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BUXTON MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY – INSPIRED COLLECTIONS RETAILING Ref. 28250531

INSPIRED COLLECTIONS RETAILING

Programme: Renaissance

Applicant name: Derbyshire County Council – Buxton Museum and Art Gallery

Reference: 28250531

Name of Activity: Renaissance Strategic Support Funding

Funding period: 2015 – 16

REPORT CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

COMMERCIAL REVIEW

E-COMMERCE REVIEW

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

RECCOMMENT, SHARE, EVALUATE

CONTINUATION

CONCLUSION & BENEFITS


INTRODUCTION

Inspired Collections Retailing has been a development opportunity delivered by Buxton Museum and Art Gallery. Its aims were to analyse how a number of selected small museums and the Record Office in Derbyshire could improve their commercial ambition with regard to their retail outlets and their product lines. With the support of the Arts Council England Resilience funding, these museums aimed to equip their staff and volunteers with commercial awareness, retailing knowledge and a better understanding about how an effective museum shop operates.

In Inspired Collections Retailing we aimed to deliver an ambitious programme for the museum shop and e-commerce, to test ideas about how to use our collections creatively for commercial benefit, encouraging us to think differently about our collections, but also to reach out to potential new audiences. To help us do this we recruited artists to help develop unique souvenirs to encourage the visitors to look at the museums objects differently. In doing so, we will ensure a change in the way Buxton Museum and the Derbyshire Record Office responds within their roles in the Council both being funded by Derbyshire County Council. At a time of financial discipline, both organisations need to develop their commercial skills to continue to be resilient and sustainable, using income to continue to deliver the Council’s commitment to quality services free at the point of delivery. Staff will continue to develop through training to improve their commercial awareness in both shop and e-commerce. We aim to share these experiences and outcomes with not only the six organisations involved but also colleagues in other museums in Derbyshire and further afield.

Within this project it soon became apparent that we needed to try and include learning on a wider perspective as there were great similarities within the majority of the issues small museums are facing. We tried to focus on the possibility of creating “national standards and benchmarks” for the smaller museums, something a bit more in depth and that others in similar circumstances can draw from to gain a better understanding of retail and the important role it can play in being a resilient and sustainable museum, a must in this day and age. For example; what is a viable profit margin for a small UK museum, ideal value of stock holdings and healthy targets? This resulted in two additional reports based on the findings from the Inspired Collections Retailing Project; Guidelines for Small Museum Shops and Guidelines for Museum Shop Merchandising.

This report will show how Inspired Collections Retailing has been a journey from initial review through product and shop development to effective retailing, both in all the museums involved and on a digital platform. Utilising the ACE goals (Excellence, Inspirational, Resilience, Leadership & Skills, Young People) to demonstrate how the funding benefitted the project.


COMMERCIAL REVIEWThe aim of the retail review was to maximise commercial opportunities of all the members of the cohort. This review included recommendations on how to achieve this as well as for all those involved to gain commercial awareness. The main outcome being to ensure that income is raised and to continue to provide quality services at the point of delivery.The commercial review consists of two parts; A mystery shop report for all the members of the cohort A retail review provided by retail consultant Heritage Retailing

Please refer to the Retail Reviews by Heritage Retailing and the Mystery Shop Reports by Polly Redman for more information

1. MYSTERY SHOP REPORT The mystery shop report was provided by the appointed Inspired Collections Retailing Assistant Collections Officer Polly Redman. The results from this report house a treasure trove of actionable data that when used in a productive manner can dramatically improve an organization’s and employees’ performance, ultimately improving the visitor experience. Due to the short timeframe of the project the reports also provided a comprehensive introduction to all the members of the cohort for the retail and e-commerce consultants which in turn aided their reviews.

