in retail.
80
AD INDEX
Easily locate an advertiser’s ad and website. www.sgnmag.com
CONTENTS
FEATURES
46
PRODUCT TREND: T-Shirts & Sweatshirts New trends and location-specific preferences.
50
PRODUCT TREND: Custom Gifts & Souvenirs Capturing a site’s unique characteristics through gifts.
56
MERCHANDISING: Impulse Buys
50
46
Retailers share ways to promote impulse sales.
60
RETAILER SPOTLIGHT: Calef’s Country Store
56
Step back in time at this New Hampshire store.
66
RETAILER SPOTLIGHT: National Building Museum This museum shop is building a legacy for itself.
72
BUSINESS: Zoo and Museum Q&A Part 2 Buyers share what’s trending in their gift shops.
SUNSHINE
AWARD
60
82
SUNSHINE AWARD
Impressions of Saratoga launches an Adopt a Grandparent fundraiser.
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66 82
www.sgnmag.com
EDITOR’S LETTER
Karen Carr Publisher & Creative Director karen@breakwallpublishing.com 330-591-2575 Kristin Ely Executive Editor & Conference Director kristin@breakwallpublishing.com 858-684-7744 Christine Schaffran Managing Editor christine@breakwallpublishing.com 216-272-7700
Ringing in the New Year
H
appy New Year! It’s hard to believe it is 2024, and it is even harder to believe that it’s been a whole year since Breakwall Publishing acquired Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties magazine. What an adventure it has been as we work toward improving all aspects of the publication from content to design to our circulation and more. We’ve made many great strides over the last 12 months, and those steps are continuing to take shape in 2024 with some new content introductions in the magazine. In addition to the Product Showcase in the back of the magazine, we’ve introduced a new section called Fresh Ideas in the front of the magazine. These pages are designed to help you stay on top of product trends with merchandise ideas for your store. Turn to page 26 to see what exciting product themes we are featuring in this issue. And we didn’t stop there. We’ve also launched the Sunshine Award for destination retailers who give back. Each issue will feature the story of a retailer who is doing good in their community and beyond with their charitable efforts. You can read about our first Sunny recipient, Impressions of Saratoga, on page 82. And as if that isn’t enough, all these new and wonderful additions also could not have been possible without a fabulous editorial and design team. Christine Schaffran has officially joined us as managing editor and Megan Smalley as associate editor in the latter half of 2023. They have a combined 27 years of business-to-business publication experience. In addition, Debby Clarke’s longtime role as designer and ad production coordinator has expanded. It is an exciting year ahead and we look forward to continuing to build upon our publication’s rich history within the industry. Here’s to another fantastic year! SGN
— Kristin Ely
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Megan Smalley Associate Editor megan@breakwallpublishing.com 330-576-9338 Debby Clarke Ad Production Coordinator & Graphic Designer debby@breakwallpublishing.com 856-816-6346 Katie Turner Business Development Manager katie@breakwallpublishing.com 219-206-1140 Larry White Marketing Director larry@breakwallpublishing.com 610-324-2100 Jamie Winebrenner Sales Manager jamie@breakwallpublishing.com 330-269-5875 Hanna Meussling Accounts Receivable accounting@breakwallpublishing.com 330-368-2047 Christine Welman Website Development Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties is published six times a year by: Breakwall Publishing LLC 3593 Medina Rd. #117 Medina, OH 44256 Subscriptions and address changes: Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties magazine P.O. Box 3000 Denville, NJ 07834 subscriptions@breakwallpublishing.com Entire contents copyright 2024 Breakwall Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. Materials in this publication may not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.
www.sgnmag.com
RETAILER ROADMAP
Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties interviews retailers in popular destinations all over the United States. These are the stores featured in the January-February 2024 issue. Albuquerque Museum Albuquerque, NM Maureen Ryan
Driftwood Mercantile Pawleys Island, SC Stephanie Haak
Island Outfitters Gulf Shores, AL Andrea Weir
Pier Gear Shop Santa Monica, CA Katherine Vasquez
Aleksandra’s Gift Shop Savannah, GA Jason Newcomb
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Philadelphia, PA Richie Sklar
King Street Souvenirs Alexandria, VA Mai Ngo
San Antonio Zoo San Antonio, Texas Cyle Perez
Georgia Aquarium Atlanta, GA Genaron Reynolds
Mayberry Market & Souvenirs Mount Airy, NC Kaitlin Teague
San Diego Wildlife Zoo Alliance San Diego, CA Joy Love
Getty Museum Store Los Angeles, CA Chloe Simon Thomas Stewart
National Building Museum Shop Washington, DC Michael Higdon
Sasquatch Outpost Bailey, CO Karine Myers
Impressions of Saratoga Saratoga Springs, NY Marianne Barker
Norman’s Hallmark Quakertown, PA Norman Henschel
Beach Pier Gift Shop Virginia Beach, VA Delores Rogers Calef’s Country Store Barrington, NH Greg Bolton Cullowheegee Farms Tuckasegee, NC Sarah Rehmann
HAVE A STORY YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?
Souvenir City Chicago Chicago, IL Fontaine Stellas
Only in Clev Cleveland, OH Brian Lynch
Email Christine Schaffran at christine@breakwallpublishing.com.
12 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
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NEWS BRIEFS
Travel trending upward in 2024 According to the Washington-based U.S. Travel Association, domestic leisure travel normalized to prepandemic levels in 2023 and is expected to remain at prepandemic levels in 2024 and beyond. The association reports that it also expects international inbound travel to strengthen this year, exceeding previous expectations thanks to strong growth out of Canada as well as stronger recovery expectations from overseas markets such as Brazil and China. More broadly, Montreal-based Airports Council International (ACI) reports that global passenger traffic largely recovered in 2023 with about 8.6 billion passengers, which is 94.2% of the 2019 level. This year, ACI expects global passenger traffic to increase to 9.4 billion passengers, which is 102.5% of the 2019 level. “ACI World projects that global air travel will nearly return to prepandemic levels by the end of 2023, with all regions expected to reach this milestone by 2024,” says Luis Felipe de Oliveira, ACI world director general. “Upside factors include the reopening of the Chinese market and surge in domestic travel, supply chain disruptions gradually subsiding and inflation slowing down. While downside risks remain present, we continue to witness the dedicated efforts and commitment of ACI airport members and partners, and we are filled with optimism about the industry’s future.” While travel is expected to be up, it is also predicted to be more expensive this year. According to a report from Squaremouth, a large travel insurance marketplace, travelers have noticed an increase in travel prices for the past three years. The company says it found that 82% of travelers foresee their travel spending increasing or staying the same in 2024. Booking.com’s 2024 travel outlook reports that travelers will likely get creative to navigate pricier trips. The company reports that 47% of travelers said they would take their children out of school for off-peak travel in 2024, and 39% of pet owners plan to bring pets along with them to cut costs.
DID YOU KNOW?
40%
Travelers looking for adventure when traveling.
46%
Global business travelers who plan to extend their trips.
69%
Travelers opting for looser itineraries instead of strictly scheduled trips. Sources: Squaremouth; U.S. Travel Association; Hilton
RISE OF BLEISURE TRAVEL. The U.S.
Travel Association reports that business travel also made progress in 2023, steadily normalizing to prepandemic levels. According to the association, lodging data confirms the accelerated recovery of business and group travel. Weekday hotel occupancy rates have increased as of fall 2023, particularly in the top 25 largest U.S. hotel markets. San Francisco posted the highest weekday occupancy the last week of September 2023 at nearly 90%. The U.S. Travel Association also noted that small- and medium-sized companies are leading the way with the uptick in transient business travel. Along with the increase in business travel, “bleisure” is also on the rise. Bleisure is when travelers combine a work trip with an extended vacation before, during or after the work event. The U.S. Travel Association says nearly half of global employees (46%) intend to plan a bliesure trip this year and more than one-third of Gen Z and Millennial business travelers plan to extend a business trip to enjoy leisure time before or after their work obligations. According to a 2024 travel report from Hilton, pandemic-related business trends likely helped boost interest
14 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
in bleisure travel. Hilton reports that the destination of many large conferences and events shifted away from large, urban city centers into secondary markets last year. In the Americas, some growing secondary conference markets include Albuquerque, New Mexico; Fort Myers, Florida; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. DEMANDING AN EXPERIENCE. People
still want to prioritize leisure in this new year. According to Hilton’s 2024 outlook, 64% of global travelers aim to reduce other areas of personal spending to prioritize leisure travel. The company says this is especially true among Millennial and Gen Z travelers. So what are people looking for with their travels in 2024? According to Squaremouth’s outlook, adventure tourism is on the rise with more than 40% of travelers looking for adventure when traveling. Think safaris, hiking, snorkeling and skiing as popular activities among these travelers. According to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce collected by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the outdoor industry — including RVs, boating, motorcycling, hunting and other activities — more than doubled its growth from 2021 to 2022. www.sgnmag.com
NEWS BRIEFS
San Antonio Zoo expands gift shop The San Antonio Zoo recently celebrated the grand opening of its newly transformed entrance. The expansion includes nearly doubling the size of the gift shop from its original 1,400 square feet, says Cyle Perez, director of public relations and integrated marketing for the zoo. A grand opening took place Dec. 1. Among the features of the expanded gift shop are a prototype of
plastic-free features launched by SSA Group, a partner of the zoo that works to drive revenue, innovation and impact. It is also one of SSA Group’s first launches in compostable M&M packaging, an initiative announced earlier this year in markets with commercial accessibility to composting, according to a press release from the organization. Additional highlights include: • Mannequins featuring diversity in ethnicities and inclusivity with representation of disabilities and sizes. • An ADA-accessible cash wrap. • A San Antonio fiesta-inspired gift shop. • New impulse bins for quantity expansion. • A representation matter collection featuring local vendors in and around San Antonio focused on upcycling and conservation efforts.
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“The reimagined entrance offers improved functionality, dedicated entrances for school groups and enhanced accessibility for all visitors,” the press release notes. The grand opening also unveiled the H-E-B Plaza located inside the entrance, which features the Lemur SkyTrail that provides visitors with an up-close experience with the lemurs as they explore the plaza. Additionally, the Monkey House has been restored and repurposed, offering visitors a chance to appreciate its architectural splendor while enjoying refreshments from Changos Cafe. “This project represents our H-E-B, commitment to creating a world-class visitor experience while promoting conservation and educational initiatives,” says Tim Morrow, President & CEO of San Antonio Zoo. “We are grateful for the tremendous support from our community, donors and partners and city of San Antonio.”
www.sgnmag.com
NEWS BRIEFS
Pantone introduces Peach Fuzz as Color of the Year for 2024
Pantone, a global color authority and provider of professional color language standards and digital solutions for the design community, has introduced Peach Fuzz 13-1023 as the Pantone Color of the Year selection for 2024. Sensitive but sweet and airy, Peach Fuzz 13-1023 evokes a new modernity. According to Pantone, it is a quietly sophisticated and contemporary peach tone. The clean peach tone with a vintage vibe reflects the past yet also offers contemporary ambiance. The introduction of Peach Fuzz marks the 25th anniversary of the program. First introduced in 1999, the program serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude on the part of the consumer.
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Impulse Souvenirs sponsors Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties new Sunshine Awards
SUNSHINE
Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties (SGN) magazine, America’s most trusted publication for the souvenir and resort gift industry, has launched a new awards program that honors gift and souvenir retailers who give back. The Sunshine Awards recognize destination retailers who support charitable causes through a variety of ways, including volunteer efforts and donations. “We’ve been honoring retailers who give back to their communities and charitable causes for more than four years in our sister publication, Seaside Retailer, with the Starfish Award,” says Karen Carr, publisher, Breakwall Publishing, which produces both Seaside Retailer and SGN. “We wanted to extend that recognition to retailers in tourist locations across the country.” Impulse Souvenirs, a wholesale company specializing in original art souvenirs, has been the official sponsor of the Starfish Awards since 2022 and has committed to sponsoring the new Sunshine Awards. Cory Dean, CEO of Impulse Souvenirs, states, “Impulse Souvenirs is honored to be a part of this program and shining the light on such important work. When retailers give back, it supports the vitality of the communities we live and do business in. We can’t lose sight of how even small efforts can have great impact. By recognizing good works, the hope is that we can encourage more.” Read about the January/February recipient on page 82. More information about the awards, including a nomination form is available at www.sgnmag.com/ sunshine-award.
