PRESS RELEASE
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Partners with AA Museum Shops To Create a Unique Shopping Experience BIRMINGHAM June 25, 2006 – Philadelphia based AA Museum Shops with this new arrangement, AA Museum Shops now operates gift shops at four major African American Museums. As part of an overall effort to enhance the learning experience of museum patrons, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) partnered with AA Museum Shops in April 2006 to transform its gift shop. The primary motivation of the museum was to ensure the availability of the highest quality Afro-centric social expression products in support of the museum’s mission. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute has a well deserved reputation as one of the most prestigious African American Museums in the country, and wanted a gift shop to match. At the end of a two month transformation process, Carol Well, BCRI Vice-President of Finance, remarked “The experience has confirmed our decision to outsource the gift shop. The transformation has been amazing, truly amazing!” Dr. Lawrence J. Pijeaux Jr., BCRI President and CEO, indicated he was simply “ecstatic” about the gift shop transformation. AA Museum Shops, a BDJ Ventures company, is an African American owned firm based in Philadelphia. Their mission is to create and manage African American museum gift shops that are exciting, and memorable destinations that extend and enhance the visitor’s learning experience. In addition to the Civil Rights Institute, AA Museum Shops currently operate gift shops at three other major African American Museums including the Douglass-Meyers Maritime Park,the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, and the National Great Blacks In Wax Museum. AA Museum Shops’ Operations Director, Darnell Daisey, asserts that “…these are probably four of the finest African American gift shops in the country. We consistently receive feedback from customers that they have never seen better African American gift shops anywhere – museum related or not.” BDJ Ventures was motivated to launch AA Museum Shops because too many African American Museums had gifts shops that were not up to par with the museum itself. The essence of AA Museum Shops’ “Museum Gift Shop Transformation Model” is to significantly improve the gift shop revenue stream, with no required financial investment or risk to the museum. The success of this model is based on AA Museum Shops’ ability to create a gift shop that better aligns aesthetics, product selection, inventory management, on-line presence, and customer service with the focus of the museum and its patrons’ profiles. For further information contact Darryl Daisey at darryl.daisey@bdjventures.com.
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