While this may sound a little harsh, in reality, it’s true. There is something unique about each and every person that attracts friends and family to them. There is something unique about each and every destination that draws people in. There is something unique about each and every one of your stores or businesses that encourages people to shop and come back.

You are unique, just like everyone else.

In reality, most specialty stores sell the same types of things — that’s why we have the same product sections in every issue of Museums & More with souvenirs, wearables, toys, plush, etc. So what truly makes your store stand out? What makes the T-shirt on your rack any different than the one shoppers can get down the street?
It comes back to that niche” word again.

This issue is full of stories that relate directly to that — finding a different angle to make the products unique and distinct among the many options consumers have. So while it’s true you can get a painting just about anywhere, Nature’s Gift Shoppe in Louisville, Ky. sets the store apart by offering paintings created by endangered animal residents of the zoo. Mikki the elephant, Jelani the gorilla and Segundo the orangutan provide their artistic creations, presenting the store with an unexpected edge.

And while T-shirts and hats are a dime a dozen, what about a T-shirt proclaiming a visit to the Cockroach Hall of Fame or a hat from the birthplace of Jell-O? It becomes more than an article of clothing at that point, as it becomes part of the memory of the experience and certainly something customers can’t purchase just anywhere.

Create Your Niche
By positioning yourself as an expert in a particular area and creating a product or special service that fills a customer need, you can prove to be indispensible. Not only does the store have more specialty items for customers to choose from, but you and the staff should also provide specialty knowledge and information about the products themselves.

For example, when looking for something train-related in the Jackson, Tenn. area, would it make more sense to go to a general store or to a 2,000-square-foot gift shop dedicated completely to trains? Exactly, and that’s why The Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum & Train Store featured on page 34 has been successfully selling only Casey Jones trains and railroad themed gifts for years. When collectors think trains, they think of the Train Store, a fact that has kept sales going strong.

And sometimes finding that creative angle means taking a risk and doing things outside of conventional thinking, as Larry Moss in our Artist Spotlight shows us on page 8. With a number of talented artists flooding the market, he found a way to turn his classic art into something different, something unique, something…inflatable.
So take some time and think about exactly what it is that you can offer that no one else can — be it a product, a service or an insight — and run with it. Setting the store up as truly unique will prove that contrary to popular belief, your store is not like everyone else’s (and that’s a good thing).

Until next time …”