The mystery shop report for the members of the cohort included: FIRST IMPRESSIONS ANALYSIS OF THE RETAIL OFFER ANALYSIS OF THE RETAIL SPACE EXPERIENCE ONLINE REVIEWS

Why use mystery shop results to improve performance? Use them as a training tool: What was done well and why? What could have been improved and

how? Identify best practices from great shop results and share those practices across the

organization. For example: A great decision on the front line could be replicated for other front line employees or other departments.

Update standard operating procedures that are beneficial.

The feedback generated through a mystery shop report should become a central ingredient that contributes to business success. If the feedback is used effectively three major benefits will be seen: • Staff morale improves. • Customer spend and retention improves.• Profitability improves.

Polly Redman was also speaker at the Inspired Collections Retailing workshop where she focussed on: Customer Service and Visual Merchandising


1.2 Personal Development Polly feels that Inspired Collections Retailing and the funding that made it possible has not only been a real benefit to the cohort members, really helping putting their retail on the map, but also on a personal development level. During this project Polly picked up many different new skills and experience from collaborating with artists to managing 6 different locations, also further developing her time management, problem solving and negotiating skills. Getting real enjoyment out of helping, inspiring and teaching others new skills and confidence within retail, customer services and visual merchandising really motivated her to do well and do the project justice.

2. RETAIL REVIEWAs well as the mystery shop report provided by Polly Redman a Retail Consultant was appointed. By commissioning an independent retail review we were able to maximise productivity on the commercial opportunities for all the members of the cohort including bespoke recommendations to achieve resilience and sustainability and for all involved to gain greater commercial awareness.

Through the selective tender process Graham Bancroft from Heritage Retailing was appointed as the retail consultant for this project.Despite the short time frame, Heritage Retailing, together with Polly Redman, was able to deliver a detailed retail review with a focus on: Assessment of current shop locations; and performance. Formulation and development of a retail strategy. Ideas about ways to refresh the current retail offer. Review of buying plans and product presentation. The challenges of working with small budgets. The visitor approach and engaging the workforce. Local competitions, opportunities and exploring other outlets. The current attitude to commercial undertakings in museums. Licencing. Advice on ways to make improvements. Possibility of delivering workshops to staff and management. Risk management.

2.1 OutcomesVisits to each location was a must and with all members being open and accommodating Graham Bancroft was able to cover quite a lot of ground during the initial meetings. Early on we realised that although all members had similar problems, they were all really different too, structurally, financially and in size. It was therefore decided that each member should receive a bespoke review. However, again due to the timing and also the agreement for the need of a more practical review it was decided that the retail review would be more of a summary of each location with detailed bullet points of suggestions and solutions to each individual problem.

Graham Bancroft was also a speaker at the Inspired Collections Retailing workshop where he focussed on: The key areas of Retailing and KPI's


2.2 Personal Development Although dealing with smaller museums on a frequent basis, Graham believes that this project has taught so much more about the challenges that smaller museums face when it comes to museum retail. He feels that visiting each cohort site and giving the people that run them the chance to really talk about their problems, frustrations and challenges opened his eyes but was also gratifying knowing that he could really help and make a difference. Doing this made him realise the importance of getting the Retail Review right and tailored to each individual sight, for them to get the most out of his consultation and be confident in what they are doing.

E-COMMERCE REVIEW


People find it strange nowadays if companies do not have a website or social media channels. We always ‘Google’ everything before we take action and the same goes for museums.E-commerce, the use of the internet to sell to, and stay in contact with, visitors around the world, may be the right step forward for museum shops. Executed properly, it can lead to increased sales and greater visibility for your museum. However, for the smaller museum this drums up a myriad of challenges; cost, product and staffing being some of them.The aim of this E-Commerce review was to explore and develop online commercial opportunities, including the possibilities of having an on-line shop as well as maximising the museums’ commercial opportunities and reaching new audiences. Most importantly it is for all involved to gain awareness and understanding regarding e-retailing, with a long term outcome of developing an online shop.