AWARD
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE 17
NEWS BRIEFS
Funatic owner acquires About Face Designs
Giftware company About Face Designs has announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its intellectual property and other assets to Michael Barr, owner of Barrco Consumer Products Inc., parent company of Funatic, in a transaction that will bring together two leading brands in the gift industry, both of which sell hilarious, trendy, pop-culture inspired gifts. Under the terms of the agreement, the sale finalized Dec. 1, 2023, and the new About Face Designs relaunched Jan. 1, 2024. The transaction includes the purchase of the brand and its intellectual property and does not include any inventory or staff. The About Face Designs brand will remain intact and will continue to be marketed independently with the goal of continued growth and expansion. About Face Designs offers heartwarming giftware that combines originality, creativity and quality. With over 2,800 unique products that appeal to a varying customer base, they’re always challenging themselves to be new, fresh and funny.
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Puzzle Face wins Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2023
Puzzle Face, an innovation from StickTogether Products, recently won an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2023. The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio is an independent guide to children’s media and its awards are a benchmark for excellence with consumers, toy makers and the media. All winning products are selected by a noted expert in child development, children’s literature, and education, and further tested by the most objective panel of judges – kids. With Puzzle Face, anyone can create an unlimited series of faces — their face, a friend’s face, a famous face from history — all with one 300-piece puzzle that can be assembled and reassembled. Creating a puzzle is as easy as taking or uploading a photo or selfie in the Puzzle Face Image Key app, saving the Image Key, and assembling the pieces code-side up — either solo or as part of a fun group activity — using the Image Key as a guide. Once completed, just flip the puzzle over to reveal the image.
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NEWS BRIEFS
Xplorer Maps lead storyteller connecting people and place Xplorer Maps, a wholesaler of products featuring hand-illustrated story maps based in Missoula, Montana, has partnered with Mandela Leola van Eeden of The Trail Less Traveled podcast to provide a holistic approach to making the world a better place. Van Eeden recently traveled to Zambia to teach students from Z’Goma Community School about conservation using Xplorer Maps illustrations. With a mother from Missoula and a father from South Africa, van Eedon has been traveling back and forth between the two locations her whole life. Now as Xplorer Maps Lead Storyteller, she’s acting as the boots on the ground to tell stories from around the world about conservation, art, history and culture, most recently in Zambia. The collaboration also involves a third partner — Game Rangers International — whose core mission is to conserve wildlife through community
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public outreach. Van Eedon uses Xplorer Maps — known for their handdrawn story maps on an array of merchandise from blankets to totes to coffee mugs — to connect people with places. Recently in Zambia, students at N’Goma Community School listened intently as she hung a blanket with a world map made by Xplorer Maps on the back of her Land Cruiser and began to educate them about ways to protect nearby habitats as well as those in faraway lands like Montana. “I talked to the kids with a translator for about an hour,” van Eedon explains. “And they were able to see where Zambia was, and they were able to see where Montana was. So
[they were] connecting people and place and inspiring the next generation.” The 36-year-old returned to Missoula in November to speak at Xplorer Maps’ grand opening celebration of its world headquarters. A percentage of every product sold by Xplorer Maps is donated to conservation efforts globally. To date, the company has contributed $150,000. “Sometimes people get overwhelmed and they don’t really know what they can do to give back and one thing … is be mindful as a consumer,” von Eedon says. “If you buy [an Xplorer Maps] story map, or a puzzle, or a blanket or a tote, know that a portion of that does go back to conservation efforts around the world.”
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE 19
TRADE SHOW CALENDAR
JAN. 10-12 Surf Expo Orlando, Florida www.surfexpo.com
JAN. 10-16 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market Dallas www.dallasmarketcenter.com
JAN. 14-6 NRF Retail’s Big Show New York City www.nrfbigshow.nrf.com JAN. 17-19 Alaska Wholesale Gift Show Anchorage, Alaska www.alaskagiftshow.com JAN. 19-21 Impressions Expo – Long Beach Long Beach, California www.impressionsexpo.com
JAN. 16-22 Atlanta Market Atlanta www.atlantamarket.com
JAN. 21-22 Super Show Wilmington, Delaware www.travelersshow.com JAN. 21-24 StorePoint Fashion & StorePoint Retail San Diego www.cpmgevents.com JAN. 27-29 Biloxi Gift Show Biloxi, Mississippi www.wmigiftshows.com
FEBRUARY JAN. 28-FEB. 1 Las Vegas Market Las Vegas www.lasvegasmarket.com
FEB. 4-5 Travelers Show Western Pennsylvania Pittsburgh www.travelersshow.com FEB. 4-6 Minnesota Gift Show Minnetonka, Minnesota www.mngiftshow.com
FEB. 4-7 NY NOW New York City www.nynow.com
FEB. 4-7 Rocky Mountain Apparel, Gift, and Resort Show Denver www.rockymountainshow.com
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FEB. 20-22 The Gathering West San Diego www.thegatheringevent.com FEB. 21-22 OC Apparel Show Irvine, California www.ocapparelshow.com
MARCH MARCH 1-4 Toy Fair NY New York www.toyfairny.com MARCH 3-4 Cape Cod & Islands Gift Show Falmouth, Massachusetts www.ccgiftshow.com MARCH 3-5 ToyFest Las Vegas www.toyfestus.com MARCH 4-6 ASI Show Fort Worth, Texas www.asishow.com MARCH 8-12 Minneapolis Mart Home & Gift Show Minneapolis www.mplsmart.com MARCH 13-15 The Travel Goods Show Las Vegas www.travelgoods.show MARCH 15-17 GTS Greensboro Expo Greensboro, North Carolina www.gtshows.com MARCH 16-18 New England Made Giftware & Specialty Food Shows Portland, Maine www.nemadeshows.com MARCH 17-18 Travelers Show Western Pennsylvania Pittsburgh www.travelersshow.com © ENVATO
JANUARY
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TRADE SHOW NEWS
Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show sees strong turnout
Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show featured strong attendance numbers and over 300 vendors at its recent event, which took place Dec. 3-6, 2023, at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The annual buying event focuses on showcasing the latest products and trends for coastal souvenir and resort retailers. Buyers come from across the country to attend the event. “Our attendance was strong,” said Lisa Berry, group vice president of gift and souvenir at Clarion Events, which manages the Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show, noting that the show sold out on exhibit space well-ahead of the event. “The show is a good mix between new and returning, loyal buyers.” Berry said this year’s show featured several new vendors, including Squishable, Simply Southern, Charming Shark Tropical Accessories Inc., Billco, Moon Pie Direct and Jelly Belly Candy Co. She said the show also included some vendors with all American-made products, including Jackie Gallagher Designs, Mill Wood Art, Luxiny Products LLC, Fire & Pine, Rustic Tides and others. Clarion Events presented two awards at this year’s Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show: Best Made in America Product and Best New Product Award. Luxiny Products LLC won the award for Best Made in America Product. Luxiny Products supplies natural bath, body and hair care products from its headquarters in Kimball, Michigan. According to Luxiny, its products are available in over 1,000 stores across the United States, it has partnered with sales rep organizations nationwide and has established permanent showrooms in Minnesota, Las Vegas and Dallas to showcase its product line and connect with retailers. Kelly Zinzo, who founded Luxiny Products in 2019, expressed her gratitude for the award, which highlights the company’s commitment to producing high-quality products that cater to the needs of its customers. “We are grateful for the opportunity to connect with customers nationwide and are excited about the future as we continue to expand our product offerings and reach new heights in the beauty and wellness market.” Charming Shark Tropical Accessories received Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show’s award for Best New Product. The company offers uniquely designed products, ranging from beaded and wrap bracelets to shark’s tooth necklaces, anklets and more. Mikey Kapica of Charming Shark Tropical Accessories commented that the family-run business had great growth over the past three years. The company uses shows like the Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show to spread the word about its brand and product. He added, “The show has offered us a whole new customer base, almost 100% of the orders have been new business.” The event also offered a show party at Myrtle Beach’s Grumpy Monk on Dec. 4 to provide buyers and vendors with networking and fun. “We had Dueling Pianos perform there. It was a lot of fun,” said Christina Bell, group show director at Clarion Events. She said Clarion also gave out $2,500 in cash prizes during its party to any attendees who won drawings throughout the night. “We love that we can give back to the gift and souvenir community,” said Bell. Bell noted that the show also offered buyers plenty of other giveaways, including goody bag giveaways the first two days of the event and multiple cash prize drawings. The show also made sure parking was paid for all attendees. Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show will return Dec. 8-11 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach. 22 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
IGES reports successful Pigeon Forge, Sevierville shows
The buzz on the show floor at The International Gift Exposition in the Smokies (IGES) was that the energy was warm and inviting, with 575 vendors welcoming more than 4,000 attendees — a 5% increase from the previous year, says Karla Villalobos, marketing director for IGES. The show, which takes place every year in the Smoky Mountains in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, Tennessee, ran from Nov. 8-11, and Nov. 7-9. “In general, attendees were pleasantly surprised to discover more vendors at the Sevierville location as we had four pavilions this year, which included Made in America, Campground, Sustainability, and Toy + On Trend,” Villalobos notes. Brand Manager Branden Thompson with The Sportsman’s Market agreed the pavilions made buying even easier. “I like finding made-in-the-USA products,” he explains. That’s becoming harder and harder to do.” Meanwhile, exhibitors agreed the synergy of the show helped to secure a good order rating overall. Danielle Ashleigh, wholesale director for Keystone Steel Co., says while some new accounts were made, old connections were renewed as well. The 2024 show is scheduled for Nov. 5-9, 2024.
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TRADE SHOW NEWS
Surf Expo set to welcome stellar lineup of brands and retailers
Atlanta Market temporaries create cohesive sourcing in winter 2024
In a continued reimagining of its product resources, location changes for several Atlanta Market temporary exhibit categories will create more cohesive and compelling presentation of 1,400 gift and home brands across more than 30 categories Jan. 16-22 at AmericasMart Atlanta. Atlanta Market’s temporary exhibits, now housed exclusively in Buildings 2 and 3, open on Wednesday, Jan. 17, and run through Sunday, Jan. 21. “Atlanta Market consistently delivers gift and home discovery across diverse lines and vibrant products,” says Dororthy Belshaw, ANDMORE executive vice president and chief growth officer. “Longstanding market favorites and brand-new exhibitors marry the tried-and-true with bold innovation at Atlanta Market this winter.” The Winter 2024 Atlanta Market inspires comprehensive sourcing as six of its 30+ product categories relocate. With this change, 1,400 temporary exhibitors are housed across nine floors in Buildings 2 and 3. For the Winter 2024 Atlanta Market, temporary exhibits are open Jan. 17-20 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Jan. 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Atlanta Market’s Winter 2024 edition will also feature four days of education and events.
Surf Expo, the premier watersports and coastal lifestyle tradeshow, returns to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, January 10-12 with an exciting and diverse lineup of over 700 exhibitors and more than 4,500 retail buyers. The show will feature nearly 100 new brands across the Surf, Bluewater, Boutique, Coastal Gift, Footwear, Paddle, Resort, Shoreline, Skate, Souvenir, and Swim categories. “We are proud of the incredible lineup of brands that have signed on to exhibit at Surf Expo in January,” says Roy Turner, Surf Expo show director and senior vice president. “Our goal is to serve as a gateway for buyers looking to shop for a vast array of outdoor products all under one roof.” Surf Expo is known for its expertise in both watersports and the coastal lifestyle. A wide variety of brands are exhibiting in the long-running Surf, Swim, Boutique, and Resort sections of the show, including Rip Curl, Oakley, Reef, Katin, Dark Seas, Jetty, Salty Crew, Roark, Former, Rivvia, Channel Islands Surfboards, Firewire, Slater Designs, Wave Riding Vehicles, Sun Bum, Dippin’ Daisy’s, Feather 4 Arrow, Rhythm, Heat Swimwear, Swimsuit Station, Navalora, Fish Hippie, Tommy Bahama, Tory Richard, Simply Southern, EXIST, India Boutique, Silver Girl, Smith & Quinn, and many more. The footwear section will be stacked with a wide range of well-known brands including Birkenstock, Clark’s, Hey Dude, Keen, Matisse, Rocket Dogg, Skechers, Sperry, Teva, Toms, Chinese Laundry, and TKEES, among many others. Surf Expo is also seeing a surge in outdoor brands exhibiting at the show, so buyers looking for products that cater to every aspect of the outdoor lifestyle will have a lot to choose from, including brands such as Howler Bros, Costa Del Mar, Bajio Sunglasses, AVID Sportwear, Free Fly, Gathr, NESO Tents, Picture Organic Clothing, AFTCO, Hook & Tackle, Puffin, HUK, Toadfish, XTRATUF, and more.
