museums&MORE Spring 2015

Jennifer Stupica

Director of Finance and Administration Jennifer Stupica
Coastal Discovery Museum
Hilton Head, South Carolina

MM: What makes your store unique?

The Coastal Discovery Museum is all about inspiring people to appreciate the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The items in the store serve to further educate our visitors or to serve as a memento of the time spent here. We work with local authors, artists and farms to highlight some of the best our area has to offer. A big highlight to our shop are the volunteers who work at our desk and share their love of the area and can help a visitor find just the right thing to take home with them.

MM: What is your retail background?

I served as a buyer for two full-time and one seasonal tennis pro shop for the Van der Meer Tennis organization for a period of four years.

MM: What is the most popular product in your store?  

Can I have two? We stock food items from local vendors. Visitors and locals really appreciate it. Also we help the Town of Hilton Head Island-run the Sea Turtle Protection Project, so the shirts we sell that have the logo are also very popular along with the books on that topic.

MM: What are your top three retail tips?

– I ask the staff and volunteers about what they are reading to gain the knowledge they need to run our programs on history and nature and then try to bring those books into the store.  Besides creating a great resource center it creates a sense of ownership.

– I keep our mission in mind when I am evaluating an item for the shop. I really want it to enhance the experience here.

– Think about the many different ages of visitors that come. I particularly like when an item is perfect for a child and — for the child within.