museums&MORE Spring 2020

Inspiration in Unusual Ways By Debbie Eisele

As I write this letter, our world has been completely changed due to COVID-19. Closures and shelter in place orders in a variety of cities across the globe have been instituted. With so many spring show cancellations, there are still ways to view new product and we hope to provide inspiration to you and encourage all makers to submit new product introductions via our website for the Summer issue. Be sure to sign up for our weekly emails to keep up-to-date on the latest industry news and check our trade show calendar for updates on show cancelations, postponements and those that have been rescheduled.

When I attended MSA Forward last year, I had the opportunity to attend some educational sessions, and they were very informative! One common theme I heard in the sessions resonated with me regarding the challenges a small retail store faced.

Inventory, displays and overall store layout can be difficult in some tiny spaces, so in this operations issue, I reached out to industry professionals to share advice to help turn some of the challenges into positives. Read all about merchandising and operating in small stores on page 34.

Also, if you are seeking product inspiration, the Product Galleries in this issue provide an opportunity to delight your shoppers, but here’s a spoiler alert — you may want to consider having a snack before you peruse them, as you may make yourself hungry! Turn to page 26 now to see how you can indulge impulse sales with specialty food and candy products and wow animal-lovers everywhere with a curated product mix on page 24. The inspiration focus continues on page 40, where you can read all about the winner of our annual Creative Display Contest.

Last, but definitely not least, we take a closer look at a few businesess dedicated to helping charitable causes through the sale of their products. Turn to page xxx to read all about Turquoise Mountain and Elsie & Zoey, a Howard Inc. brand.

During these challenging times, take some photos of your shop and submit them to Show Us Your Shop … let us know how you are handling the changing dynamics of the world today — we’d love to hear from you. To submit your shop, visit www.museumsandmore.com/show-us-your-shop.

Stay healthy and happy!

Debbie

Debbie Eisele

Debbie Eisele is the former managing editor for Gift Shop Plus, Stationery Trends and a variety of special issue publications, including: The Guide, Holiday Shop, Celebrations & Occasions and Waterfront Living.