Winter 2018

Creative Display Contest Top Ten By Zeke Jennings

Back in October, a call was sent out to Gift Shop and Museums & More readers to submit a photo of their most creative in-store displays. The entries were original and beautiful, and our editors had a difficult time narrowing it down to just 10. The winner will be featured in our Spring issue and earn a valuable prize.

Meet the top 10 finalists in our inaugural Creative Display Contest.

Crow’s Nest Beach Market

Santa Cruz, California

“First of all, I am obsessed with all things moon right now so obviously this is my favorite display in the shop! What really makes this display great though, is the fact that there are 24 different companies represented here including a few local artists!” — Cory Aripotch

Indulge Lititz

Lititz, Pennsylvania

“Our store began as a three-generation shop in 2015 with grandmother, mother and daughter. The photo is from our Christmas window display in 2016. We lost my Mom in early 2016 and when I decorated the ladder tree (shown in picture) I used some ornaments from her Christmas trees in the past. I also used ornament from my daughters little tree she had in her room growing up. The rest of the ornaments were from my collection as well as new ones. The window kind of became a ‘memory display’ for me! We were also thrilled when we won the category of Most Unusual in our town’s yearly window display contest.” — Theresa Williams

Hershey Medical Center Gift Shop

Hershey, Pennsylvania

“I just love our sunflower display. It is so bright and cheery! Everyone that comes in our Gift Shop says that it makes them happy. I think all the merchandise works so well together. It is a great feeling to make our customers smile.” — Vicki Miller

Nature Gift Shop at James & Anne Robinson Nature Center

Columbia, Maryland

“At Robinson Nature Center’s Nature Gift Shop, we proudly offer creative, award-winning, local and sustainable products. Our gift shop celebrates what we love and want to share about nature. This display is handcrafted artwork designed and built by our nature center staff out of materials salvaged from our property. It displays one-of-a-kind items made by local artisans.” — Marisa Olszewski

North Carolina Aquarium Gift Shop at Roanoke Island

Manteo, North Carolina

“We renovated our gift shop to engage and extend the aquarium experience for our visitors. The results and reactions have been met with beaming smiles of excitement and like kids in a candy store they proceed to find those items that catch their eye. These expressions are everything we had hoped for and worked so hard toward. Many thought we had a much larger space and commented on how easy it was to move around in the shop. They loved the playfulness, colors and merchandise mix. The lure to come in and explore, play and enjoy was our goal and has been met with exceptional sales.” — Barbara Bayer

Pennypickle’s Workshop, Temecula Children’s Museum

Temecula, California

“I love these displays because it draws the attention and curiosity of children and their families to toys and teaching tools that stimulate the mind and imagination. It’s simply put together on a table with crates stacked and wire spools with unusual items to draw the consumer in.” — Izzy Kunert

Santa Barbara Historical Museum

Santa Barbara, California

“I am proud of this display because of the deeper connection I have been able to make with our new exhibition — Sacred Art in the Age of Contact, a collaboration with PST LA: LA, to promote and support Latin American art. Our exhibit and display focuses on the sensitive issues of colonialism that was enforced on our local Chumash Native American tribe and the art that was produced. In my display I feature several books on the local Chumash and their art, along with the Latin American influence. I curated my display to reflect the exhibit in that it deconstructs stereotypes and explains the historical significance of religious and cultural art. I worked with local Chumash vendors and used their voice to create the display. Patrons leave the gift shop with a story behind their purchase and items to spend deeper reflection on.” — Lauren Trujillo

Capri Luna Pop Up Shop at West Elm Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“Capri Luna was invited to join a local artists popup at West Elm Local – Philadelphia store. Their modern and fresh lighting and furniture really pushed our products to a new level and highlighted them in a wonderful way. We were reminded how lighting is so very important and reference these photos for our future events.” — Clare Schaumann

Westside Salon & Boutique

Waynesville, Missouri

“Our display is great because we have a lot of different textures, colors and charm happening within one place. The dresser alone is fantastic then we added the wood textures, then the leaves added another pop of color. Your eyes are drawn to this display the minute you walk into the boutique.” — Melissa Shelden

Wilbur D. May Museum

Reno, Nevada

“Just in time for autumn, we highlighted items that evoke the rich hues and cozy feelings of the season. The vibrant telephone wire baskets from Africa pair wonderfully with the patterned purses and totes from Mexico. The table is accented by other unique artisan pieces from around the world. We love this display because it is so eye-catching. Customers are immediately drawn to the warm colors and textures. Best of all, everything is Fair Trade-certified. This display captures the uniqueness of our store, evokes our museum collection, and conjures the mood of the fall season.” — Samantha Szesciorka