A giraffe might lean in for a snack. A bison could wander up alongside the wagon while on tour. Llamas, Watusi cattle and alpacas roam across the Louisiana countryside while guests feed, touch and learn about the animals along the way.
This is a typical day at Global Wildlife Center, a 900-acre free-roaming wildlife preserve in Folsom, Louisiana, that is home to more than 2,000 exotic, endangered and threatened animals.
Visitors can explore the property on covered safari wagons or get closer to the animals aboard private Pinzgauer all-terrain excursions. There are capybara encounters complete with belly scratches, animal painting experiences and a walkabout that puts visitors right in the kangaroos’ habitat.
Photo ops are abundant. So are opportunities to extend the adventure at the gift shop.
“We are the last excitement before people leave,” says Karen Popich, retail operations manager. “We make sure we have plenty of souvenirs that help our visitors hang on to those memories they made with the animals.”
Giraffes are a favorite animal in the Global Wildlife Center gift shop and can be found on keychains and plush.
Photos: Hayley Pierre
That could mean a plush version of a favorite animal, a magnet or keychain — or even a painting created by a giraffe during a hands-on meet-and-greet.
For Popich, who joined Global Wildlife Center after a career in corporate retail, the shop is “a breath of fresh air” and more than a place to pick up a souvenir.
“I can look out the windows and see these beautiful giraffes passing or deer running and you get recentered,” she relates. “It’s incredible. And our staff is here for the love of the animals, and for the love of guest services and helping visitors make those core memories.”
Eyes wide open
Field trips, summer camps and family vacations bring plenty of young shoppers to Global Wildlife Center, so children are front and center in the shop’s product mix. “When that child walks in, I want them excited,” Popich says. “I want their eyes to be big with wonder.”
Plush occupies a large section near the front of the shop, with sizes ranging from tiny 3-inch animals to 4-foot-tall showstoppers. The sweet spot is about 12 inches, Popich says.
The assortment naturally includes animals guests encounter at the preserve, but some of the biggest sellers are creatures they won’t necessarily see roaming the grounds. Popich says plush are sourced from a few vendors and primarily from Zoologee.
The shop also has a book nook geared toward the smaller set, where farm animal stuffies like chickens, pigs and cows are combined with books and baby gifts. “These souvenirs appeal to a younger child than the 9- or 10-year-old visitor,” says Popich.
But one of the categories Popich is most excited about is 3D-printed merchandise, much of it produced locally. “It is an incredible category that is barely scratching the surface of what it can do,” she says of the mini animal replicas with wiggly parts that make a fast impulse purchase.
Then there are squishies, NeeDoh products, slime and just about anything else customers can squeeze, stretch, poke or feel. “Anything that is sensory based … anything that feels crazy is a huge win,” Popich says. “If it’s rubber and spiky, those are wonderful impulse items.”
Capybara craze
When it comes to fast-moving merchandise, one animal currently has an undeniable advantage. “If it’s a capybara, someone is going to pick it up and buy it,” Popich says.
Capybara are also favorites in the gift shop. Guests can find capybara stickers, plush, toy figurines and more.
The preserve’s capybara encounter allows guests to feed the animals, interact with them and create a souvenir canvas with a little help from capybara feet.
There are walking capybara toys reminiscent of the old-school puppy on a leash, an inflatable capybara that resembles a body pillow, slime and other novelty products. The appeal fits neatly into a larger trend Popich sees among younger shoppers: items that are tactile, playful and easy to grab.
The shop gives those impulse products equally playful displays. One fixture is shaped like a tractor. Another resembles a zebra-striped safari Jeep. Pockets throughout the vehicles hold small items at kid-friendly heights. NeeDoh products have their own branded fixture.
Traditional inexpensive souvenirs are still important, too, particularly during field trip season. Pencils and pencil cases give young visitors an accessible way to bring something home. Back to sensory, Dope Slimes are a go-to for students and summer campers.
As for merchandising, the strategy is simple: Make products easy to see and simple to explore.
Souvenirs with a story
Kids might be the shop’s primary customer, but Popich is expanding the assortment to give their parents more reasons to browse. “As much as I love the kids — and we will always be kid-first — we want to get more items that will get the excitement from the parents,” she says.
That includes traditional souvenirs along with jewelry, car oil diffusers and drinkware.
Insulated cups feature an etched giraffe scene created by a local artist. The shop’s 35th anniversary T-shirt was designed by a local artist and printed by local company Inkwell Press.
One of the store’s fixtures is shaped like a tractor, full of fun toys and souvenirs geared toward the kids.
Apparel is another category Popich is beginning to expand. The classic logo T-shirt remains a dependable favorite, but newer pieces tell more specific stories about the preserve.
One centers on Kameel, a giraffe born at Global Wildlife Center 34 years ago and believed to be the second-oldest giraffe in North America. The shirt was created around World Giraffe Day, with proceeds supporting giraffe care at the preserve and conservation work in Africa.
For Popich, these products are a reminder that retail sales support something much bigger. “I came in with the mindset of every dollar I can help make in this gift shop is going toward something good,” she says.
Popich continues to look for ways to broaden the store’s adult assortment while preserving the kid-first energy that makes it a natural ending to a day at Global Wildlife Center.
For Popich, it is a far cry from traditional corporate retail.
And a connection to the animals and chance to help families make lasting memories is a natural part of the shop’s culture. She points to the center’s owner, Maci Matherne, and Executive Director Christina Cooper, as passionate guides that drive the spirit of the park and store.
“While visitors are here, they feel like they are at home,” Popich says.
