Museum Store Sunday … Is It on Your Radar?

September 30, 2019

By Laura Murphy

Museum Store Sunday, MSA’s global one-day initiative, will be celebrated on Dec. 1, 2019. Cap off your Thanksgiving weekend with this shopping event highlighting your store’s unique, curated merchandise and representing the best in creativity and culture. Everyone is invited to shop the incredible offers at museum stores on six continents and in all 50 states, including Washington, D.C. Museum Store Sunday is for all nonprofit retailers from art museums, historic houses, presidential libraries, botanical gardens, zoos and more. It is a time for all nonprofit retailers to highlight their fantastic store merchandise.

The time is now to join the 1,200 museum stores who are planning for a successful day. We want you to take part in the third year of Museum Store Sunday success. Join the excitement and be part of this growing momentum. Our goal this year is to increase participation by 25%, and we are almost there! Let’s surpass that goal and increase our reach to 35%. Be a part of the excitement!

Do not stress. Yes, we can reach the goal together. The goal is to make your store a destination. It is to be part of your community. The benefit of registering for Museum Store Sunday is to gain international recognition for your institution and your contribution to it.

Let’s get engaged and put Museum Store Sunday on your holiday radar. You can do it in a few easy steps.

Visit the Museum Store Sunday website and click on the museum portal. Follow registration, and get your store name on the locator. After registering, you may then add the event you are hosting that day. Planning your event can range from working with one of your vendors to host a trunk show, developing a special product or asking them to show up with treats and talk up their products. Great signage, mugs, tote bags and pin-on buttons are available for purchase to promote the day. It is easy to participate, and 73% of participants saw an increase in sales that day just by being a part of the event.

Get your marketing department involved. Publish it on the museum’s website, Facebook and Instagram. Ask for assistance in writing copy to get the message out to the local media from print to radio. Be sure to get listed on local event calendars. Involve membership — emphasize it as a great shopping opportunity for the holidays and for members to support their favorite institution.

Check out the toolkit. Here you will find the branding guidelines for advertising, and purchase branded merchandise like signs, mugs and tote bags for in-store promotions.

Community outreach is another way to boost visitation. Involve other nonprofit stores in the area to become part of a program to increase store visits. How about passport programs listing all participating stores in your area and including their events and discounts being offered on that day? The message can be “support your local museum stores on Dec. 1, 2019.” Strength in numbers!

Support your local vendor. Reach out to them to assist you in making the day a success. Invite them to launch new products — products you have never offered. Make them a partner in your success.

Get your staff involved. Make them part of the excitement. Prepare by putting out the signs, having them wear the buttons and talking up the event to the visitors. Let people know this is a day not to be missed.

Now do you feel like you can make this day a success in a few easy steps by creating a store atmosphere to delight your patrons? If you have questions, please contact the Engagement and Recruitment Committee. We will be happy to walk you through any concerns, help you plan your day and give you even more reasons to join our international celebration.

Laura Murphy is the chair of the Engagement and Recruitment Committee for Museum Store Sunday. She can be reached at lmurphy@newportmansions.org.