Great-Selling Garments

T-shirt Trends at Zoos and Aquariums

By Carimé Lane

AT-shirt is a crowd favorite for guests looking to bring their experience at zoos and aquariums home with them. Here, we talk to four store managers about their top-selling T-shirts, how they sell more of them, and the selection they offer.

Sam Robinson , retail operations manager at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden said the top selling shirts in their 3,800-square-foot shop are from their Palmetto Collection. “They are not only name-dropped but have our South Carolina beloved Palmetto on it,” said Robinson. This soft shirt comes in two colors.

To sell more T-shirts, Robinson suggested keeping them in a prime spot in your store. “Feature them on a stand and have them on a bust so guests can see the shirt on,” Robinson said. Robinson also suggested rotating the T-shirts on a regular basis. “Guests want to see new things and if you have a lot of returning guests, just rotate things around to give the ap- pearance of new product if you don’t have any new shirts,” Robinson said.

At Riverbanks Zoo where annual sales are 3.1 million, they have over 30 shirts for sale. They consistently order new shirts and have a new collection arriving in March.

Over at Alaska Zoo, some of the most popular T-shirt designs include a “Get Outside” message, a close-up of a snow leopard face, and polar bears.

Guests feel inspired to purchase items because they feel an emotional connection to the animals they saw just prior to entering the shop. Another way to get guests feeling good about making a T-shirt purchase is using signage informing guests that a portion of the proceeds from the shop directly support the Alaska Zoo and its many