Special Gifts Section

Selling Coastal Gifts (From page 49)

Trends for 2022

Regarding trends in gift sales, Porter expects merchandise featuring local artists to be sought after, as well as items from companies that pride themselves on being kind environmental stewards and partners with fair trade programs. “I work hard to find and partner with these vendors whenever possible,” she said. She researches Faire.com and Etsy for vendors, and also relies on word-ofmouth for like-minded suppliers.

Stern also anticipates locally produced and sourced products to increase in sales in 2022. “With many small businesses unable to survive the pandemic, guests will be looking for value but also items that help them feel like they are supporting a local artist or company,” she said. The 1,220-square-foot shop carries locally sourced pottery, photographs, note cards, and food items.

Books about the environment and sustainable items such as reusable straws, pens made of recycled plastics, and bracelets from 4Ocean made from trash collected along the coast are growing trends for Boardman. This also ties in with the Rachel Carson Reserve, which is located nearby and is a focus of the museum.

Boardman said that more gift items containing maps of the area will likely sell in the future. “Many people are interested in our location,” she said. Towels, coasters, wall plaques, magnets, and ornaments with maps already sell well.

Oliveira has observed customers starting to reject heavily manufactured plastic items, a trend that’s already well-established in Europe. “Visitors want sustainable and earth-friendly items, particularly when it’s regarding ocean and maritime themes,” he said. In fact, he expects the trend to be a permanent change.

“We challenged vendors to reduce plastic and packaging, and they’ve listened,” said Oliveira, who noted that guests are increasingly asking about who made an item and what it’s made of.” ❖

Top-Selling Gifts for Kids

Most museum gift shops have a section for their younger visitors. So what gifts are popular for this age group?

Year-round, finger puppets by Folkmanis sell well for Michelle Porter, buyer and event coordinator at the Connecticut River Museum in Essex, Conn. “Even adults like them, perhaps that’s because the entire assortment of finger puppets come in a handsome custom child wood dory rocking boat,” she said. Puppets are available in a variety of sea creatures, including turtles, fish, octopuses, sharks, and even mice—even though they aren’t sea-related.

Francoise Boardman, manager of the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort in Beaufort, N.C., said that plush is a top-selling item for children, particularly stuffed sharks, turtles, and mermaids from Aurora. Kids also gravitate toward fun items such as sea animal slap bracelets from GeoCentral.

Plush is normally the number one seller for Gloria Stern, museum store manager II at Split Rock Lighthouse Historic Site in Two Harbors, Minn., however supplies have been limited so water timers and games currently top her list of best-sellers.

Although Jelly Cats plush has been the number one selling item for kids, Victor Oliveira, director of merchandising at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., said sustainable items are also becoming quite popular at the 3,000-square-foot shop.

For example, Sailing Ship Kites, starting at $60, are available in different colors and sizes. When assembled, they look like ships. “You can fly them or use them as décor,” he said. “They’re easy to assemble and dissemble.” ❖