Name-Dropped Merchandise Trends at Zoos, Caves and Caverns

Ask David Cale how he decides which items are worth name-dropping at the gift shop he manages for Laurel Caverns in Farmington, Pa., and his response is straightforward. “Our strategy is, we name-drop everything that we can possibly name-drop here,” Cale said with a laugh. Products branded with the Caverns logo simply sell better to souvenir shoppers, he explained: “It’s what the customers want.” which in addition to being useful are inexpensive.

The best-selling branded items at Laurel Caverns’ 900-square-foot retail outlet are magnets, T-shirts and caving helmets. Such merchandise all moves so reliably that Cale doesn’t mess with his regular displays — racks, counters and fixtures.

The manager explained that the challenge is not choosing which items to brand or even getting customers to buy them; in recent years, it’s simply keeping products in stock. With supply chain disruptions and constant delays, “we’ve had to reorder things sometimes three times in a row, and we never know if we’re going to get them back in,” Cale noted.

Lost River Caverns best-sellers include adults’ and kids’ T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, and caving helmets. A new line of name-dropped scented candles has been popular. And drinkware is a favorite of shoppers: shot glasses, stainless steel water bottles, and myriad styles of coffee mugs, some of them handmade and customized by traditional Pennsylvania artisans.

We sell a lot more that have the zoo name, because if you’re going to get a sweatshirt, you might as well get a souvenir at the same time.

Traditional gift shop items — magnets, keychains, and mugs — are perennial favorites at Lost River Caverns in Hellertown, Pa. Co-Owner and Buyer Beverly Rozewicz aims for practicality when choosing which items to name-drop at the caverns gift shop, which has just under a thousand square feet. “Rather than frivolous or decorative things, I like things like magnets, which are souvenirs but also useful,” Rozewicz explained.

In the same category are cork or silicone-style coasters, wooden rulers and branded pens and pencils,

Rozewicz displays products by theme around the store, with all the drinkware in one section, local items in another, and so forth. In addition to shelving, there’s a display in the center of the sales floor that shows off merchandise from every perspective.

Multiple sight lines also work for the Woodland Park Zoo gift shop in Seattle, Wash. Manager Megan Colley arranges items on high and low mannequins “so you can see from all angles,” she explained. Colley also uses theme tables to display best-selling name-dropped items like water bottles, hats, and magnets.

Logo tees and sweatshirts are top items, even though they are “considerably more pricey than our Continued on page 124