Smoky Mountain Gift Show draws great energy
There was great energy at the 2023 Smoky Mountain Gift Show, which took place Nov. 8-11 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. With more than 350 exhibiting companies on the show floor, buyers said they were pleased to see a wide variety of options and that companies were showcasing more diverse product lines than they have seen in the past. Show organizers reported that attendance increased compared to the previous year. The MATCH! program generated 250+ meetings. In addition, show organizer Clarion Events noted more companies showcased products Made in America than ever before in response to buyer demand. During the show, Clarion hosted two Made in America Buying Tours. The Smoky Mountain Gift Show again partnered closely with the Zoo, Aquarium & Garden (ZAG) Buyers Group, providing opportunities for members to attend the show as well as connect on and off the show floor in the association hospitality lounge, a new education session focused on diversity and inclusion and the member’s luncheon. A Zootique tour was also hosted and led by ZAG board member Tommy Brown of the Saint Louis Zoo. The next Smoky Mountain Gift Show is Nov. 6-9, 2024.
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FRESH IDEAS
Cabin fever Cozy up with these cabin and lodge products that capture mountain vibes.
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1. Lipco: Log cabin salt and pepper shaker set, www.lipco.biz; 2. Vim + Vigor Candle: Fresh pine and white birch copper mug, www.vimvigorcandle.com; 3. P. Graham Dunn: Barky sign, www.pgrahamdunn.com; 4. Beacon Design: Moose ornament, www.beacondesign.com; 5. Souvenir Source: Name-drop cup, www.souvenirsource.com; 6. Cape Shore: Mountain scene mug, www.cape-shore.com; 7. A.T. Storrs: Bear and salmon figurine, www.atstorrs.com; 8. Sincere Surroundings: Life is Better at the Cabin sign, www.market.sinceresurroundings.com; 9. Carson Specialties: Customized picture frame, www.carsonspecialties.com. 26 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
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FRESH IDEAS
Tasty treats Sweet, savory and salty treats add flavor to the mix. 1 2
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1. Jelly Belly: Harry Potter Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, www.jellybelly.com; 2. Aunt Bee’z: Apple streusel bread, www.auntbeez.com; 3. MoonPie: Chocolate marshmallow sandwich, www.moonpie.com; 4. D’Vine: Peach pie moonshine jelly, www.dvinefoods.com; 5. McCutcheons: Cherry butter, www.mccutcheons.com; 6. Lighthouse Keepers Pantry: Raw local honey, www.lighthousekeeperspantry.com; 7. Oinks: Applewood smoked chocolate-coverd bacon, www.getoinks.com; 8. Smokin’ Buttz: Sweet, savory and smoky flavors, www.smokinbuttzbbq.com; 9. Amusemints: Milk chocolate bar, www.amusemints.com. 28 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
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FRESH IDEAS
Go wild Have a roaring good time with fun zoo animals in many forms. 3
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1. American Brand Studios: Snout mugs, www.americanbrandstudio.com; 2. Impulse Souvenirs: Tiger patch, www.impulsesouvenirs.com; 3. Art Studio Co.: Hand-carved elephant figurine, www.artstudiocompany.com; 4. Doodle Pants: Woodland bear hoodie and pants, www.doodlepants.com; 5. Little Critterz: Giraffe snow globe, www.littlecritterz.com; 6. Aurora World: Flopsie penguin plush, www.auroragift.com; 7. Madd Capp Games: I am Lil’ Koala, www.maddcappgames.com; 8. First & Main: Monty monkeys, www.firstandmain.com; 9. Violette Stickers: Zoo animal sticker sheet, www.violettestickers.com. 30 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
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COVER STORY: GEORGIA AQUARIUM
MAKING A SUSTAINABLE
Splash STORY BY C H R I ST INE SC H A F F R A N
E GEORGIA AQUARIUM’S MERCHANDISE REFLECTS ITS MISSION OF OCEAN AND AQUATIC LIFE PRESERVATION.
very morning on her way to work at Georgia Aquarium, the excitement of where Genaron Reynolds is headed begins to build. By the time she winds her way past the whale shark and the African penguins and into the Treasures of the Seas gift shop, her enthusiasm reaches a fever pitch. After all, this is no ordinary retail experience, Reynolds, the store’s general manager, points out. “You can make an impact on someone’s life in traditional retail, but in a theme park environment, you’re making an impact on kids that are going to remember this for the rest of their lives,” she says. The Georgia Aquarium has been delighting visitors since 2005 with aquatic exhibits that include sharks, dolphins, sea lions, otters, turtles and whales as well as a bevy of fish, invertebrates, sting rays, coral and a multitude of other creatures. The gift shop joined the experience in 2010. Whether interacting with the animals via encounter programs, diving experiences, educational presentations, or guided tours, all involve getting up close with aquatic residents that some love and others fear. Either way, it’s enough to get the adrenaline pumping and wanting to explore the habitats of the underwater world — some of which can reach the size of a school bus. FULL AND ABUNDANT
Photos above: The Treasures of the Seas Gift Shop prides itself on stocking eco-friendly, sustainable products.
Reynolds isn’t the only one to feel the electricity of the experience. After children squeal with delight upon meeting the gigantic resident whale sharks and beluga whales at the aquarium, they are greeted by smaller, softer, squishier versions in the gift shop that they can take home.
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COVER STORY: GEORGIA AQUARIUM
“You can make an impact on someone’s life in traditional retail, but in a theme park environment, you’re making an impact on kids that are going to remember this for the rest of their lives.” — GENARON REYNOLDS
Genaron Reynolds, general manager at Georgia Aquarium’s Treasures of the Seas gift shop, credits her team for the store’s success. Photos: Aiva Genys
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COVER STORY: GEORGIA AQUARIUM
“When the kids come in here and they see that animal that they just saw in the exhibits and they’re like ‘Oh, Mommy,’ they just literally run towards the plush,” she says. “They get so excited.” While the size of some of the animals may come as a surprise to guests, the volume in the gift shop is one of epic proportions. When it comes to plush, Reynolds says capacity is the name of the game. “I think that that is absolutely one of the main reasons as to why we are so successful because we are able to utilize capacity fixtures,” she explains. “We have the best plush in the world. It’s just so realistic.” “I try to make sure my Hundreds of small, medium employees like where and large whales, seals, octopus, narwhals, sting rays, sharks, jellythey work, that they fish, penguins, sea horses, turtles feel valued and their and otters are loaded into stacked wooden boxes that reach some 8 opinions matter. All feet high. of that plays a part in Reynolds says by far the store’s retaining employees.” biggest vendor in plush is Nature Planet. — GENARON REYNOLDS “We support the mission of Georgia Aquarium being eco-friendly and sustainable, so that is the type of vendor that we use as well,” she notes. Known for its reputation of helping the planet through various causes and campaigns to help endangered species, the product line is a perfect fit for the gift shop, which looks for opportunities to promote the importance of sustainability. “We pride ourselves on no plastic and making sure that we have eco-friendly and sustainable products in the gift shop to support that mission The walls and floor exude hues of blue to resemble the ocean floor and make the colorful merchandise pop.
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[of the aquarium], Reynolds says. “Our main focus here is the eco-friendly merchandise.” For this reason, Green Toys, known for its commitment to making 100% recycled toys that are manufactured in the USA, also ranks as a top vendor for the gift shop. “It just feels good for the kids and for the families to know that the toys they’re buying are safe,” Reynolds admits. MERCHANDISE WITH A MESSAGE
Since causes play such an important role at the Georgia Aquarium, the merchandise with a message is front and center upon entering the 6,000-square-foot store. With mission-statement products and apparel on the left and rescue kits on the right, there’s no denying what the Georgia Aquarium — and the Treasures of the Seas gift shop — stands for. And the merchandise is designed to inspire others to follow suit. For instance, toy rescue kits filled with tools to “rescue” an animal are sold as a bundle with medium-sized stuffies for $40 to inspire children to someday consider a veterinary profession. “It gives kids the opportunity to be doctors, basically,” Reynolds explains. “They can practice on their plush they just bought, rescuing that plush like something happened to it, using their doctor tools to save the animal. But it goes beyond that because all of a sudden, they want to be a rescue doctor or they want to adopt an animal.” Beyond the plush and eco-friendly messages, souvenirs abound on racks, spinners, carousels and solid blue walls made to resemble the vast ocean.
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COVER STORY: GEORGIA AQUARIUM Everything from magnets, lanyards, keychains, toys, books, sippy cups, mugs, glasses, fanny packs, jewelry, home products and backpacks surround a steel diving cage in the middle of the store where mannequins model wetsuits. Items featuring whale sharks, beluga whales and penguins are among the top three most sought after merchandise, Reynolds notes. When it comes to apparel, a new line called Wear Responsible is proving to “be a big hit” as it strikes a chord being made of 100% organic cotton and fair-labor certified, Reynolds points out. And there’s plenty of other T-shirts with mermaids, sharks, whales and penguins to delight visitors who are seeking the perfect name-drop souvenir. Hats missing a “bite” on the bill, socks with seals and mermaids, sweatshirts, stocking caps and jackets all have a place in the shop as well. She adds that not all vendors are big names with deep pockets. Each quarter, through a partnership between the aquarium and Truist Bank, the gift shop shines a spotlight on a local vendor and showcases its products in the gift shop. At the time
“We want to make sure everybody has such a great experience when they come through that gift shop, and then when someone tells you that they did, it just makes a big difference. It makes you feel good.” — GENARON REYNOLDS of writing, the vendor was Beautiful Briny Sea, a company known for creating “small-batch salt blends, sugars, and other culinary products … with integrity, sustainability and a whole lot of love,” according to the company’s website. MARKETING MATTERS
Since visibility of products — both physically and literally — undoubtedly have an impact on sales, Reynolds says sending a message that speaks to the volume of merchandise packs a punch. For this reason and to support the amount of foot traffic the gift shop sees, Reynolds says capacity fixtures are key to creating the ultimate display. Add to that a concerted effort to keep the shelves full, and you’ve got a winning combination, she says. “One of the biggest things in why we’re so successful is the replenishment and restocking that happens here [every day],” she says. She adds that while some stores prefer to use more boutique-style fixtures, the Treasures of the Seas leans on displays that allow products Name-drop apparel, including hats and shirts, are a hit at the Georgia Aquarium’s gift shop.
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Displays tower over eager children waiting to take home their favorite fish, penguin, whale, turtle or other plush.
to tower above their adoring fans ogling over the mountain of cute and cuddly animals begging to be taken home. “In the middle of the store we have a huge round fixture like a carousel, but there’s levels to it,” she explains. “And the goal of it is capacity. When it comes to marketing, The Georgia Aquarium supports the Treasures of the Seas as much as the gift shop supports the aquatic venue’s mission. In fact, most of the marketing is done internally to remind guests to stop at Treasures of the Seas to shop on their way out or to visit the Sand Dollar, a 900-square-foot auxiliary gift shop located near the venue’s cafe. Reynolds says a video before the dolphin show while guests are getting comfortable encourages visitors to see what the gift shops have to offer while guest services makes announcements inviting people to swing by the shops. Meanwhile, advertisements on marquees during the five to 10 events a month at the aquarium also show support for the gift shops. IT TAKES A VILLAGE
There’s an ebb and flow to the busy season that’s almost as predictable as the rising and falling of the tide, Reynolds says. It seems to coincide with summer — when kids are out of school and families are traveling — when the aquarium is the busiest as well as around holidays. For this reason, a team of 30 to 40 employees that range from assistant directors, sales directors, sales leads, stock leads, lead cashiers, cashiers and sales associates are standing by to help customers secure the perfect memento. But finding the right staff members hasn’t always been easy. Reynolds says one of the biggest challenges since she began working at the gift shop in January 2021 has been hiring a cohesive team. To get the shop up and running after the pandemic, Reynolds says it gave her time to www.sgnmag.com
COVER STORY: GEORGIA AQUARIUM ensure that employees were not only trained well, but treated well. “I think so many people when they hire forget about the employee experience and focus more so on the guest experience. Not that it’s not important, because it is. But I think at the end of the day, the employee experience is so important,” she notes. “I try to make sure my employees like where they work, that they feel valued, and their opinions matter. All of that plays a part in retaining employees.” Reynolds’ positive attitude is not only a mantra for her employees, but her overall approach to being on the sales floor day in and day out. And she tries to teach her staff members to do the same. “You have to be willing to do whatever needs to done and get it done and make sure your employees are exhibiting that, too,” she says. For this reason, she is constantly using phrases like “choose the right attitude” and “it’s how you handle the wrenches thrown at you” to turn a standard employee into a superior stand-out. Because after all, she points out, she couldn’t do the job alone. “I’m just the general manager. There’s no way in the world I can run this business by myself,” she admits. “It takes a village to run this business.”
