There aren’t many spots where people can experience both the desert and a lush, forested mountain all in one day, but that’s exactly what guests experience when they visit the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in Palm Springs, California.
“It’s a very unique place to go — you go from desert to mountain, all the way up 8,516 feet,” says Hilary Wilson, vice president of retail at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The attraction features two gift shops, one at Valley Station and another called Mountain Station at the top of the ride. “Depending on the weather and which store you’re at, you could be buying T-shirts and magnets or winter gloves and beanies.”
State College Town Pride showcases drinkware that has a custom map of the town.
Despite the different climates surrounding the attraction’s two stores, Wilson says it’s important that both stores carry plenty of souvenirs that feature the iconic tram car for people who want to remember their ride along the mountainside. The stores feature a variety of name-drop merchandise for people to choose from, with many souvenirs featuring custom art that depicts the tramcar.
“We’re a destination for tourists and people are coming specifically for the tram,” says Wilson. “We want to have nice mementos for people who spend their time here.”
Paty Williams, national accounts representative at Impulse Souvenirs, shares that tourists are often drawn to custom souvenirs.
“Custom merchandise offers a unique and effective way to showcase souvenirs within a collection in a store,” she says. “Custom products can also increase a store’s revenue due to the tourist or visitor not seeing that same merchandise in other stores in the area.”
When destination retailers offer both variety and authenticity with their souvenirs, these unique name-drop items just might leave a lasting impression on vacationers and locals visiting these stores and encourage them to take the one-of-a-kind mementos home.
Provide variety
Plenty of people enjoy collecting souvenirs on their trips; however, the types of souvenirs that people collect can vary. Destination retailers can carry a wide assortment of name-drop products to appeal to more people.
Anne Kennedy, buyer for Shoreview, Minnesota-based Love From USA Group, says magnets, T-shirts and sweatshirts are some of the most popular name-drop souvenirs at the destination retailer’s locations. The company oversees 19 retail shops at several airports as well as 12 brick-and-mortar stores at various locations.
But sometimes it’s a good idea to try less traditional name-drop items — Kennedy says Love From USA Group is trying name-drop journals, puzzles and coin purses at some stores this year.
Town Pride offers a variety of name-drop merchandise, and Owner Tamara Moran says the company has added some new name-drop items this year, including playing cards, candles and 3D embroidered baseball hats.
Earlier this year, Town Pride also opened its first franchise store in State College, Pennsylvania. Lisa Farren, owner of State College Town Pride, says the store sells a Pennsylvania collection of knit apparel to resonate with both locals and those visiting the area.
“We incorporated the words ‘virtue, liberty, independence’ on one sweater, which are words pulled from the state flag, and then ‘liberty’ and ‘Pennsylvania,’ on others,” says Farren. “It creates a nice story of our state.”
Local looks
Destination retailers also might want to try incorporating graphics made by local artists on their name-drop souvenirs as a way to help their offerings stand out. Tourists might notice the one-of-a-kind souvenirs while shopping, and locals also might want to support the artists who helped to create these unique souvenirs.
State College Town Pride worked with a local artist to create a whimsical map of the town that could be featured on a variety of souvenirs.
“The map is super versatile as we have put it on insulated drinkware, glassware, notecards, serving trays and other products,” says Farren. “Almost everyone picks up a map item to see what it features and points of interest they may recognize.”
At the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Wilson says customers are often drawn to the art depicted on the magnets, many of which feature custom art. She says many people seem to like one of the magnets that features a retro design.
“A retro design has been big, and is big, in Palm Springs,” she says.
Staying on trend
While people may hang on to souvenirs for many years, it doesn’t make stocking the latest trends any less important. This is especially the case with souvenir apparel featuring name-drop and custom designs, as apparel can appear dated more quickly than other types of souvenirs.
State College Town Pride displays a knit sweater that features words pulled from Pennsylvania’s state flag.
Kennedy says offering different design treatments has been big with apparel, such as puff ink, embossing or chenille.
Moran says people are also drawn to souvenirs that feature local acronyms, ZIP codes or state flag-inspired designs. She explains that incorporating custom features along with more timeless designs tend to sell well. “Simple, timeless designs with a deeper focus on a unique or special motif resonates loudly with customers,” she says.
Showcase for success
For the best return on investment with custom souvenirs, Williams advises highlighting any custom collections retailers have with store displays. “Retailers could try using nesting tables to showcase a collection of similar art that is on both soft-line and hard-line products,” she says, adding that these kinds of displays encourage people to linger and shop longer.
Love from USA Group will offer promotional pricing on some custom and name-drop merchandise to help boost sales, such as offering name-drop T-shirts two for $30 or shot glasses two for $10.
“We offer promotional pricing across all categories to increase average ticket sales,” says Kennedy.
Farren says it’s also important that custom souvenirs featured in a display have a cohesive feel to them. She adds, “Make sure the colors and fonts you choose on your merchandise resonate with your customers and relate to your name-drop theme.”
