Sarah Bardwell is the director of the Handel House Museum, London
Yes: Gift shops are a valuable source of revenue for museums. Smaller mu-seums, particularly, have to work hard to make gift shops lucrative and attractive. Slower turnovers and tiny purchasing and commissioning budgets are challenging; however, there is no excuse for selling out, stocking tacky products and letting gift-shop marketing go too far.
In Handel House's small gift shop, merchandise is carefully selected. There really isn't room for plastic saxophones and I-™-music teddy-bears. We think that, although not necessarily expensive, items in our gift shop should be of the highest quality and of impeccable taste.
Gift-shop marketing does largely come down to taste; we can only attempt to be the arbiters of good taste and hope that at Handel House there is not a market for the ubiquitous 'Chopin Liszt' note-pad or evil smelling pot pourri.
We are frequently admired for the quality of our shop stock. American visitors - surely the most astute and experienced of gift-shop purchasers - are particularly complimentary. Our aim is to generate revenue as well as maintaining high standards in the shop.
Having said that, while 'Too Hot to Handel' oven-gloves did not make the cut, there is a chance that in the not too distant future, a visit to Handel House could conclude with the purchase of 'Where 'ere you walk' socks - tastefully designed, of course.
Ian Walden is the director of the Black Country Living Museum, West Midlands
No: The Victoria and Albert Museum's advertising campaign - 'an ace cafe with a nice museum attached' - caused much comment because it suggested visitors might be more attracted by an appeal to basic needs than cultural enrichment. Cafes and restaurants are now recognised as valuable museum facilities, as are retail outlets.
The Black Country Living Museum is known locally for the fish and chips it sells, rather than the carefully researched and lovingly reconstructed buildings or the skilled interpretive staff.
As a museum professional, that grates a bit, but with the increasing demands on resources, is it not sensible to maximise income generation wherever possible?
We started out by being very strict in what we would sell, but that did not satisfy visitors or make money. The range is now wider and targeted towards what people will buy. Our retail activities now equal our admission income. As an independent museum with grant aid of less than 3 per cent of turnover, these retail activities are essential.
A balance is regularly struck between conflicting pressures in museums between access and use, and education and entertainment.
Retail marketing is no different. The boundaries get pushed, new ideas tried and mistakes made, but gift-shop marketing has not gone far enough yet.
Yes: Gift shops are a valuable source of revenue for museums. Smaller mu-seums, particularly, have to work hard to make gift shops lucrative and attractive. Slower turnovers and tiny purchasing and commissioning budgets are challenging; however, there is no excuse for selling out, stocking tacky products and letting gift-shop marketing go too far.
In Handel House's small gift shop, merchandise is carefully selected. There really isn't room for plastic saxophones and I-™-music teddy-bears. We think that, although not necessarily expensive, items in our gift shop should be of the highest quality and of impeccable taste.
Gift-shop marketing does largely come down to taste; we can only attempt to be the arbiters of good taste and hope that at Handel House there is not a market for the ubiquitous 'Chopin Liszt' note-pad or evil smelling pot pourri.
We are frequently admired for the quality of our shop stock. American visitors - surely the most astute and experienced of gift-shop purchasers - are particularly complimentary. Our aim is to generate revenue as well as maintaining high standards in the shop.
Having said that, while 'Too Hot to Handel' oven-gloves did not make the cut, there is a chance that in the not too distant future, a visit to Handel House could conclude with the purchase of 'Where 'ere you walk' socks - tastefully designed, of course.
Ian Walden is the director of the Black Country Living Museum, West Midlands
No: The Victoria and Albert Museum's advertising campaign - 'an ace cafe with a nice museum attached' - caused much comment because it suggested visitors might be more attracted by an appeal to basic needs than cultural enrichment. Cafes and restaurants are now recognised as valuable museum facilities, as are retail outlets.
The Black Country Living Museum is known locally for the fish and chips it sells, rather than the carefully researched and lovingly reconstructed buildings or the skilled interpretive staff.
As a museum professional, that grates a bit, but with the increasing demands on resources, is it not sensible to maximise income generation wherever possible?
We started out by being very strict in what we would sell, but that did not satisfy visitors or make money. The range is now wider and targeted towards what people will buy. Our retail activities now equal our admission income. As an independent museum with grant aid of less than 3 per cent of turnover, these retail activities are essential.
A balance is regularly struck between conflicting pressures in museums between access and use, and education and entertainment.
Retail marketing is no different. The boundaries get pushed, new ideas tried and mistakes made, but gift-shop marketing has not gone far enough yet.