Please refer to the E-Commerce Review by Rob Lees for more information

Through the selective tender process we successfully appointed Rob Lees from Internova as the E-Commerce consultant. Collaboratively it was understood that the time frame was short. However together with Polly Redman and Ros Westwood, Rob Lees was able to deliver a detailed retail review with a focus on: The opportunities and gains of on-line retail for small museums. Formulating and developing an e-retail strategy. The challenges of working with small budgets. The responsibilities of managing an e-shop. Marketing and promotion regarding e-retail. Advice about online licencing. The potential of the sale of apps and on demand printing, the potential returns and implications

of such e-commercial activity in terms of financial returns and resources.

OutcomesFrom the start Rob realised that the size of the museums in the cohort would really struggle with creating an online demand and run an online shop individually. With this in mind, Rob suggested the possibilities of creating an online cohort where all involved would come together to share the costs of running such an online enterprise through print on demand of collection images. However, although reasonably successful for others (Manchester Museums Group and Bristol Museums) a challenge with this cohort was the vast difference in governing structures. Through this project Rob realised that writing a comprehensive business plan would be the only way to find out whether such an online enterprise would be viable. This business plan can then be used to demonstrate the importance and potential of additional income for further funding applications to develop such a

platform. Another outcome from previous audience research was a trend in museum visitors wanting to be able to print on demand. As a result Buxton Museum and Art Gallery would like to explore whether this could be accessible through smart technology so that visitors in the countryside can have easy access to souvenirs from their cultural activity via their phone or tablet. These will be non-visitors to the museum so the museum would be reaching a completely new audience and hopefully converting them into visitors. These options were to explored, reported and possibly put forward for further funding.


Personal Development According to Rob, this project has taught so much more about the challenges that smaller museums face when it comes to E-Commerce than he initially thought. He believes this is due to the fact that he visited each cohort site and had lengthy conversations with the people that run them and face those challenges frequently. Doing this has inspired him and made him realise the importance of getting this project, report and business plan right and really push the boundaries in a culture where the boundaries haven’t been explored or broken. He is really keen to prove that what may seem impossible and implausible for the smaller museum can be successful and fruitful. Rob Lees was part of the Inspired Collections Retailing workshop where he focussed on; Ensuring staff gain an understanding of e-retail and the collaborative opportunities of selling product online.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT


The aim for the product development side of the project consists of two parts. Part 1 is to commission commercial souvenir lines with images and the logo of the museum, we called these “quick fire lines” due to the process and turn around. Part 2 is commissioning artists to create unique souvenir lines inspired by the museum’s collections.

For both parts Buxton Museum and Art Gallery would be the case study and share the processes, challenges, risks and outcomes with the other members of the cohort. Significant research needed to be done into the customer and their expectations, the location and general trends in museum shops.The aims for the product development was to develop potential successful products, inspired by the museum’s collections, in popular and limited editions to bring those collections to life; to identify suppliers and recommend opportunities for licensing. The successful development officer was artist Paula Moss, who joined us with considerable commercial experience to help us undertake research, guide the artists involved and helped deliver the programme.

1. QUICK FIRE LINESThe aim for this part of the product development was to develop a range of souvenir lines for all visitors - from pocket money lines to more affordable gifts – inspired by the museums unique collections of geology, archaeology, fine and social art and archives. The term “quick fire” comes from the fact that it is a relatively straight forward and “quick” process from picking a relative image to sending it to a product developer that puts the image on product with a “quick” turn around. We managed to get product developed for Buxton Museum and Art Gallery and the Record Office.

1.1 Product Development Research Extensive research needed to be done before a start could be made in the development of potential store products. Areas of research were; Potential of museum objects Customer profile Existing museum shop stock Product developers Trends in museum shops and their stock1 Museum shop takings and budget

1.2 Understanding the CustomerIn order to know what type of product to stock and have made it is important to know who you are going to sell it to; you need to understand your customer. By understanding the profiles of your existing customers and visitors you will also become aware of the audiences that are not visiting, therefore creating an opportunity to find ways of catering to them too.

