National Museums Scotland (NMS) revamped its online shop as part of efforts to boost its retail income and strengthen its brand.
The shop, which was launched in September, was created and designed in conjunction with the digital agency Mud and the institution’s commercial arm NMS enterprises.
The aim of the venture is to boost total retail turnover by 5%. Since the online shop was launched in September NMS’ retail sales have increased by 30%.
It has been designed in a way that’s relevant to the visitor experience and showcases the diversity of NMS’ collections. For example, it offers a range of items based on the Lewis Chessmen, thought to have been made in Norway between 1150 and 1200 AD, and discovered on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis in 1831.
Online shoppers can buy replica pieces made using 3D laser scans of the originals, the majority of which are at the British Museum in London. There has been much debate over where the 93 pieces belong, and last year six pieces were put on public display at the Museum of the Western Isles at Lews Castle, Stornoway after a permanent loan was agreed with the British Museum.
The question over ownership no doubt adds to the commercial appeal of the chessmen range, which, according to Paul Wareham, the director of retail at NMS Enterprises, is the most popular with online shoppers. He says it is important for the online shop, which attracts customers from North America, Europe and Russia, to stock items that are unique and can’t be purchased elsewhere.
“The moulds that the pieces are cast in were developed from 3D laser scans of the original pieces,” says Wareham.
“We try to make our offering as relevant to the visitor experience as we possibly can,” he adds.
Other items on sale include books on applied arts, Scottish heritage, natural history and archaeology, and a range of jewellery inspired by the museum’s current exhibition on the Celts, which was organised in partnership with the British Museum. There are also a number of toys and games on sale to cater for the large number of families that visit NMS sites.
Visitors using the online shop can search for items under a number of different categories, including exhibitions and collections. This makes it easy for them to see all products that directly relate to curatorial themes.
“It is about getting everything together in a consistent format - descriptions, availability and group. Photography is one thing that shouldn’t be underestimated if you want a consistent look,” says Wareham.
The current website has also been designed to reflect the NMS brand and has been seamlessly integrated with the “look and feel” of the main museum website he adds.
“The look of the shop is far more in line with the brand than it was before. Our previous website was an off-the-shelf product that we plugged our products into. There was a small amount of customisation but it didn’t support the NMS brand," says Wareham.
The redesign also allowed for improvements to be made to the transaction function, which was “clunky” and not in keeping with the high expectations today’s shoppers have of e-commerce.
Online shops are not just an effective way of generating income, they also have an important role to play in strengthening a museum’s brand, which can help to secure its long-term future in an environment of cuts to public funding.
“It is important for all institutions to be clearly recognisable, differentiated and consistent with clear values that their brand is trying to live up to,” concludes Wareham.
The shop, which was launched in September, was created and designed in conjunction with the digital agency Mud and the institution’s commercial arm NMS enterprises.
The aim of the venture is to boost total retail turnover by 5%. Since the online shop was launched in September NMS’ retail sales have increased by 30%.
It has been designed in a way that’s relevant to the visitor experience and showcases the diversity of NMS’ collections. For example, it offers a range of items based on the Lewis Chessmen, thought to have been made in Norway between 1150 and 1200 AD, and discovered on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis in 1831.
Online shoppers can buy replica pieces made using 3D laser scans of the originals, the majority of which are at the British Museum in London. There has been much debate over where the 93 pieces belong, and last year six pieces were put on public display at the Museum of the Western Isles at Lews Castle, Stornoway after a permanent loan was agreed with the British Museum.
The question over ownership no doubt adds to the commercial appeal of the chessmen range, which, according to Paul Wareham, the director of retail at NMS Enterprises, is the most popular with online shoppers. He says it is important for the online shop, which attracts customers from North America, Europe and Russia, to stock items that are unique and can’t be purchased elsewhere.
“The moulds that the pieces are cast in were developed from 3D laser scans of the original pieces,” says Wareham.
“We try to make our offering as relevant to the visitor experience as we possibly can,” he adds.
Other items on sale include books on applied arts, Scottish heritage, natural history and archaeology, and a range of jewellery inspired by the museum’s current exhibition on the Celts, which was organised in partnership with the British Museum. There are also a number of toys and games on sale to cater for the large number of families that visit NMS sites.
Visitors using the online shop can search for items under a number of different categories, including exhibitions and collections. This makes it easy for them to see all products that directly relate to curatorial themes.
“It is about getting everything together in a consistent format - descriptions, availability and group. Photography is one thing that shouldn’t be underestimated if you want a consistent look,” says Wareham.
The current website has also been designed to reflect the NMS brand and has been seamlessly integrated with the “look and feel” of the main museum website he adds.
“The look of the shop is far more in line with the brand than it was before. Our previous website was an off-the-shelf product that we plugged our products into. There was a small amount of customisation but it didn’t support the NMS brand," says Wareham.
The redesign also allowed for improvements to be made to the transaction function, which was “clunky” and not in keeping with the high expectations today’s shoppers have of e-commerce.
Online shops are not just an effective way of generating income, they also have an important role to play in strengthening a museum’s brand, which can help to secure its long-term future in an environment of cuts to public funding.
“It is important for all institutions to be clearly recognisable, differentiated and consistent with clear values that their brand is trying to live up to,” concludes Wareham.