ZAG NEWS

Jan. 2016

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ZOO AND AQUARIUM BUYERS GROUP

ZAG News
Volume 15, Issue:1

www.zaggift.com

Jan. 2016

Gold Sponsor Spotlight!

Art Studio Company is ALWAYS coming up with fun
new products for our ZAG
friends! We continue expanding our line of hand
stitched sequined ornaments because they are doing so
well at retail. Our new pastel line of whimsical animal
scarves and bags are doing
well too! Don't forget a
portion of our proceeds
help an endangered species! Checkout our website artstudiocompany.com

Cool Jewels by Phillips is a leading provider of gift,

trend and souvenir jewelry. During the past 40
years, we have been privileged to work in partnership with many of the zoos and aquariums throughout North America. Buyers have placed a significant
value on our unique line of over 3,000 SKUS, continuContinued on page 3

The Sandy Creek Mining Company, Inc. is the wholesale builder and supplier of mining
equipment and products used in panning operations at tourist attractions across the
USA and around the world. We have provided quality equipment, products, and service
since 1991.
Sandy Creek Mining Co. was born out of a demand for hands on family activities that
are fun, educational, and affordable. Panning for gemstones and fossils has become a
popular activity at many caves, zoos, museums, aquariums, and agritourism destinations because of its
hands on educational appeal and high profitability for many years of operation.
Continued on page 3

Build-Your-Own Light Blazer

Imagine * Create * Defend

We at Wild Republic are thrilled to introduce an extremely exciting new toy

program for 2016; Build-Your-Own Light Blazer. Now your customers can come
into your shop and get both an experience and a product; a product they have
created themselves and made their very own.
Build Your Own Light blazer program includes a compact vibrant display with its own storage compartment
Continued on page 4

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Gold Sponsor Spotlight!

More Gold Sponsors for 2016

PAGE 2

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Gold Sponsor Spotlight!

Cool Jewels cont..

ous introduction of new animal and sea life items, attractive margins, clever merchandising solutions, Quick
Check order check in, personalized customer service and an unrelenting focus on their success.
Our team is incredibly honored that a large percentage of our clients have entrusted Cool Jewels to manage
their jewelry program, freeing them to focus on other priorities throughout the retail operation. We provide
the floor display along with free custom hang tag and pre-ticketing, develop a site-specific product assortment, ship in 3-5 business days and assist with reorders if desired. Buyers and their associates need only
work the cash register!
As 2016 approaches, Cool Jewels has used its innovative approach to product and merchandising development to keep our partners in the best position for success. New styles utilizing rose gold, natural stone such
as druzy, tiger eye and rose quartz, as well as unique twists on the traditional bangle bracelet, like multifaceted stone with inlaid pendant and two-tone closures, will help keep things interesting for their guests.
An exciting new floor display option can accommodate virtually any custom graphic, allowing for a perfect fit
in themed exhibit shops. Imagine celebrating the birth of a baby giraffe (or any other animal) with a display
featuring a magnificent giraffe scene on the panels and matching themed product! Your customers, staff,
management committee and you will be delighted. Everyone wins with this type of creative thinking.
Cool Jewels. Less Work. More Profit.
Sandy Creek continued...

All of Sandy Creeks mining equipment is built with an emphasis on great eye appeal, authenticity, and longevity. All of our equipment is custom designed to fit your needs. With young customers in mind, sluices are
low to the ground eliminating any platforms or tripping hazards and are ADA compliant. We utilize a dual water system to ensure clean and pristine water from your water tower. All water is self-contained and recycles. The stainless steel and pressure treated construction ensures years of hassle free and low maintenance
operation. Built for maximum throughput, the used sand is carried away from your customer for later removal during off peak hours.
As the industry leader, Sandy Creek takes
pride in providing the highest quality
mining rough at the best possible price.
All mining rough includes collection bag,
educational ID card, custom printed labels with your attractions logo for the
mining bag and collection bag, and shipping in quantity. With mining rough
starting at as low as $1.95 we can accommodate almost any budget.
Contact us today to learn what we can do for your bottom line!
Sandy Creek Mining Company
Sevierville Booth# 2512-15 IAAPA Booth# 2678 (419) 435-5891 info@SandyCreekMining.com

