'Tis the Season... for Museum Shops to Shine

As we dive into the festive season, it never ceases to amaze me how underutilised museum retail remains at this time of year. There’s a wealth of fantastic work in the sector, yet too many institutions fail to capitalise on the golden opportunity that Christmas presents.

Imahe: Natural History Museum Shop at Christmas.

Welcome back to the Heritage Thinking Differently blog. Today, I stumbled upon an excellent promotional video from the Coffin Works Museum . Now, coffins might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Christmas shopping, but their approach is brilliant. Their shop offers products that will undoubtedly appeal to fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas, and they’ve positioned themselves accordingly. The video itself is simple yet effective—demonstrating exactly the kind of low-cost, high-impact marketing that is well within reach for most museums. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend checking it out.

Of course, the true masterclass in museum retail during the festive season continues to be The Tank Museum. Their online shop has carved out an impressive niche, catering to what they affectionately term ‘Tank Widows’—those seeking the perfect gift for the tank-loving partners in their lives. It’s no small feat; they’ve developed a retail operation that not only meets the needs of their audience but also generates substantial revenue, reinforcing the importance of museum commerce.

So why do so many museums fail to leverage their unique offerings at Christmas? Too often, it boils down to three key issues: a lack of investment in a well-designed online shop, the absence of a cohesive social media strategy, and a fundamental misunderstanding of consumer behaviour in the digital space.

One of the most common mistakes I see is the over-reliance on mementos and guidebooks, items that might perform well in a physical shop but fail to translate effectively online. When visitors pick up a pencil or a postcard on-site, they’re purchasing a tangible reminder of their experience. However, an online shopper in December isn’t looking for a personal souvenir—they’re hunting for a thoughtful, unique gift for someone else. If museum shops continue to present their bestselling on-site mementos as stocking fillers, they’re missing the mark entirely.

I’ve heard museum managers say they’ve tried positioning themselves as Christmas gift destinations, only to see lacklustre results. More often than not, the problem isn’t the idea itself—it’s the execution. Without consumer empathy, the right product mix, and a compelling promotional campaign, even the best-laid plans can fall flat.

Christmas represents an invaluable opportunity—not just to provide a solution for time-strapped shoppers but to generate unrestricted income that can be reinvested into museum services. With the rise of museum trusts and increasing competition for funding, why are so many institutions still reluctant to embrace commercial potential during the busiest retail season of the year?

Before online shopping was ubiquitous, I remember making an annual pilgrimage from the Midlands to the Science Museum Shop in London, where I would purchase almost all my son’s Christmas presents. Even then, the best museum shops had a distinct, well-curated retail offering that stood out. Today, the most forward-thinking institutions continue to set themselves apart, but many others remain stuck in outdated merchandising models, failing to adapt to modern retail strategies.

Some museums are getting it right, particularly the Nationals like the V&A and the Natural History Museum, but too many are lagging behind. The high street and major online retailers employ data-driven, psychologically nuanced approaches to consumer behaviour—yet, in contrast, too many museum shops are still operating with a 20th-century mindset.

Of course, not all museums fall into this trap. I continue to be inspired by those who understand and embrace the evolving retail landscape, making the most of their unique offerings. If you have an example of a museum shop that’s nailing it this Christmas, I’d love to hear about it—feel free to drop a link in the comments.

If you don’t want to face a bleak midwinter next year and can’t afford to bring in an expert, I strongly suggest keeping an eye on museum social media accounts to see what best practice looks like. But if you’re ready to start thinking differently about museum retail, you know where to find me.

Paul Baker