Mindful materials, alignment with a sustainability mission, and providing a mix of apparel for regular member visitors and one-time guests are priorities for zoo gift shops. With many zoos offering souvenir outposts, such as an aquarium-focused shop or a pop-up stand to support a special exhibit, there are many layers of considerations that factor into buying decisions for these destination retailers.
Baby elephants on board? A zoo shop will stock merchandise celebrating the milestone. Staging an annual lantern festival? Themed hoodies that will keep visitors warm after hours are a necessity.
It’s not just animal behavior that is studied carefully at zoos. Gift shop store directors must keep a close eye on how the humans act — the items they pick up, gravitate toward, buy or request.
Restating an important retail purchasing strategy, April Terranella, retail operations manager at Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium, says, “As the buyer, the worst thing you can do is only buy what you love. Work hard to pay attention to what guests like, what they buy and what they don’t buy so you can select items that will turn, whether you really like them or not.”
Stocking sustainable souvenirs
Because zoos are much more than a visitor attraction and play an integral role in animal conservation, research, field study and environmental preservation, the products their gift shops carry must reflect the same values.
To appeal to all its guests, Zoo Atlanta showcases varying types of apparel in ts displays.
Photos: Aiva Genys
Products at gift shops throughout Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium are sourced with sustainability in mind, aligning with its mission. And when it comes to apparel, “That may be using a recycled material or working with companies that refine their printing process to use less water,” says Terranella.
At Reid Park Zoo’s gift shop, Store Director Kimberley Rohr says sourcing apparel made from 100% organic cotton, preferably U.S. grown, is a priority because it’s more eco-friendly and reduces emissions during transport. “U.S. cotton typically uses less water and the farms typically have better practices to protect the soil, so this is what we strive to use,” she says.
All tags on Zoo Atlanta’s apparel offerings at its gift shops are cotton with no plastic fasteners, says Jessica Horn, store director.
“Conservation is really important, and as an employee, guest and customer, I love the zoo and I am also looking for products that share the zoo’s values,” says Horn.
She notes that the zoo’s gift shop even sells some items without gaining a profit and donates proceeds to various safe gorilla foundations.
Maybe not apparel, but a fashion accessory? Especially unique, Zoo Atlanta’s gorillas create their own souvenirs for the shop — walking sticks. “They strip them, chew on them and the zookeepers square them off and guests can watch them in action,” Horn says. The walking sticks complement an array of gorilla apparel in all sizes for all ages.
Event Network supports Zoo Atlanta’s purchasing and merchandising, and it introduced a private-label apparel line called Wearsponsible.
“They can control where apparel is made, the materials used and ensure fair labor certifications,” says Horn. “They encourage 100% organic farming and the zoo absolutely loves that because it protects their initiatives, as well.”
Zoo Atlanta initially started offering T-shirts and sweatshirts from Wearsponsible. The zoo has since expanded to socks, hats and bags from the Wearsponsible line. “The artwork on apparel is created by local artists, who we love to support,” adds Horn.
Connecting merchandise to exhibits
Celebrating animal births, the addition of different species to a zoo and special events are other purchase drivers. At Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona, a strong following for its herd of elephants is reflected in the shop with dedicated elephant displays featuring apparel, mugs, plushies and more.
The Kansas City Zoo Gift Shop groups apparel by animal and color themes to help them stand out to guests.
Recently, a baby giraffe was born, also resulting in interest from visitors who looked in the shop for apparel commemorating the milestone. Wild dogs are also a new addition, as are sloths.
“We have a T-shirt that says, ‘I’m not lazy, I’m energy efficient,’ with a sloth on it and that is always a top seller,” Rohr says.
Zoo Atlanta is marking a 25-year anniversary of showcasing pandas.
“This is a big part of our collection now and making sure we always have panda apparel and other products in stock,” says Horn.
At Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium, the new Turtle Cove Gift Shop opened as a complement to the Sobela Ocean Aquarium. The zoo has numerous shops, but this one is dedicated to sea life-themed products.
Beyond honoring zoo animals, buying for zoo shops also involves considering price points that appeal to frequent visitors and tourists, along with stocking a variety of items and styles. Sweatshirts are offered in hoodie pullover and zip-up versions, along with crewnecks. Just because the temperatures can exceed 100 degrees during hot summer days doesn’t mean guests are only shopping for T-shirts, Terranella points out.
Rohr adds, “We have a busy season in late fall with Zoo Lights and we are open every night in December, which really brings in the business for hoodies since it is cooler.”
Carrying a variety of sizes is also important. Infant onesies are a common ask, Rohr says, and toddler clothing also sells fast. Summertime is also a popular time to buy bucket hats. “Those are top sellers,” she notes.
“And remember, everyone’s budget is different,” Terranella adds. “If you are on vacation, you may be ready to spend more money, but if this is a weekly trip to the zoo, you might not want to spend as much.”
Presentation by category
Conservation extends into zoo gift shop presentation. Big Tim is a shining example at Zoo Atlanta’s gift shop. The elephant structure is a centerpiece made from recycled flip-flops, and customers can purchase souvenir leopard, giraffe and rhinoceros figures made from the same repurposed material. (While not zoo apparel, these fun take-homes reflect the zoo’s mission.)
Sloths are a new addition at Reid Park Zoo and are popular when featured on the gift shop’s apparel.
At Turtle Cove Gift Shop in Kansas City, a repurposed sea turtle from a previous lantern festival suspends from the ceiling over a display, front and center. It’s the first thing customers see upon entering.
Overall, organizing a zoo gift shop by animal category with feature displays highlighting special exhibits, along with staging areas for early childhood and apparel, helps guests find what they’re looking for.
“Some of our apparel is organized in collections like a sweatshirt design with a matching T-shirt, and we categorize adult apparel into one area, and children’s and infant/toddler apparel have their own sections,” says Rohr. “We have matching themed socks for each department to make it easier on shoppers.”
A lot of color coordination and animal groupings are also in play, Rohr adds.
She emphasizes the importance of asking customers what they are interested in and guiding them to displays. “Everyone is looking for something different, so interaction with the guests is key,” she says. “As soon as they walk in, we ask if they have something in mind and that initial connection is where you get most sales.”
