A whole world in store

By Kristen Hampshire

At Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, a gift shop filled with plush, playful finds and souvenirs from across the animal kingdom gives guests one more place to explore.

An aquarium in the Utah desert is unexpected enough. Then there’s the 165-foot-tall structure rising outside.
Visible from the highway, EECO — short for Ecosystem Exploration Craft & Observatory — spent its former life traveling the world as the stage for U2’s 360° Tour. Today, the repurposed 200-ton steel structure towers over the Rio Tinto Kennecott Plaza at Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Draper, Utah.


“People come in and are curious about the stage,” says Isac Manns, store director for the aquarium’s Event Network-operated gift shop. “Guests will drive by and say, ‘What’s that?’ and turn around and come in.”


What they discover is a world-class aquarium in a landlocked state, home to more than 5,600 animals representing more than 600 species.


A display in the aquarium store features a wide selection of drinkware.
Photos: Alice Nelson

The store has two entrances and occupies a prominent spot near the aquarium’s main atrium. Some visitors browse as soon as they arrive, while others save their shopping for the end.


At the center of it all is what the retail team calls “plush island,” a large display filled with cubbies and animals representing species found throughout the aquarium.


Throughout the shop, Manns and his team focus on a product selection and merchandising strategy that connects guests’ favorite encounters to what’s in store. But there’s a winner across age groups: “Plush is definitely our biggest category,” says Manns.



Pick your favorite

Penguins are perennial stars, helped along by an encounter that allows guests to go behind the scenes and feed them. Manns makes sure the store gives the popular birds plenty of attention.


“We always try to highlight penguins as much as we can in the shop,” he says, pointing to plush, magnets, apparel and other merchandise.


Otters are another favorite — and the assortment evolves as the aquarium does.


Displays in the aquarium store feature some otter-themed tees

For example, a recently opened learning center nearly doubled the facility’s size and includes a cloud forest within its expanded Expedition Asia experience. The retail team responded with a display near the front of the store featuring animals represented in the exhibit.


Swaddle Babies by Fiesta Toy span the animal kingdom and include the destination’s favorites. “You can take them out of their little swings to hold them,” he describes.


Other popular finds include diver dolls that “swim” in the bath and a battery-operated “penguin dash” toy.



What’s in the box?

Lately, some of the biggest excitement comes from products that combine toys with an element of surprise. Blind boxes have found an eager audience at the aquarium.


B&B Sweets mystery boxes include small plush, figurines and pins, with shoppers choosing a package without knowing exactly which design is tucked inside.


The mystery is part of the fun, and the aquarium has taken it a step further with a trading program. Guests who collect duplicate figurines can trade with other visitors.


Three-dimensional printed toys are also moving quickly, as are squishy and sensory products. Manns points to “dumpling” squish toys — round, wide-eyed characters that have captured young shoppers’ attention.



Big fun, smaller budgets

There is another audience Manns knows well: field-trip shoppers.


Loveland Living Planet Aquarium’s educational programs reach students throughout Utah. For some children, a stop in the gift shop is an important part of the day.


Their budgets vary.


“There will be kids who spend $40 to $60,” Manns says. “Others walk in with $10 or $20 and every intention of making it count.”


Guests can find otters, penguins, parrots and more on the store’s popular plush island.

The store makes the decision easier with a dedicated $15-and-under area positioned near the checkout queue. The assortment includes 3D-printed fidgets, mini squeeze toys, light-up products and other small souvenirs. Candy, keychains and magnets offer additional options.


Organizing merchandise around what a customer can spend can be just as useful as grouping it by category, Manns points out.


The store’s more traditional souvenir assortment delivers plenty of options, too. Name-drop sweatshirts, shot glasses and keychains join postcards, stickers, magnets, pencils and other easy-to-pack mementos.


The jewelry category extends from mood rings and bracelets to penguin necklaces. Fahlo bracelets, which connect customers with wildlife through animal-tracking experiences, are also part of the mix.



More to explore

For all the fun packed into the store, the aquarium’s environmental mission is top of mind. At checkout, guests can round up their purchases to support the institution and its animal care endeavors.


Single-use shopping bags are another no-go. Instead, reusable bags made from recycled plastic bottles are available for purchase.


Even store displays are approached with sustainability in mind. “When we do displays on the floor, they are from recycled materials,” says Manns.


Along with sustainability, staying relevant for the season is a purchasing priority. Retail at Loveland Living Planet Aquarium changes with the calendar. Summer brings vacation traffic, including visitors from surrounding states and well beyond Utah.


Along with helping visitors make the most of their time at the aquarium, store associates become ambassadors for the region. It’s all part of making the store more than the last stop on the way out.


“You get to know a lot of people,” Manns says. “We just make every day fun.”