Through research, meeting audiences in the gallery, focus groups, surveys and conversations with front-of-house staff at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery, it is safe to say that their visitors can be divided into three groups, categorised based on the Arts Council’s arts based segmentation research; Families are groups of people of mixed ages with a curiosity about the past but limited

knowledge. They are looking for a memorable, enjoyable experience whilst learning about the

1 Please see Appendix 1 for more information


past. Information overload and ‘essays on walls’ will scare them away. This is something we have learned by watching family groups in the current exhibitions, who spend little time reading the long texts and rapidly get bored.

Knowledge Seekers are people with some specialist knowledge who want to gain a deeper understanding of the Peak District’s past. They might have a hobbyist or professional interest and will be frustrated when information is dumbed-down or they cannot find the answers to their questions. This is important to the specialist visitors who have told us this is why they like the current gallery.

Formal Learners includes students and teachers looking for specific activities and outcomes to satisfy particular learning goals or curriculum needs. Formal Learners includes researchers seeking to access and engage more effectively with heritage. There have been an increased number of requests from researchers recently.

1.3 Focus GroupsA focus group is a small group of people who are asked a series of questions about a product or service.Other than being able to buy fossils, minerals, toys and books, there has been general feedback that Buxton museum visitors would like to purchase original museum products, which is currently unavailable. To aid us with creating this type of product a small focus group was used to help the museum determine which of its objects were attractive and preferred for product development.In this case the group consisted of potential customers and retail professionals that helped by expressing their likes and dislikes in regards to product designs, ideas and collection images. They also helped identify a clearer potential customer and expressed their opinion on whether a product would sell or if it was likely to be popular. The museum then considered the suggestions and adjusted accordingly.2

1.4 Commissioning Suppliers Through the selective tender process we successfully appointed 4 product developers to develop and produce small ranges of shop merchandise which include images of objects in the museum’s collections. The images chosen for development were based on feedback from focus groups as well as professional opinions together with the commerciality and flexibility for sales in other outlets.

The product developers approached;1. Cornflower 3. Enormous Art2. Star Editions 4. Abacus Printing

1.5 Promotion and MarketingThe promotion and marketing of any of the shops involved is, with hindsight, a more long term outcome than a short term outcome. This is because of the fact that marketing and promotion is more successful with a physical product than with a potential product. So it has been suggested that potential advertisers are not approached until a physical product is available and successful changes to the shop have been made.



In the short term research can and has been done into advertising in magazines reaching likely audiences, e.g. Pure Buxton, Derbyshire Life, the Buxton Festival and the Fringe programmes. Also the potential of E-advertising and encouraging active social media promotion of the retail offer, alongside promotion during in-house and local events, exhibitions, and annual celebrations.

1.6 Additional Retail OutletsAnother aim of the project was to explore the opportunities by using other outlets, for example; Tourist Information Centres and other museums selling the developed products. A wider and new audience could then be reached adding an additional income stream for the museum.Looking at the experiences from Leicestershire and their exploration of retailing through libraries we found that the Derbyshire library service didn’t have the level of footfall needed, the customer profile to fit the product and doesn’t have the resources for display and sales of the product. However, we did do some desk research into the opportunities of pop-up shops, stands at festivals and markets, which would be beneficial for marketing the museum and gaining more visitors and therefore potentially increasing sales. We also explored the possibility of collaborating with local organisations such as the Tourist Information Centre at Pavilion Gardens and the Crescent. The Crescent has confirmed their interest however, due to timings they would not be able to commit to any product for another 6 months.

1.7 Personal Development There were a number of challenges that Paula and Polly learned from and will know how to adjust in future. The main thing to take into consideration is to make sure you have the collection images you want to use ready and at a good resolution/ quality. A lot of time went into having to rescan/ re-photograph images to get them to the required quality for print. Also bear in mind that images will need to be re-worked to fit on the products. In this case Paula Moss kindly spent time doing this for us however; product development companies do have in house teams to do this for you. What we learned is that this editing does take time and needs to be considered. Paula enjoyed the collaboration and the main thing learned is that clear communication between suppliers and commissioners is key to successful product development.

