Have you ever wondered how heritage shops manage to thrive? We sat down with Ben Gibson, the Core Range Buyer at the Natural History Museum, to uncover the strategies that drive their sales success. The world of museums has been through a lot since the pandemic, facing reduced visitor numbers, soaring energy costs, and staff shortages. But amidst the challenges, there’s also a wealth of opportunity.
Beyond the Basics: Transforming the Museum Shop
“The museum shop isn’t just about pencils, erasers, and keychains anymore,” Ben says. “Visitors want to take home a memento that connects them to their experience, something truly special. We’ve worked hard to make our shop an extension of the museum itself, a seamless part of the visit.”
The Natural History Museum saw its best week ever in sales during the October 2022 half-term school holidays. For Ben, this triumph is the outcome of the team’s tireless efforts to create the perfect product mix, operate flawlessly, and inspire with their visual displays.
“Our product selection is spot-on. Our shop floor runs smoothly, and we’ve made impactful changes to our visual merchandising. We make sure to keep our bestsellers in stock, and if anything does sell out, it’s back on the shelves quickly,” Ben explains.
Ben believes the museum’s shop is somewhat shielded from the cost-of-living crisis. “People who come to the museum are already planning to spend a few pounds on souvenirs, so they budget for it beforehand,” he says.
The museum’s success lies in adhering to the fundamental principles of retail excellence. As Ben puts it, “If we’re doing the basics right and consistently, that’s all we can do.”
Staying Ahead: Navigating Uncertainty with Best Practices
It’s unclear whether the museum’s visitors will be impacted by future economic challenges, but Ben is confident that sticking to proven retail practices is the best way to navigate the unknowns ahead.
“Is there a magical solution? I don’t think there’s one single thing that will guarantee success, but we expect people to keep visiting the museum. Will they still have the same spending power in six months? I don’t know. But if we keep doing the basics right and consistently, I think we’ll be okay,” he says.
Ben emphasizes the importance of offering unique and contemporary products that you won’t find anywhere else, particularly items branded with the Natural History Museum logo, which they develop themselves, while also maintaining a focus on value for money. “It’s about providing something special that people will want to take home with them,” he adds.
As a Core Range Buyer, Ben’s responsibility is to curate the museum’s core product selection for both its online and physical shops. To reflect the museum experience, he carefully chooses items that align with the museum’s exhibitions and core collections.
A Deep Dive into the Museum’s Product Selection
Ben focuses on catering to families who are seeking both educational value and affordability. “We keep an eye on high street trends in terms of color and design, and we figure out how to incorporate them into the museum. We also try to stay informed about global trends, like sustainability and environmental consciousness. Our book selection is a great example of this. We’ve created a range of eco-focused books that we didn’t have before,” he explains.
The museum’s book sales have been booming, thanks to a streamlined selection, expert support from Bookspeed, and a fresh visual merchandising approach. Ben’s colleagues have even remarked that the books section looks better than ever before.
Creating a Bookshop That Sells: The Power of Visual Merchandising
“It’s all about placing the right books in the right spots,” Ben says. “We learned long ago that people don’t shop based on the spines of books. So, our visual merchandising team has been working hard to make sure every book is facing the customer, even if it means reducing our overall selection.”
“We’re using tables more effectively, displaying books at different heights, and employing acrylic book holders to make everything easily accessible. We try to integrate books with other products, so if we have a whale-themed merchandise line, we’ll add a popular book on whales. We strategically place key books in high-traffic areas, like the checkout line. For example, we’re pushing our NHM-branded dinosaur annual, so we’ve placed it near the cash registers where people can easily grab one as they wait.”
It’s no surprise that dinosaur-themed books for children are popular at the Natural History Museum. The current bestseller is “Peppa Pig’s Dinosaurs Sticker Book,” but Mr Men books and the Little People, Big Dreams series also perform well, especially the book about Mary Anning. Popular science titles are a staple of the book range, often featuring contributions from the museum’s own academics.
“When people buy a book from us, they’re contributing to the museum’s success,” Ben points out. “What’s really interesting is that we still sell books in large quantities. People are choosing to buy them from us instead of taking a picture and then searching for a cheaper version online when they get home. They recognize that their purchase supports the museum.”
A Streamlined Partnership: The Power of Bookspeed
Ben has been working with Bookspeed for the past year to source and select books for the museum shop. He believes that the partnership has made the bookselling process much smoother, from choosing books to managing deliveries.
“Why do I work with Bookspeed? Because it’s a straightforward process. Before the pandemic, we were dealing with a lot of publishers, but now we have just one supplier,” he says. “We only have one invoice for all our books, which makes things much easier for our retail administrator. Books used to arrive at the warehouse sporadically, but now, Bookspeed delivers efficiently. The books are labeled, the invoice is included, so we can process them quickly and get them onto the shop floor as soon as possible.”
“It was a bit overwhelming for me at first, since I was new to the book world. There are so many books about the same topics, so it’s hard to find the ones that will resonate with our customers. But I can work with our Bookspeed account manager, Angus, to select titles. We suggest books to each other, and it’s a collaborative process.”
Ambitious Goals: Leading the Way in Heritage Retail
The Natural History Museum’s shop is flourishing right now, but Ben is already looking ahead to the future with some bold ambitions.
“We see ourselves as a leader in heritage retail, focusing on quality, appearance, and especially sustainability, while maintaining our unique identity. We want to create a cohesive product offering across all of our channels, including our physical shops, online stores, and ecommerce. We’re also exploring new ways to generate revenue. Because we believe we can keep growing and growing and growing.”
Be Inspired by the Natural History Museum
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