The next frontier for the art industry is merchandising—I have seen more development in this segment of the market recently than almost any other . The art world and consumers are finally learning to embrace the idea that art and retail can go hand-in-hand. Here’s what’s already happening, and what to expect going forward.The Brooklyn Museum, London’s National Gallery, the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts.
Creating products is only the beginning. What museums are doing to market and sell their growing supply of merchandise is even more eye-opening. To increase traffic to its gift shop, the Tate last year collaborated with artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman on aThe artist re-imagined the store as an experiential space filled with newly produced neon works , a hand-selected musical playlist, and a curated selection of books.
The Cocktail Bar at the Grand Time Hotel is the perfect venue for selfies before hitting the check-out counter with a bag full of Art Deco merch. stores, some of which are as far away from New York as Japan and Hong Kong— that Nordstrom would start selling its Design Store products in 10 retail locations across the United States. The Victoria & Albert Museum, for its part,last year, an Art Deco-inspired pop-up shop in Shanghai. With six separate rooms to navigate, the store became an immersive experience where consumers could buy everything from scarves to iPad cases, all inspired by the V&A’s world-renowned Art Deco collection.