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Wild Republic cont..

underneath. The customer simply moves

from station one through station six on the
display, choosing and assembling his or her
favorite components to build their own
Light Blazer. Easy to follow instructions are
posted at each station of the display to
guide them through the experience.
Batteries are included for TRY ME mode.
The program includes accessory kits in blister packs and boxed sets. For the display you can choose exactly which individual components are right for your shop to maximize the impact of your customers experience.
Also note there will be various display wraps for each type of location.
This exciting new program ships in January. Contact your Account Executive to place
your order today

Shoptalk with New Board Member Kim Gefre

Youve been with the Lowry Park Zoo for several years now, what challenges have
youve conquered that youre most proud of? Working at a non-profit you learn to be very resourceful and
find yourself thinking way outside the box. As we all know there isnt much money available for fixtures so I
am most proud of my learned ability to creatively recycle fixtures that I do have and make usable tables and
display out of pallets. I am not a creative guru by any stretch but the zoo has taught me to think innovatively
which in turn saves us money and allows us to practice what we preach .which is recycling.
If you could change just one thing in your store, what would that be and why? I think 99% of Buyers might
say this also.I would want my store bigger Our current store is too small for our current attendance and
when we get about 20 guests in the store shopping it can start feeling congested. A bigger store has been on
my wish list since I started.
What are some of your best sellers and how do you position them within your store? Plush, t-shirts, and toys
in that order. For visual appeal, along with increased sales, I like to change out my feature display once a
month with new items we just got in. With our high membership base its very important to ALWAYS keep
changing the store around to attract repeat visitors into the shop.
What would be your top two customer service key points you emphasis to your staff? We have a service
theme which is to make sure that each and every guest leaves with a smile on their face and a desire to return. My top two points would be (1) greet every guests and (2) share our conservation message.
Lastly, if you were given one wish to save one animal forever from extinction, what would that be and why?
Only one? I would say the Rhino but dont ask me to choose between the different species of rhino because
that just wouldnt be fair. I think they are pretty amazing creatures almost prehistoric looking. I was fortunate to have a behind the scenes rhino encounter and they are truly magnificent.

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Presidents Message
This time of year it is nice to look back and reflectas well as looking forward.
When I look back at this years ZAG Week in Tennessee I realize what a truly special
time that is for all of us in this industry. We are fortunate to have a time and place that
so many of us can get together and share, discuss and plan, and spend time with our
peers. ZAG week will always be special to me for a few reasons. The first trade shows I
went to as a brand new buyer were the shows in Tennessee. That is where I started to
build friendships with other buyers and vendors that I still cherish. So much of our
business is done by phone, computer or internet. It is so nice to speak face to face with
a vendor. You can start to build mutual trust and respect that only comes from a handshake and an eye to eye conversation. I met many of my peers in the Zoo and Aquarium business for the first time in Tennessee. I was introduced to new vendors, and to
other buyers that I still consider friends and mentors. It was at the Tennessee trade shows that I first learned
about ZAG. I remember well Donna Steakley telling me all about the group, how it would benefit me to be a
member. It was a couple of years later that Donna suggested I run for the ZAG Board.
This year our goal was to keep improving the ZAG Week experience for our members. I think the
Board did a great job with that, and we will continue to listen to feedback, consider any way to make ZAG
Week even better next year. So, now we can look ahead to 2016. Our Spring orders are in, we can anxiously
await the flood of visitors that come with each new season. This is a time for cleaning and planning. A time
for preparation and strategy. But, take a few moments to reflect on 2015. We can find the positive in any situation, thats what we do! We are Buyers; we drive the revenue ship for our institutions. As the calendar
turns take a moment to think about where youve beenwhere we have been. And find the excitement
about where you are goingwhere we are going. ZAG will be there along the way. It will be time for more
shows and more buying trips soon. So enjoy
Michael will be doing a seminar at the January Las Vegas Market:
the Holiday season. I hope you will send me
any feedback for how ZAG can help you have
Mission Based Merchandising: How Retail Can Support Vision
an amazing 2016.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016 | 11:30am - 12:30pm
Happy Selling!
Pavilions Seminar Room
Michael
michaeld@cameronparkzoo.com
Www. Lasvegasmarket.com