2. ARTIST COMMISSIONFor this part of the product development the museum commissioned artists to explore the museum’s collections, to view and interpret them in a new and dynamic way and create unique, unusual and limited edition products to sell in the museum shop. Early on in the process the decision was taken to appoint a Product Development Assistant for this part of the project. After a meeting with artist Paula Moss it was felt it would be beneficial for the project to have her on board especially within the time constraints of the project. Paula has a great deal of experience in assisting, managing and mentoring in this field and brought a wealth of knowledge to this part of the project. Her main role was to assist with the appointment of local artists, who will draw inspiration from the museum’s collections and create unique retail products. Paula mentored the successful candidates and also researched and liaised with product developers to produce these items. We agreed the fees with regard to this appointment and they are in line with the budgets set for this project.


2.1 The ArtistsThrough the open tender process we successfully appointed Fi Burke and Kidology as the commissioned artists for this project.Looking back, this process could have been more successful if the brief had been posted earlier and on a broader platform. This would have probably led to more applications and given the museum a wider range of artist to choose from. However, due to the restraints, 2 artists applied. After reviewing many options together with Paula Moss it was decided to interview both artists and appoint them. As we had planned for and budget for a 3rd artist we decided to give Paula Moss the opportunity to also come on board and further develop her ideas for the project from an artist’s perspective.

2.3 The Management The management of the whole process of the project was really important mainly due to the timeframe, also working with different parties having clear schedules and deadlines are a must to keep things on track. We learned from similar projects (Macclesfield Museums ‘Selling Egypt’) that time management is really important when getting artists to produce product. Knowing this, progress meetings were scheduled after the first meeting including mentoring visits from Paula Moss. A museum store visit was also scheduled at Buxton Museum and Art gallery to show the artists the collections.

It was quickly established that the artists needed clear guidelines for this part of the project. During a site visit and meeting these guidelines were established; your ideas & vision your challenges & potential solutions your suggested products/production the Business case incl scale, quantities, costings, licensing etc

Working thought these guidelines the artists identified a couple of challenges and risks and the suggested solutions;Suppliers

Challenge/Risk Possible Solution(s)Finding suitable suppliers for more obscure items.

Regularly attend supplier fairs and trade shows to source and/ or consult existing research. Another solution would be to source suppliers outside the UK.

Remembering to include set up costs in any budget.

Plan well in advance and ask suppliers for any additional costs up front e.g. set up costs, origination fees, carriage costs and not to forget minimum order values.

Finding suppliers willing to test product. Research and plan well in advance as well as building a good relationship with suppliers through clear communication and negotiation.

Finding suppliers who do small enough runs – especially for Limited Editions.

Work with artists or even universities to create and/or explore partnerships.

Copyright and LicencingThe artist will be taking inspiration from Buxton Museum and Art Gallery’s collections. Many images will be based on or drawn from life.

Challenge/Risk Possible Solution(s)


Working with museum collections; who gets the copyright?

When art is created based on a collection the copyright remains with the artist, also known as; Intellectual Copyright.

Do any quotes need to be credited or are they in the public domain?

Regardless whether a quote, text or artwork might be outside its copyright it is always worth checking whether there have been later publications and whether a family member has “edited” the piece for them to claim and extend the copyright.

ContinuationChallenge/Risk Possible Solution(s)What happens when the project ends? Hopefully with the report and handover given and the

opportunities within Buxton Museum and Art Gallery there will be the opportunity for funding to continue the second phase of the product development.

Through strict time management and mentoring we believe that the results were what we expected and wanted from this short a timeframe. With further management in this style we also believe that great product can be created within a reasonable timeframe and cost.

