Museums: Tills at Britain's Museums ringing as if it's Christmas

Thursday, August 20, 2009 Museums: Tills at Britain's Museums ringing as if it's Christmas Interesting feature today about how the UK's museums and stately homes are seeing a huge increase in "cultural retail sales" as stay-at-home-holidaymakers splash out on cultural keepsakes and mementos. London's Natural History Museum has seen a 21% increase in gift shop sales and the National Trust's 220 shops have generated over £36 million...

(See the full article in The Guardian here: Museum stores booming as cultural shoppers seek out gifts with soul ) Also see the gallery at Museum Gift shops boom for a sample of what the National trust is selling. Plenty of factors at play here of course, the weak pound, the number of people holidaying at home this year (like the writer of the article I shall studiously avoid using the word "staycation") and the heritage and cultural attractions business cottoning on to the power of the gift shop. There can of course be a fine line between quirky and relevant merchandise and "tat" and the retailer must be careful not to coarsen their brand with poor product selection. Furthermore, the visitor need not actually even visit the attraction in order to buy gifts from the shop. A new website (CultureLabel) is selling products directly from the gift shops of over 60 museums and galleries, including the Tate, the V& A and the British Museum. I prefer the old fashioned way of course, experiencing the museum, seeing the exhibits and then making a flurry of ill advised impulse buys as I leave. My kids are learning quickly too and will badger me as we approach the shop, "Dad, can we have some money so we can secondary spend, can we Dad?". See also: Museums: Developing Uniquely 21st Century Museum Experiences Museum Design: Blistering Barnacles, it's Tintin and Magritte!
Posted By Charles Read -- At 12:19 AM \| Comments (1) \| Trackbacks (0)
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Categories Attractions Business, Museums Tags marketing, merchandise, museum, retail, shop
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I too look forward to browsing the gift shops - I love having something to remind me of my visits. I am impressed by the way in which thought has been given to the younger visitors - usually there is a good selection of 'pocket money' items for them to take home. I guess most of us have a few pencils, rubbers, rulers and key rings brought home by our offspring as presents - never to be thrown away of course!

Comment By Tracey Smith At 8/20/2009 8:40 PM