Having a Vision for Selling

Visual Merchandising and Display at Resort Stores

As its name suggests, the Historic Occidental Hotel is a grand old building in Buffalo, Wyo. And Co-Owner Jackie Stewart takes advantage of its vintage details when creating gift shop displays. “We make use of old cabinets, of our ceiling,” she said. Quirky charm suits both the hotel’s ambiance and its retail selection, which Stewart described as “eclectic.”

Tiny or expansive, local or corporate, resort gift shops are as different as their properties. Retailers like Stewart know how to visually merchandise to appeal to their particular demographic — be they fly fishing vacationers or beachgoers browsing for cover-ups.

With a lot of visitors from Europe, Stewart showcases smaller items like agate pieces, arrayed temptingly on the counter. “Travelers who are going to fly home can pick up little things, but not big things,” the retailer explained. For the same reason, Western themed books — easily slipped into the suitcase pocket — are on prominent display.

The past two years were the busiest ever at the 750-square-foot gift shop, despite the downturn in European tourism. “The Americans have been out and about, and they buy everything,” said Stewart, who has sold reams of hotel logo tees, hoodies, and drinkware. For a new line of wind bells, Stewart bought the vendor’s display — a strategy that saves energy while effectively showcasing a product.

Vacationers love local souvenirs, so Stewart puts items like honey and candles where people can easily see them. “If I can support our local artisans, I do,” Stewart said. One recent winner in that category was a line of woolen products, such as sweaters and yarns, from the nearby Mountain Meadow sheep farm and wool mill. “We did a new display of his stuff, and boy did it pop,” recalled Stewart.

The gift shop at The Greenbrier Inn in Killington, Vt., “is set up in vignettes,” said Owner Kathy Iannantuoni . “We’ll work around a color, a theme. That’s what sells things.”

For example, an hors d’oeuvre theme will incorporate wooden charcuterie boards, cocktail napkins, and ceramic serving pieces alongside cookbooks and candles. A color theme, meanwhile, might feature accessories like scarves, jewelry and bags in coordinating hues.

Iannantuoni does all her own displays, and like many in the industry, reports two consecutive banner years for the Greenbrier gift shop. It helps that with 7,000 square feet, the store has plenty of room to work with; shoppers will find appealingly organized sections for toys, children’s wear, entertaining and so forth. “It’s very compartmentalized,” Iannantuoni explained. This was the busiest winter ever at Cottage Place on Squam Lake in Holderness, N.H. Yet the retail and hospitality business suffers from a labor shortage — which is why Natalie Palmer , the resort’s manager, does all the displays together with her mother at the Cottage Shop. “We know how we like it to look,” Palmer explained.

- Kathy Iannantuoni, The Greenbrier Inn, Killington, Vt., commenting on creating vignettes in the store.

As her mother steps back from the business, Palmer plans to transition the Cottage Shop from a boutique to more of a gourmet convenience store. She envisions a place where guests can pick up anything from snacks and toothpaste to gourmet local treats that double as souvenirs and thank you gifts for the people watching the plants or pets back home.

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