2.4 The ProductIt was important for the product to fit in with the museum’s mission but also the current stock and the type of visitor/ customer. All three artists came up with amazing ideas and we managed to whittle it down to one product from each. Fi Burke was to focus on her idea of creating design led notebooks and notepads. This product could be attractive for tourists visiting the area for the walking and cycling routes as well as artists and aspiring artists who visit the Buxton Museum and art gallery. A design led, limited edition item is also attractive to the local gift buyer. Another reason for choosing this product involved the logistics and resources need to produce it. With the challenges and risks defined, the need for the product to be producible is important, this together with costing, retail pricing and lead times of production. The more complicated the product the longer it takes to produce and this project does not have time.Kidology focussed on their ‘D is for Derbyshire’ concept, creating an alphabet of images relating to Derbyshire. We choose this purely due to the extreme commerciality of the concept and the endless possibilities of products that could be developed e.g. a book, cards, posters etc. The vast array of other potential outlets for this product again is endless. We also took into account the risks and challenges involved with this type of concept and its production which were minimal and very achievable on a smaller timescale.Paula Moss made her focus the Strata image that is in the Buxton Museum and Art Gallery collection. Paula had many great commercial ideas however, decided to focus on creating silk scarves and ties.3

2.5 Further DevelopmentDue to the time constraints of the project it became clear quite early on that the chances of physically developing a product through artist selection was very slim. However, we thought there



would be some valuable lessons to be learned from starting the process and seeing how far we got as well as dealing with the challenges in the process. As mentioned an almost immediate challenge was that of continuation and what would happen at the end of this project? However, it has been identified that there would possibly be an opportunity for the artist commissioned works to be further developed within the Collections in the Landscape Project and further funding could be applied for.

2.6 Personal Development All three artists involved feel they have learned a great deal on the possibilities of working/ collaborating with museums to create unique product for sale. Figuring out, through pre-empting the challenges and risks, how such a collaboration could/ would work. They have more confidence in approaching a brief for such a project and more insight of their copyrights as artists.

3. LICENCINGWe tried to find new ways of licencing designs to wider markets to broaden the non-visitor knowledge of the extraordinary collections held in the museum and Record Office. We researched this with help from the Retail Consultant and the E-Commerce Consultant and their contacts nationwide. However, going into this project we already understood that licencing designs for broader commercial retail is a difficult and competitive field. This was confirmed further by a couple of licencing experts in the arts and heritage world.4 Despite this information, we decided to explore the opportunities and challenges for the smaller museum and gained some insight into how to get round the mine field that is licencing and copyright to exploit the collections and maximise income. Examples of these are; To commercially and profitably licence images to companies. To sell licences to larger online image databases for commercial use (print on demand) To licence images for print on demand for private use

RECOMMEND, SHARE & EVALUATEThe goals set for recommendations and shared learning within the Inspired Collections Retailing project were;4 Please see Appendix 4 for more information


1. Take forward recommendations for commercial development2. Share learning, encouraging members of the Derbyshire Museums and Heritage Forum to review

their retail using tools we have found beneficial.3. Evaluate success.

1. Take forward recommendations for commercial developmentThe recommendations for commercial development can be gained from and found in the; The Retail Review E-Commerce Review Guidelines for Small Museum Shops/ Guidelines for Museum Shop Merchandising Inspired Collections Retailing WorkshopAny aspect of these recommendations can be used by the members of the cohort and taken forward to; understand their retail offer, better it and generate more income. However, these recommendations will also translate across other departments to help review the museum as a whole and build a strong team(s). The reviews and recommendations most importantly, at a time of financial discipline and the need to continue to be resilient and sustainable, will aid with bid writing and funding applications (given the expert advice and suggestions to strengthen an application or tender).

2. Shared learningIn general it will be pivotal that the members of the cohort remain in good contact to continue the shared learning and collaborations regarding product development and online presence. A problem shared is a problem halved.

