Open Forum

Hello,

We are looking to find out what other museum stores have had success with selling?  Does anyone have insight on their 10 best selling items?

Any insight is appreciated.

Thank you.

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Charley Frye
Mississippi Children's Museum
Jackson MS
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I do not have an answer to your question, but it interests me a lot.  I am teaching a graduate course in Critical and Curatorial Studies entitled, "The Museum Store." using retail venues in non-profit settings as a lens to examine visitor services as model for customer service throughout the museum, (among other topics).  

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Peter Morrin
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2015 12:35 PM
From: Charley Frye
Subject: Retail Store Top Ten


Hello,

We are looking to find out what other museum stores have had success with selling?  Does anyone have insight on their 10 best selling items?

Any insight is appreciated.

Thank you.

-------------------------------------------
Charley Frye
Mississippi Children's Museum
Jackson MS
-------------------------------------------

Hello Charley,

Several years ago when I was first starting out in the museum world I held a position as an Assistant Curator with the added responsibility of conceptualizing, organizing and managing a new museum retail space in New York. I found that our biggest sellers were items that had a tangible element of history to them. For example, a china company that had been part of the local community had recently gone out of business and donated thousands of pieces of china to the museum. The museum did not have the space to store and conserve a collection that size so many of the pieces that were not considered worthy of the historic collection were sold. Furthermore, broken shards were turned into jewelry. 

Another great seller was t-shirts with turn of the century advertisements relating to long gone local breweries.

In short, a museum retail space shouldn't try to compete with major book retailers or toy stores. Rather, take the time to develop products that are uniquely yours and that have appeal to today's market.


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Matthew MacVittie MLS
Collections & Exhibits Manager
Seward House Museum
Auburn NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-12-2015 11:30 AM
From: Peter Morrin
Subject: Retail Store Top Ten

I do not have an answer to your question, but it interests me a lot.  I am teaching a graduate course in Critical and Curatorial Studies entitled, "The Museum Store." using retail venues in non-profit settings as a lens to examine visitor services as model for customer service throughout the museum, (among other topics).  

-------------------------------------------
Peter Morrin
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2015 12:35 PM
From: Charley Frye
Subject: Retail Store Top Ten


Hello,

We are looking to find out what other museum stores have had success with selling?  Does anyone have insight on their 10 best selling items?

Any insight is appreciated.

Thank you.

-------------------------------------------
Charley Frye
Mississippi Children's Museum
Jackson MS
-------------------------------------------

Hello all,
Couple of options to consider. Check with MSA (Museum Store Association) that might have some input/data they will share with members and non-members.

Also, we are earned income consultants working with many museums around the country of all sizes helping them improve earned income with their stores and retail ecommerce. We have also done many benchmarking studies for museums comparing their store performance with others around the country. Sometimes this includes what you are asking for as it relates to 'Top Ten'. We can do that benchmarking for you if needed.

We have retail principals throughout the U.S. If anyone needs this type of support you can call us at 800 686-8813 or email me at artm@manask.com and I will put you touch with our retail principal (or ecommerce principal) closest to your geographic location.

Hope this is helpful.
Art

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Arthur Manask
President
Manask & Associates
Burbank CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2015 12:35 PM
From: Charley Frye
Subject: Retail Store Top Ten


Hello,

We are looking to find out what other museum stores have had success with selling?  Does anyone have insight on their 10 best selling items?

Any insight is appreciated.

Thank you.

-------------------------------------------
Charley Frye
Mississippi Children's Museum
Jackson MS
-------------------------------------------