Here, we take a look at what lessons a visitor attraction, whatever its size, can take from some of the bigger players in the market.
There is the slightly tongue-in-cheek mantra of ‘exit through the gift shop’ when visiting visitor attractions, but a commercial retail strategy is an important tool in strengthening a brand and driving revenue.
Location, location, location
Any attraction with a wait for a ride or activity has an opportunity to engage with customers by enhancing their experience and adding revenue while they await their turn. This could be from providing a coffee hut midway down the queue, or having interactive screens showing waiting times for rides, videos which help build anticipation about what they’re about to experience or showcasing other activities on site.
A queue may also be a place for a gift stand or a ‘walk through’ shop, although there is some evidence that customers are more likely to engage with merchandise immediately after an activity, as they feel closer to the brand after having an enjoyable experience. This is also true about gift shops at exit points: while they will capture some customers, many may be more focused on getting home after a fun, but potentially tiring, day.
What to sell?
It’s very important that retail products authentically reflect a brand. Less commercialised or nature-based visitor attractions are likely to want to focus on artisan, sustainable lines that echo their ethos. The space in which items are presented should also be curated to reflect an attraction’s identity and continue the visitor’s experience.
For larger sites or rides, attraction-specific merchandising can be very popular. Hyperia, Thorpe Park’s newest and the UK’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster, has its own merchandising, with items from hoodies to pin badges; some products are available online, but most can only be bought in the ride’s shop, enhancing the customer’s sense of exclusivity.
As for mid-ride souvenir photos, previously a very popular purchase, tech has changed both demand and how these are purchased. Smartphones enable everyone to take photos on the ground, limiting demand at some attractions, but most rides prohibit phones and body-warn cameras on-board for safety reasons. A mid-ride photo may still therefore be desirable, but these are purchased through touch-screen kiosks used by customers, rather than at manned photo booths.
Operating concerns
Most operators and landlords own the retail merchandising areas and formats on their sites, however there may be opportunities for the short-term leasing of specific areas/stands or collaborating with third-party brands for ‘pop ups’. However, these tend to be on a relatively short-term or seasonal-specific basis - tying in with Halloween or Christmas, for example.
There is a move to more dynamic operating hours and staffing: through footfall monitoring technology, plus the apps that many guests download while visiting, operators are able to track customer movements accurately, identifying busy periods and deploying more staff to retail areas at these times. If it’s quieter, automated check-outs may be offered.
Adding value and profitability are key
Ultimately, adding to or enhancing the retail or merchandising mix at a visitor attraction is an investment and operators need to consider carefully how changes will maintain or improve turnover and profit margins at a time when operational costs are rising and consumers are very cost conscious. However, most customers visit an attraction for fun, and therefore are amenable to treating themselves, or have budgeted to do so. Getting an attractive and appropriate retail mix can therefore directly help improve profits, which, in a market typically valued having regard to trading performance, is likely to increase the value of the visitor attraction.
