The Association for Cultural Enterprises, a charity and trade body for the arts, heritage, and cultural sector, is encouraging purposeful shopping this holiday season with Museum Shop Sunday, which is taking place on 1 December.
This global initiative brings together more than 2,200 arts, heritage and cultural attractions to spotlight their retail outlets and unique products with special events and in-store and online promotions.
The purpose of Museum Shop Sunday, which is co-hosted by the Museum Store Association (MSA) in the US and the Association for Cultural Enterprises in the UK, is to draw attention to the critical role that retail plays in ensuring the survival and prosperity of arts, cultural, and historic venues.
The annual campaign, which is now in its eighth year, has established itself as a fixture in the cultural calendar and provides a focal point and a platform for cultural institutions to raise awareness, improve sales, and reach new audiences in the run-up to the holidays.
Museum Shop Sunday encourages people to shop with purpose. By shopping at cultural venues, they will not only find a gift but will also support the organisation’s future growth, small businesses, local suppliers, and independent makers.
Unique gifting ideas
Museum Shop Sunday offers something for everyone, ranging from chic home goods and unique artisan gifts to beautiful books and locally produced, sustainable products.
This year’s event will feature over 100 cultural organisations from the UK and Europe, including museums, galleries, theatres, libraries, cathedrals, and historic houses. These organisations will host special events and promotions to highlight their unique products and encourage customers to shop with purpose.
Among the participating venues are:
- The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. The attraction will highlight illustrator Emily Sutton’s stunning artwork for Shakespeare’s First Folio: All The Plays: A Children’s Edition. Visitors can view Sutton’s original illustrations for the book and purchase exclusive Shakespeare’s First Folio products.
- Royal Ballet & Opera. Customers will discover the stunning Cinderella Christmas Collection by artist Elena Deshmu. Inspired by the enchanting ballroom clock scene, Deshmu has designed a range of celestial-themed gifts which are ideal for Christmas.
- Bow Street Police Museum. Here, shoppers will test their detective talents by gifting a book to a blind date, and follow the clues to guess what’s behind the wrapping.
- The British Motor Museum. For vehicle enthusiasts, the British Motor Museum offers the opportunity to adopt a car from their collection. Recipients will get a digital adoption certificate and their name will be featured on the car’s Online Collections record.
- Shetland Museum & Archives. The venue is hosting a Museum Shop Sunday afternoon, featuring festive refreshments, mince pies, and music. Visitors can meet with the makers, see demonstrations, and try activities like lino printing, paper cut design, needle felting, and straw craft.
There will also be lots of activity online, with most venues giving discounts in their online stores. The offers will be promoted on museumshopsunday.org.uk and #MuseumShopSunday, where shoppers can find their favourite attractions and discover new ones.
Jo Whitworth, communications manager, Association for Cultural Enterprises, says: “Museum Shop Sunday is a vital resource for the sector at a time when cultural organisations need to maximise income as much as possible, giving our members a platform to collectively showcase their shops and products and the stories behind them.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to show the world just how brilliant our cultural shops are and what wonderful unique and creative gifts you can find when you shop with purpose.”
“Museum Shop Sunday provides a unique platform for cultural venues to highlight their retail offerings, driving sales and increasing visibility,” says Gordon Morrison, CEO, Association for Cultural Enterprises. “It also enables consumers to support their favourite cultural venues while finding unique and meaningful gifts. By shopping with purpose, they are directly contributing to the sustainability and success of these vital institutions. It’s a win-win all round!”
Museum Shop Sunday offers a variety of ways for organisations to participate, including social media campaigns, in-store events, and online promotions. Further information and resources, including a marketing toolkit, are available at museumshopsunday.org.uk.
Additionally, the campaign can be found @MuseumShopSunday on Instagram. Participants are invited to include the #MuseumShopSunday and #ShopwithPurpose hashtags in their own posts.
The Association for Cultural Enterprises recently announced the launch of its new awards programme, which celebrates commercial success and best practice in the cultural sector. Entries are now open for the Cultural Enterprises Awards 2025.
