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HOME/Hospital Operations/The Gift (Shop) That Keeps on Giving

The Gift (Shop) That Keeps on Giving

The Gift (Shop) That Keeps on Giving
June 2, 2017
7 Comments
By: Cincinnati Children's Social Media Team

They aren’t big – a little more than 1400 square feet of retail space at Burnet Campus, and only 300 at Liberty – but the Gift Shops at Cincinnati Children’s do some serious business. And, once you step foot inside, it’s easy to see why– it’s a fun place to shop!

Gift Shop staff serves about 500 customers a day, equating to roughly one customer per minute, and they approach every interaction with smiles and big hearts. You may have heard the Gift Shop mantra – “The more you shop, the more we give” – and it is entirely true. The gift shop is staffed by volunteers who work alongside a group of paid retail professionals, and all of the proceeds are donated right back to Cincinnati Children’s.

These volunteers are here because they love to give back to the medical center and our patients. They run the cash registers, of course, but they are also balloon bunch designers, stuffed animal experts, book reviewers and personal shoppers for families who call with requests to send the perfect gift to a patient.

Early Days

volunteer showing toy to shopper in Cincinnati Children's Gift Shop, 1958The Cincinnati Children’s Gift Shop dates back to 1910, when the Junior Co-operative Society first formed. The volunteer organization began as a social sewing group, making and selling white dresses and hemmed washcloths to families of children hospitalized at Cincinnati Children’s. From there, they began hand-making the clown toys for which they quickly became famous.

By 1942, the Junior Co-op opened the hospital’s first gift shop. Since that time, the store’s offerings and client base have grown and evolved, making adjustments as needed to maintain the reputation of having just the right gift for any recipient.

In 2010, when the Cincinnati Children’s Liberty Campus officially opened, it included a 120 square foot gift shop with limited inventory. It operated out of the tiny room until June 2015 when the shop was moved up to the second floor entrance. The new 300 square foot space provided more room for shoppers to find what they have already come to expect from the gift shop, including stuffed animals, toys, and snacks.

History of Giving Back

The gift shop’s long-standing reputation of charitable support goes all the way back to 1942 when the first shop opened. It operates as a non-profit and all proceeds from sales in the shop are given back to Cincinnati Children’s to support clinical and research efforts. In total, the Junior Co-operative Society has donated more than $7.4 million in gift shop proceeds to the hospital. In 2016, the gift shop made its largest single-year donation of $649,000 which helped fund a high-risk maternity clinic, suicide prevention programs, and 3-D imaging within the Cardiology Department, among other things.

Gift Shop Offerings

logo merchandise inside gift shop at Cincinnati Children'sWhen it comes to having the hottest items in-stock, gift shop buyers take pride in staying on top of the latest trends. Every year, staff members attend market conventions in Atlanta, Dallas, even the International Toy Fair in New York. You can find baby gifts, games and toys for children of all ages, magazines and spa items, Cincinnati Children’s logo merchandise, balloons and fresh flowers, a huge selection of jewelry and among the best selections of Tervis tumblers and Beanie Boos in the city!

Also among the fun gifts, are whole sections of practical items families may need during an inpatient stay. So if you find yourself staying unexpectedly or have forgotten a necessity, chances are the gift shop sells it. And if not, just let them know what you need and they will work with the concierge team to get it for you as quickly as possible!

Volunteer Opportunities

If you have been looking for a way to get involved with Cincinnati Children’s, volunteering in the gift shop may be a good fit! Commitments require only two weekday shifts per month and three weekend shifts per year. Volunteers must be willing to work in a fun-filled, fast-paced environment throughout their scheduled shift. Some of our current volunteers are more than 90 years old and have been part of the gift shop family for decades – we think being around kids keeps them young! If you are interested in becoming a member of the Jr. Co-operative society and volunteering at the gift shop, you can email them directly at gift_shop@cchmc.org, or call (513-636-4310).

Remember… “the more you shop, the more we give!”

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About the author: Cincinnati Children's Social Media Team

Our social media team works with experts, patients and families at Cincinnati Children’s to bring you important information that we hope helps you navigate the complex world of parenting.

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Comments

Lynnette June 8, 2017 at 8:29 am

Our Liberty Gift Shop is awesome!!! What makes it that way are the people that work there. Friendly, Attentive,Courteous. They go out of their way to make our shopping experience incredible. Hats off to the Liberty Crew!!!

Erica June 8, 2017 at 3:58 pm

I absolutely love both gift shops! I literally shop at least once a week. It’s hard not to stop in even if it’s just to browse. However, you tend to always leave out of there with something. Thank you to the staff and volunteers who make each visit a great experience and makes me want to come back often! 🙂

Mandy June 23, 2017 at 12:10 pm

We love the gift shop and the volunteers in the gift shop. Whenever I need a unique gift I always stop in. We also use the gift shop as a reward for tests and procedures. A trip to the gift shop with child life, PT, OT, ST etc has helped my daughter get moving after surgeries or long hospital stays. The volunteers are always patient with my daughter as she learns to purchase things on her own. The windo displays are always fun to look at even when the shop is closed. We have even used the displays to play a game of I Spy to pass the time on a quiet weekend afternoon. Over the years at CCHMC we have gotten to know several of the volunteers in the gift shop and some days we just stop in to say hello.

Florence Kassay June 19, 2018 at 8:09 pm

Hi i was at the liberty gift shop in Ohio, my grandson was having some tests done there while waiting i went down to the gift shop and bought my daughter compression stocking she said they were the best she ever had they were size large and had daisies on them, since we live in florida we wont be coming back for some time so i was wondering if you still have them and do you ship. thank you kindly!

    Avatar photo
    Kate Setter June 26, 2018 at 4:27 pm

    Hi Florence – We will check into it and let you know!

Tina May 16, 2020 at 10:31 pm

I know this is a long shot but my son was at Cincinnati childrens hospital in november 2017.. He was three months old and had open heart surgery. While pacing the many hours during his surgery, I wandered into the gift shop and bought a silver stuffed reindeer and a silver metal snowflake ornament that had “miracles do happen” inscribed on the center with some glitter pieces…the ornament was taken a while later from me…I was wondering if there is any way to track down the supplier so that I might try to replace it? That piece meant the world to me that day and I would love to find it to put back on the reindeer and give it to my son when he is older…because he is my miracle!!

    Avatar photo
    Rachel Camper June 9, 2020 at 5:30 am

    Hi Tina,

    We would be happy to look into this. Do you happen to have any more details about the ornament? For instance, was it metal, glass, ceramic, fabric? What color were the glittery pieces – were they glued on or hanging? Do you remember a name of a vendor on it? What color was it, along with the color of the string? Any further details would be helpful!

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