Winter 2013

Museum Gift Shops: A Snapshot in Time By Geoff Walsky

Spy Steals

The International Spy Museum in Washington D.C., is the only U.S. museum dedicated solely to espionage and its effects on the world. It features interactive experiences and hosts a traveling exhibit.

For example, in Spy In the City, armed with a GPS-enabled device, visitors can leave the museum and head into the nation’s capital to embark on a high stakes operation where they will receive clues, codes and audio intercepts. The device contains everything one would need to complete one of two secret missions.

The museum also offers Spy City Tours where visitors can go, “deep undercover into the realm of espionage, intrigue, deception, and betrayal” according to the museum’s website.

At the related store, Director of Retail Jody Zeppelin says that rough economic times call for offering something special. The museum store works very closely with museum staff on marketing initiatives and events. “Be better, do more,” is Zeppelin’s motto. Part of that strategy means focusing on multi-channel e-commerce. The store redesigned its weekly email marketing blasts and expanded its virtual catalog. Mobile solutions for the museum are also in place—smartphone users can access key museum details, purchase tickets, and even shop for featured items from the Spy Shop. The museum posts pictures of celebrity visits. The mobile site also offers quick links to the museum’s Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube pages. The YouTube link features an entertaining video filled with museum clips, shots of people having fun, and even original news content about spies and espionage. A virtual tour of the store featuring product views and shoppers, is also offered.

Not only does the website highlight store items for purchase, it also provides background information and content that engages customers. The focus is on education and entertainment, and the shopping is an add-on. The online initiatives, Zeppelin says, are a lot more work but she enjoys them and sees their success increase online business at a far greater rate than the bricks-and-mortar operation.

Being the only museum covering international espionage has its perks so Zeppelin and her staff capitalize on unique product offerings—many of which are exclusive to the store. The most popular line of products features the phrase “Deny Everything,” and is trademarked by the museum. The store capitalizes on the museum’s cachet—customers are willing to pay more for gifts that come directly from The International Spy Museum.

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Geoff Walsky

Geoffrey Walsky is a museum and specialty store consultant, specializing in retail management, product sourcing and selection, and retail e-commerce.