Turtle Cove Gift Shop opens at Kansas City Zoo's new Sobela Ocean Aquarium

By Kristen Hampshire

New 900-square-foot store maximized space with a variety of sea-themed souvenirs.

“Coastal calm” is how Retail Operations Manager April Terranella describes the retail environment at the brand-new Turtle Cove Gift Shop at Kansas City Zoo’s latest attraction, the Sobela Ocean Aquarium, with its sea-inspired color palette with soft blues and sandy creams. After nearly five years of planning and a year of sourcing apparel, headwear, plushies and other products to offer, the retail operations manager says a priority was to maximize space in the 900-square-foot store to provide an engaging variety of souvenirs.

A wall of plush invites guests to find a cuddly keepsake.

Another focal point of the planning: designing displays around the shop’s showpiece, a suspended sea turtle saved from the zoo’s Lantern Festival. “We had to be sure we had proper supports in the infrastructure regarding electrical because it lights up and its little flippers move,” she describes.

The festive turtle “oversees” the entry display table and sets the tone for a playful experience at Turtle Cove, where there’s no lack of all-things-turtle, from drinkware to custom-bagged candies bearing the aquarium logo with cheeky ingredients. Cherry sours are branded as crabby poop, “and children love it!” says Terranella. The green apple sours are, of course, turtle poop and the packaging bears cute logos.

Slat walls and counterspace house apparel from T-shirts and hoodies to hats. Popular motifs aside from turtles include sharks and sea otters. Every piece is namedrop and includes artwork on soft, feel-good material.

Products were also sourced with sustainability in mind, aligning with the zoo and aquarium’s mission. “That may be using a recycled material or working with companies that refined their printing process to use less water,” says Terranella.

She adds, “We are always buying the things people want while making sure our vendors are in line with our vision.”

Billed as a world-class facility, the Sobela Ocean Aquarium is home to nearly 8,000 animals in 34 habitats that tell the story of how ocean currents connect animals across the globe. Proud of the exhibition and Turtle Cove Gift Shop, Terranella says, “Everyone loves it, and we motor through a lot of products in the gift shop, which is really exciting. Now, we work on keeping the products fresh so returning guests can continue to find new things.”