During the project there were many moments where excellence, inspiration and skills were shared through; Site visits with the consultants. A lot of excellence, inspiration and skills were shared by just

talking during these visits. Visiting the Spring Fair at the Birmingham NEC with Eyam Museum and Graham Bancroft. This

visit inspired Eyam Museum to further research suppliers and get a bespoke rat made for them. Polly Redman attending the Retail Matters workshop, hosted by MidFed and sharing her learning

through reports and the workshop. Laura Waters, Assistant Collections Officer at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery, attending MDEM

E-Commerce workshop and sharing her notes with Polly Redman. Talking to other museums that have experienced similar projects and learning from them.

(Macclesfield Museums and The Atkinson Southport) Visiting and encouraging others to visit museum shops to learn and take inspiration from these

visits.

A major aim for the project was to be able to provide a workshop for the members of the cohort where we could all come together and show how the project Inspired Collections Retailing came together as a whole, but mainly to discuss, share and to learn from each other.

The goals for the workshop; To tie in and round off the Inspired Collections Retailing project for everyone.


To give the members confidence and new insight into museum retail and commercial awareness.

To give a good overview of the importance of a shop, visitor service, and how to operate successfully.

More insight in product development and a better understanding of online retail.

The speakers; Polly Redman – ICR Assistant Collections OfficerVisitor Services and Merchandising Graham Bancroft – Retail Heritage (Retail consultant)The Successful Museum Shop Catriona Lister – Enormous ArtProduct Development for Small Museums Rob Lees – Internova (E-Commerce consultant)Online Presence and Opportunities

Derbyshire Museums ForumOn a broader scale the outcomes of this project are also aimed at sharing our findings and encouraging members of the Derbyshire Museums and Heritage Forum to review their retail using tools we have found beneficial. Some of those beneficial tools being; The Retail Review E-Commerce Review Guidelines for Small Museum Shops/ Guidelines for Museum Shop Merchandising Inspired Collections Retailing Workshop specially formulated for the forum meeting with a focus

on the Inspired Collections Retailing project and key tools for running a museum shop.

The project outcomes were presented and shared with members of the Derbyshire Museums Forum during one of their meetings, through two presentations;1. Inspired Collections Retailing; a Project Summary2. ICR; Guidelines for Small Museum ShopsThe presentations were also shared with Claire Browne, Museum Development Manager, Leicester, who was present at this meeting.

3. Evaluate Success Evaluation is a valuable tool for learning about your activity and how it works. It involves gathering evidence before, during and after a project and using it to make judgments about what happened. The evidence also shows what happened and why, and what effect it had. Evaluation can help you improve what you are doing during a project and what you might do next time. The report reveals how we feel the Inspired Collections Retailing project developed. It demonstrates lessons learned and key achievements made based on the project outlines and action plan compared with our original expectations. Below is a summary of some key evaluation points.


Within the timescale given (6 months) we realised that to have any form of success we needed to be realistic and understand the time that managing and administering a project takes, particularly with more stringent council procurement routines. The timescale also made it clear that hard work and dedication was needed from each individual (meaning working overtime and going beyond expectations).

We found that with good communication and organisational skills together with adhering to a tight schedule, but leaving room for challenges, errors and unforeseen circumstances, many aspects of the project were achievable. This proved that small museums with small budgets and limited time dedication ambitious projects can be achieved.

Setting out clear and achievable briefs for consultants and appointing the right consultants based on the needs of the project and not on the size or accreditations of the consultant really helped this project. All involved seemed to have a real passion for the project, wanting and willing it to succeed.

The success of this project is also down to the commitment from individuals to ensure high quality outcomes. Without their belief and enthusiasm for the project and the overtime put in we would not have been able to achieve as many of the short term outcomes or define some of the long term outcomes.5

CONTINUATION The resilience funding for Inspired Collections Retailing has given the members of the cohort the opportunity to challenge the way they work commercially.

