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Introduction

In many visitor attractions, the final touchpoint of the experience isn’t a grand hall or gallery; it’s the gift shop. More specifically, it's the exit route through it. These final few metres represent a crucial and often under-optimised retail opportunity. Here, impulse meets emotion. Visitors are still basking in the glow of the experience, ready to take home a tangible memory. The question is: are you making the most of it?

In this post, we’ll explore how thoughtful product selection, layout, and pricing can transform your exit pathway into a high-performing, high-converting space, without feeling pushy or overcrowded.

Why Exit Path Retail Deserves Special Attention

  • Most purchases at the exit are impulse-driven: items must be accessible, affordable, and instantly appealing.

  • This area captures the widest audience, even those who didn’t initially plan to browse.

  • A strong exit offer can significantly increase average basket size, especially for attractions with high footfall or time-limited visits.

Product Traits That Work Best

Focus on souvenirs that are:

  • Compact: Easy to carry, pack, and gift.

  • Low-friction: No sizing is required, and it is quick to understand.

  • Affordable: Typically under £10, or bundle-friendly.

  • Emotionally resonant: Evoke the visit through visuals, humour, or nostalgia.

Top performers include:

Visual Merchandising Tactics That Convert

  • Use vertical space with pegs or waterfall displays that are easy to browse quickly.

  • Signage matters: “Take a piece of your visit home today” style prompts add context.

  • Cross-merchandise: Pair items by theme (e.g. castle illustration coaster + mug + tea towel).

  • Keep restocking simple: Choose products that are easy for staff to replenish quickly in high-traffic moments.

Speed-Friendly Payment & Bundles

  • Clearly labelled multi-buy offers (“3 for £10”) help drive quick decisions.

  • QR codes or scannable product displays near contactless payment points make for frictionless purchasing.

Conclusion

Your exit path doesn’t need to feel like a checkout conveyor belt; when curated with care, it can be the emotional final note of a memorable visit. By placing the right products, at the right price, in the right space, you give every guest the chance to take a piece of their experience home with them.

Looking to optimise your exit-through-the-gift-shop offer? Get in touch with our team

Under renovation? Part of your venue closed? You don’t have to shut down your shop or miss out on valuable retail revenue.

Temporary closures can actually offer a chance to rethink how you engage visitors and where you sell. At The Souvenir Collection, we support attractions in designing smart, flexible retail strategies that work even when your main shop isn’t available.

Here’s how to keep retail going during renovation periods or partial access.

1. Create a Mobile Retail Unit

Pop-up stalls, foldable carts, or table displays are perfect for:

- Reception areas or temporary entrances

  • - Outdoor courtyards or marquees

  • - School group check-in points

Stock compact, high-performing products like:

2. Promote Your Online Store

Use QR signage, leaflets, and email follow-up to direct visitors to your online store. Our sister company, Merchr, offers print-on-demand merchandise where no stock is held and customers can personalise products. This works especially well when:

- The main shop is inaccessible

  • - Visitors want to browse at home

  • - Personalisation is part of the offer

We’ll help set up a branded store with your core range, plus customisable options, and handle fulfilment on your behalf.

3. Sell Through Third-Party Points

Consider retailing through:

- The on-site café

  • - Local tourism hubs or partner venues

  • - Pop-up locations in nearby towns

4. Turn the Renovation Into a Retail Story

Visitors love behind-the-scenes glimpses. Create exclusive merch that celebrates the transformation:

  • - “While We Build…” themed notebooks

  • - Archive-inspired postcards or construction-themed graphics

  • - Commemorative mugs or enamel badges

It keeps the experience alive and turns inconvenience into intrigue.

Keep Selling, Keep Connecting

Your shop doesn't need four walls to succeed. Let’s turn your downtime into an opportunity with creative, compact, and custom merchandise,  no matter what stage of renovation you're in.

Speak to our team and let’s keep retail working, even when the paint’s still drying.

While seasonal launches and exhibition tie-ins are great for retail buzz, every successful attraction shop needs a reliable, all-year-round product range, the kind that sells in January and July, rain or shine, school trip or solo visit.

