Home Décor and Quality Gifts

Coasters, trivets, cutting boards, measuring spoons and vintage style pillows round out the customer favorites at Old North Church, a 300-year-old landmark whose gift shop is seasonal. In March, Bennett was looking forward to the launch of a new, 850-squarefoot store later this spring, in a 1715 building on the same campus. The new retail outlet will feature locally made artisan wares from woman owned, family, or BIPOC businesses based in New England.

“A lot of people who shop here look for products that are U.S.A. made — that’s a huge consideration for people — and we’re taking it one step further,” said Bennett. “It’s a test for us,” The new store will feature gourmet foods like jams, syrup and candy, along with higher priced jewelry and quality gifts.

This is definitely a year for splurging at the Tampa Museum of Art, where Store Manager and Buyer Susan Gauthier has seen average purchases trend upward at the Museum Store. “We’re selling more of the expensive jewelry; people will spend $150 versus $100 a year ago,” observed Gauthier.

Jewelry is the number one category at the store, which specializes in higher-end jewelry — gold filled, sterling silver, freshwater pearls and gemstones. Higher-end jewelry used to average $80-$200, but local artist designs are now selling briskly upwards of $200, especially with colorful stones that tie in to museum exhibits. “The quality is better, and these are one-ofa-kind designs,” explained Gauthier.

The strongest trend she’s seeing in 2022 is a willingness to spend more for unique, handcrafted pieces — not just jewelry, but also housewares. “People are starting to entertain again. We sold a lot of martini, shot and wine glasses during the holidays,” she noted. Wooden charcuterie boards, wooden trivets, and coaster sets were all popular.

And the number one home décor category is a line of Spanish-style mosaic animal figurines. “They’re constantly selling out. It’s become kind of a collectible for us,” Gauthier said.

Another trend is anything branded with the museum logo. “We are selling a ton of branded,” the retailer noted. Totes, umbrellas, cosmetics bags, apparel, mugs — “everyone wants our name on things.” ❖