Imagine Gift Store offers products that feature value, quality and a name-dropped reminder of time spent in Naples, Florida.
In tourist areas, retailers know there’s one factor that moves merchandise above all others: name dropping. That’s the philosophy behind souvenir shops like Mt. Rushmore T-Shirts, a Keystone, South Dakota, emporium where the apparel essentially sells itself.
“Everybody who comes in here is looking for a souvenir of Mt. Rushmore,” says Bria Dillabou, who recently bought the 30-year-old outlet. From sweatshirts and hats to hoodies and children’s toys, virtually everything in the store is name-dropped to feature the national tourist attraction.
Popular items include the store’s signature shirts in both short- and long-sleeve styles, featuring a variety of novelty graphics — from tie-dye to the Rushmore presidents’ images superimposed on the American flag and the Declaration of Independence.
Headwear is a perennial favorite for park tourists who seek respite from the sun under baseball caps and Indiana Jones-style “High Sierra” hats. They purchase pom-pom beanies for winter. The hats are all name-dropped, of course, so they double as conversation pieces back home. The same goes for socks, backpacks, blankets and other Mt. Rushmore accessories, including stickers to slap on parkgoers’ water bottles.
All-cotton silkscreen name-dropped T-shirts at Imagine Gift Shop ranks as one of the store’s top-selling items.
Sales have been strong since Dillabou took over the store in May. “It’s a change of pace,” says the veteran retailer, who previously operated a small boutique. At Mt. Rushmore T-Shirts, Dillabou organizes name-dropped apparel and accessories by size and gender, with distinct sections for ladies, men and unisex styles. “That way, everything is easy to find,” she says.
While shoppers’ appetite for named-dropped apparel essentially never wanes, Dillabou has been surprised by the appeal of minimalist graphics. “Many customers are drawn to very simple designs, which has been unexpected,” she says.
Simple name-dropped designs have also sold well at The Islands Mercantile in Johns Island, South Carolina. The store features products with both the Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island name drops, two islands that are close to the store. Most name-dropped apparel is geared toward Kiawah Island because it is a bigger destination island, while Seabrook tends to be more residential.
Owner Avery Smith says T-shirts and hoodies with a simple arch lettering design are most popular with her customers.
“Name-dropped shirts sell every day all day long,” says Smith.
Wearable souvenirs
At destinations like the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi, everyone wants to bring home a logo. That’s why name-dropped apparel is by far the top-selling category at the museum gift shop, according to manager April Shaw.
“We try to make our newer styles stand out so that when you come in, you see it right away,” Shaw says. She displays the latest T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies on mannequins and piles them on colorful tables right up front by the store’s entrance.
Going into summer, that display featured a new style of men’s shirt, along with a name-dropped hat to protect against the Southern sun. Most shirts were neatly displayed on racks, while socks were arrayed on tables.
Imagine Gift Store in Naples, Florida, offers tourists a wide variety of apparel: casual and resort wear, T-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, caps, hats and pants. The store aims to offer a wide range of products that offer both value and quality that reflect the interests of all types of people.
“At Imagine, there’s always plenty of everything for everyone,” says Gene Oberhauser, owner of Imagine Gift Store, adding that the store offers a fun, friendly environment. “When people step into the store, they are greeted by our talking butler, the singing deer or the full-size Divas Cow. When the customer tells us, ‘I love this store,’ our mission to offer a fun-filled shopping experience has been achieved.”
Many popular T-shirts at Delta Blues Museum feature the names and likenesses of iconic musicians like Muddy Waters and Johnny Lee Hooker.
Oberhauser says a $13.95 all-cotton silkscreen T-shirt with the Naples name drop is one of the store’s top-selling products and has been a staple for many years.
“It’s a great price for a quality shirt,” he says, adding that hooded and crew sweatshirts also are popular sellers, particularly if they contain a Naples name drop. He says the store has name-dropped hoodies, sweatshirts, caps, visors and onesies for babies and toddlers.
“Name-drop garments are 95% of our sales, even though we stock other lines without a name drop,” Oberhauser explains.
He adds that many other products feature the Naples name drop at Imagine Gift Store, including glassware, magnets, keychains, hand towels, coasters, playing cards, postcards, bracelets, ornaments, frames, stickers, pens, signs, puzzles, books, koozies and snow globes.
Smith of Islands Mercantile notes that most of her store’s apparel features a name drop, with the exception of some patterned swim cover-ups. She also ensures name-dropped T-shirts come in at least five to six color options for customers who are looking for a variety.
Socks are a popular impulse buy at many souvenir stores: Who can’t use another pair, especially one emblazoned with a vacation memory? At the Delta Blues Museum gift shop, name-dropped socks sold out and remain on backorder while patrons snap up styles featuring guitars, drums and other musical motifs.
Changing with the seasons
Most of the gift shop merchandise bears the logo of the Delta Blues Museum; many popular shirts feature the names and likenesses of iconic musicians.
“Best-selling impulse buys depend on what shirts we’re showing, and even on the months, because we feature different blues artists at different times of year,” Shaw says. April displays spotlight the singer Muddy Waters, who was born during that month. And Johnny Lee Hooker’s birthday is in August, so his T-shirts top sales in late summer.
“If you don’t have name-dropped apparel and accessories, maybe consider carrying some items with your brand on it. That’s how your name gets out there.” — April Shaw, Delta Blues Museum
Oberhauser notes that it’s important to keep name-dropped merchandise well-stocked throughout the year. At Imagine Gift Store, name-dropped merchandise tends to be more popular with tourists than with locals; however, Oberhauser notices locals often come in to shop during off-seasons to buy name-dropped products to give as gifts to family and friends.
“Maintaining good inventory levels all year long maximizes every possible opportunity to satisfy a customer,” he says.
Musician-specific merchandise often proves irresistible to blues fans at the Delta Blues Museum, even if it doesn’t bear the museum logo. So do colorful T-shirts from the popular Crossroads line. And spontaneous purchases don’t just happen at the gift shop; Shaw maintains an active online store, promoting the latest offerings through social media websites.
The retail outlet gets especially busy during summer months, when families and tour groups throng into the gift shop. “We’ll just walk around the store, and ask people if they need help,” Shaw says. “If they don’t need any help, we’ll see if anything needs straightening up. We try to keep it all as clean as possible.”
After all, the Delta Blues Museum is a singular destination. And stocking as much name-dropped apparel as possible ensures a wider audience — one T-shirt, ball cap and crew sock at a time.
“People will see that logo on your shirt and ask about your destination,” Shaw says. “So, if you don’t have name-dropped apparel and accessories, maybe consider carrying some items with your brand on it. That’s how your name gets out there.”