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And when the stress begins to slip into her normally upbeat state of mind, Reynolds takes a moment and retreats to a somewhat hidden viewing area to say hello to her favorite beluga whale, Qinu. “In the ballroom, there’s a huge window where you can see the belugas on your own without the normal crowd and that’s where I eat my lunch,” she explains. “Whenever I’m standing there, [Qinu] comes over and rubs her face up against the wall or the mirror like she sees me and she’s saying ‘hi.’” Reynolds adds she doesn’t take for granted where she works and uses her surroundings to appreciate the unique position of getting to provide that same experience for guests. “When you realize that you’ve made a difference, or you’ve impacted somebody’s experience, it just hits different,” she says. “We want to make sure everybody has such a great experience when they come through that gift shop, and then when someone tells you that they did, it just makes a big difference. It makes you feel good.” SGN
Replenishing and restocking daily are among the secrets to success,
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE 39
SOUVENIR FOCUS: BEACH & PIER STORES
STORY BY C H R I ST INE SC H A F F R A N
JUST BEACHY
Tried-and-true sellers make these coastal souvenir stores must-stops in their beach towns year after year.
I
n any seaside shop, an owner or buyer can name their bestselling souvenir. In Santa Monica, it’s the magnet. “We found out that people love magnets,” says Katherine Vasquez, retail manager and buyer for Premier Parks LLC, which operates Pacific Park amusement park and the Pier Gear gift shop on the Santa Monica Pier in California. “They come from all over the world and take it home as a souvenir.” Among the bestselling magnets is one that’s cus-
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tom made with iconic images of the Ferris wheel, the Santa Monica arch, and the Route 66 sign at the end of the pier. Not only is there a wall front and center within the store dedicated to the small magnetic mementos, but there is another unit elsewhere on the boardwalk called The Magnet Wall that hopes to catch the attention of avid collectors. Vasquez believes it’s the portability that make them so popular for travelers. “I think after the pandemic, we saw a shift,” she www.sgnmag.com
SOUVENIR FOCUS: BEACH & PIER STORES explains. “Now when people travel on an airplane they have to pay extra for luggage, so they want to carry smaller stuff, so magnets definitely do well.” A WEARABLE WINNER
In Gulf Shores, Alabama, Owner Andrea Weir doesn’t hesitate to name her No. 1 seller at Island Outfitters. “T-shirts are the number-one-selling item in the whole store,” she declares without a second thought. “And it has been for decades. As long as I’ve been in the business.” As a third-generation souvenir store owner, Weir’s experience in the industry spans decades. Her grandmother, Josephine Weir Nittolo, began as the cafe owner of Jo’s Lunchbox, cooking fishermen’s catch and other food, before shifting to retail and introducing locals to Souvenir City in 1956 — before the town of Gulf Shores was even established. Today, Weir is proud to be one of the few locally owned companies in the town where her family is known as one of the founding families. In 2008, Weir took all of her industry knowhow and poured it into an 18,000-square-foot building with a pale yellow and coastal blue facade that stands a block from the sugar-white beaches; a totem-pole sign beckons beach goers to stop in and have a look around. Once inside, guests can wander through shelves filled with beach souvenirs such as beach towels, chairs, shoes, swimsuits, floaties, sunglasses, ashtrays, picture frames, shot glasses, coffee cups, snow globes, wind chimes and jewelry. If that’s not enough, they can peruse the racks of hoodies, jackets and sweatpants before finding the perfect T-shirt adorned with pineapples, palm trees, sharks, crabs, turtles, mermaids, hammocks or cocktails – with most also including a salute to their Gulf Shores locale. Among those that put a smile on the faces of tourists and visitors are tie-dyed T-shirts – a fad that Weir notes is cyclical in popularity that ebbs and flows when new generations discover it. And while the T-shirt has never wavered as a favorite, there are others that hold a special place and even call guests back for a second visit, maybe even a year or more later. “We make a lot of fudge in our own kitchen on site here, so a lot of people come back remembering the fudge, craving the fudge, buying the fudge,” Weir says. “I tend to forget about that.” Fortunately for her, visitors don’t forget the unique flavors the store churns out, such as peanut butter chocolate, Almond Joy, strawberry daiquiri, chocolate walnut, chocolate pomegranate and pumpkin walnut pecan caramel. Among the favorites for Weir is the store’s bushwhacker flavor, she notes with a laugh. “We change our flavors a lot,” she says. “Maybe www.sgnmag.com
At left, Souvenirs with images of the Santa Monica Pier are unique to the Pier Gear Gift Shop. Above, displays on wheels make them a breeze to move around. Photos: Jessica Militello
SOUVENIR FOCUS: BEACH & PIER STORES
Take a simple, straightforward approach and sell what makes people happy.
While T-shirts and sweatshirts are top sellers, fudge brings people in the door.
Customizing gifts to a specific location can set a store apart from larger neighboring cities.
— ANDREA WEIR Island Outfitters, Gulf Shores, AL
— DELORES ROGERS Pier Gift Shop, Virginia Beach, VA
— KATHERINE VASQUEZ Pier Gear Gift Shop, Santa Monica, CA
even every week. And there’s all kinds of additives that we put in it. We use real butter and make it in our own kitchen.” A FLAVORFUL ADDITION
T-shirts reign supreme at Island Outfitters in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Photos: Terry Mikloucich
In Virginia Beach, fudge also ranks among customers’ favorites at the Pier Gift Shop in Virginia Beach, Virginia, but it has yet to nudge out T-shirts at the top spot. However, Owner Delores Rogers notes it has been a wonderful addition that breathed life into her product lineup when sales hit a slump 12 to 15 years ago. “One of my vendors said, ‘Well, my uncle sells Calico [Cottage] fudge and he does very well with it. It’s not a huge investment and the profit margin is great,’” she explains. “We sell a lot of fudge now. People sometimes come in and they just buy fudge. But it brings a lot more people into the store because after all these years, people know that we have this wonderful fudge.” Today, chocolate peanut butter is the favorite
among customers in a pool of 12 to choose from — all lovingly made by one employee. “I sell a lot of fudge, but I don’t make any of it,” Rogers admits. That’s the job of Micki Sheppard. She inherited the role from twins Peggy and Patty Hines after they were unable to continue for health reasons and due to the physical demands of standing for long periods of time over the kettles that simmer the cherished concoctions to perfection. While Patty has retired from the store, Peggy remains one of eight loyal employees of the gift shop. When all else fails, most can rely on Mother Nature to compel customers to buy a souvenir they didn’t know they needed. Rogers notes sweatshirts occasionally become the bestseller when the seasons change and the weather turns colder. “People come to the beach and they think it’s going to be warm,” she says. “A lot of people think it’s warm year-round here, which it isn’t.” Across the country in Santa Monica, Vasquez notes a similar experience. We do carry a lot of [sweatshirts] because it does get a little bit cooler here on the coast than inland,” she points out. “People think that it’s always nice and warm because it’s Santa Monica or California, but it’s not always like that.” A FAILSAFE FORMULA
With most vendors selling magnets and T-shirts, how does one choose the perfect selection for their store? Vasquez believes it comes down to relationships and says the years together in the industry make a difference. When it comes to vendors, Vasquez refers to them as her “partners.” “I started this maybe 18 years ago, so the vendors I put on my list or the people that we do business with are people who have worked in this industry for a long time,” she 42 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
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SOUVENIR FOCUS: BEACH & PIER STORES says. “They’re people that we can trust. Over the years you see a lot of stuff changing, so the ongoing relationships are important.” When it comes to top vendors at Island Outfitters, Weir notes, she remains loyal to the vendors that have been doing business with her family since her grandmother began. She says the relationships are sacred for more than one reason. “Some of my vendors ship me merchandise in January, February and I don’t have to pay for it until July because they’re vendors that I’ve been doing business with for that long,” she explains. “My parents did business with them, and my grandmother did business with their grandparents so it’s
a generational thing. It’s important for me to have a vendor that’s been around a long time, that knows what they’re doing and that has a good product.” The bottom line is when it comes down to selecting souvenirs, trust your gut, your numbers and your vendors. After all these years, Vasquez still relies on basic retail formulas to sell products and find merchandise that appeals to Pier Gear visitors. She says working with what you have and making it pop is all you need to turn a “no” into a “whoa.” “People are visual buyers. They’re drawn to something that catches their eye,” she explains. “So keep your displays full and looking nice.” SGN
Pier Gift Shop visitors in Virginia Beach will find an eclectic mix to choose from. Photos: Don Monteaux
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PRODUCT TREND: T-SHIRTS & SWEATSHIRTS
TEES THAT
PLEASE
Design preferences may vary depending on location, but destination retailers are noticing some trending styles with T-shirts and sweatshirts. STORY BY M E G AN S MA LLEY
A
leksandra’s Gift Shop in Savannah, Georgia, has always offered a variety of sweatshirt colors and designs for its customers to remind visitors of their time in the city. Many of the sweatshirts feature a simple Savannah name drop on it, which seems to appeal best to customers. Co-owner Jason Newcomb says he likes to stock higher-quality looking sweatshirts at affordable prices. “Having something that looks higher end doesn’t necessarily mean higher price,” he explains. “You can go to a place with a regular sweatshirt, and they want $50. Most of our sweatshirts are $34.99. It makes a big difference in sales, and you still get a large margin on it.” For a while, Newcomb says he would showcase the store’s different sweatshirt options on walls for customers to browse. The store would typically sell one or two sweatshirts a day, but Newcomb wondered if moving some of the sweatshirts to floor racks could make a difference in sales. So, about two years ago, he says he moved some sweatshirts off the wall and mismatched them on floor racks so customers would have to pick through them to find the perfect fit. The new setup was a hit with customers, who generally enjoy browsing the different sweatshirts on the racks. Newcomb says sweatshirts became a top-selling product. “Sweatshirts are our No. 2 seller all year round now,” he says, adding that T-shirts also sell particularly well for the Savannah retailer. For many destination retailers, T-shirts and sweatshirts are top-selling souvenirs. Tourists love collecting shirts and hoodies from destinations they visit. They are not only practical in that they can be worn well after someone’s trip, but they are also a form of advertising a destination. DESTINATION-SPECIFIC PREFERENCES
Although T-shirts and sweatshirts can be top sellers for destination retailers across the U.S., the colors, icons and sayings that work on these souvenirs are as varied as the locations they are sold. 46 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
TOP 10 T-SHIRT AND SWEATSHIRT TRENDS 1. Name drops 2. Location-specific themes 3. High quality 4. Soft fabrics 5. Hoodies with zippers 6. Waffle pattern 7. Local sports teams 8. Oversized or cropped for women 9. Dark colors for men 10. Vibrant colors for babies and kids
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PRODUCT TREND: T-SHIRTS & SWEATSHIRTS “Preferences vary a lot by type of customer and location, to be quite honest,” says Kip Zsupnik Jr., CEO of A&F Souvenir. The wholesaler has created a variety of T-shirt and hoodie designs for customers, many of which feature a name drop and various icons and imagery that match specific destinations — mountain scenery, sea turtles, Bigfoot and various zoo animals. Zsupnik explains that A&F Souvenir relies on retailers to help the company figure out what icons or colors will work best for their stores. Jourdain Foster, sales and customer service manager at Simply Southern, notes that colors and graphic preferences vary by region among most retailers. To give retailers styles that work in their location, she says Simply Southern provides a range of designs inspired by lakes, beaches, turtles, mountains and more to accommodate different destination retailers. “As a company based in North Carolina, we recognize the importance of catering to the preferences of mountain enthusiasts, coastal lovers and various regions,” she says. “Our diverse designs reflect this understanding. Our customers in the eastern region tend to favor vibrant designs featuring turtles and beach scenes whereas those in the Midwest prefer catchy sayings or outdoor-themed designs on darker colored products.” Customers visiting Sasquatch Outpost in Bailey, Colorado, enjoy the fun, colorful Bigfoot-themed T-shirts hanging on the store’s back wall. Inventory Manager Karine Myers says the store has a lot of returning customers, so she likes to update the designs offered every other year. Currently, a bubblegum pink T-shirt that says, “Believe in Yourself, Even if No One Else Does” and features Bigfoot hiking in front of a sunset is a big hit with customers. ALL AGES IN MIND Town Pride uses soft materials that are important for baby and children’s items.
