Retailer Perspectives

Retailer Perspectives (From page 26) end of spring what is going to be on top. Last year it was power chokers and in 2019 it was Hydro flasks. I don’t see either coming back. Right now, bracelets, stickers, and high-waisted jeans do well, as do crop tops with hoodies. Yes, your belly button is showing and [yes] you have a hood, but it fits with the climate here. All of these are California made.”

For No, the pandemic changes he will keep involve increased sanitation from front desk cleaning to bathrooms; and doing “more online promoting. We also use third-party sites like Groupon, and are our pushing our website more, trying to activate people to buy online. Those will continue. We’ll also continue doing more employee outreach, getting to know our employees more. That’s been really positive for us in terms of connecting with our team members.

Zoo gift shops are already seeing a good upturn in business. According to Kim Sessions , director of administration and gift shop buyer for the Austin Zoo in Austin, Texas, “We are 100% open in Texas. Our mask policy is in place, and people are really coming in. Our numbers are increasing already, and people are buying. We’re not seeing a drop in concessions and sales at all.”

At Wildlife Safari in Winston, Ore., Gift Shop Supervisor Crystal Banks explained, “We are about to set up our outside gift shop again for the summer and spring. That way people who don’t want to come inside, or if the store has reached our capacity – which is 25% in Oregon – they have another place to shop for gifts and souvenirs.”

Back in Austin, for Sessions, stuffed animals are the biggest merchandise seller at present. “Everyone likes to buy stuffies. They’re a staple of our sales. Also popular are the Bag of Rocks

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Retailer Perspectives (From page 28) we offer. During the pandemic, when no one could touch the rocks, they didn’t sell at all. But now that people can run their hands through that little kit of shiny objects, they’re doing well. We see both continuing through the summer.”

Banks also sees stuffed animals both now, and continuing to be, big sellers. “We have a crazy amount of jumbo plush that is selling incredibly. It will pick up even more when it’s available outside, families will see it last minute and just buy it for their kids. Besides that, we have our clothing line from the Mountain and from Ace products, and figurines of animals. The figurines are hard for me to keep in stock they do so well. Looking ahead, I’m excited about a new emu plush that I think will fly off the shelves.” She added, “I am trying to expand the different types of plush animals we have to include both those animals that we have here at the park and other animals that we don’t have here.”

Pandemic changes? For Sessions, she doesn’t foresee things continuing. “My conservative buying habits to get through the pandemic will likely not continue. We really expect people to come back in a big way.”

For Banks, “Our main change is the addition of that outside gift shop. It did so well for us last year and we are going to continue that with high hopes for the same outcome of added sales, just like last year.” ❖