At It Brings Art, we bridge the gap between creative vision and physical reality for ambitious companies and cultural institutions looking to take their brand to the next level. The company acts as an extended operations team, developing custom merchandise and immersive retail assets that turn brand identity into tangible, high-value experiences. .
We believe that retail is more than a commercial touchpoint. A thoughtfully designed gift shop becomes a natural extension of the visitor journey, reinforcing the exhibition narrative while creating meaningful opportunities for audiences to take part of the experience long after their visit.
That is why, alongside designing and manufacturing custom collections, we offer an end-to-end gift shop creation service, managing the design, production, installation and operational planning for cultural institutions and museums, as well as retail point of sales and immersive experiences worldwide.
This year, we partnered with La Villette in Paris to deliver the Gift Shop for The Legend of the Titanic exhibition. The challenge was to transform the story being told into a retail experience that extended visitor engagement beyond the exhibition.
Set in Paris’s 19th arrondissement, La Villette is a celebrated cultural destination where art, music and architecture come together. At its heart stands La Grande Halle de La Villette, a repurposed 19th century market hall and the setting for The Legend of the Titanic exhibition. Spanning 3,000m², this immersive exhibition invites visitors to experience the story of the Titanic through a unique blend of history and technology, featuring 360º projections, VR and Metaverse experiences.
For this project, we managed the design, production and installation of the exhibition’s gift shop, while also showcasing our exclusive Titanic merchandise collection, Enduring Elegance: Designs Inspired by the World of Titanic.
The installation of the Gift Shop store took place over two days with a team of three people, but the creation of the store began long before. The process starts with understanding the project’s concept and the type of products that will be presented. From there, we develop a layout plan tailored to the venue’s dimensions, including a scaled version that allows us to visualise how the furniture will fit within the space and define the placement, display units, circulation areas and key product zones.
We then select the shelves and decorative details according to the collection and the variety of products included. Each decision is made to ensure that the space is visually coherent, functional and aligned with the story being told. Item placement follows an intentional spatial strategy. Products are organized according to category, dimension, and their specific role in the visitor experience: high-visibility pieces draw immediate attention, whereas interactive elements are positioned to invite deeper exploration
Once on site, the space is transformed from an empty area into a fully equipped gift shop. This includes assembling the furniture, setting up the displays, organising the products, and adding decorative elements.
Beyond design and installation, the team also makes sure the Shop is ready for day-to-day operations. Product stock is organised within the retail furniture to simplify replenishment, while back-of-house inventory is categorised for quick access throughout the exhibition.
This operational planning helps ensure the store remains organised, fully stocked and ready to support visitors during the entire exhibition period.
Although every gift-shop begins with a detailed plan, each space brings its own unexpected challenges and during this installation, our team adapted in real time, finding practical solutions to successfully bring the Gift Shop to life.
The gift shop has been open since March 2026 and will remain in place until September. It features 141 products and 31 books from It Brings Art’s Titanic Collection which spans across several categories, including accessories, games, kids, kitchen, stationery and textiles.
Together, these pieces offer visitors the opportunity to discover a curated selection of products inspired by the elegance, history and atmosphere of the legendary vessel as part of their exhibition experience.
Whether developing a bespoke merchandise collection, managing a pop-up store or delivering both as a fully integrated solution, we partner with our clients to simplify complex retail projects.