While design preferences vary depending on the location and attraction, destination retailers also need to keep in mind that preferences will vary depending on age and gender. Lately, younger women tend to prefer either less or more with their T-shirts and hoodies: they go for the crop-top look or extremely oversized and baggy T-shirts and hoodies. “A notable distinction in purchasing preferences is that women tend to seek a more generous, oversized fit in their hoodies,” says Foster of Simply Southern. “Their
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A&F Souvenir creates name-drop hoodies and T-shirts with various icons and imagery to match specific locations.
priority is comfort and a cozy, snug feeling when wearing them.” Brian Lynch, owner of Only in Clev gift shop, has noticed a similar trend among younger customers in Cleveland, Ohio. “The new fad with the younger people, they like oversized hoodies,” he says. “With women, crops are becoming very popular and the boxytype cuts.” On the other hand, Lynch says older women go for a more traditional and relaxed style of shirt. At Driftwood Mercantile in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, Manager Stephanie Haak says women of all ages often like their T-shirts to be a little bit longer so they can pair them with leggings. For men, destination retailers can’t go wrong offering a variety of crew necks. “Crew necks are big again, and I’ve been getting a lot of requests for crew necks this year,” says Haak, adding that the style tends to be more popular with men than with women. Foster says Simply Southern’s straightforward knitted hoodies also have been popular among men lately. These hoodies offer men a balance of thickness, mobility and breathability. In general, men prefer T-shirts and hoodies in darker, neutral color palettes. Although Aleksandra’s customers tend to be women, Newcomb says he stocks some darker colored T-shirts to appeal to men as well. In contrast, vibrant colors do best with babies and kids. “Kids have a strong preference for vibrant, eye-catching designs,” Foster explains. She adds that animal-themed designs perform well with children and babies. “Kids want something cute,” says Haak. “Mermaids, sharks, pirates — your typical [theme].” Softer material is important among the youngest customers, too. “For babies, super soft material is important,” says Tamara Moran, president of Town Pride. “Durable fabric is more important for toddlers and kids.” www.sgnmag.com
PRODUCT TREND: T-SHIRTS & SWEATSHIRTS
TRENDING STYLES
Regardless of destination or demographic, some T-shirt and hoodie styles have been trending across the board this year. Haak has noticed that waffle-pattern shirts are starting to trend in popularity. “It’s almost like old thermal shirts,” she says, adding that her customers like both short- and long-sleeve waffle-pattern shirts. Haak says the waffle-pattern T-shirt style grew in popularity for her store in the fall, so she made sure to stock up on this style for the 2024 season. With sweatshirts and hoodies, some customers prefer the zip-up style to traditional pullover sweatshirts lately. Myers of Sasquatch Outpost says zip-up hoodies are a hit at her shop this year, especially if they feature a soft, wool-like texture on the inside. “Zipper hoodies are back in,” she says. “I’m not positive why, but from what I’ve heard, people don’t like the feel of pulling a hoodie over their head.” Certain brands of shirts are also a hit for some destination retailers. Newcomb says Comfort Colors shirts are trending at Aleksandra’s Gift Shop. He explains that customers appreciate that the material doesn’t shrink and that many younger customers know the brand.
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Lynch also has noticed the popularity of Comfort Colors among his customers in Cleveland. He says the brand offers shirts that are easy to print on and don’t shrink after washing. “It’s the biggest sensation this year,” says Lynch. “We’ve found they’re extremely popular. Comfort Colors have a real nice fit — they’re well-made, sturdy and don’t shrink.” A more timeless trend is that customers want T-shirts and sweatshirts to be comfortable. Moran notes that comfort and fit are always important when it comes to T-shirts. “The fabric content has to be soft and feel good,” she says. Zsupnik has noticed that customers are paying more attention to the fabric. He says 100% cotton shirts often have the soft feel customers want. “It comes down to the feel of the T-shirt for us,” he says. “People want a higher-end garment. They don’t want something that feels like cardboard. So we’ve been selling a lot of products that are price conscious but have a good feel.” SGN
Aleksandra’s Gift Shop in Savannah, Georgia aims for affordability for more profitability.
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PRODUCT TREND: CUSTOM GIFTS & SOUVENIRS
Custom products can help destination retailers capture the unique aspects of their location and make mementos even more special.
SETTING YOUR STORE
STORY BY KRIST I N ELY
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APART
etailers in tourist destinations are trying to find ways to capture their site’s unique characteristics in the gifts they offer. And rather than take an existing product and branding it with their logo, some of these retailers are taking things one step further by working with vendors to develop custom products. And the extra effort is paying off. Lorne Kotzer’s company Soft Stuff Creations creates custom plush for a variety of customers from the The Art Institute of Chicago to The Santa Barbara Zoo. He says that while a name-drop program is typically decorating an existing stock item with the customer’s logo or artwork, “a custom item is a unique new item created from the customer’s artwork, design or theme.” According to James Melley, sales manager for the wholesale company Impulse Souvenirs, “Offering custom products can increase your customers’ buy. Most visitors will be shopping multiple Pep is a popular souvenir for the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site in Pennsylvania.
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stores and by having unique designs that can’t be found elsewhere, you could attract more sales.” Melley adds that “Customization allows more unique elements for the entire design to capture the essence of your destination.” BREAKING OUT INTO CUSTOM
This is the case for Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site in Philadelphia. Gifts and souvenirs not only portray the historic site that housed inmates from 1829 to 1971, merchandise features some of the prison’s most notorious residents, including famed mobster Al Capone and a dog named Pep. The black lab came to the prison in 1924 and was given an actual intake number and had his mugshot taken. Rumors spread he was sent there for murdering the governor’s wife’s cat, but his arrival was actually a way help boost morale among the prisoners. The site opened as a museum in 1994 and then in the mid-2000s, the mission of the site shifted from not only a museum but a conduit for opening up a dialogue about mass incarceration in America. It’s the job of Richie Sklar, manager, visitor services and retail, to not only create products that serve as souvenirs, but that also represent the mission and help people start the conversation around incarceration. To accomplish this, the store offers products that are more souvenir oriented and others that are www.sgnmag.com
PRODUCT TREND: CUSTOM GIFTS & SOUVENIRS historically based and mission based. “Because we are a very specific type of museum, there really isn’t a lot of merchandise out there that is geared toward us,” Sklar says. “We are really very limited in what already exists out there, and that’s why we turned to custom products.” But that is not the only reason for developing custom products. It is also about the customer. “Because we are such a unique organization, people want to find something unique when they come here,” he says. “I believe it’s not just about creating a gift or a souvenir, but really something that reminds them of a little bit of what they’ve learned or something they really liked while they were at Eastern State so that’s another big reason why we do all custom items.” THE CREATIVE PROCESS
To create custom items, Sklar says he relies on his vendors for collaboration in addition to local artists and in-house graphic designers. He’ll often try to seek out vendors who work with people that are formerly incarcerated. Souvenirs will often include the Eastern Penitentiary logo or the radial design blueprint of the prison will be imprinted on objects. Visitors can also purchase a plethora of items with Al Capone’s mug shot on it. As for Pep, the famous pup, the store carries a variety of items with his image, including a coffee
mug and a postcard, but the Pep plush is by far the most popular. For this product, Sklar worked with Soft Stuff Creations to develop a product bearing his likeness with soft, cuddly features, and the store can’t keep it in stock. The store’s bestselling T-shirt is a custom design that features the prison’s radial design, and shot glasses also fly off the shelves. “We have a couple of cool custom shot glasses. One that has Al Capone on it that sells really well.” The store also carries objects that are recreations of artifacts. “We recently did a replica of the original front gate key which was crafted from a 3-D model. We used historic photographs of the original gate key as its basis.” There’s also a tin cup that was based on an artifact that was found in the early 1990s during the excavation and restoration process. “We have a lot of things that were actually found here and things that we know were actually part of the history,” he says. As for the mission-based merchandise, Sklar says, Eastern State Penitentiary is just beginning to scratch the surface. “We’re focusing on using a group of key phrases.” The key phrases are all about getting people to think about prisons and incarceration. The phrases are featured on wristbands, pencils and a line of journals.
DISCOVER THE ALLURE OF CUSTOM PRODUCTS Custom products can differentiate a retailer significantly in several ways, enhancing the overall customer experience and setting the brand apart from competitors. Here are some ways custom products can contribute to differentiation, according to Lorne Kotzer of custom plush company, Soft Stuff Creations:
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Unique Offering: Custom products allow retailers to offer something unique and exclusive. This uniqueness can set a retailer apart in a crowded market.
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Brand Indentity: Custom products provide an opportunity for a retailer to establish and reinforce its brand identity. When customers see a product that is distinctly associated with a particular retailer, it helps build brand recognition and loyalty.
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Competitive Advantage: In markets where products are largely commoditized, custom offerings can serve as a
competitive advantage. Customers may be willing to pay a premium for personalized or unique products, giving the retailer an edge over competitors.
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Increased Customer Engagement: Customization encourages customer engagement. The process of designing or choosing customized products can be enjoyable for customers, which contributes to higher satisfaction and loyalty.
Custom products provide an extra incentive to buy from a particular retailer.
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Market Niche: Introducing custom products can help a retailer carve out a niche market. Targeting a specific audience with unique offerings can designate the retailer as a go-to destination for customers seeking particular customized products. Flexibility and Adaptability: Custom products allow retailers to adapt to changing market trends quickly. They can test new designs or features based on customer feedback and adjust their offerings accordingly.
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Storytelling Opportunities: Custom products often come with interesting stories. Retailers can share the story behind the customization process, the inspiration for certain designs, or the craftsmanship involved. These stories can be powerful in connecting with customers on a deeper level. Brand Perception: Offering customization positions the brand as one that values individuality, customer input, and quality. This positive perception can attract new customers and retain existing ones. www.sgnmag.com
PRODUCT TREND: CUSTOM GIFTS & SOUVENIRS
Products like journals that are licensed by the Getty Museum can be purchased all over the world.
A GOOD ‘IMPRESSION’
The Getty Museum with locations in Los Angeles and Pacific Palacades, and a robust online store, carries a variety of merchandise in its stores from apparel, jewelry, gifts, stationary and books. Custom designs include products that feature paintings from the museum as well as fragrances, holiday ornaments, scarves, stationary and sculpture. Thomas Stewart, head of retail merchandising and Chloe Simon, general manager, both say that visitors to the museum are moved by the artwork they see so it is their job to capture that experience in the form of a gift or keepsake.
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“Licensing is a large part of this process, and our vendor partners can provide things like gift merchandise and replicas that are inspired by the collection,” says Stewart. “When a product is licensed, like our journals from PaperBlanks or sculpture from Parastone, these items can be purchased all over the world, telling the Getty story to a global audience.” You can also find a plush dragon inspired by the museum’s illuminated manuscript bestiary designed by Soft Stuff Creations and a Griffin handpuppet, part eagle poised on a lion body of strong rear legs and long tufted tail. But by far, the most popular keepsakes are anything that depicts the museum’s impressionist painting collection. Stewart and Simon also lean on the Museum Store Association. “Museum stores are unique shopping destinations in that we are all in one large community that helps each other and shares advice,” says Stewart. At Impulse Souvenirs, unique designs can be applied to an array of products from the everpopular magnets and tees. “Customized patches can be applied to caps, beanies or even bags to create a collection of great quality products. When customers see great art, it sells,” concludes Melley. SGN
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MERCHANDISING: IMPULSE BUYS
ACTING ON AN IMPULSE
DESTINATION RETAILERS SHARE WAYS THEY TRY TO PROMOTE IMPULSE SALES IN THEIR STORES.
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STO RY BY M EGAN SM ALLEY
any customers come to Mayberry Market in Mount Airy, North Carolina, for the “Mayberry” memorabilia that is popular with Andy Griffith Show fans. Kaitlin Teague, co-owner of the store, says the Mayberry-themed souvenirs are particularly popular among people who grew up watching the show. She says a lot of customers are in their 70s and 80s, but some people in their 40s and 50s also come in hoping to buy Mayberry memorabilia for their parents or relatives. The store also features nearly 30 vendor booths with more general gift and boutique items to appeal to a wider age range and demographic. Almost any souvenir bearing the store’s copyrighted Andy & Opie silhouette is a top seller at Mayberry Market. While customers come to the store for merchandise featuring that silhouette, they might also get a kick out of some impulse items the store offers. Teague says she keeps some Barney bullet keychains near the cash wrap, which often make guests smile or laugh and add it to their purchase. Destination retailers like Mayberry Market can boost sales when they offer and promote impulse items to their customers. Although tourists usually come to gift and souvenir shops for keepsakes and memorabilia, retailers should stock travel accessories and essentials that these visitors might have forgotten to pack as a way to help the customer and boost sales. 56 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
Teague keeps some essentials up front for customers like pill holders or lip balm with the Mayberry logo. “ChapStick is something you don’t think you’ll get here, but because it has the Mayberry logo on it, you get it,” she says. OFFER THE UNEXPECTED
When retailers think about impulse items, they might initially think about keychains, mints, lip balm or other accessories customers might need. Customers certainly buy those types of products on an impulse, but an “impulse buy” isn’t just limited to the small knick-knacks that customers find at the cash wrap. An impulse buy can be just about anything a customer ends up buying that he or she didn’t intend to buy. Michael Hale, owner of Los Angeles-based Retail Rehab consulting firm, stresses that accessibility is key when it comes to impulse items. These products need to be easy for customers to grab and add to their purchase without much thought, such as a bin next to the cash register, a basket by the front door or a tray near a prominent display. “An impulse item on the bottom shelf isn’t an impulse item,” he explains. “It has to be accessible.” He adds that destination retailers can use adjacencies to boost these sales as well — place mugs close to coasters. A tourist might intend to come to a store to buy a souvenir Above: At King Street Souvenirs in Alexandria, Virginia, impulse buys celebrate cherry blossom season in nearby Washington, D.C.
