THE MUSEUM SHOP IN POLAND. UNUSED SPACE OF INTERACTION AND A CHALLENGE FOR THE INSTITUTION’S MANAGERS

The article is a fragment of the author’s moreextensive study The museum shop. Its role and significancein modern museum, written as a student of the PostgraduateMuseum Studies at the University of Warsaw. Based on interviewsand both questionnaire and visual surveys, it presentsissues pertaining to the location of museum shopswithin the museum’s premises, correlation between theshop’s assortment on offer and the museum’s programme,as well as the awareness of museum executive managersas to the versatility of such shops’ potential. In many casesthe museum shops are being neglected which shows in theirunderinvestment, lack of care, unattractive offer and unfriendlyspatial arrangement. It is hard to understand suchapproach especially that shops are in most cases the finalaccent of a visit to the museum. The author underlined thesignificance of projects intending to modernise the spatialarrangement of museum shops. They envisage the transformationof a shop into a space for the pleasant pastime,relaxation to release a museum fatigue; an opportunityto see and purchase publications giving a deeper insight into just visited expositions. In conclusion, the author pointsto the abundance of interdisciplinary research which mayand should include the subject of museum shop. She drawsattention to issues concerning, inter alia: selection and competenceof shop personnel, placement within an organisationalstructure, cooperation with lessees, stock replenishmentand budgeting of the shop. Furthermore, the scopeof the conducted research included the adaptation of bothhistoric and modern interiors for museum shop purposes,furnishings (interior design, furniture, lighting), presenceof exclusive items appreciated by connoisseurs, marketing,promotion, as well as the use of new media in the image--building of the shop.