By Tia Bianchini, Merchandise Manager, The Barnes Foundation

As museum store retailers, we are keenly aware of seasonal opportunities and how the holiday season seems to happen just two weeks after the Fourth of July. Just as our curators are working well in advance to plan special exhibitions, we are thinking ahead about how to merchandise those themed stores and take advantage of relevant holiday shopping windows. There is never a “down time” for us, but rather a “less busy time.” So, it’s understandable that another thing added to the list of retail planning can quickly become overwhelming (ahem, Museum Store Sunday). But I am here to tell you that you do not have to do anything special—simply focus on what you do best, every day, to participate.

Museum Store Sunday was created to put our stores on the map for holiday shoppers, and remind them that their purchase at a museum store supports their community, not a corporation. WE are the reason to celebrate and do not need to prove that through special sales or promotions. Your store participates just by having a sign in the store, or by verbally thanking customers for shopping with you on Museum Store Sunday.

Here are four effortless ways to add your museum store to our list of participants:

1. 1. Don’t reinvent the wheel. We’ve worked with vendors for pop-ups markets and trunk shows, offered a discount, or given away free products with purchases over a certain amount. These are all valid ways to participate, but can take a lot of coordination and planning, both externally with your vendors, and internally with your marketing team to get the word out to your audience. Do what feels right for your store and within your means. If you don’t have the time for planning an event, take 30 minutes (or less) to update your store’s profile on the Find a Store locator. This is worth your time because that page is one of the top results when shoppers search “Museum Store Sunday” online. That visibility is valuable, and worth the minimal time investment. If you are an active MSA member with an online store, add your site to our Find an Online Store locator, which allows shoppers to find and support your store no matter their location.
   2. Be direct when communicating your needs to a vendor that wants to help your store celebrate. We are fortunate to have a vast and engaged vendor member base that is eager to be a part of Museum Store Sunday. Sometimes the best way for them to help you celebrate is by donating a free item to give away with purchases, or provide light refreshments to make the shopping experience more festive for guests. These options are less time-consuming than hosting an in-store event, for both you and the vendor, and typically cost less. And, we know that a treat can make shoppers feel a bit more spend-y.
   3. Keep your store’s mission top of mind. Shoppers like to make purchases that support cultural institutions—it’s not just a personal preference, but a demonstration of their beliefs and values as a consumer. Add extra signage to your store to place next to relevant products so shoppers can have a bit more context into why your unique store carries an item or works with a specific artisan. These minimal signs add valuable talking points that may be hard for your sales team to communicate in busy times. Also, this extra signage does not expire the day after Museum Store Sunday, and can live on to educate shoppers as they navigate your offerings.
   4. Let your shoppers know that we’ve done most of the work and our selection can make gift-buying easy when talking about Museum Store Sunday on social media or in email campaigns. In the age of online shopping with the ability to conjure up any obscure item on your doorstep within 24 hours, the sheer volume of possible gifts and “best gifts ever” listicles makes thoughtful gift-giving seem like it should be easy. However, we know this abundance of options makes gift-giving even more difficult. Imagine curing this decision fatigue through the help of a personal shopper, one that takes the time to research the options, manufacturing practices and materials, and present the most special version to you. It turns out that’s precisely what we do as museum stores. We don’t carry any old mug, we carry the best mug. Because our store’s variety isn’t prescriptive like a department store, we have the freedom to offer products that we believe in, that are made with businesses we trust and enjoy using ourselves. This is our chance to offer a service that others can’t: customer service and knowledge that comes from a deeper understanding of what it takes to create a product from scratch or connect it to an educational mission.

Shopper browsing postcard wall at the Calder Gardens Shop.

If you need another reminder of how we are all special just the way we are, check out this article about museum stores written by The Guardian earlier this year. Our clever product development and dynamic open-stock selection serve as the last gallery in the exhibition.

Custom item on display with informative sign about product and maker at the Barnes Shop

All we need to do as museum store retailers is to remind shoppers that we are here year-round, and ready to turn their purchase into meaningful revenue for our institutions, so we can keep producing the items that they proudly gift to loved ones and carry out in the world.
 
 
Tia Bianchini is the Merchandise Manager at the Barnes Foundation and Calder Gardens in Philadelphia. She holds a BFA in Fibers and Art History from Tyler School of Art. A past co-chair of the Museum Store Sunday committee, Tia received the “M Award for Merit” in 2023. She continues to volunteer on the Museum Store Sunday Committee.