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MERCHANDISING: IMPULSE BUYS
Small items grouped together at Mayberry Market in Mount Airy, North Carolina, encourage impulse buys.
mug, but seeing the coasters nearby will prompt them to add that onto their purchase. Fontaine Stellas, owner of Souvenir City Chicago in the city’s Streeterville neighborhood, says she gets a decent number of customers coming into her shop who are visiting the city for a business trip. These customers often want to bring home souvenirs for kids and loved ones. She usually points those customers to a section of the store full of souvenirs for kids. By stocking a bunch of souvenirs together, customers end up buying multiple souvenirs for their children back home. “We have a lot of things that are easy to pick up for parents or grandparents buying for kids,” says Stellas. “I always try to help them figure out what to buy kids.” Tourists are also drawn to Souvenir City Chicago for its Bean-themed window display. Although those customers come in to purchase a Beanthemed souvenir to remember their trip, Stellas says other items in her store catch their eyes as they shop around. “We have a huge dog section,” she says. “People don’t come in looking for this, but they see it and buy for their dogs.” Souvenir City Chicago customers are also surprised to find out the retailer has some local liquors as souvenirs, too. Stellas explains that she initially started her storefront as a liquor store called UnCorkIt. When she realized there weren’t many
“We have a huge dog section. People don’t come in looking for this, but they see it and buy for their dogs.” — FONTAINE STELlAS, SOUVENIR CITY CHICAGO souvenir stores nearby, she decided to dedicate part of the storefront to souvenirs about five years ago. Although UnCorkIt is a separate business, Stellas offers some of the most popular liquors as souvenirs at Souvenir City Chicago. She notes that Malort is a very popular liquor in Chicago and always stocks some by the register for tourists who want to take some home as a souvenir. “People hear about [Malort], they see that when checking out and they buy it,” Stellas says. “That’s an impulse item.” She also likes to stock smaller travel products near the cash wrap to help tourists who might 58 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
have forgotten to pack things like car chargers or sunglasses. “We try to have some things people forget — car chargers, phone chargers,” says Stellas. “We have international travelers here, so we keep international adapters by the register. In the summer, we have suntan lotion and lip balm they might forget because they are traveling.” Destination retailers also can boost add-on sales when they bundle items. Teague says Mayberry Market likes to promote gift baskets during holiday season that feature some popular souvenirs — a Mayberry-themed mug, a shot glass and a magnet. “We’ll take items we know sell well and bundle them together,” she explains. “[Customers] might just want a mug, but now they see they can get all of this.” Teague notes that her store sold out of bundled gift baskets during the 2022 holiday season and, as of press time, expected the same to happen during the 2023 holiday season as well. She says customers are more drawn to the pretty packaging than if the souvenirs were by themselves. “Displays are important,” she says. “Find items that look pretty; people are drawn to that.” GRAB ATTENTION
Stocking impulse items at eye level is also a good idea. Hale of Retail Rehab notes that merchandise stocked at eye level sells best because those are products people will notice first. He says destination retailers should also consider stocking impulse items at focal points in the store. “Is there a wall that when you walk in, everybody sees [and] whatever I put on that wall is a good seller? Those are great spaces for [merchandising],” he says. In Alexandria, Virginia, King Street Souvenirs features a refrigerator stocked with sodas and other drinks close to the window to catch the attention of passersby. The destination retailer’s primary focus is selling Old Town Alexandria and Washington, D.C., themed souvenirs, but Manager Mai Ngo notes that having some drinks visible to passersby helps to draw some customers into the store on a hot summer day who might not have stopped in otherwise. She says, “It gets people to walk in and then they say, ‘Oh, I have family and friends in town. Let me get them a gift’ or things like that.” Ngo says King Street Souvenirs offers some other impulse items like snacks as well as outdoor accessories such as scarves and winter hats for customers. It’s also important for destination retailers to take note of community events that might bring crowds to town. Teague of Mayberry Market shares that Mount Airy featured a Christmas parade during Thanksgiving weekend. Knowing there would be a lot of foot traffic by the shop, she says www.sgnmag.com
MERCHANDISING: IMPULSE BUYS she placed some nice blankets by the store window with signage for paradegoers who might need to warm up. “We knew they would be sitting outside. So we found some affordable [blanket] options for them,” she says. “A few hundred people came in
Hobby Lobby,” he notes. “Go into places that are different categories of business. They will spark ideas on finding what your impulse items are and how to set them up.” Regularly talking to customers to get a pulse on what they like and items
“Displays are important. Find items that look pretty; people are drawn to that.” — KAITLIN TEAGUE, MAYBERRY MARKET [the store] to get warm, see if we had blankets.” For other fall and winter events in Mount Airy, Teague says Mayberry Market has offered hot cocoa as well to get customers in the store. Often enough, those customers will end up buying more than just hot cocoa when they see a Mayberry-themed T-shirt they like or nice handbags in one of the boutique vendor booths. Teague says she uses signage to try to catch customers’ attention as well. “We put signs up for everything,” she says. “It doesn’t matter if you know that the item is a pill holder, we put a sign up for it. If they miss the product, they at least see the sign.” COMMUNICATE WITH CUSTOMERS
Destination retailers shouldn’t just blindly guess at what products might make good impulse items and where to place them — they need to do their homework. Hale recommends destination retailers can get some good ideas for impulse displays simply by shopping at big box stores. “Look at the grocery store, the
they might forget on trips also can help destination retailers pinpoint key impulse items. Teague says she encourages her employees to pay attention and make note of what customers are looking for. “Listen to what your customer wants,” says Teague. “If it’s a one-off thing, it might not be beneficial to buy. But if you constantly are hearing, even just a few times, ‘Do you have this?’ it might be beneficial to look into carrying that.” Retailers can also boost impulse sales by suggesting items to customers as they shop. Stellas always makes sure Souvenir City Chicago customers are greeted and feel welcomed in her store. “We try to greet everyone and have someone floating to see if we can help them. Sometimes it’s giving them ideas for a gift or helping them find a collectible. We like to make them feel at home and seen.” Talking to customers helps retailers get ideas for merchandising as well as boost sales in the meantime. Teague adds, “Listen to the people who shop with you and connect with them.” SGN
Associates on the sales floor help customers navigate gift selections at Souvenir City Chicago.
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RETAIL SPOTLIGHT: CALEF’S COUNTRY STORE
“The look and the feel of the space is the same as it’s been for a long, long time so people can walk in and feel like they’re stepping back in time.” — GREG BOLTON
Calef’s Country Store visitors can pick up a New Hampshire souvenir as they explore a wide selection of specialty foods. Photos: Shawn Pierce
A STROLL DOWN MEMORY LANE Calef’s Country Store has been stocking the essentials and then some for multiple generations.
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aise your hand if your gift shop or store was open when Ulysses S. Grant was president. Now raise your hand if you can visit a store that your grandmother or great-grandfather visited or perhaps even took you to when you were a child that you can still visit. If you’re like most, your hands are planted firmly at your sides; you might be scratching your head, straining to make a connection to such a place. But if you’re lucky enough to visit Calef ’s Country Store in Barrington, New Hampshire, the memories will come flooding back as soon as you climb the wide wooden steps to the long front porch and open the creaky wooden door that delivers you to the store that’s stuck in time. Since 1869, Calef ’s has been delighting generations of visitors with New Hampshire-made jams, jellies, cheeses, pickles, deli meats and other culinary classics in its 2,000-square-foot country store. Known for items such as Rat Trap cheddar cheese and fresh-made prepared salads, Owner Greg Bolton says the store evokes nostalgic memories for customers who want to relive them. “What’s really neat is you’ll get someone to walk in with their kids and they’ll say ‘this was your grandfather’s favorite place he brought me here when I was a kid,’ and they’re walking around remembering being here with their grandparents and they’re doing the same thing for their kids,” he explains. “It feels really good.”
STORY BY C H R I ST INE SC H A F F R A N
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RETAIL SPOTLIGHT: CALEF’S COUNTRY STORE another tenant that is not affiliated with the country store. He adds it’s a far cry from the humble beginnings of Calef ’s Country Store, which is known as New Hampshire’s first female-owned business. As the story goes, Mary Chesley Calef mortgaged her family farm just after the Civil War and opened Calef ’s Store in the front rooms of her modest home. Five generations of the family operated Calef ’s Big Store until the 1990s, according to the store’s website. In that time, portions have been added, but the original bones still remain. Bolton notes that up until the 1930s and 1940s, the sales clerks would stand behind counters that lined the perimeter of store and hand customers their requested items from the shelves, which are still used today. PICKLES, GINGER SNAPS AND CHEESE
Cupboard staples such as maple syrup are abundant throughout the store.
BREAKING IT DOWN
While the establishment is widely known for perishable goods, it’s not limited to food alone. Beyond the wines, cheeses, chocolates and penny candies, the store stocks candles, toys, books, puzzles, games for kids, coffee mugs, sweatshirts, T-shirts, aprons and towels. Bolton notes non-food items account for 10 to 15% of the store’s inventory. “There’s really three components to the store,” he notes. “Our most prominent would be our locally sourced New England food products and that includes cheese; then we have some locally sourced New England gift and craft items; and then we have what we call a country deli so sandwiches and fresh-made, prepared salads and those types of things.” With original shelving lining the walls and artifacts wrapping the walls in memories with postcards, advertisements and products the store has sold over the years, it’s easy to get lost in the treasure trove of goodies and splurge both time and money during a shopping trip. “When customers come here, they’re happy to be here, they’re not in a rush typically, and they’re
“When customers come here, they’re happy to be here, they’re not in a rush typically, and they’re not shopping by price.” — GREG BOLTON not shopping by price; they’re not angry and they’re not demanding things that we don’t have,” Bolton points out. “Running a store like that is a whole lot easier than a typical retail environment where there’s a lot of pressure and people are angry. That doesn’t happen here very often.” Bolton, who has owned the store since 2012 with his business partner, Len Angelo, notes that a second gift shop occupies space in the building by 62 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
Meanwhile, a candy case welcomes eager children upon entering the store while center displays change merchandise with the seasons. In the back of the store — through a barn-style door — the deli counter gets the biggest workout from locals and transients passing through town. “We get a lot of repeat business in our deli on a daily basis,” Bolton says. “Then also what I hear an awful lot is people say, ‘We come here and we rent a place for a week in the summer, and we always stop at the beginning and end of our vacation,’ or ‘We’re driving up, and we always stop on our way to wherever we’re going,’ so they may not be three- or four-times-a-week repeat customers, but they come back year after year or season after season.” And when they arrive, any of the 25 full- or part-time sales associates on the clock that day are waiting to greet guests and help them wade through cupboard staples such as crackers, mustards, sauces, salsas, cocoas, beans and soups provided by 500 to 600 different vendors, Bolton notes. “My favorite kind of vendor would be a local New England startup trying to get into the food business,” he admits. “Very often we’re contacted by those people because we have a pretty good reputation in the market as a place to carry their products pretty early on in their venture, so I really like supporting those types of vendors.” Among the favorites are RE Kimball & Co. — known for its homemade jams and jellies; Moose Hill Provisions — for maple-syrup-flavored everything; Winfrey’s Fudge & Chocolates — for obvious reasons; the New England Cupboard — for dip and baking mixes; and Maine Homestead Market — for pickled eggs, carrots, beans and an assortment of pickles. And speaking of pickles, Bolton says, it’s difficult for visitors to resist pickles served up the old-fashioned way — in a barrel. “If someone was to come in here and they could only buy three things, it would be a pickle, a bag of www.sgnmag.com
RETAIL SPOTLIGHT: CALEF’S COUNTRY STORE ginger snaps and piece of Rat Trap cheddar cheese,” Bolton muses. “Those are the three things that everyone seems to have in their basket when they leave regardless of whatever else they might pick up along the way.” Beyond perishable goods, Bolton says the store does well selling puzzles and old-fashioned, wooden, “back-in-the-day games” supplied by Hudson, Florida-based Creative Crafthouse. A WINNING COMBINATION
Coffee mugs, stickers, cards, apparel, towels and other non-food items account for 10 to 15% of the store’s inventory.
