Aquarium gift shops come in all shapes and sizes, with vibes that match the attraction they support.
The Texas State Aquarium gift shop has a “fun vibe” that encourages longer visits, with many products grouped by favorite animal types to help boost sales. The shop’s placement within the aquarium is also designed to capture the attention of passersby multiple times.
“For the most part, visitors pass through our store a couple of times so we get plenty of opportunities to tease them with our products as they walk through,” says Amy Corral, store director of the Texas State Aquarium gift shop. “Kids are already eyeballing what they are going to ask their parents for before they leave.”
Other gift shops are located near the aquarium’s entrance in hopes of attracting customers at the beginning or end of their visit. Belle Isle Aquarium, located on an island across from Detroit, operates a small gift shop near the entrance of the attraction full of merchandise tied to the aquarium and animals inside it. Although the aquarium has been around since the early 1900s, retail is a newer venture for the attraction.
Aly Melnik, development associate for Belle Isle Conservancy, explains that the attraction was shut down for about a decade in the early 2000s and has since had to revamp operations. She shares that her and her team began to experiment with retail carts inside the aquarium in the summer of 2022.
“We had mainly stuffed animals along with a few keychains and magnets that were all popular,” she says.
After debuting retail carts, Detroit-based Carhartt connected with the conservancy about supplying it with a shipping container to serve as a makeshift gift shop outside the building. The container shop debuted in April 2024.
“So far, it’s been a big success and has allowed us to expand what we’re able to sell and do,” she says, adding that she has since expanded into other categories such as souvenir apparel, drinkware, stickers and more.
Regardless of an aquarium shop’s size, shape or approach to merchandising, these retailers are sure to carry products that connect to the sea, with store proceeds often benefiting wildlife that’s on display.
Popular plush
For many aquarium retailers, plush is the No. 1 category. Customers can’t wait to buy plush of their favorite animals they saw on their visit.
Photos: Mark Marquez
Plush makes up 30% of sales at Maui Ocean Treasures, the gift shop at Maui Ocean Center in Wailuku, Hawaii. The shop carries a wide variety of plush brands, including Jellycat, Wild Republic, The Petting Zoo, Squishable, Fiesta Toy and Aurora, shares Retail Buyer Leona Silva. She says customers love plush formats of popular animals such as green sea turtles, humpback whales, tiger sharks, roosters and much more.
“We just refreshed our plush wall with dividers and shelves, and it looks great,” she notes. “We organize our plushies by animal type. And except for Jellycat, we feature them next to our children’s clothing line.”
Axolotl plush is trending for many zoo and aquarium gift shops, but it’s especially popular at Belle Isle Aquarium, which features several live axolotls in the aquarium.
“Axolotl plush of any and all sizes are definitely our top-selling item,” says Melnik. “Kids and adults really love them.”
At Texas State Aquarium, eco-friendly plush also appeals to customers, such The Petting Zoo’s stuffies made of recycled plastic bottles or Eco plush from Nature Planet Inc., according to Corral.
“A lot of our customers really appreciate the fact that they are made from recycled plastics,” she says.
Sustainably minded
Beyond plush, sustainably made merchandise of all types can be a hit at aquarium gift shops. Many aquarium gift shops carry merchandise made of recycled materials or items that support wildlife conservation efforts.
Maui Ocean Treasures showcases some lotions and soaps as well as some cute plush dolls.
The Virginia Aquarium in Virginia Beach, Virginia, found a unique way to recycle and upcycle old wetsuits used by staff at the aquarium and old vinyl banners at the facility. Vicki Krauter, retail manager at the aquarium, says that the aquarium partnered with Ecologic Designs in Boulder, Colorado, last year to recycle 34 wetsuits of various sizes into souvenir cozies.
“We had them make 250 cozies, each of the two varieties with our store’s logo on it,” says Krauter.
The aquarium also worked with Ecologic Designs to upcycle seven of its vinyl marketing banners to be turned into various items such as notebooks, tote bags and wallets.
“These banners were stored by the marketing team for three years with the hope to convert them into something functional,” Krauter says. “It goes to show how much the aquarium works to intentionally make sustainable choices.”
Trendy collectibles
Aquarium retailers keep a pulse on retail trends to find products that resonate with customers.
Corral says sticker sales have gone up like crazy in recent years, joking that no one leaves with “just one sticker.” Typically, they buy five at a time.
She adds that “all things mini” are a hit lately, with mini tumblers and shot glasses being big. “We will see this mini trend grow within our product offerings in 2025,” she predicts.
Locally made crochet plush regularly sold out at Bell Isle Aquarium’s shop in 2024 as well.
“Small-batch handmade items like that tend to be really popular,” says Melnik.
She adds, “One-of-a-kind specialty items seem to excite people, and same with products that support a good mission or cause.”
Silva says Fahlo tracking bracelets have grown in popularity at Maui Ocean Treasures.
“The children really find it fun, and it supports various organizations,” she says.
Sustainable apparel is on display at Texas State Aquarium’s gift shop as well as lovable plush.
And while not new, keychains and magnets are always great collectibles at aquarium gift shops. Krauter says these souvenirs are always a hit with tourists. She explains, “They are easy to travel with for out-of-town visitors.”
Personalized keychains are also popular at Texas State Aquarium’s gift shop. “We’ve transitioned away from name programs and into initial programs, which allows us to have a personal item for everyone, even those with unique names,” Corral says. “We have a great initial keychain program, and that’s now a top 10 item.”
Finding bestsellers
To find aquarium-themed merchandise that will have wide-ranging appeal, Krauter says she likes to get suggestions from her staff members.
“Our buying team are very particular on uniqueness and not just being another souvenir shop,” she says. “We have local vendors and items that are out of the box.”
Melnik says she browsed Detroit-area attractions’ gift shops to get ideas prior to launching Belle Isle Aquarium’s gift shop to see what souvenirs were trending.
It’s also important to carry merchandise that’s unique to the aquarium, Silva recommends.
“Find things that are different and not carried by other shops in your area to set you apart from the competition,” she says. “Our customers also enjoy stumbling upon unexpected items that they would not expect in an aquarium gift shop — like chickens and roosters!”
Finding merchandise that ties to the aquarium’s mission is also key. Corral suggests aquarium retailers focus less on the “what” with merchandise and more on the “why” when choosing to carry something.
“Our guests don’t buy from us because they need a new mug or T-shirt. They buy because of the purpose behind the products,” says Corral. “What we sell is less important than why we sell it.”
