In the Monet year, museum bookstores are filled with catalogs and biographies on the most famous of the Impressionists. But also, more surprisingly, educational books; from the album to handle (“Tralal’Art” collection published by Nathan) to the musical book (published by Gründ) including the essential Miffy soft toy dressed in a dress sprinkled with Water Lilies. Because who says visitor says potential customer. “Baby products are quite light today because they represent 1% of the youth section, observes Julie Laborie, head of youth products at the Grand Palais-Réunion des musées nationaux (Grand Palais-RMN). However, we note a new appetite for these items since baby ranges are increasingly present in calls for tenders for the stores for which we have the concession. » Textiles are experiencing significant growth in particular, like the “Mon Petit Versailles” collection with its socks, hats, bibs, swaddles, leggings and comfort toys which are a hit with parents delighted to be able to bring back a useful souvenir from their visit. And this despite a relatively high price since you have to pay 22 euros for a simple bodysuit in the colors of the Sun King. Items tapping into parents’ nostalgia also work very well, like Vilac wooden toys such as the Pompon Bear in a rocking horse style and products derived from the world of Barbapapa designed in collaboration with the Louvre. While the pretty albums Miffy and the artists And Miffy and the Impressionists are selling like hotcakes.
Building on this success, the GP-RMN is also working on a new title in the series for 2027. Because if the field of publishing is in crisis, the children’s sector remains one of the few to do well. Early learning books continue to sell well, especially those with added value, hence the investment in this commercial segment. “Our credo is to make books that are as beautiful and qualitative for children as for adultsconfirms Sophie Laporte, director of Éditions du GP-RMN. They are worked on in terms of graphic research, image processing and choice of papers exactly like an exhibition catalog. We even carry out color correction in front of the works because the education of the eye also involves these details. » A profitable strategy since the “Art à tout petit pas” picture books (from 2 years old) are exported and translated into several languages.
However, Éditions du GP-RMN are not the only house focusing on toddlers. Nathan thus developed his Tralalart collection in collaboration with art historian Sandrine Andrews. These animated books, easily recognizable with their pull tabs, became a staple of early libraries. “There is strong demand from booksellers to develop this type of product, comments Loraine Capelier, editor of the collection. This is why we developed small “monographs” like Little Rousseau. For the first time we designed a title specifically for an exhibition and it worked very well, so we will certainly repeat the experience. »