Our Mission
ZAG is a collection
of merchandise buyers for zoos, aquariums and other wildlife-related institutions and attractions.
The goals of ZAG
are to increase and improve communication between buyers, and to raise awareness and professionalism of the field within the zoo and aquarium industry.

Board of Directors
Michael Davis (TX) - President
Tommy Brown (MO) - V. President
Brent Walter (WI) - Treasurer
Missy Rosevear (PA) - Secretary
Laurie Vanderwal (AR)
Denise Lamoureux (MA)
Kim Gefre (FL)
Yvonne Miles (CA)
Theresa Danneffel (MI)

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Reflections from the ZAG Travel Sponsorship Winners by Denise Lamoureux

This past November, ZAG WEEK was held at the IGES and Smoky Mountain Gift Show. Thank you to everyone
who made it a tremendous success. The Zoo & Aquarium Buyers Group sponsored current ZAG members
Amy Lohr from the Austin Zoo, Linda Thomas from Alexandria Zoological Park and Vicki Lantz from the Lazy L
Safari Park to attend ZAG week which included all events and travel expenses. The criteria to apply for a
sponsorship indicated that the buyer must not have attended a national gift show within the last three years,
has a travel budget of $500 or less and must attend all ZAG sponsored functions if awarded the sponsorship.
This year there were many opportunities for ZAG members to network, share ideas and work with vendors/
sponsors. Our travel winners hit the ground running. They became a part of our ZAG community by joining
in our sponsored events and shared with other members at all the functions. They were such joy to work
with and their visible enthusiasm has reinforced how important and valid the travel sponsorship program is
for ZAG and our members.
We asked our travel sponsorship winners to reflect on their very first ZAG Week.
The Travel Sponsorship winners include Amy Lohr, a fairly new ZAG member who initially started as a volunteer in 2012 and became a full time administrative staff member in early 2013. Shortly after, I became the
first ever Gift Shop Manager at Austin Zoo. A few months ago I was also promoted to manager of Guest Relations. The facility is nestled in the Hill Country of Central Texas, Austin Zoo is the forever home to more
than 350 animals, across 100 different species. The mission of Austin Zoo is to help animals in need through
rescue, rehabilitation and education. Linda Thomas from Alexandria Zoological Park in central Louisiana
which is home to over 500 species of animals and has a yearly attendance of over 165,000 visitors from all
over the world. The Alexandria Zootique was founded in 1971 by a dedicated Friends of the Alexandria Zoo
(FOTAZ) member, Joy Lacomb. Linda is the General Manager of the shop, as well as the "Go To, Get It
Done" person in the zoo for Special events such as Les Fest, Zoo Boo, Wild Night of the Arts and Holiday Light
Safari., and Vicki Lantz from the Lazy L Safari Park whose family owns the facility acts as not only Zoo Director, but wears many hats including gift shop manager/buyer. The Lazy L Safari Park is a family owned and
operated walk-thru zoo featuring over 60 species of animals from alligators to zebras. Our visitor attendance
is around 25,000 annually. We are located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri in Southeast Missouri. The Safari Gift
Shop at our zoo is a small, but very full souvenir shop featuring toys and plush animals, educational puzzles
and games, gifts, jewelry, T-shirts and more!
We asked our winners how they heard about the travel sponsorship and what did they think about the application process? Vicki from Lazy L Safari Park and Amy from Austin Zoo found out about the travel sponsorship from our ZAG newsletter. Amy from Austin Zoo added I received a response in a timely manner saying they acquired my application and I would be notified by noon on August 21st. On that day I was e-mailed
that I got the sponsorship. Overall, I thought the application process was very well run, and I was well informed on what to submit and expect. Linda agreed I learned about the ZAG travel sponsorship while