At The Souvenir Collection, we help attractions create collections that deliver consistent revenue, low waste, and strong visitor engagement across every season. Here’s how to develop a core product range that works 12 months a year.

Start with Visitor-Proof Products

Your core range should be built around timeless, practical items that:

  • Are relevant to most types of visitors

  • Offer wide appeal across age, gender and nationality

  • Require minimal seasonal messaging

  • Pack well and travel easily

Our top performers include:

  • Branded notebooks – ideal for gift-giving, journaling or taking home a piece of the experience

  • Pens and pencils – low-cost, high-volume and loved by students, families and collectors alike

  • Reusable tote bags – sustainable, stylish and useful beyond the visit

  • Mugs and drinkware – perfect for home or office use, often bought in pairs

  • Keyrings and badges – small, affordable, and great for impulse purchases

These categories deliver reliable turnover, are easy to restock, and never go out of fashion.

Design Once, Sell Often

Your core products don’t need constant redesign; in fact, their strength lies in recognisability and longevity. We recommend investing in:

  • A signature design based on your site’s logo, landmark or visual identity

  • Illustration styles or patterns that reflect your brand rather than a specific season

  • Neutral or core colour palettes that match your packaging and displays year-round

At TSC, our in-house designers can help you create artwork that feels evergreen, whether it’s a minimalist crest, a classic architectural sketch, or a clean typographic design.

Keep It Flexible

Build a range that’s adaptable to different audiences:

  • Include neutral gender and age appeal as a base

  • Use seasonal signage or bundles to temporarily reposition core products for gifting or school holidays (e.g. pairing a notebook with a pencil set)

  • Use Merchr to extend the core range online with customisation options for specific buyer types (e.g. teachers, students, alumni)

Create Consistency Across Touchpoints

A strong core range isn’t just a best-seller; it becomes part of your attraction’s identity. Visitors who return year after year will come to expect it. And when it’s done well, they’ll recommend it.

Let’s build your signature selection. Get in touch to start creating a core merchandise collection that works every day of the year.

Not every attraction has the luxury of a large gift shop. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create a high-performing retail offer.

Whether you’re working with a pop-up kiosk, a ticket-desk display, or a few shelves by the exit, it’s all about making smart decisions. At The Souvenir Collection, we help attractions design compact product ranges that fit small spaces, offer big value, and are easy to restock.

Here’s how to build a shop that punches well above its footprint.

Focus on Small, Practical, and Packable

Products that sell well in small spaces tend to be:

  • Lightweight and easy for visitors to carry

  • Low in cost (great for impulse buys)

  • Multi-purpose (keepsake and functional)

Top picks include:

All of these can be branded or customised and have strong visitor appeal across all ages.

Create Vertical and Flexible Displays

Think upward, not outward:

  • Use tiered plinths, pegboards, or hanging racks

  • Display in portable units that can be moved or folded away

  • Use QR signage to offer extended online ranges through our sister company, Merchr

Stock Little, Replenish Often

Order what you need, when you need it and keep your offer fresh without overloading your shelves.

Make the Most of the Space You Have

Small space doesn’t mean small sales. Let us help you create a compact, creative, and custom collection that works wherever your shop is located.

Designing for retail doesn’t have to mean reinventing the wheel every time. In fact, one of the smartest strategies attractions can use is creating a cohesive product line based on a single piece of artwork, applied across different formats.

At The Souvenir Collection, we regularly help clients transform one well-crafted design into a visually unified, commercially strong collection. Here’s how to get the most out of a single illustration or pattern, and why it works.

 

Why It’s Worth Doing
Using one artwork across multiple products:

Creates brand cohesion across your shop
Helps customers recognise and connect with your theme
Encourages bundling and multi-item purchases
Makes display and signage more impactful
Visitors love being able to buy a set, even if they’re only picking one piece.

 

Start with a Strong Design
The ideal artwork for repetition should be:

Visually flexible (works in square, rectangular and circular formats)
Scalable without losing detail
High contrast for legibility on textiles and stationery
Tied to your attraction’s visual identity (historic detail, iconic building, natural element, custom typography)
We can help you adapt architectural sketches, archive motifs, illustrative maps, or abstract patterns into a layout that works on everything from mugs to tote bags.