As for a busy season, Bolton notes, “Summer’s busy, foliage is a little bit busier and then the month of December is crazy.” “We’re a pretty good last-minute shopping destination for people because most of what we have is perishable,” he points out. “We also sell a lot of smoked ham around the holiday times, so people will order a ham to have for Christmas and then they’ll come in three or four days before to pick that up along with cheese and other stuff.” A revenue booster that Bolton says helps the bottom line every year is gift boxes that local companies use as gifts for employees and customers. “It’s revenue, but it goes out the back door so
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it wouldn’t be noticed by customers, but it really helps ramp up the intensity around the holidays,” he says. Bolton, whose prior experience centers around catering, restaurants and a splash of retail, notes the country store is the perfect combination of food and local flavors. “I ran a couple of catering companies, I’ve been in a couple of restaurants over the years, and a little bit of retail, but not much, and so when this became available, it had sort of the best of both worlds,” he explains. “The retail part looked fairly straightforward and the food service part had a lot of opportunity for growth. So that’s what attracted it to me in the first place.” While wandering around the space where even he still occasionally discovers new items, Bolton says the fact that people can return and find everything just as they left it is enough to put a smile on his face. “The look and the feel of the space is the same as it’s been for a long time, so people walk in and feel like they’re stepping back in time,” he says. “We have a modern point-of-sales system, but it’s kind of hidden so that people don’t really see it and it feels like you’re in an old-time store. When people say that, I feel like we’re winning.” SGN
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RETAIL SPOTLIGHT: NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM
BUILDING ON THE
The National Building Museum Shop in Washington, D.C., has a longstanding reputation of offering its customers a fun retail experience.
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LEGACY
STO RY BY M EGAN SM ALLEY
he National Building Museum (NBM) in Washington, D.C., aims to inspire curiosity about the world that we design and build. Its vision is to educate, entertain and engage people about the built environment and challenge them to advocate for a sustainable and equitable future. NBM offers a variety of collections and exhibitions that encompass all facets of design: building design, engineering, graphic design, industrial design and landscape design. It features playful exhibits for guests of all ages as well as permanent collections of photographs, architectural prints, material samples and more for its visitors. Sticking true to the museum’s vision and mission, museum shop visitors can’t help but be awestruck as they walk into NBM’s store. The 2,800-square-foot shop is spacious and appears even bigger because of its 28-foot-tall ceilings, decked out with playful mobiles. A tall archway invites customers to explore the rooms of the store. As customers turn to the right, they can browse a wide selection of housewares — cutting boards and tea towels featuring the Washington, D.C., name drop and skyline; a
Building Bricks waffle maker; as well as mugs and tumblers. Near that section, customers get lost in the assortment of toys. The shop has no shortage of puzzles, games, building sets and, of course, Legos and other brands of toy bricks. Another section of the store offers a library full of books; the “AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, D.C.,” is always a best-selling book for the shop. The store also stocks other traditional souvenirs, such as T-shirts, socks, jewelry and stationery. Mike Higdon, retail manager at the National Building Museum Shop, says customers often fall in love with the store’s quirky displays and unique product offerings, adding that the store is particularly known for its selection of toys and housewares. “The one thing about the store that I would say that you hear frequently from the customers is how much fun the store is,” says Higdon. “My predecessor was the driver of that reputation for 25 years. I would not have been able to do what I have done so far with this store had it not been for the foundation that she gave me.” Higdon, who has served as retail manager for the last 20 years, says he hopes to maintain the store’s legacy of fun
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RETAIL SPOTLIGHT: NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM
I feel like I have a legacy to continue on. I would hope that whoever comes in here after me will also see that they have a legacy to carry on.” — MICHAEL HIGDON
during his tenure as manager. “I feel like I have a legacy to continue on,” he says. “I would hope that whoever comes in here after me will also see that they have a legacy to carry on.” STARTING WITH A SHOP
Fitting for a museum focused on buildings and design, the NBM building itself has a rich architectural history. It was built in the 1880s to house the headquarters of the U.S. Pension Bureau. At the same time, the building was also used as a space for political functions in Washington and as a building to commemorate the service of those who fought in the Union during the Civil War. U.S. Army Quartermaster General Montgomery
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C. Meigs served as the lead architect and engineer for the building. According to NBM’s website, the building “was Meigs’ final and most important architectural work, and the one of which he was most proud.” Roman architecture inspired the building’s interior with open arcade galleries that surround a central hall. By the 1970s, the structure needed serious repairs. By then, the U.S. Pension Bureau had already moved out of the building; the U.S. government considered demolishing it. Higdon explains that a group of architects got together in the mid-1970s in hopes of saving the building. “These architects all came together saying, ‘No, no, no — you can’t do this,’” he says. “[The building] was designed as the first fire-proof building in the country. It was also one of the world’s largest brick buildings.” They also noted that it’s one of the first buildings with a ventilation system to it, and it has what are considered to be some of the world’s largest Corinthian columns, says Higdon. Congress passed a resolution in 1978 calling for the preservation of the building, and a 1980 Act of Congress mandated the creation of the National Building Museum as “a private, nonprofit educational institution.”
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RETAIL SPOTLIGHT: NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM
Toys that encourage creativity and products that salute architecture are featured in the museum shop.
Oddly enough, the museum was a store before it was a museum. “As I have always understood it, there was an executive director hired to create the museum,” says Higdon. “In working with that process and the founding trustees who were the architects who helped to save the building, they began doing what they needed to do to make the museum a reality. One part of that was raising money. A part of raising that money [involved] selling postcards and other items that promoted the museum’s brand.” While the building underwent repairs and preparations for the museum, Higdon says museum volunteers set up a makeshift storefront in a small vestibule near the front of the building. Bricks imprinted with the shape of the building
that could be used as paper weights were topselling souvenirs for those volunteers. The museum officially opened its doors in 1985, offering an exhibit on the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge as its first exhibit. In more recent years, the museum shop moved to its much larger, more permanent location adjacent to the museum’s Great Hall and across from the visitor’s center and admission. However, Higdon says, the museum store still has some volunteers who sit in the building’s front vestibule to greet visitors and sell products. “I’ve got six volunteers currently, and one has been here from those days of selling in the vestibule,” he says, adding that all volunteers have been with the museum store for at least 10 years. PLAYFUL PRODUCTS AND EXPERIENCES
Many of NBM’s exhibits aim to spark visitors’ curiosities and engage them in the building process. Every year, more than 400,000 people stop by the museum, including locals, tourists from across the country as well as some international visitors. Higdon says the museum has offered a wide variety of exhibits: parking garage exhibits, cement exhibits, fence exhibits and more. The museum features an ongoing exhibit called Play Work Build,
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RETAIL SPOTLIGHT: NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM which is a hit with families with kids. It invites visitors to see the connections between play, design and the work of building professionals through a hands-on block play area, a wall of virtual blocks and more. Through 2025, guests can also enjoy the museum’s “Brick City” exhibit, which features iconic architecture from around the world that has been recreated using Lego bricks. Higdon explains that the role of the museum store is to augment visitors’ experience of the built environment. Customers love the store’s large toy collection. Higdon says an aerodynamic ball called the “Switch Pitch” from John Hansen Company is a top-selling toy for the store. He says, “It’s not a new product. We were carrying it before I came here. It’s a ball you pitch, and as it flies through the air, it opens up and changes colors. Kids love it.” Higdon adds that the museum store also focuses on stocking products that pertain to history, particularly through its large book section. He notes that he also ensures the store offers products pertaining to famous American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Being in D.C., he says the store also features products with the city’s name drop and unique architecture.
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“A lot of people come to Washington, D.C., and the only thing they know about is the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial,” he says. “But there’s a lot of other beautiful architecture in this city. It’s probably one of the most European cities in the U.S. We promote that by bringing in unique products about Washington, D.C., that are not based in the usual concept people have of D.C.” Higdon says he and his team will change the store’s merchandise and displays for different seasons, including D.C.’s cherry blossom season in the beginning of the year, the museum’s summer installation series and the holiday season come mid-fall. When finding merchandise, Higdon says he likes to find products that get customers thinking, “That’s just fascinating,” or “Wow, I wonder what it would take for me to create something like that.” Looking to the future, Higdon says he is regularly evaluating and looking at benchmarks related to staffing and merchandising. He says, “My focus and goal are to regrow our business while developing a team of staff to manage and drive the business.” SGN
Retail manager Mike Higdon’s hope is that guests get swept up in just how much fun the they can have in the National Building Museum Shop.
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BUSINESS: ZOO & MUSEUM Q&A
PART II OF III:
SOUVENIR
TRENDS
Joy Love
Maureen Ryan
Vice president of merchandising and warehouse operations, San Diego Wildlife Zoo Alliance
Buyer and merchandising manager, Albuquerque Museum Foundation
IN DEMAND AT DESTINATIONS TRENDING MERCHANDISE AT ZOO AND MUSEUM GIFT STORES ADAPT WITH THE ATTRACTION’S EXHIBITS AND CUSTOMER NEEDS.
M
erchandise available at zoo and museum gift shops are always changing depending on the season or the coming attraction, but there are also tried-and-true categories that sell well no matter the time of year. And trends continue to emerge. In the second of this three-part series, which will run in subsequent issues of Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties, SGN Editorial Director Kristin Ely spoke Joy Love, vice president of merchandising and warehouse operations, San Diego Wildlife Zoo Alliance and Maureen Ryan, Museum Store Manager, Albuquerque Museum Foundation,
about the various operational aspects of managing a gift shop that supports an attraction. Kristin Ely (KE): Please describe the range of merchandise you carry in your store and which categories of gifts and souvenirs are driving your business? Joy Love, San Diego Wildlife Zoo Alliance (JL): We like to believe we’ve got something for everyone, and we separate our buying responsibilities across three different segments. We’ve got kids, which includes everything related to kids: plush, toys, apparel, hats et cetera. We have categories for adults, which includes apparel, hats and accessories, and then we have home mer-
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chandise which is probably our biggest cross section. It includes anything from souvenirs, housewares, consumables, home decor, books and media. In terms of what drives our business the kids’ categories are the most significant, so plush, toys and kids’ apparel are extremely important to us. Our largest customer base tends to be adults buying for their kids. Maureen Ryan, Albuquerque Museum Store (MR): Generally speaking, jewelry is our No. 1 category. Books are our No. 2 seller. Then it all depends based on the exhibition schedule whether it’s going to be apparel, gifts or home decor. It is always different, but it gets to our bottom line somehow. It’s really fun. It keeps us on our toes, it www.sgnmag.com
BUSINESS: ZOO & MUSEUM Q&A us during our centennial, which was in 2016, but he was so popular. He is a lionhead with a colorful mane. We’ve created an entire line around him, most recently, a custom plush that has been really popular. Our third signature is not necessarily a thing that is exclusive to us, but it is “Save the chubby unicorns” with a rhino silhouette. It’s been a main staple for us for the past five years. We also do really well with the seasonal merchandise during the holidays and with the butterfly merchandise that we carry every spring. We also carry eco-friendly, sustainable products. Our customers aren’t necessarily all the way there yet, but we are just going in that direction, especially in our plush department and apparel department and really encouraging our guests to think that way.
Colorful Lion is now a mainstay for the San Diego Zoo, and a recent collaboration with Reyn Spooner (top right) has been a hit.
keeps the merchandise fresh and it works out great. When we are changing exhibitions, the whole front of the store is just totally different for the next one and that’s a huge important factor to me. It is tricky because we do a big reveal so everything is behind the scenes. We are getting it all ready and then it is time for it to come out. We are closed on Mondays so the Monday before the exhibition opens is when I am changing the window of the store. I’ll get my plan going and then a couple
“When we are changing exhibitions, the whole front of the store is just totally different for the next one, and that’s a huge important factor to me.” — Maureen Ryan, Albuquerque Museum Foundation staff members will fill in the merchandise and we’ll put it all together so when the members come in for the opening on Friday, it is a brand new store. Because we have about a month transition period, I also have to be clever enough to take merchandise that’s part of our core and theme it in some way that makes sense to the people coming in because you can’t have it look like an empty store. Hopefully we’ve had a good exhibition and most of that merchandise has sold or whatever few pieces are left go on a sale table, and it’s just the magic of retail making it all work and making it look new and fresh when you are doing a big change out. It’s tricky but fun.
