For many years, mugs and glassware have been souvenir staples for destination retailers. Tourists love collecting mugs and pint glasses that say where they’ve been. At home, they remember that trip every time they brew a cup of coffee in the morning or pour a beer at the end of the day.
But lately, tourists are interested in collecting more than just mugs and glasses in the drinkware category. People enjoy collecting to-go cups, such as water bottles and tumblers, that not only to showcase where they’ve been, but also due to their sustainablility factors like replacing single-use drinkware.
To appeal to everyone in today’s market, destination retailers can offer a combination of more traditional items — such as mugs and pint glasses — as well as trending merchandise — travel cups, bottles and tumblers — for success in the drinkware category.
Statement pieces
When Traci Walton opened Plenty Mercantile as a gift and souvenir shop in Oklahoma City with her daughter 12 years ago, water bottles weren’t popular gifts or souvenirs. She says the shop has carried some Stanley-style thermos and cups for a while, but they only became popular in more recent years. She suspects growing interest in sustainability has helped to fuel the recent water bottle craze.
“Twelve years ago, sustainability wasn’t at the forefront of people’s minds. It didn’t get people through the door but was a bonus for people,” she says, noting that today, however, sustainability is “a driver” for many people.
Water bottles have also become fun statement pieces, she says. People love decorating their favorite water bottles with stickers to make them one of a kind.
For that reason, Walton places Oklahoma City stickers close to the water bottles as an upsell.
“We sell a ton of stickers for water bottles, especially if they are dishwasher safe,” she says.
Stanley-style cups also remain extremely popular this year. Anne Kennedy, buyer for Love from USA Group, shares that stainless steel drinkware has been big at many of the destination retailer’s locations this year.
Stemless wine glasses engraved with a Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, design are among Odysea’s drinkware offerings.
Love from USA Group oversees 19 retail shops at several airports, including the Denver International Airport, Orlando International Airport, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport as well as the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. The company also oversees 12 brick-and-mortar stores at various locations in Chicago; Bloomington, Minnesota; Roseville, Minnesota; and Rochester, Minnesota.
“We’re probably seeing the best sales in our stainless cups with straws, kind of like the Stanley,” she says.
The Stanley-style cups are such a hit with people that Love from USA stores even began stocking mini shot glasses that resemble Stanley cups late last year.
“We just sort of jumped on the whole craze of everyone wants that little Stanley cup, and now it’s in miniature form and it’s cute,” says Kennedy. “We’ve seen people buy those for their kids just because they’re cute. And people are buying multiples. We’re selling those in all markets, and they’re our hottest-selling item.”
Kennedy says she suspects stainless steel drinkware is trending lately because people want reusable drinkware they can take with them on their travels.
“I do think the trend of the Stanley cup, the Yetis and the like have made these kinds of drinkware more mainstream. It’s taken away some of the market share from our coffee mug business, which makes sense,” she explains. “Customers are traveling, and they want their water bottles or coffee to go. I think where this trend is at in its lifecycle is it’s peaking. Now the question is will it become a mainstay?”
Glass that lasts
For tourists interested in sustainable, durable drinkware, souvenir glassware might appeal to them. Doug Ingalls is a manager at 1 Brilliant Gift, which is a souvenir wholesaler. He shares that people appreciate glassware for both its cost and quality.
“People seem to be asking for glassware — it’s glass, not plastic. It has value-add. It seems to work well as a souvenir,” he says.
Ingalls says 1 Brilliant Gift has had success selling colorfully name-dropped glassware.
“We have a line, ‘Wanderer,’ which has very, very colorful destination artwork on drinkware, both mugs and glassware,” he says.
He says 1 Brilliant Gift released glasses shaped like beer cans a little over a year ago that have been a hit. Ingalls shares, “That has become really popular lately, especially with a little bit of a younger crowd.”
Name-drop stainless cups with straws are also a draw for today’s tourist.
Destination retailers can appeal to many customers by offering a variety of shapes and makes for souvenir glassware, from traditional pint glasses to whiskey glasses to wine glasses.
Walton says the pint glasses sold at Plenty Mercantile play into the popularity of Oklahoma City’s many breweries and do extremely well for the retailer.
“Oklahoma City has a lot of breweries — our beer culture is amazing,” she says. “We sell a lot of pint glasses. We have a bison design, and also a Sasquatch that oddly does really well.”
Patrick Turner is co-owner of Odysea in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He says people love the shop’s glassware options, including its cocktail glasses, wine glasses and stemless wine glasses.
“We offer classic glassware that is engraved with several designs that people really enjoy,” Turner shares.
He adds that having the Rehoboth Beach or Delaware name drop on the glass is key.
“If people want just a plain stemless wine glass, they could go to any number of places to get those,” he explains. “Having the name drop provides them with another connection to a Rehoboth Beach and coastal Delaware memory.”
Make memories with mugs
Even though many people are drinking their coffee in to-go tumblers these days, tourists still appreciate collecting traditional coffee mugs on their vacations.
Ingalls says 1 Brilliant Gift does well with its full-color sublimated mugs. He notes that printing doesn’t come off as easily on sublimated mugs versus those made with traditional printing techniques.
Customers visiting Love from USA Group stores all love the mini shot glasses that resemble the popular Stanley-style cups.
“You can get a lot of colors with sublimation, and that’s what people like,” he says.
Walton shares that Plenty Mercantile sells a variety of Oklahoma City name-dropped mugs that are designed in-house. But just as important as the graphics are mugs’ handles.
“I know that sounds odd, but we watch our customers pick up mugs, and they are checking the handles,” she says. “Is it comfortable or is it wide enough for them to use? If it’s user-friendly, then that’s a shoe in.”
She suggests always testing how the mug feels before stocking it — and that’s a good practice to apply for just about any souvenir, too.
“That’s a major thing for us,” she says. “We have to get the product in our hands before we purchase it.”
Beyond the cups
Destination retailers might want to sell accessories people can pair with their drinkware, such as aluminum straws for travel cups, koozies for bottles and coasters.
Walton says she recently began to offer straps for people to hold their water bottles.
“We also sell reusable straws and straw tips,” she shares.
Customers also might be interested in coffees, teas or cocktail mixes when they’re placed near drinkware or set up on a display together. Walton says she has had a display that features cocktail glasses, light-up ice cubes and cocktail mixes to give customers some fun entertaining ideas.
Regardless of the drinkware a destination retailer offers, Walton advises encouraging customers to feel the drinkware before they buy it.
She says, “We try to merchandise in a way that makes it super accessible so customers can get that product in their hands.”