 

Best Products for Repeat Use
Once you have your core design, you can apply it across:

Notebooks (hardcover or spiral-bound)
Tote bags and drawstring backpacks
Mugs, travel cups, and bottles
Badges, keyrings, and magnets
Whether you want the artwork to fully wrap the product or act as a placement print, we’ll help ensure it fits beautifully.

 

Make it Easy to Merchandise
Using one pattern lets you build strong in-store displays:

Colour-match across product categories
Group items by design (e.g. “Woodland Collection” or “Sketchbook Range”)
Use the same signage or packaging styling across SKUs

 

Let’s Make One Design Work Harder
One great illustration can go a long way! Contact us about turning your visual assets into a full retail range that’s cohesive, cost-effective, and completely you!

Grandparents are one of the most valuable and often underappreciated segments of the gift shop audience. Many visit attractions as part of a family day out or school holiday treat, and they’re looking for keepsakes, gifts, and shared experiences that resonate across generations.

At The Souvenir Collection, we help attractions create intergenerational product ranges that appeal to both grandparents and the children they visit with. Here's how to create a collection that delights both ends of the age spectrum and drives memorable, meaningful purchases.

Prioritise Practical, Sentimental Products

Older shoppers often favour items that are:

  • Thoughtful and practical

  • Easy to pack and transport

  • Sentimental or experience-driven

For this reason, top choices include:

  • Tea towels – classic, collectable, and often themed to the destination’s history or nature

  • Notebooks – great for creative children or grandparent-grandchild journaling

  • Stationery sets – items they can sit down and use together

  • Fridge magnets – small mementoes with visual storytelling

  • Mugs or ceramics – ideal for gifting or quiet moments at home

These products are typically low-risk, lightweight, and often picked up as souvenirs or presents for parents at home, too.

Design for Shared Appeal

Designs that work across generations:

  • Feature charming, illustrative artwork (especially animals, landscapes, or vintage styles)

  • Use clear, legible fonts and high-contrast colour schemes

  • Avoid slang, overly juvenile designs or anything too trend-based

  • Include educational, nostalgic, or story-driven themes

We can help you build collections that pair visual warmth with functional design, perfect for sparking conversations between generations.

Create Bundles That Do the Work for Them

Pre-packed bundles or “Gift for Grandchild” suggestions help make purchasing easier. Consider:

  • Notebook + pencil set bundles

  • Small storytelling kits (like a wildlife or nature-themed stationery set)

With custom packaging or belly bands, these bundles are easy to grab and perfect for thoughtful gift-givers.

Mind the Messaging

Signage plays a big part in helping grandparents navigate retail spaces. Use:

  • “Perfect for your grandchild” callouts

  • “Gift ideas under £10” or “Shared activity sets” POS displays

  • Inclusive imagery of older adults with younger visitors in your packaging or merchandising

Timeless Design. Thoughtful Retail. Real Connection.

The best souvenir ranges don’t just commemorate a visit, they bring people together. Whether it’s a writing session, a kitchen table conversation or a small token of a lovely day out, products that connect generations can have lasting value.

Want to create a range that resonates with grandparents and their grandchildren? Get in contact today!

School groups are a vital audience for many UK visitor attractions. Whether you're a museum, heritage site, or science centre, catering to younger visitors requires thoughtful, age-appropriate products that are both exciting and educational.

Here’s how to create a souvenir strategy that works for schools, with help from The Souvenir Collection.

What Do Schools and Parents Want?

When schools bring students on trips, they’re looking for souvenirs that are:

  • Affordable: Parents often provide a small budget, typically under £10

  • Safe: No sharp edges, choking hazards, or fragile materials

  • Educational: Products that reinforce learning and help remember the visit

  • Durable: Items that survive the bus ride home

At the same time, the gift shop is often a highlight of the trip, so the products need to be engaging and fun.

Best-Selling School Group Souvenirs

Some of our most popular products for school audiences include:

  • Branded pencils, pens & stationery sets

  • Character keyrings or Magnets

  • Pocket-sized toys

  • Mini badges

These items can be grouped into pre-packed bundles for ease of sale and storage, or offered as part of “pick & mix” counters to create excitement.

