The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Shop announces its first off-site retail presence in the Richmond region. The VMFA Pop-Up shop, which will be open from late October to December 31, will be located near the entrance of Saks Fifth Avenue, adjacent to Anthropologie.
“Since the museum reopening in 2010, the VMFA Shop has been managed by a professional retail staff and is among the top 10 percent grossing art museum shops in the nation,” Shop Manager Michael Guajardo said. “Last year, the shop grossed $3.3 million and the team continues to work on physical as well as virtual sales strategies to better serve the public.”
Part of the museum’s strategy is to provide the additional location through the holidays as it overhauls its e-commerce site. The existing site will come down in early September and be replaced by a more robust, mobile-friendly site, searchable by price and collection. The new site will launch in early 2014.
The VMFA Pop-Up Shop will be located in a prime 2,500 square foot space. The shop will offer something for all ages: an array of holiday and gift items and a variety of best selling merchandise. Examples include jewelry by Virginia artists and artists from throughout the world, such as South Africa, Thailand, and South America; art and children’s books; children’s educational toys; high design house wares; and scarves from both Virginia and international outlets. Merchandise for the coming exhibition Hollywood Costume will be featured. Featured items will include the catalogue, Harry Potter capes and glasses, Batman capes and masks, tiaras, puzzles, and books, including I, Toto: The Autobiography of Terry, the Dog who was Toto. Hollywood Costume opens November 9 at the museum, and is a U.S. premiere and east coast exclusive.
In addition to the VMFA Shop, the museum will also have a dedicated Hollywood Costume shop at the exhibition’s exit.
The VMFA shop generated $3.3 million in gross revenues in FY13 and $2.1 million in FY12, compared to pre-expansion sales of less than $1 million a year.
About the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
VMFA’s permanent collection encompasses more than 33,000 works of art spanning 5,000 years of world history. Its collections of Art Nouveau and Art Deco, English silver, Fabergé, and the art of South Asia are among the finest in the nation. With acclaimed holdings in American, British Sporting, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist, and Modern and Contemporary art – and additional strengths in African, Ancient, East Asian, and European – VMFA ranks as one of the top comprehensive art museums in the United States. Programs include educational activities and studio classes for all ages, plus lively after-hours events. VMFA’s Statewide Partnership program includes traveling exhibitions, artist and teacher workshops, and lectures across the Commonwealth. VMFA is open 365 days a year and general admission is always free. For additional information, telephone 804-340-1400 or visit www.vmfa.museum.