searching for new vendors on the ZAG website. The application was very simple and easy to do.
Gift and Trade shows in general can be very intimidating to even the most seasoned buyers so we asked
our winners their expectations. Amy responded When I first read about the show, I imagined a room with
about 20-30 vendors that displayed their products. When I got to each cities showrooms, I was surprised
with how many vendors and rooms there were. I also did not expect to have such experienced ZAG members
guide and mentor me on their buying procedures. My goal was to have the top selling items other zoos sell,
along with finding plush of our newly rescued cougar cubs. With the advice of ZAG Members, I was able to
find the two most popular products, along with the perfect cougar cub stuffed animals, and I ordered both
for my gift shop at the show. Lindas expectations were to locate new and different vendors for our store
as well as to connect with other gift shop managers and buyers in the industry. From this connection, I hoped
to discuss what had worked or not worked in their shops. This show exceeded my expectations as for what I
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had hoped to gain from this experience. Vicki also didnt know what to expect about the gift show. I had
been told that it would blow my mind. That would probably be an accurate description of my first day at
the show. I went there just hoping to find some new vendors, but I left with so much more. The experience
and my accomplishments more than exceeded my expectations. I have to admit that the first day was very
overwhelming. But thanks to the ZAG Board showing me around the show floor the first day, I felt confident
enough to craft my own game plan for visiting the show floor over the next few days.
Throughout the years, ZAG works to make sure the independent buyers and vendors work together to provide the best merchandise, service and sales for their facilities. As we continue to move forward, learn and
grow ZAG strives to provide new experiences and opportunities for our members. ZAG Week is a successful
platform to help to achieve these goals. Vicki shared The ZAG Mixer and Dinner were both awesome. I
liked that the mixer was held at a zoo and I found the gift shop at Rainforest Adventures very inspiring. My
favorite part of the ZAG Dinner was the roundtable discussions. It was good to network and learn from other
zoos on what works and maybe what doesnt work as well at other facilities. I attended the other ZAG sponsored sessions and learned a lot about retail which was some knowledge that I was lacking. I am making
some improvements to our gift shop based on the new knowledge learned during those sessions. Also, I will
be setting up a conservation product area within our gift shop (Thanks Tommy!). Amy also thought All the
members of ZAG were very friendly and helpful. Being a first time buyer with only two years of experience, I
was honored to have the privilege of guidance throughout my 1st show. The members of ZAG had a lot of
wisdom to share with me. I was able to bring back new ideas for different displays and items in our gift
shop. In addition, I did not know what to expect when I first found out we were going to a Mixer. I arrived
at the indoor zoo and found out I was going to meet vendors and other gift shop buyers from zoos and
aquariums. I enjoyed meeting and talking with vendors without them trying to sell me their products right
thereThe ZAMM dinner was a beautiful set up. Hearing buyers from zoos all around the United States talk
about top selling items was very informative. My favorite part was when the board had us split into groups
depending on our annual admissions. This was when I was able to discus with other buyers that have similar
budget and gift shop size. I also attended the New Buyers Talk, Merch 101, and Conservation Talk. All three
talks were very well prepared, and I learned a lot. I especially liked learning from a buyer in Merch 101 with