5 For detailed short term outcomes please see Appendix 5


It has led to an understanding of commercial analysis and ensured a confidence about how to deliver sustainable income generation, while also helping all to review their knowledge and share these outcomes for the better.

The project’s forward plan contains a commitment from all members of the cohort to continue to improve commercial activities. In the climate of lower local authority grants, public funding and competition with many other activities, ways need to be found to continue to deliver high quality services, and raise additional incomes. Within these existing financial circumstances the cohort will all aim to continue to deliver a prosperous retail element. With the project already having delivered a small but successful contribution to all involved they will challenge and change the way they work in a commercial landscape for the long term. From the short term outcomes staff have already gained a better commercial awareness in delivering improved services, selling new lines celebrating the richness of the collections, all in an improved retail environment. Visitors will now be encouraged to spend more and inspired to leave donations. Hopefully, in the long term such dynamic enterprise will create a shopping destination at all the locations, bringing new visitors and encouraging more commercial activity, while introducing potential non-visitors to the richness of the collections.The project, with the help of the consultants has grasped the opportunity to ensure that the members of the cohort can maximise the commercial development potential of their collections in order for them to raise resources. This will mean that they will be able to continue to support the visitors’ preferred level of service, resulting in improved services to visitors despite resources potentially being withdrawn. It will encourage an increase in users and resource availability to improve services further and ensure the continuing long term provision of service.

LONG TERM OUTCOMESDespite there being a very short time frame for this project (6 months), as this report has shown, many short term outcomes have been realised. These realisations are only the beginning of some long term developments which will improve commercial ambition with regard to retail outlets, product lines and online presence. With the help of this report and the consultants’ reviews, all involved will be able to use the suggestions to their advantage and use it for further funding to: Undertake improvements to the retail space and commercial experience for visitors and non-

visitors based on the individual Retail Reviews. Based on the E-Commerce Review, further develop the online opportunities and business plan. Use the Guidelines to help with the running of the retail area. Further develop museum-related products appealing to a diverse audience, tested by a focus

group, including limited edition products to celebrate anniversaries and special exhibitions. Continue to undertake good customer service and active retail training with staff. Review the customer experience and adjust accordingly.

CONCLUSION & BENEFITS Overall, the project has had excellent outcomes; giving the smaller museum the confidence and knowledge it needs to build a strong and successful retail offer. Inspired Collections Retailing has really celebrated the work of the smaller museum and its retail offer, championing those with the


challenges of spinning many different plates. Not only has this project focussed on the cohort group but also specifically considered national standards and benchmarks with a capacity to influence the work of museums and heritage across the county and country.

We are grateful to the Arts Council England for their support for this work and without their funding the following would not have been possible;

Having a development officer dedicating their full attention and time to this project has made the project a success. Without them the timescale would have been too huge of a challenge to get aims and goals finished and delivered on time.

The retail and e-commerce consultancies and reports hugely benefited all members of the cohort. Individual site visits were made and bespoke reports were created based on individual issues. It equipped each member with more commercial confidence and more insight into the possibilities of online retail.

Being given the opportunity and a budget to create new stock is priceless for a small museum. Having product that reflects your mission and collections is a fantastic way to create income, and income for small museums is extremely important in these current difficult financial times.

Deciding to appoint Paula Moss really benefited the project, without her the realisation of researching, allocating and producing new stock based on the rich collections at the museums would have been impossible in 6 months. Having Paula identifying and communicating with suppliers and product developers freed up time from the project assistant to focus on other aspects of the project.

Having the chance to appoint local artist to create and develop new stock for the shops was a great benefit to the project. It proved that such possibilities are available to smaller museums with small budgets and for them to create unique items to sell. However, it was quickly established that the completion also proved impossible within the 6 month project timescale. It was a great learning curve and suggestions for continuation have been established.

Through hard work and determination from all involved and the cohort we have been able to deliver some real changes to the retail spaces, give confidence back to staff and shown the endless commercial inspiration that can be gained from small museum collections.

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