Vista Health’s new hybrid gift shop

More food and less retail is driving up sales.

Food Management | Sep 20, 2022

Hospital gift shops usually have more cards, flowers, candy, and stuffed animals than everyday convenience items. But that’s not the case at Vista Health in Waukegan, IL, where the gift shop has been transformed into a hybrid market designed to serve guests as well as hospital staff.

In September 2020, Vista Health opened The Market, a 24-hour blended shopping experience offering 60% food, beverage, and convenience items and 40% retail products. “People are expecting to go into a store and have an array of options at their fingertips. It’s no longer just about gifts,” says May Limbach, Brand Marketing Director of Aramark, the operator contracted to manage the shop.

The idea came about when Vista Health’s gift shop vendor told the 200-bed hospital they were leaving. Vista had noticed slower inventory turnover, dwindling sales performance, and waning engagement from shoppers, and decided it was time for a change. That’s when they asked Aramark to take over the shop – and give it a much-needed makeover.

“We wanted to be mindful of the fact that 80% of gift shop sales come from hospital employees,” Limbach says. “They’re not just looking for your typical gift merchandise. They want to have access to an assortment of fresh food and beverage options, even if it’s 3:00 A.M.”

The shop space underwent a complete renovation. Out went the tired carpet flooring and overfilled shelves; in came sleek wood paneling, bright lighting, and a targeted merchandising display designed to feel clean instead of cluttered. Coolers were also installed to house the fresh food and drink offerings.  

Meeting the needs of busy doctors, nurses, and hospital staffers – along with visitors looking for a quick bite – meant stocking The Market with a variety of premium grab-and-go options like paninis, wraps, salads, fresh fruit, and more. “Within the gift market environment, fresh foods are becoming our most popular items,” notes Limbach. And it’s these offerings that make the shop stand out the most. “You’re not just getting candy or a protein bar, as you might with your usual convenience-store experience. You’re actually getting a meal,” she says.

Though food is at the forefront, The Market was never designed to compete with the hospital’s cafeteria. “The cafeteria is meant to serve meals within given hours for staff, visitors, and caregivers,” Limbach says. “The gift market is meant to supplement, for those who need to come in and grab something very quickly.”  

Retail items like balloons, cards, and stuffed animals are still available. But these products are more tightly curated to reflect what people are actually buying. Aramark’s expert merchandising team tracks what sells and what doesn’t, and uses that data to update The Market’s product inventory and display strategy one a quarterly basis. “Are guests regularly buying jewelry and handbags, or do we only need a select curation of that and expand on what’s trending?” Limbach says.

Staffing and technology efficiencies enable The Market to operate round the clock on a lean budget. Eager hospital volunteers often staff the shop, eliminating the need for an extensive network of managers and associates. This alone has yielded a 10% reduction in overhead labor. Self-checkout kiosks also minimize the need for cashiers while speeding up transaction time. “Checkout wait time is typically the biggest pain point of a retail experience,” says Limbach. “If it was a doctor, nurse, or hospital associate who really only had two minutes, that self-checkout would make all the difference.”

That ability to seamlessly checkout 24 hours a day, 7 days a week has also increased sales, particularly in the evenings and overnight. In fact, late-night sales have accounted for a significant amount of The Market’s business. “A third of our transactions have been due to after hours,” Limbach says.   

SOURCE: Food Management

Q. Who are some vendors for cancer items?

Q. Who are some vendors you use for cancer items? I have recently taken over our Cancer Resource Center. It’s located in another building and much smaller than my gift shop. I am looking to make it a much more inspirational and inviting space but still keep some of the cancer related items available to the patients.  – Lanie Ray, Cancer Resource Center, Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, OH

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SEPTEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER: ISSUE #634
Did you miss last month’s articles, surveys, and discussions?

DISCUSSION

FROG & TURTLE ITEMS

I’ve had several request for our gift shop to carry frog and turtle gift items. Do anyone know of any vendors for this? 🐸 🐢 – LaDonna Kelley, Gift Shop Manager, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Health System, Tyler TX. 400 beds. 8/19/22

Ganz has the little pocket tokens. Easy and inexpensive. Small space needed. – Tricia Rochman, Carbondale Memorial Hospital, Carbondale, IL. 154 beds. 9/15/22

I purchase frogs and turtles through our Ganz and Roman reps. – Cindy Mai, OHSU Hillsboro Medical Center Gift Shop, Hillsboro. 168 beds. 9/1/22

There is still time to comment. Click here! 

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LOBBY SALE VENDORS

Q. We are in need of vendors for lobby sales that handle purses and accessories and also a sneaker vendor. Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated! – Lucille Roberts, UHS/Binghamton General Hospital, Binghamton, NY. 7/15/22

Other lobby sales and fundraiser vendors: Outside the Box Shoes, Nom-Nom Popcorn, Scentsy, Collective Goods, Jose Madrid Salsa, Corporate Jewelers, The Nutman, Masquerade, Lionne Designs Jewelry, Carline Leathers (312) 738-0150. 