40 years of experience on how to display items in the gift shop. Members can find Yvonne Miles from San
Diego Zoo PowerPoint presentation for Merchandising 101 on our website at www.zaggift.com under buyer
resources. Linda from Alexandria Zoological Park also shared her thoughts on ZAG Week events, The Mixer
was a very well organized and thought out event. There was plenty of space for everyone to sit or just mingle, great food, beer, wine and other beverages. The atmosphere was perfect for ZAG members and the vendors to meet face to face away from the hustle and bustle of the show. The ZAMM dinner was also well done
and very tasteful. There were ample opportunities for us to get to know other managers and/or buyers. Perhaps one of the best opportunities was the group session that enabled us to come together according to our
size and discuss things that we were doing every day to make our venues better and more productive. I
attended all of the ZAG sessions and learned a great deal from them about conservation, marketing, the art
of display within your store and what products had worked and those that had not.
We asked our sponsorship winners to share any final thoughts on the experience. Linda replied I had a
very enriching and educational experience with the ZAG Board. I was better able to see first-hand how important ZAG is to further developing our industry as a whole and met some great people that help govern it.
The show offered me the opportunity to meet some exciting new vendors and to place orders to arrive
throughout the upcoming year for the Zootique. I would strongly urge anyone that has not been to one of
these shows but cannot afford; to go online next year, find the ZAG sponsorship application and apply. As for
me, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and am looking forward to attending more shows in the future. I
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cannot thank the ZAG Board enough for this once in a lifetime experience. Amy from Austin Zoo added
Overall the knowledge I gained on my travel sponsorship was well worth it. I would definitely recommend
others to apply because not only did I learn from every ZAG member things to add and change in Austin
Zoos Gift Shop, but I also developed relationships to discuss new merchandise in the future. Attending the
show helped me see how many vendors are out there and how important it is to always change up products.
We have a lot of members at our zoo, so they do not want to keep buying the same merchandise. I will be
attending future shows, such as the Las Vegas Show in January. Thank you to all ZAG members for the information and help you gave to Austin Zoos Gift Shop and in turn, its rescued animals! Vicki summed it up
nicely, I just cant say enough about the overall experience of the whole week. ZAG and the board were
great to work with and so nice and helpful. I loved meeting everyone and I feel that that is what I liked the
best about the entire week. I made new friends and colleagues that I can network with throughout the year
not just at the gift shows. I would actually (and already have) recommend ZAG, the gift shows, and the
travel sponsorship to other zoos. I definitely will try to attend this show in the future if at all possible.
Attending future gift shows will help keep our gift shop with fresh display ideas, new merchandise, and even
keep me energized too. Thanks again for an absolutely great week!
We cant thank our travel sponsorship winners and members enough for embracing ZAG Week, providing
wonderful feedback and sharing their experiences with us. The ZAG travel sponsorship for ZAG Week (IGES/
Smoky Mtn. Gift Show) will begin the application process summer 2016 and the criteria and how to apply will
be posted on our website www.zaggift.com. There are additional travel sponsorship opportunities available
to ZAG Members, please visit our website for more information. Thank you to everyone who made ZAG
week a resounding success and for their help guiding and mentoring independent Zoo & Aquarium buyers!

