Museum Store Sunday returns Dec. 1 to support local businesses

The number of participating cultural institutions has tripled since Museum Store Sunday launched in 2017.

More than 2,100 museum stores across all 50 states, 25 countries and five continents will participate in Museum Store Sunday on Dec. 1 to offer shoppers a wide range of discounts, special events, gifts with purchase, and unique, locally made items for everyone.

The number of participating cultural institutions has tripled since the Museum Store Association launched Museum Store Sunday in 2017. The global advocacy campaign’s new slogan, “Shop with Purpose,” reflects the organization’s mission to promote economic sustainability and cultural engagement for museums and the communities they support.

Broad assortments of highly curated, location-specific and mission-driven items will be available to shoppers online and in person, including jewelry, clothing, children’s toys and products, home decor, books and gourmet food. Proceeds from these museum store purchases will support artists, small businesses and cultural institutions in shoppers’ communities.

“Purchasing locally made gifts at museum stores circulates money within shoppers’ communities,” says Kate Schureman, board president of the Museum Store Association as well as chief operating officer and vice president of administration at the Peoria Riverfront Museum in Peoria, Illinois. “In turn, artists, businesses and museums in their neighborhoods have more funds to reinvest into their communities and foster local economic growth.”

A 2022 study by American Express found that 68 cents of every dollar spent at a small business in the U.S. stays in the local community, and every dollar spent at small businesses creates an additional 48 cents in local business activity as a result of employees and local businesses purchasing local goods and services.

“Choosing items created by neighbors and friends instead of mass-produced goods from big-box stores also encourages creativity and community pride,” says Schureman. “Purchasing works by local creators empowers them to explore and express different perspectives, often drawing from local traditions, histories, current events and landmarks. Gifts inspired by shared experiences can feel more unique and personal, making a meaningful impact on recipients and the places they call home.”

Some locally made gift ideas include handmade California Poppy Cobalt Glass Bowls by Ken and Ingrid Hanson, a husband-and-wife glass-blowing team in the Bay Area, available at the de Young Museum Store in San Francisco; handcrafted chocolate bars by Deiter’s Chocolates, a Denver confectionery, available at the Shop at the Denver Art Museum; and handmade bar soaps, lotions and soy candles made by women survivors of exploitation, trauma and addition in Milwaukee, available at the Milwaukee Art Museum Store.

While Museum Store Sunday only takes place once a year, consumers are encouraged to return to these stores all year long. Approximately 91% of shoppers said they would return the following year to shop during Museum Store Sunday, and 89% said they would return to shop at museum stores throughout the year, according to the Museum Store Sunday 2023 Shoppers Survey.

The Museum Store Association says this annual event has boosted museum stores’ sales efforts, with museum stores seeing a 45% average increase in in-store net sales in 2023 compared with 2022, and a 24% average increase in in-store transactions in 2023 compared with 2022.

A full list of participating museum stores is listed online at www.museumstoresunday.org/find-a-store.