School Merchandise

Make It Educational

Linking merchandise to your exhibits or curriculum is a great way to reinforce learning:

  • Use quotes from exhibits, historical facts or visuals in designs

  • Include QR codes that lead back to your attraction’s digital resources

  • Offer customisation to encourage creative engagement (e.g. “Design your own…”)

With TSC’s in-house design support, we can help you craft age-specific artwork and product concepts that truly connect with your educational mission.

Tips for School-Friendly Retail

  • Set up a dedicated area or counter for school souvenirs

  • Offer clear pricing (e.g. £2, £5, £10 bins)

  • Use signage that explains the products’ links to learning

  • Consider online ordering for teachers or pre-booked gift packs

Let’s Create Souvenirs They’ll Take Home and Talk About

From budget-friendly bundles to meaningful learning tools, TSC makes it easy to design merchandise that meets the needs of schools, students, and staff.

Get in touch with our team, and we’ll help you build a school-friendly range that’s safe, fun, and truly memorable.

When it comes to boosting retail revenue, it’s not always about selling more products, it’s about selling smarter. One of the simplest yet most effective merchandising strategies for visitor attractions is the use of multi-item gift sets. These curated bundles add value for customers while helping attractions increase average transaction sizes without overcrowding displays or straining inventory.

Here’s how to make gift sets work for your attraction and how The Souvenir Collection can help you do it effortlessly.

Why Gift Sets Work

Gift sets tap into several proven purchasing behaviours:

  • Perceived value: Visitors feel they’re getting more for their money, especially when a bundle is priced slightly below the cost of purchasing items individually.

  • Convenience: Pre-packed sets are ready to gift, ideal for tourists and families shopping under time pressure.

  • Emotional appeal: Themed bundles tell a story, often aligned with the visit experience (e.g. “Explorer’s Kit”, “Garden Lovers Pack” or “Little Aviator Set”).

They’re also ideal for seasonal promotions, limited edition runs, and upselling at point-of-sale.

Bundle Ideas for Attractions

Attractions can build bundles in a variety of creative and practical ways:

  • Themed kits: Tie into your attraction’s story, e.g. “Museum Essentials” (pencil, notepad, badge) or “Royal Afternoon” (tea towel, coaster set, teacup).

  • Age-focused sets: Create packs for children, teens, or adults with age-appropriate products and designs.

  • Sustainability bundles: Group eco-products to appeal to environmentally conscious shoppers.

  • Build-your-own bundles: Allow customers to select any 3 items from a chosen collection for a discounted price.

Let’s Package the Experience

Bundles aren’t just about increasing spend, they’re about enhancing the visitor journey. When your products reflect the story, atmosphere, and values of your attraction, they become more than just gifts; they become treasured reminders.

Get in touch to start building a range of gift sets tailored to your audience and your story!

The sun’s out, footfall is up, and tourists are ready to explore, which means your retail strategy needs to shift into summer mode. The warm-weather season is a golden opportunity for visitor attractions to introduce seasonal products that feel fresh, fun, and perfectly suited to the summer mindset.

At The Souvenir Collection, we help attractions craft summer-ready ranges that are practical, stylish, and on-brand. Here’s how you can do the same.

Why Seasonal Ranges Work

Visitors respond to timely, relevant products, especially those that help them enjoy the moment

Lightweight items are ideal for travel and gifting

Designs that reflect the sunshine, holidays, and outdoor vibes

Adding a summer collection also gives returning visitors something new, while enabling you to tell fresh stories through colour, design, and display.

Summer Product Must-Haves

Here are some top performers to consider for your warm-weather lineup:

  • Reusable water bottles: Eco-conscious and essential for exploring in the heat

  • Tote bags: Ideal for day trips and beach days

  • Notebooks: Lightweight, creative, and great for capturing travel memories

  • Tea towels and coasters: Seasonal patterns or summer colours make these perfect gift sets

  • Lightweight apparel: T-shirts, caps, and kidswear with summer illustrations or slogans

  • Outdoor-friendly gifts: Think picnic-ready accessories or field guides

All of these can be customised with your brand and turned around quickly, perfect for seasonal windows.