Financial Report 2015

2015 has been a great year for ZAG! We have
currently have 105 Sponsors and 17 Gold Sponsors. We all should be excited about these
numbers and that all of these great companies
want to support our incredible business! Lets
hope for many more to join in 2016.
As of the end of this year, I will be stepping
down as Treasurer. I have had the pleasure (busy pleasure) of
holding this position for the last 4 years. I have learned a lot
while doing all of the financial things that come along with
ZAG. We have grown tremendously the last four years. We
have also now hired an accounting firm that we have been
working with for the past 8 months. They have helped out by
getting everything organized and keeping all of our books. It
has taken a lot of pressure and responsibility off of the Treasurer, as well as at the same time given us a second look at a
lot of things. It is more organized now that a professional is
helping out. With all of the finances and daily monetary duties, it is nice to know that there is someone to help out when
we need it. We all know we are buying professionals, not accountants. Starting January 1, Brent Walter from Henry Vilas
Zoo will be taking over the duties. Good Luck and Congrats
Brent!

ZAG Vision Statement

As an organization we are committed to network, educate, inform
and connect independent Zoos,
Wild Life Centers, and Aquarium
Buyers worldwide while maintaining a conscience of
conservation and a concern for people and wildlife.

Our ZAG Values

Care: We are concerned about one another within

the ZAG organization and make attempts to help
animal institutions with their current in-house retail
operation.
Connections: We are here to connect buyers to
industry information, encourage buyers to connect
with other buyers and connect buyers and vendors
at social events.
Creditability: We act in an honest and trustworthy
manner that reflects the state of the industry while
providing the most current factual opinions on retail goods and services.
Conservation: We embrace conservation commerce, animal welfare and the ethical treatment of
people, animals and the environment worldwide
while trying to conserve our natural resources.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

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HOT TRENDS IN 2016

Making a Resolution is an typical tradition for Zoo and Aquarium buyers
one of your work resolutions is to find unique new items that your guests
will love and will help bring in funding to help your facilities animals and
CollectA offers many diverse, unique species in their popular Sealife and Wildlife
collections which can expand your collectible animal figurine collections or provide you
that distinctive variation that will appeal to both boys and girls, and a wide variety of
ages. In 2016 CollectA will introduce over 20+ new collectible figurines within these
same collections which will include a Wombat, Hirola, Thylacine, Himalayan Tahr,

Available January 2016

For zoos: Once Upon an Elephant: readers learn what may happen should this
keystone species disappear. Midnight Madness at the Zoo: a whimsical zoo-themed
twist on March Madness.
For aquariums: Sharks and Dolphins: photographic comparison of these ocean-living
fish and mammals.
For zoos and aquariums: Mammals: photographic comparison of land and ocean-living

KidTees Saving the world, one foot at a time.

Socks are definitely the next (already) BIG thing, and KidTees by Stephen Joseph is excited to
announce we have new sublimated socks! The socks have already debuted at the recent
shows and the response is phenomenal!
View our digital catalog to browse the awesome designs. Minimums are only 48 pair per
design/order. Have a new exhibit or fun new animal you want to feature? Let us customize
awesome socks just for you! Custom minimums only 96 pair!

OPI Apparel & Souvenirs

Your image is our passion! The Next Big Thing for 2016 are our plush pal and
youth t-shirt combos featuring your namedrop. With new animals to choose from
such as a lion, penguin and frog, little ones are sure to find a matching plush pal

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The hottest accessories in fashion are purse charms and now they
are part of of Salvador Kitti's line of products. Each high quality
piece of designer jewelry feature images taken from our founder
Amy's original oil paintings of wildlife. They
attach to any bag easily with a lobster claw clasp and they can be
paired with our other Salvador Kitti products or sold on their own.

ef*ivory
At elephant friendly ivory, the 2016 season brings an exciting new
product line: ELEPHANT FRIENDS. We recognize that parents
purchase for their children first, so ELEPHANT FRIENDS are 17 brightly colored tagua animal figurines at a low price point! Each piece
comes packaged in a clear bag with a colorful, juvenile
All of Auroras products are sure to delight but worth noting are:
-Our Miyoni Animals now come in a laying pose, making it even easier for a child to snuggle with their new
friend
-The pop-

ular Sea Sparkles Mermaids now have stylized hair and come in the hot-

"Ready for some awesome new Doodle Pants styles? After

meeting with many of our ZAG friends, we took your feedback and turned it into something amazing! Drumroll
please13 NEW STYLES created featuring all the
amazing animals youve been asking for. To name a
few we have gators and tigers and Bears (oh my!). In
our assortment youll find everything from slithery
reptiles to fierce felines so please contact us to reRosen Publishing's new spring books will be in the warehouse and ready to ship by February. Six Ocean Friends
titles as well as Nature Explorers will be featured for the youngest readers. Sea Animal Crafts along with Zoo Animal Crafts headline new offerings in arts &activities. For review copies or additional information on the books or

