That teal sign may read “gift shop,” but the merchandise at the hospital store says “boutique.”
Tucson Medical Center’s Auxiliary Gift Shop looks more like something you’d see inside a resort than at a hospital.
“We have everything from socks and underwear to go-out-on-the-town dresses,” says manager Deanna Baumgardner. “Everybody says, ‘This is a hospital gift shop?’”
Yes, yes it is.
You can buy the usual flowers, balloons and cards, along with munchies and forgotten, away-from-home essentials like toiletries. The shop offers a free concierge service for patients who’ve left things behind or need some entertainment like crossword puzzles or books, Baumgardner says.
The shop — which underwent a remodeling last year and upgraded with fixtures from a now-shuttered La Encantada store — is filled with a little bit of everything and plenty of Tucson flavor like the work of artist Diana Madaras, Day of the Dead items and locally crafted Kuumba Made lotions and fragrance oils. A University of Arizona section handles fans’ needs with hats, shirts and painted kukui nut jewelry ($10 for bracelets and earrings, $22 for necklaces) and cute tote bags ($30).
Some sweaters sell for around $60, but most items fall in the $20-$30 range, and there are plenty of regular sales, Baumgardner says. The store follows retail cycles, so spring merchandise will be rolled out soon.
Most of the shop’s customers are TMC employees, who can also pick up scrubs or TMC logoed items. They can even opt for payroll deductions. But customers who discovered the store when visiting a patient go back to shop, too, Baumgardner says.
The gift shop is one of three — there’s one dedicated to moms and babies, as well as a resale store — that gave a total of $289,000 last year to the not-for-profit hospital. Hope Thomas, TMC’s director of volunteer services and community programs, says the money helped fund several hospital programs, including one for free breast screenings. There’s no guilt from shopping at this store: Thomas calls it “retail with a conscience.”