MR: People who are coming to New Mexico know about Native American jewelry. While we carry some Native American-specific jewelry, it’s primarily silver jewelry that we carry. We also have turquoise. In the cash wrap area is where our better, higher-priced jewelry is. It includes local, handmade and some one-of-a-kind pieces, all beautiful stuff. Then we have a couple of tables that are less expensive and people can get their hands-on experience. Because we have so many jewelry manufacturers, we can give you a beautiful southwestern earring for $9.95. We try to have a lot of contemporary products as well. Several of the local clothing retailers have gone out of business, so I try to have coats in the winter and beautiful scarves and handbags. Not all museums have that, and it’s really been a great category for us. KE: Are there tried-and-true products that sell well year after year? What are they? JL: In addition to the three signature things I described, we’ve got this spray fan bottle. It’s a contraption filled with water and you turn it on like a fan, and during hot days, everyone has to have one. We’ve got ones with all different kinds of
KE: What particular styles tend to be popular with clientele? JL: We have three signature designs that we have created full storefronts for. We’ve got Gorilla Shadow, which is like a silverback gorilla, and we do everything from apparel to accessories to hats and socks. We’ve got Colorful Lion who was created for 74 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
Albuquerque Museum Store items have a Southwest flair.
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BUSINESS: ZOO & MUSEUM Q&A animal heads that kids love. We also have a safari pack, which is a backpack that comes with a water bottle, and we’ve recently changed it from a plastic water bottle to a reusable double-walled water bottle. The third [trending item] changes. Right now it is a face mask. It has been a sunscreen or a lip balm. Those are some cute items that perform well year after year. MR: We have a destination down the street from us called Los Poblanos. It is a beautiful place to stay. They also make lavender products. Lavender grows very well in New Mexico. It doesn’t need a lot of water. The founder developed this hand salve, and it grew from there. Now they have lotions and bug spray, and we’re fortunate enough to carry it in our store. The other thing that we have is our greeting cards and postcards from our permanent collection. That’s been a mainstay. Last year, we acquired an 18th-century granary from Spain. It was quite the undertaking with these big semi trucks coming with big boulders that were all numbered, and they put it up in our sculpture garden. Now we sell photographs of that. We like to show off our Spanish roots at the museum, so that has been a neat thing.
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KE: What emerging product trends are you seeing and what factors are contributing to them? JL: Axolotls have been huge for us for about a year now. We’ve had great success with that. Recently, it’s been capybaras. Capybaras are the world’s largest rodent, and the zoo just had four babies. And for us, collaborations. We’ve recently taken on some collaborations with various brands and vendors. We recently did a Hawaiian shirt with Reyn Spooner and then we did plush featuring the art of Brazilian artist Romero Britto. MR: Every year for us we are also expanding our wearables: our hats our gloves our ballcaps — things like that. A lot of times people come to New Mexico and they think it’s the desert so it must be hot. It’s not necessarily hot in December. They sometimes need a layer or two. SGN
“Axolotls have been huge for us for about a year now. We’ve had great success with that. Recently, it’s been capybaras.” — Joy Love, San Diego
Part III of Souvenir, Gifts & NovelWild Life Zoo Alliance ties’ Zoo and Museum Q&A will be available in the March/April 2024 issue, and cover challenges and opportunities facing brick-and-mortar retailers.
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PRODUCT SHOWCASE
CATCHING OUR EYE Looking for something new to offer? Here are some trending products that are sure to turn heads.
Laser Gifts The Legacy Knife, made of wood and stainless steel makes a great keepsake. www.lasergifts.com
Wild Tribute Maximus the dog proudly wears a bandana featuring the Texas flag in this T-shirt. www.wildtribute.com
PCF Souvenirs Name-drop mug makes a perfect souvenir of a mountain adventure. www.pcfsouvenirs.com
Mountain Graphics Wood keychain is a constant reminder of the mountains. www.mtgraphics.com
Xplorer Maps Ceramic shot glass features exquisite map art for souvenir seekers. www.xplorermaps.com
Wild Things Snap-Ons Pink camo junior ranger vest comes with a compass and a snap-on butterfly. www.wildthingstshirts.com Nassau Candy Giant gummy bear pops bring oversized fun to souvenir shops. www.nassaucandy.com
Trees to Seas Add vacation nostalgia to the holidays with layered laser-colored ornaments. www.treestoseas.com Squishable This smiling mini squishable baby axolotl is a beacon of cuteness. www.squishable.com
Have a product to feature? Send a high-resolution image and description to: christine@breakwallpublishing.com.
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SHOP TALK
Industry experts weigh in on important topics affecting souvenir retailers. TRENDING TOPICS
GET SOCIAL Crystal Vilkaitis, founder of Crystal Media offers these four tips for elevating your retail store’s social media presence:
1
Embrace the power of people: Share stories, behind-the-scenes moments and focus on the people side of the business more than products.
2
Plan and be consistent: Social media isn’t a one-time affair; be consistent. Create a calendar, plan content and stick to a schedule.
3
Don’t be afraid: Mistakes will happen. Messing up makes us relatable and creates even more trust and connection.
4
Engage and build: Respond to comments, share customer testimonials, and cultivate an online community that mirrors the in-store experience.
STORE TIP: Celebrate wild and crazy days. According to Cathy NagleErvin of Retail Training Tools, turning a “national” day into an event at the store can draw in new customers. There are plenty of “national” days out there, she notes, such as National Cookie Day (Dec. 4) and National Wear Red Day (Feb. 2). Celebrate those days in the shop and promote the fun on social media, Nagle-Ervin recommends.
DON’T ‘WING IT’ During the 2023 Coastal Connections Conference, Dane Cohen, business development manager for Management One, offered advice for managing inventory. Instead of just focusing on buying merchandise they like, retail buyers should buy merchandise that they know will have a high return on investment, he said. He advised against simply winging it. He explained, “What happens when you wing it? In times of economic uncertainty, we see the widest assortment of [inventory] plans. You want to satisfy everyone, you don’t want to double down, so you sprinkle your buying. What ends up happening when you do that is you get a little bit of everything and a whole lot of nothing.” Cohen said offering customers too many choices leaves them paralyzed and less likely to buy something. “Stop winging it. Look at data to make datadriven decisions,” he said.
SCENT MARKETING >> Founder of Our Aroma, Paul Prior, describes scent marketing as “a type of sensory
marketing targeting a shoppers’ sense of smell.” It involves diffusing strategically chosen scents at different locations in your store. The goal is to create a memorable, pleasant shopping experience and increase sales, according to Prior. He adds creating an inviting and unique scent can be accomplished through a variety of ways, including diffusers, candles or incense, but he notes, there is more to scent marketing than merely creating a space with a pleasant aroma. “It is the art of amplifying the values of the company’s brand identity and target audience within the retail space of common areas of the business.” 78 SOUVENIRS, GIFTS & NOVELTIES MAGAZINE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
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AD INDEX
A.T. Storrs Ltd. www.atstorrs.com......................................................................................9 Alaskan Suncatchers www.alaskansuncatchers.com........................................................... 70 Alynn Neckwear dba Wild Attire www.alynn.com........................................................................................ 65 American Gift Corp. www.agiftcorp.com................................................................................ 67 Atlanta Market www.atlantamarket.com.......................................................................21 Bags by Bruno bagsbybruno-nj.com.............................................................................. 79 Bamboo Source Tropical Decor www.bambootropicaldecor.com...................................................... 16 Beacon Design www.beacondesign.com........................................................................13 Better Magnets www.bettermagnetscatalog.com.................................................... 44 Bucket Wonders www.bucketwonders.com.................................................................. 29 Desperate Enterprises www.desperate.com.........................................................................31, 55 Dutch American www.dutcham.com....................................................................................5 Eagle Emblem www.eagleemblemsinc.com................................................................75 Exist Inc. www.existcatalog.com...........................................................................47 Exotic Sea Images www.exoticseaimages.com................................................................. 39 Fiesta Toy www.fiestatoy.com..................................................................................37 Geocentral www.geocentral.com..............................................................................73 Impulse Souvenirs www.impulsesouvenirs.com............................................................... 83 Jackson Pacific www.jacksonpacific.com.......................................................................27 Kool Tees www.kooltees.com................................................................................. 64 Kurt S. Adler www.kurtadler.com................................................................................. 45 Las Vegas Market www.lasvegasmarket.com.....................................................................15 LaserGifts www.lasergifts.com.................................................................................84
Mountain Graphics www.mountaingraphics.com...............................................................57 Penny Bandz www.pennybandz.com.......................................................................... 19 RGU Group www.thergugroup.com..........................................................................53 Riviera Towel Co. www.rivieratowel.com.............................................................................17 Rocky Mountain Apparel, Gift & Resort Show www.rockymountainshow.com.........................................................23 Seaside Retailer magazine www.seasideretailer.com......................................................................68 Signs 4 Fun www.sign4fun.com................................................................................... 18 Silver Streak www.silverstreaks.com.......................................................................10-11 Simply Southern www.simplysouthernwholesale.com........................................32-33 Souvenir Avanti Inc. www.souveniravanti.com......................................................................43 Souvenir Source www.souvenirsource.com......................................................................7 Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties www.sgnmag.com.......................................................................17, 80, 81 Stuffed States USA www.stuffedstatesusa.com................................................................. 54 The Charleston Mint www.thecharlestonmint.com..............................................................71 The Petting Zoo www.pettingzooplush.com................................................................ 69 The Reunion www.thereunionexpo.com..................................................................25 Town Pride www.townpride.com.............................................................................. 61 Wayne Carver www.waynecarver.com........................................................................2-3 Wheeler Manufacturing www.wheelerjewelry.com.....................................................................63 Whistle Creek www.whistlecreek.com......................................................................... 59 Wildthings Snap-Ons www.wildthingstshirts.com................................................................. 49 Wind River www.windriverchimes.com................................................................. 77 Xplorer Maps www.xplorermaps.com...........................................................................51
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SUNSHINE AWARD
SUNSHINE
AWARD
Winner: Impressions of Saratoga Location: Saratoga Springs, NY Owners: Maddy Zanetti and Marianne Barker Photos: Tom Semeraro
MAKING A LASTING IMPRESSION For the last 45 years, Impressions of Saratoga has been creating and curating products that celebrate everything Saratoga Springs, New York, has to offer from horses to history, starting out as a screen printer and rapidly expanding into retail. Owners Marianne Barker and Maddy Zanetti embrace the town with more than the merchandise, however. “We always have something going on,” says Barker of the charitable causes they support. That could mean something for animals like dogs and cats, or it could be a fundraiser or product that supports the retired racehorses and rescue horses like the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and the Old Friends at Cabin Creek. CLOSER TO HOME. But Impressions of Saratoga’s most recent
fundraiser hits even closer to home. In December 2023, the store launched its Adopt a Grandparent fundraiser. Customers could purchase an “Adopt a Grandparent” gift tag for $20. The funds raised were used to purchase gifts for the 350 residents in The Wesley Community’s Health Care Center. Adopt a Grandparent gift tags hang from the tree.
Zanetti’s grandmother was a resident of the center and Barker’s 97-year-old mother also is in a nursing facility. “I see my mom every other week or so and there are so many people [in nursing care] that never see anyone, so we thought, ‘What can we do to “It’s the attitude help them have something at Christmas?’” explains Barker. of you get what With the funds raised, you give and you Barker and Zanetti purchased give what you get, plushies, hand creams, lip balms and other gift items for and we wouldn’t residents. Some of the store’s be here without suppliers have also gotten in on the community.” the action, donating gift bags and offering discounts. — MARIANNE BARKER DOING WHAT THEY DO BEST. Throughout the years, Barker,
her husband, who is retired, and Zanetti have volunteered their time with local business organizations, including the local Chamber of Commerce, but making monetary contributions has also been an important part of their philanthropy. “We are a small business, but we always try to give back as much as we can financially,” says Barker. They’ve created T-shirts for different causes like the war in Ukraine and helped to preserve a carousel. “We just try to figure out what it is we do best and what people think of us for and we try to create something that compliments us and the cause. We are pretty proud of that,” says Barker. SGN
Sunshine Awards recognize retail stores in our industry that are making a difference through charitable donations and efforts. Is your store worthy of an award? We’d love to hear from you! Complete an entry form at www.sgnmag.com/sunshine-award.
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