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Launching a Webstore
The question is repeatedly asked, should we or shouldnt we? All retail companies are tasked with growing
their business. Current stats on web sales have exceeded expectations. Internet retail sales in the U.S. will
grow 10% a year through 2015 as shoppers spend more time online, Forrester Research says, and the implications arent good for brick-and-mortar stores.
According to a new report out Monday, U.S. e-commerce sales grew 12.6% in 2010 to $176 billion. That
total will grow to $279 billion in 2015, writes Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru.
The 2010 growth rate outpaced that of 2009, when ecommerce grew 11%. The usual suspects aided
e-commerces rise: the economys recovery, more first-time online shoppers and greater spending per
online shopper.
E-commerce will grow over the next four years as shoppers continue to shift their spending from physical
stores to online ones, the report says. Increased use of smart phones and tablet computers, greater merchandise selection and new business models, such as daily-deals sites like Groupon, will also aid growth.
New e-commerce platforms provide affordable options for retailers to participate with online sales.

San Diego Zoo Global is currently underway with the re-launch of their webstore ShopZoo.com come December 2015. Our last website was bogged down with old technology which didnt keep pace with the new
innovations for online selling. Closing down the webstore in 2011, regretfully, was difficult but necessary for
business, says Yvonne Miles, Corporate Director of Retail for San Diego Zoo Global.
The focus was to find an affordable platform which could provide reports, a secure shopping cart and easy
to manage, notes Susie Andrew Merchandising Webstore Coordinator. Shopify met all our criteria for
what we were looking for. Additionally, I have found the templates very easy to navigate. Weve experienced a few hiccups along the way but nothing we havent been able to address immediately. Focus will be
on branded items not found anywhere else but on ShopZoo.com
Whether or not you have a webstore, the key is to do your research and produce a business plan before you
commit to launching you a webstore. Seek out other like businesses or museums that currently are doing
business online, most will share their experiences and guide you through the process.
For more information regarding online stores see below.
https://www.shopify.com/blog/14327905-countdown-to-launching-your-ecommerce-business
http://www.top10ecommercesitebuilders.com

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ZAG Annual Members Meeting

With another year in the books, the ZAG Annual Members Meeting, held during ZAG Week in Tennessee,
was as informational as ever. For those unable to attend, and others who have requested a recap, below you
will find a compilation of answers to the round table discussion questions.
Current trends and hot sellers were discussed first. As always, these answers were thought provoking and
varied. The plush category is always a sought after souvenir in the Zoo and Aquarium industry Rhode Island
Noveltys Adventure Planet and Fiesta have the top selling plush snakes. This item does well across the
board. The Petting Zoo, Aurora and K & M also had strong plush pieces. The Aurora Mini Flopsies do extremely well year over year. Rhode Island Noveltys pink and natural giraffes remain strong. It goes without
saying, children always gravitate to plush, wanting to take home their favorite animal.
Year over year Safari, Ltd., and Little Critters pieces are a hit with kids of all ages. Safaris Good Luck Minis
seem to be a fast mover for everyone. Rhode Island Noveltys toy line excels at the median price point, while
Melissa and Doug and Educational Insights toys meet the needs of people looking for a high quality item.
T-shirts seem to be making a comeback, as all members reported high volume t-shirt sales. Noblewear, Tipsy, Polar Graphics and Big Bang were frequently mentioned. Phillips Cool Jewels and A.T. Storrs remain the
most mentioned jewelry vendors in our shops. Again, souvenir stones from Village Originals are high volume
sellers for many facilities.
Green products are demanding more attention than ever, and since home decor and accessories seem to
be on the upswing, many Members are carrying product from Art Studio and Stoneage Arts to meet the demands of more upscale customers.
We all incorporate name-dropped products in our stores. This category can range from mugs, pins and magnets to ornaments and flashlights. As varied as the product, are the vendors now capable of filling the order.
Companies such as Kalan, LP., Rhode Island Novelty and Rico Design make great cups and magnets, to name
a few, while Art Studio offers more artisan items such as handmade ornaments. Melissa and Doug has also
noticeably increased their reach on customized items with a full range of quality toys available for imprint.
Paparte and Scandical still remain strong for Zoo and Aquarium shops.
It seems more Zoo shops are carrying lotions and The Naked Bee line seems to fit the niche for many of us.
As a common alternative, PTL Enterprises carries a wide range of sunscreens and lotions as well.
Next, we discussed employee customer service training. It seems that every facility has their own practices.
This ranges from utilizing the basic employee manual to San Diego Zoo Globals formal training. Most facilities fell somewhere in the middle, citing on the job training with experienced workers, some with the help of
their Human Resource Department.
The last round table discussion question provoked discussion about markdown policies. These principles
were variable. Many buyers employ a clearance section to get slow sellers out the door. Some other successful ideas were offering a free gift with purchase, 50% or sidewalk sales, event days, grab bags or birthday
bags and last chance carts. Those facilities who close for the season generally have success offering an end
of season sale. Everyone agrees, it is very important to your business to move out slow sellers because if it is
not selling, you are losing money.
Heres to hoping you are successful for conservation in 2016!
Regards,
Missy Rosevear

