’Tis the Season for Gift Sales to Surge at Museum Shops

By Karen Appold

With the holidays upon us, guests will more likely be buying gifts for others. So how can museum shop owners, managers, and buyers take advantage of this, and increase gift sales even more? One way to do this is to find out what sells well at other shops, and then determine if that item or a similar concept might appeal to your customer base.

For Rachel Bendele , operations and gift shop manager at Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association in Ludington, Mich., lighthouse models and ornaments by Beman Design Concepts sell well. The models are custom made replicas of the association’s lighthouses—the larger ones light up just like the lighthouses they represent. “These items make great gifts for any lighthouse enthusiast, people on vacation who want a souvenir to remind them of their visit, or those who are celebrating a special moment at a lighthouse,” she said.

T-shirts, another good seller for Bendele, are excellent conversation starters and magnets are an inexpensive and easy option for shoppers with limited packing space.

Kali Ellis , gift shop manager at Ocean Star Museum in Galveston, Texas, said Dynasty Gallery Glow Sharks are popular because they’re unique and glow in the dark. Ganz Assorted Car Charms are also all the rage because there’s a great variety to choose from; they can be used not only as car charms, but also as key chains or something else.

Capiz Shell Boxes by Kubla Craft come in many different sizes and feature a variety of nautical artwork such as turtles, sea birds, sharks, dolphins, and more. They’re popular because you can place secondary gifts inside of them, if gift giving, and they’re great for jewelry and trinkets, Ellis said.

Pierce Arrow and Manse Collectable ornaments produced by Chem-Art in Lincoln, R.I., the same company that produces exclusive White House ornaments, fly off the shelves at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum in Staunton, Va., said Lissa Dod , gift shop manager. These three-dimension-

Continued on page 110 al gold-toned ornaments come in two styles—the Pierce Arrow Presidential Limousine circa 1919 that still runs (the oldest running presidential limo in the U.S.) and the Manse, which shows President Woodrow Wilson’s birthplace.

Guests are motivated to buy candles by Bridgewater Candle Company in Spartanburg, S.C., which donates to Rice Bowls, a non-profit organization that provides food for children in orphanages around the world, Dod said. Each candle purchase provides a child with three meals.

Savannah Grace Cheese Straws, produced in West Point, Va., makes classic southern cheese straws in a variety of flavors, including traditional, taste of the bay, hot and spicy, rosemary, and smoky bacon. “They make a great souvenir for guests to taste what the south is all about,” Dod said.

For Blue Anderson , director of retail at Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Ore., gift food items continue to be

How to Help a Good Employee Become Great

There are many ways to make a decent employee into a superstar. Rachel Bendele, operations and gift shop manager at Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association in Ludington, Mich., observes staff members and quickly learns where they struggle. Then, she works with them in that area to build confidence.

“Be consistent with policies and employees, and let them know that they each serve as an important part of your business,” Bendele said. “Let them be involved in creating displays and moving things; it helps build their confidence and makes them feel included. They will try harder to sell items they’ve highlighted.”

After a new staff member has experienced a few seasons on the floor and gets to know customers pretty well, Blue Anderson, director of retail at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria,

Ore., said staff can start selecting merchandise. “They can learn the best ways to merchandise it, teach other employees about it, create mini-promotions around it—basically ‘own’ it like a store owner would,” she said. “This gives them a great sense of why we buy, our colors and styles, and how much of an item should be purchased. It helps them understand why we can’t carry everything every day, and just because we love a maker, our customers might have quite different taste.”

Lissa Dod, gift shop manager at Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum in Staunton, Va., keeps employees abreast of new merchandise. “Communication is key,” she said. “I email staff at least once a week about new items, changes, and so forth.”

Kali Ellis, gift shop manager at Ocean Star Museum in Galveston, Texas, makes sure that ev- eryone is fully trained and makes herself available for employees’ questions. “I want everyone to feel secure and confident in their positions and be knowledgeable about the shop,” she said. strong, especially locally made jams, candy, and jerky. “We have a strong tourist market almost year-round, and they still like useful gifts—things people can use or eat—to bring to their coworkers, pet sitters, and grandkids,” she said. Local food products convey a feeling of the region.

Mid-priced local artisan jewelry with a marine theme also sell well for Anderson. Necklaces priced under $400 continue to do well, especially jellyfish and octopus images. Sterling silver remains the metal of choice for customers, despite experimenting with other metals. The shop also sells a tremendous amount of Wild Pearle (A.T. Storrs) that are pre-gift boxed and priced from $15 to $30, again with the marine theme. The main gift shop is 1,500 square feet; a highseason pop-up shop is about 800 square feet.

Tips to Sell Gifts

Another way to boost gift shop sales is to learn what strategies work well from others. A few tips from Bendele are to watch for things that aren’t selling well and highlight them to get them moving; position size stickers on merchandise so that when it’s folded guests can easily see sizes; and listen and observe guests and gather feedback from your staff.

While this may sound like a no-brainer, Anderson said that being open when your customers want to shop, not when you want to be there, is important. “If you’re in an area that attracts visitors on the weekends, then be open on the weekends,” she said. “Test your area’s traffic trends—your local chamber of

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