Nov 14, 2023

Museum Store Sunday returns Nov. 26

Shoppers can enjoy a sustainable holiday shopping experience at more than 2,100 museum stores worldwide on Museum Store Sunday, taking place Nov. 26.

Participating stores across all 50 states, 25 countries and five continents will offer shoppers a wide range of discounts, special events, gifts with purchase and eco-friendly items for everyone on their holiday lists.

Broad assortments of highly curated, unique, sustainably made and mission-driven items will be available to shoppers online and in person, including books, clothing, jewelry, children’s products, home accessories and gourmet food. Shoppers’ museum store purchases will support their favorite cultural institutions, as well as artists and small businesses in their communities.

Founded by the Museum Store Association in 2017, Museum Store Sunday is encouraging sustainability efforts by prioritizing eco-friendly products created by local artists. Often made of recycled or biodegradable materials sourced from fair-trade communities, sustainable items found at museum stores benefit local providers and the environment when compared to mass-produced items manufactured overseas.

Patricia Sampson, board president of the Museum Store Association and director of the King Center Bookstore and Resource Center in Atlanta, explains how shopping at local museums and cultural institutions during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend promotes sustainable retail practices.

“By purchasing one-of-a-kind gifts made by local artists and providers in their communities instead of mass-produced products commonly found in big-box stores, consumers and museum stores alike can reduce their carbon footprints while boosting their local economies,” Sampson said. “Partnering with local artists reduces shipping-related costs and emissions for both museum stores and their patrons, ultimately minimizing air pollution while conserving valuable energy during the busy holiday season.”

Eco-friendly gifts include the Hackney Backpack made from 100% recycled and recyclable water-resistant fabric, available at the de Young & Legion of Honor Museum Stores in San Francisco; the 3D Tic Tac Toe Game Set ethically handmade using sustainably sourced Indian rosewood, available at the Cummer Museum Shop in Jacksonville, Florida; Wild Cloud x Barnes Earrings made from bamboo, available at the Barnes Shop in Philadelphia; and the Recycled Silver Knot Necklace, available at the Shop at the Denver Art Museum.

Shoppers are strongly encouraged to bring their own reusable shopping bags or purchase the special edition Museum Store Sunday Eco-Tote made from 100% recycled post-consumer materials to help eliminate single-use plastics.

“Many museum stores are conscientious about the impact of single-use plastics in the packaging of products,” Sampson said. “Whenever possible, museum stores strive to achieve zero-waste packaging, often forgoing packaging altogether and recycling single-use waste.”