ZAG NEWS

Jan. 2016

PAGE 13

ZAG Week Recap from Tennessee!

There were a lot of changes that the board did this year to make the ZAG week the best yet. We wanted to
make sure it would benefit each and every member. Based on the feedback from you, we think that we met
our goal!
Each day we had a different talk or seminar for you to attend. First Time Buyers Talk with Brent Walter.
Q&A Panel with Bill Lucey from
Rainforest Adventures, Steve Fairchild
from Sedgwick County Zoo, and
Matt Fouts from Tanganyika Wildlife
Park. Merchandising 101 with
Yvonne Miles from San Diego Zoo. Can
Conservation help drive your
mission with Tommy Brown from St.
Louis Zoo. Thank you to all that
attended these talks. The presenters
spend a lot of time getting ready
to relay some great information over
to our members. We had great
feedback from these, so look for more
in 2016!
We also made some changes to
our Annual Members Meeting this
year, including changing the name to reflect what it really is, a members meeting. We really got down to
business to talk about some great topics that everyone wanted to know about. We still had some great giveaways, but not at the expense of cutting down on meeting time. We still had our wonderful dinner, great
round table discussions, and presenting afterwards. Based on feedback from prior years we added a few
new things. We added for the Zoos and Aquariums to meet with like size attendance facilities as well as a
Q&A time for the Board. We think this was greatly appreciated and accepted from the members that attended. It was nice to have some more time to sit down and talk with each other about the same problems or
accomplishments that the facilities had. We hope that if you didnt have a chance to attend this year, you
will put it on your list of things to do next year during ZAG Week at the Tennessee Gift Shows. There will be
a recap soon of things discussed at the meeting. Have a great 2016 everyone!

CONSERVATION CORNER

Its a wrap
During the Holiday season Americans will throw tons of packaging, gift wrap and bows
away that will go into landfills. As zoos and aquariums we should make an effort to educate the public about packing and wrapping alternatives.
A great way to pack a gift to ship is in popcorn with no additives, not only will it secure
the product but it can be composted after use. Another great way to save our planet is
reuse gift bags every holiday season, not only will it save you money, it will save tons in
global carbon foot printing. If you must wrap a gift consider using used newspaper, wall paper scraps or even
brightly colored old clothes patched together for the wrap or a brightly colored bow.
As we all know some people will insist on using store bought boxes,
bows and wrap; in this case offer recycling at your institution and
help defer the waste from our landfills. The best gift we can give to
ourselves and the Earth is to respect our natural resources and not
use them frivolously.