October 23, 2011: The National Arboretum was teeming with visitors on this cool, sunny fall Sunday. The parking spaces were filled at the headquarters lot, at Fern Valley and at Asia Valley. The visitors were old and were young, but mostly couples in their 30s and 40s. Many were walking their dogs and others were bicycling. Lots of visitors were not speaking English.
How can the gift shop become more visible?
Who visits the arboretum? and who shops at Arbor House?
Are we merchandising for the right audience?
Does the quality of the merchandise match the quality of the arboretum collections?
Could we better display the merchandise?
Why are cold beverages and food separated from warm food?
Why do we offer colorful, interesting caps and t-shirts for children, but not for adults?
It's an arboretum; we're a garden club; but where are the plants?
