Tips to Get Sales Roaring

Name-dropped and Custom Merchandise at Zoos and Aquariums

Name-dropped merchandise is a little more costly to order, but zoo and aquarium retailers confirm it’s worth the effort. “The majority of our guests are stroller moms or grandparents with the grandkids, and they like to purchase something that will remind them of their experience here,” explained Robert Rowan , senior director for Operations at the Lehigh Valley Zoo in Schnecksville, Pa. “And usually, that means something with our logo on it.”

At the Lehigh Valley Zoo, Rowan’s best-seller is a name-dropped hand crank fan featuring monkeys and other animals. Logo apparel is also extremely popular from the Mountain line. “And our hoodie plush program does exceptionally well,” Rowan noted.

Branded drinkware is another a favorite of Lehigh Valley zoo customers. Best-selling styles include cups featuring three-dimensional sharks, giraffes, lions and turtles, along with water bottles with pop-up straws. Grown-ups love shot glasses etched with wolves and penguins, along with heavyweight safari hats and resin water globes featuring zoo animals.

There’s a lot of variety in categories like apparel and drinkware, because Rowan orders new merchandise based on shopping trends. “If we see an item that sold well and can be imprinted, we usually proceed,” he explained.

At the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa, Store Manager Mark Girardy looks for name-dropped merchandise he can order in smaller quantities to test whether they’ll sell. “Then we’ll invest in name-dropping the best-selling items,” he explained. “Or maybe that piece isn’t available for name-drop, but it helps guide us to similar items that are worth the investment. Our guests do love having that memory and connection tied to the items they purchase.”

Clothing is the top-selling branded category at the museum and aquarium store. Plush animals and small

Are Decorative Signs Popular?

At the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center in Divide, Colo., shoppers will find an entire wall of wolf-themed signs at the 3,000-square-foot gift shop. Many have fun slogans like “critter crossing,” “wildlife sanctuary” or “wolf crosswalk.” “We also have metal wall art from a local vendor, as well as wolf license plate frames,” said Gift Shop Manager Catherine Crothers. Museum Store Manager Mark Girardy stocks a variety of decorative signs at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa. “Our

Continued on page 90 top sellers are the smaller box signs that have cute or funny sayings on them,” he noted. Larger signs appeal to customers in the store, but don’t sell as well for practical reasons: “Many of our guests are traveling, so big signs are harder for them to transport home.” ❖