Design Tips for Summer Ranges

Summer is a great time to experiment with:

  • Bright or pastel colour palettes

  • Illustrated maps or nature-inspired prints

  • Limited-edition designs tied to exhibitions, local events, or the school holidays

These visual cues create a sense of urgency and fun, encouraging visitors to buy now rather than wait.

Fast, Flexible, and Seasonal by Design

With in-house printing and decoration, TSC can help you create and receive new summer stock in as little as 2 working days, so you can respond to weather spikes, changing footfall, or new retail opportunities fast.

And if you want to go online? With our sister company Merchr, you can launch a seasonal digital gift shop to extend sales outside your physical store, perfect for holiday shoppers or late-summer planners.

Ready to Heat Up Your Retail?

From personalised picnic sets to sun-ready tote bags, we can help you build a seasonal range that celebrates summer and supports your bottom line. Let’s create something visitors will love to use, gift, and remember.

Talk to our team today, and we’ll help you make this your brightest summer yet.

In successful attraction retail, product choice is only half the story. Placement, what you stock and where plays a crucial role in shaping buying behaviour and increasing revenue.

By aligning your retail strategy with the natural flow of your visitor journey, you can prompt purchases at just the right moment without disrupting the experience. Here’s how to plan your shop layout and product positioning more strategically.

 

1. Start Strong: Entry Point Retail

Objective: Set the tone and spark curiosity without overwhelming your customers.

The first impression matters. At the entrance, visitors are just beginning their experience, so heavy sales tactics can feel intrusive. However, this is a perfect space for products that build excitement and anticipation.

Best for:
- Trail maps and activity packs
- Branded lanyards or sticker books for kids
- Lightweight, low-commitment items like postcards or pins
- Seasonal or event-led “What’s New” displays

 

2. Think in Chapters: Exhibition-Based Retail

Objective: Create contextual opportunities to buy during the visit.

If your venue includes galleries, themed rooms, or exhibitions, you have opportunities to embed retail naturally throughout. This keeps the shopping experience immersive and relevant, especially in slower, more reflective spaces.

Best for:
- Exhibition-specific merchandise (e.g., prints, books, artist collaborations)
- High-margin items with storytelling potential
- Print-on-demand personalisation stations

 

3. The Final Moment: Exit Retail and Gift Shops

Objective: Convert emotion into action.

This is your prime retail opportunity. Visitors have finished their experience, are emotionally engaged, and often looking for a way to take something home. The more considered this space, the better your results.

Best for:
- Core product range: mugs, totes, notebooks
- Exclusive or attraction-branded collections
- Gift items for others: box sets, toys, or homeware
- Value-add bundles (“3 for £10” style promotions)

💡 Tip: Group products by theme rather than type (e.g. “Family Favourites” or “Local Makers”) to encourage browsing across price points.

 

4. Secondary Touchpoints: Pop-Ups and Roaming Retail

Objective: Add agility and test new ideas.

Not all retail needs to live in a permanent shop. Pop-up units, mobile kiosks, and short-term seasonal setups allow you to meet visitors where they are, especially during events, holidays, or peak traffic periods.

Best for:
- Limited-edition merchandise
- Customisable print-on-demand items
- Event-specific clothing or accessories
- “Collect them all” capsule ranges

 

5. Don’t Forget Digital: Extending the Journey Online

Objective: Keep the conversation and the purchase going.

Physical placement isn’t just about shelves and displays. Many attractions are now extending their shop online, allowing visitors to browse after their visit or from anywhere in the world. You can set up an online print-on-demand website with our sister company, Merchr.

Best for:
- Print-on-demand collections with no stock risk
- Personalised items
- Gifts for visitors who didn’t buy onsite
- Exhibition extensions or seasonal edits

💻 Pro tip: Use QR codes in key locations to link back to the online shop. This is great for visitors who want to browse without carrying items during their visit.

 

Final Thought: Placement Is Part of the Experience

Where you position your products matters just as much as what you stock. By aligning your merchandising strategy with the rhythm of your visitor journey from arrival to exit, you make your shop feel like a seamless, enriching part of the experience.

Need help rethinking your layout or planning a new launch? Get in touch