Much More Than a Gift Shop: Vital Tips, Tools & Resources for Museum Retail

Much More Than a “Gift Shop”

Vital Tips, Tools & Resources

for Museum Retail

Western Museums Association ConferencePalm Springs, CAOctober 24, 2012

Presented by:

Jim DeMersman: Executive DirectorMuseum on Main

Stuart Hata: Director of Retail OperationsFine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Carrie Santell: Assistant Store Manager USS Hornet Museum

Moderator: Miriam Works: PrincipalWorks Consulting

Legion of Honor Museum StoreFine Arts Museums of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

AGENDA

IntroductionMuseum Store AssociationMSA Knowledge Standards

Panelists Q&AState of Museum RetailUtilizing MSA Knowledge Standards

General Q&A

"Gift Shop" vs. MUSEUM STORE

Mission-related and Interpretive

Focused merchandise of educational and high quality

Representative of the MuseumVisitor and Customer Service oriented

Profitable and Successful

USS Hornet Museum – Admissions, Store & Cash Wrap

Museum Store Association (MSA)Founded in 1955, MSA is a nonprofit, international association organized to advance the success of cultural commerce and of the professionals engaged in it. By encouraging high standards of professional competence and conduct, MSA helps retail professionals at cultural institutions better serve their organizations and the public.

Governed by a seven-member board of directors, the Association serves approximately 1,650 institutional members and nearly 725 exhibitor affiliates.

De Young Museum Store – upper levelFine Arts Museums of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

MSA Knowledge StandardsThe MSA Knowledge Standards are eight

core knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully operate a Museum Store at the highest professional standards. - Strategic Management- Merchandise Planning- Operations- Customer Relations- Financial Management- Communications- Business Relations- Human Resources

STATE OF MUSEUM RETAIL

• What is the state of Museum retailing today? Successes? Challenges?

• Utilizing six of MSA's eight Knowledge Standards as highligted in the previous slide, our panelists will respond to questions that will provide insight, tips, and tools from experiences in different museum types and sizes.

de Young Museum Store – lower levelFine Arts Museums of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

Strategic Management

Does your store have a mission statement that is separate from your institution’s mission statement?

How was the mission statement developed?

Why is your store mission statement important to the success of your institution?

The Cult of Beauty Exhibition StoreLegion of Honor

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Merchandise PlanningWhy is it important to have a merchandise

plan that is specific to your museum?

How do you develop a merchandise plan and budget?

Why is it important to develop custom product and/or exhibit specific product?

How do you develop custom merchandise in a fiscally responsible manner?

USS Hornet Museum – Custom product

Birth of Impressionism Exhibition Storede Young Museum

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

OperationsHow do you ensure the Museum Store

operates smoothly and efficiently?

Payroll comprises the largest % of most store budgets. How do you budget for payroll and how do you control it?

How do you manage staffing schedules and responsibilities and your own time to ensure that all areas are managed efficiently and proactively?

USS Hornet MuseumAlameda, CA

Customer Relations

Do you solicit customer and internal feedback on your store merchandise and operations?

What strategies do you use to gather this feedback?

What actions do you take, driven by customer and internal feedback?

Museum on Main Museum ShopAmador-Livermore Valley Historical Society

Pleasanton, CA

Financial Management

In some museums the store budget and revenue goals are developed and handed down by administration.

Why is it important to work with your administration on setting store budget and goals?

How do you monitor your budget on a regular basis to ensure performance is measured effectively?

“Point of Purchase” PackagingFAMSF – de Young & Legion of Honor

USS Hornet Museum

Communication

How do you communicate effectively with administration and other departments to ensure store activities and goals are integrated into the overall museum activities and goals?

Museum Stores must be operated like any other retailer. What resources do you use to stay on top of “big picture” general retail trends and activities?

Conclusion & Final ThoughtsThe Museum Store:• is an educational and revenue-generating

DEPARTMENT of the Museum.• is an important PUBLIC FACE of the

Museum.• helps to DRIVE ATTENDANCE and

REVENUE for the Museum.• SUPPORTS the collections and programs of

the Museum.• GENERATES a sense of pride and

ownership among the stakeholders (trustees, donors, staff, members, volunteers) of the Museum.

Questions & Answers...

Contact information

• Jim DeMersman: executive@museumonmain.org

• Stuart Hata: shata@famsf.org

• Carrie Santell: carrie.santell@uss-hornet.org

• Miriam Works: miriam@works-consulting.com

- Museum Store Association: museumstoreassociation.org