The National Zoo’s retail environment offers relevant themed gifts that align with guests’ experiences and are positioned to prompt mission-supporting purchases.African lions, Sumatran tigers, sloth bears — and oh my, the pandas at Washington D.C.’s National Zoo. Its animal attractions draw guests from all over to a landmark destination that spans 163 acres and includes a portfolio of stores and kiosks where visitors can take home a wide variety of gifts.
Every product directly ties to the zoo’s exhibits, benefits The Smithsonian Institution’s conservation and research mission, and is selected to suit a kid’s allowance or splurge purchases from passionate animal lovers.
At the same time, themed retail experiences like the Asia Trail Store in Panda Plaza and Great Cats Gift Shop connect guests to relevant merchandise while they’re in the moment. Seasonal pop-up kiosks and carts accomplish a similar goal when positioned in popular areas like the Elephant Outpost, while souvenir kiosks offering top sellers and impulse buys like bubble wands offer a quick-shop stop as visitors walk the expansive grounds.
 Customers can show off their panda pride by buying a playful panda jersey, or by purchasing a classic souvenir mug, stationery, T-shirt or soft plush. Photos: Paco Alacid
There’s no shortage of wows at the National Zoo, with its legacy panda diplomacy program and the debut of pandas Bao Li and Qing Boa in January. The retail and marketing team teased this introduction with a Pandas Are Coming pop-up shop and Pandas Are Here merch.
Creative product programs tie in with zoo milestones and characteristics of its animals, such as a This Is How We Roll tumbling panda graphic on drinkware, tees, hats and bags. The zoo’s pandas are notorious tumblers.
Corcoran says, “We work with the curators to really understand the personalities of the animals to be sure we’re conveying the right image in the products we offer at the gift stores.”
What’s in storeVisitors travel from across the country and world — and from just beyond the D.C. Beltway — to tour the zoo’s attractions, and providing a variety of relevant retail opportunities throughout the park is an important part of their day.
 Displays at the National Zoo stores tend to cluster products into collections, highlighting one theme or motif such as all-things panda.
Schoolchildren are frequent shoppers. Buses of students touring the zoo as a stand-alone experience or along with other Smithsonian museums can find items for a few dollars, such as stickers, pins, magnets, pencils and candy. “We stock plenty of impulse buys,” says Corcoran, noting the product themes vary depending on the zoo store, with some common merchandise like branded items.
Corcoran shares, “We offer a value T-shirt program that bundles a hat and tee at an easy price point, and there are also hundred-dollar sweatshirts that are embroidered or include an applique.”
On the high end, leather goods stamped with pandas offer a luxury for zoo members or enthusiasts — guests looking to treat themselves or buy a gift.
To celebrate pandas, the zoo merchandise and marketing teams collaborated to create a limited-edition T-shirt, stocking just 300 of them. “We called it the concert T-shirt because the back listed all the names of pandas throughout the years and dates of their time here,” she describes.
The zoo shops also stock an assortment of plush in sizes that fit in the palm of a child’s hand to supersized animals. Corcoran and her merchandising team seek out high-pile, quality stuffies and offer some eco-plush from vendors that align with the zoo’s elimination of single-use plastics.
Plush represents the zoo’s animal kingdom — no cartoonish offerings. “We work with vendors that offer plush with the true likeness of the animal — certain spots, a certain look is maintained through the plush and graphics our vendors use,” says Corcoran. “We are a conservation zoo, so we want to make sure that the plush actually looks like the real animal.”
 Stacked mugs feature a simple panda graphic.
But pandas reign supreme across the zoo’s stores, winning extra real estate with retail carts during busy summer months.
For displays, products are clustered into collections, giving guests many different items of the same motif to purchase. “Whatever the program is, we create groupings for the presentation so if you like the hat, you can find a tote, tee and drinkware, too,” Corcoran says.
Another display strategy: showcase a mix of same-category products in different styles, such as apparel for men, women and children, including stylish cuts.
Meanwhile, offering a variety of stores with concentrated animal themes in each unique gift shop “encourages multiple purchases from multiple locations,” Corcoran explains.
Stocked for support Crowds pack into the zoo’s shops during the busy season, which spans from spring through fall, peaking in summer. This calls for a careful eye on inventory to keep displays full. The staff swells from its full-time crew of about 25 to double this team to handle retail carts and busy brick-and-mortar stores.
The zoo has a warehouse on-site and another off property. “We’re constantly replenishing,” Corcoran says. A new real-time inventory/point-of-sale system is a game changer for producing just-in-time pick lists.
 Some of National Zoo’s products highlight its conservation efforts, including these souvenir T-shirts.
Every purchase benefits the Smithsonian Institution’s mission for the National Zoo, which is to save species by using cutting-edge science, sharing knowledge and providing inspirational guest experiences. It is part of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute that trains wildlife professionals and conducts research.
“There are so many animals that are protected through our work, and there is a tangible connection when visitors take home a plush that represents their zoo experience,” says Spriggs. “The Smithsonian plays a global role in serving as an advocate and really digging into conservation issues.” |