Dillard’s brings a great purse selection to our lobby sale. – Brenda Welcher, Advent Health. 8/18/22 

We use In The Bag as our vendor. It is under new ownership. – Ramona Kennedy, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center Auxiliary, Ogdensburg. 115 beds. 8/16/22

We have partnered with In the Bag, for one of our shops. They are based out of New Jersey, I am located in Ohio. They have great bags, purses and accessories. Always a hit with our staff when he comes. – Lanie Ray, Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, OH. 8/8/22

Thanks, I appreciate your response. It is now Melissa Blau at In the Bag and she won’t do sales unless provided 12 tables. – Lucille Roberts, UHS/Binghamton General Hospital, Binghamton, NY. 8/8/22

FROM CINDY

Hi Lucille, we have found that there are less and less vendors doing lobby/on-site sales. These were obviously not allowed during the pandemic. Many invested in online stores to accommodate the shift to online shopping. With all that transpired due to the pandemic, Gold Coast Promotions totally changed their fundraising format to an online format, holding over 100 online events in 2021. Here are examples of online fundraisers for UMHS and Memorial Hospital Gulfport. You can read suggestions from readers for other online fundraiser vendors in the April, 2021 issue.  

Maybe onsite lobby sales are picking up again?! We hope other readers will chime in! There is still time to COMMENT! CLICK HERE

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HIP KIT VENDORS

Q. Has anyone found a good source for “hip kits” for post-hip replacement patients? They contain assistive items like sock aid, dressing stick, long handled sponge? – Jill Dugaw, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Spartanburg, SC. 500 beds. 6/22/22

Try Kinsman Enterprises in Illinois – they have a huge catalog of items. – Susan M Dailey, Village Specialty Shoppe, The Village at Orchard Ridge, Winchester, VA. 8/23/22. 

We have ordered from Performance Health (866-402-8720)  for several years. Our hip replacement patients get an insert with their details in the folder they receive during their orientation class prior to surgery. – Brenda Welcher, AdventHealth Zephyrhills, Zephyrhills, FL. 154 beds. 7/22/22

We use Performance Health. Item #081286368. I think they cost $11.84 and we retail for about $35.00. – Margaret Legut, Elmhurst Hospital, Elmhurst, IL. 259 beds. 7/19/22

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TOP GIFT MARKETS

Q. Hello! I’m a new shop manager. I’m trying to decide which gift shows I should attend or, are you mainly shopping online now? What markets does everyone attend? Should I go to a few small shows or one large show? What is your travel budget? I am in the midwest, but can go anywhere. Thanks! – Lindsey. 6/2/22

The January show in Atlanta is a must for me and I complete the majority of my Fall and Holiday buying at that show. I also attend 1-2 smaller regional shows at the Minneapolis Gift Mart. For apparel, I attend the Atlanta apparel market. – Sabra Shields, Sanford USD Medical Center, Sioux Falls, SD. 450 beds. 6/22/22

I go to the Atlanta Mart in January and buy all of my fall and Christmas for the year and some everyday as well. I get great display ideas and seeing the items in person vs. a catalog makes a big difference. I look for companies that offer less minimums on items as we are a smaller shop. I know that I can usually sell 6 or 8 pieces of one item but not 12. – Diane Honsberger, Director of Volunteers & Gift Shop, Mercy St. Anne Hospital, Toledo, OH. 150 beds. 6/21/22

We attend the Americas Mart Gift Show in Atlanta. – Laura Keipert, Supervisor, Retail Services, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, GA 6/20/22

We generally go to Las Vegas, for three days. Our budget for two people was around $800. Show specials more than made up for those costs. Haven’t had travel budget for two years though and hope to go next January. The summer gift show usually coincides with the ASD show, so it is a two-for-one trip. – Karla Glanzman, Gift Shop Manager at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA. 407 beds. 6/17/22 

We try to do one gift show a year. We have done Dallas, Atlanta and Vegas. Set-up at Vegas was amazing. LOVED IT! Atlanta was the best so far though. – Tricia Rochman, Carbondale Memorial Hospital, Carbondale, IL. 154 beds. 4/21/22

We send about three volunteers to Atlanta every January for about five days. This has made all the difference in our gift shop. They shop primarily for the holidays throughout the year but do order some everyday items as well. It really saves on meeting with the vendors on a regular basis. – Ramona Kennedy, Lifeline Program Manager & Auxiliary Liaison, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Ogdensburg, NY. 115 beds. 6/16/22

Atlanta Gift Market. The main one to go to is January, but I’ve also gone to the last two in July. I usually stay 3-4 nights, but don’t have a monetary budget for the exact amount. – Roberta Gilbert, Gift Shop Coordinator, St.Claire Regional Medical Center. Morehead, KY. 159 beds. 6/16/22

We have attended the Las Vegas Gift Show and have found great success. Over several years, we have met up with great suppliers, reinforced current relationships and had a lot of fun. This show has a wide range of merchants and the options are fantastic for whatever you might be looking for. Personally I love seeing the FULL range of a product line. Go to shows, they make a world of difference in your buying habits. – Lorene Oates, Volunteer Coordinator, West Valley Medical Center, Caldwell, ID. 150 beds. 6/15/22

I have attended the Las Vegas World Market’s January show for about six years. I previously attended the Atlanta show. The airfare is better for me on the West Coast and the hotels are less expensive than even Seattle. My travel budget is $2,000 or less and I stay the full time. I can accomplish more in 5 days than I could in a month of seeing reps in the shop or ordering on line. Not to mention seeing product in person can completely change your perspective. It also gives you a chance to meet other gift shop buyers and learn from each other. I’ve made connections that are on going. – Molly Forni, Gift Shop Manager, St. John Providence Health System, Portland, OR. 266 beds. 6/15/22

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