Aquarium and marine rescue center gift shop customers are drawn to memorable plush, custom creations and local finds they can take home. Photo: Gina Risso
The Marine Mammal Center gift shop is small — just 500 square feet — but Retail and Marketing Operations Manager Michelle Honath packs in a lot to make the store a fun and memorable stop before guests leave the center. The store features a wall of souvenir T-shirts and caps, some relevant plush baskets and books. The store also has a bit of a boutique feel with carefully curated gifts available.
“It’s not all souvenirs,” she explains. “We have some things, even if there’s a name drop on it, it might look a little more elevated than what you might find in a typical souvenir shop.”
Case in point: Customers can purchase high-end soap from The Grecian Soap Co. that specifically promotes one of the center’s marine mammals on the packaging.
Splashy displays also promote sales at aquarium and marine rescue center gift shops. Guests took notice when the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium debuted the Mote Science Education Aquarium (SEA) in Sarasota, Florida, last year, along with a brand-new gift shop.
“The gift shop was designed as an extension of the first floor, which is all about the sea,” says Store Director Sandi Finefield. “Color schemes all match what we have on the first floor — we have wavy designs throughout.”
 T-shirts from Mang Apparel are bestsellers at Mote SEA in Sarasota, Florida.
“My biggest goal is for us to give an experience — guests come for an experience,” she says. “They do not know our store is run by Event Network; we’re an extension of the aquarium. I want to surpass their experience from the aquarium to the gift shop.”
Swimming with stuffiesPlush tends to be a top performer for many aquarium stores — these soft sellers easily remind people of the animals they saw during their visit.
In Riverhead, New York, the City Treasures gift shop at Long Island Aquarium has no problem selling plush. Operations Manager and Buyer Connie Pellechia says plush is the store’s bestselling souvenir.
“We carry a ton of plush in all sizes, shapes and prices,” she says.
Since guests adore the aquarium’s African penguin exhibit, penguin plush is one of the more popular picks at the City Treasures gift shop. Pellechia says the axolotl trend has also not died down for her store.
Seal plush is a fan favorite at The Marine Mammal Center store. Honath says guests smile at the “seal-barrow” display full of seal plushies.
“It’s fun, and it’s similar to what we actually use for moving and weighing seals, but we have plush in it,” she explains.
 Guests can find totes, picture frames and other gifts at The Marine Mammal Center. Photo: Gina Risso
“We partnered with Call For The Wild on that,” says Honath. “They developed the plush, and we created a custom cardboard crate that says ‘Adopt-A-Seal’ on it and our logo. It’s a really cute way for kids to feel like they’re taking an animal home.”
Honath adds that the give-back nature of Adopt-A-Seal kits appeals to many customers.
“People feel they make a bigger difference by symbolically adopting an animal. People connect with that story,” she says.
Local lovePromoting local artists and vendors can also be a big sell at aquarium and rescue center stores. The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon, features a whole room dedicated to higher end souvenirs made by local artists and vendors.
Store Director Alexis Stewart says apparel with graphics from local artist Duncan Berry are top sellers for the Oregon Coast Aquarium store.
“Because of the cooler temperatures on the coast, the Duncan Berry hoodie is the No. 1 thing we sell,” Stewart says.
When customers suggested the store try selling T-shirts with designs by Salty Raven, another local artist, Stewart pitched the idea to Event Network’s purchasing team. The Salty Raven jellyfish T-shirts are now bestsellers at the store.
Since Mote SEA tends to attract locals, highlighting local makers is also a selling point for that gift shop.
 Oregon Coast Aquarium showcases apparel from Salty Raven on mannequins.
Honath adds that she promotes some local vendors and some smaller vendors through special diversity, equity and inclusion spotlights in her store. Several times a year, the store displays DEI merchandise for various groups, from Black History month to Pride month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month.
“It’s important to celebrate different voices,” she shares. “We want to have these voices in the store all year long.”
Embracing trendsAquarium and marine rescue center stores regularly rotate their product mix to reflect changing trends.
Stewart says the Oregon Coast Aquarium store gets new products in monthly during peak season. She has noticed customers seem drawn to nostalgic products these days.
“We’ve all seen trends leaning toward late ’90s vibes,” she says.
Instead of plain keychains, Stewart says guests love keychains that feature aquatic-themed charms.
Softie keychains from Nature Planet are fun favorites this year at The Marine Mammal Center gift shop. Honath adds that a vintage logoed T-shirt is also quite popular at the store.
“We call it the decade tee since it celebrates the first decade we were open,” she explains of the popular T-shirt design.
Surprise is another element customers love at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, with many customers buying mystery dumpling toys and blind boxes. Stewart says the blind boxes feature different 3D-printed fidget toys inside.
“We find that kids love to purchase two of these to see what they will get,” she explains. “I can never keep them stocked. They incentivize people to buy more until they get what they want.”
Finding keepersTo keep up with new trends, many aquarium and marine rescue center retailers find it helpful to attend industry trade shows for inspiration. Pellechia says she typically attends IGES and the Smoky Mountain Gift Show to source new products.
 Picture books and toys appeal to kids visiting the Long Island Aquarium.
Honath says trade shows are a great place to ask vendors about custom product ideas.
“The No. 1 thing I ask vendors at trade shows is, ‘Can you make this custom for me?’” she says. “Most of them are happy to have the business and realize if they can make something unique that sells well, you’ll come back and reorder.”
When Honath learned about popular Turkish towels from Shaka Love, she asked the company about creating custom towels for her store.
“I was able to work with them to design what we wanted. Now, they’re one of our bestsellers,” she says.
Creating customized pieces that tell the story of The Marine Mammal Center often win the hearts of guests and help them remember their experiences.
“We try to make a big branding statement when you walk in,” she says. “People who shop with us want to give back and want to make a difference and know they aren’t just buying something — they’re supporting our mission. It’s rewarding.”
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