Most who visit World Dairy Expo arrive at the show with a list in hand of things to do and people to see. On most to-do lists – especially from repeat visitors – you’ll find the Purple Cow Gift Shop.
It’s rarely without a crowd, and it’s always stocked full of World Dairy Expo and breed-themed memorabilia. The sweet little shop has made a big impact, not just on show-goers and World Dairy Expo itself, but also on the staff who turned it into what it is today.
From Trinkets to Expo Tradition
“I started in 1990, and it was certainly not what it is today,” recalls Annette Ziegler, former Purple Cow Gift Shop Manager. “I’m not sure why it got started, but I can tell you it’s not only about getting a souvenir. People are out there everywhere with World Dairy Expo on their clothes.”
While that’s great PR, it’s also a great way to find your people, even in the least likely of places. It’s as if World Dairy Expo brings you together, and the Purple Cow Gift Shop keeps you connected. From her years in the shop, Ziegler has stories of dairy industry friends on Alaskan cruises and Haitian mission trips who have found themselves next to someone in a World Dairy Expo shirt, thousands of miles from home.
“I get pictures from people from South America who bought a t-shirt, and send me pictures of their babies wearing it,” Ziegler adds.
Ziegler was one of the first to see the potential that the earliest form of the Purple Cow Gift Shop had. To a small booth that originally sold keychains, erasers and other trinkets, she added apparel, stuffed animals, ornaments, drinkware and more each year.
“Somehow, they said, ‘Annette, you know what’s trendy, what kids and people are buying – help us pick out some of the designs.’” Ziegler shares. “I spent a lot of sleepless nights wondering about how many to buy and how much to buy.”
The Sweatshirt that Put Purple Cow on the Map
But Ziegler had the most important piece of the shop locked in through a partnership with a local print shop. “I was working with Ameriprint, coming up with more designs and apparel,” she says. “When we started selling hooded sweatshirts, people couldn’t get enough of them. They put Purple Cow on the map.”
By the time Ziegler was approaching retirement, she knew exactly who to recruit to keep the shop moving in the right direction. “You know, Kim, who manages the Purple Cow now? She was Ameriprint – that was her business,” Ziegler says. “I was fortunately able to talk her into taking over managing the Purple Cow after she had sold her business.”
A Friendship Built Around Dairy
Kim Erb, the current Purple Cow Gift Shop Manager, grew up on a dairy farm in the Madison area. She got into the screen-printing business with her husband, who had owned a heat-pressed custom shirt shop on State Street in downtown Madison.
“It just became a really good friendship with Annette,” Erb says. “We saw things similarly. I was happy to have a little part-time job. I just love it. It was Annette who truly made that move from a woman’s craft shop to a World Dairy Expo gift shop. I think she’s an excellent businessperson and has set a great foundation for those who follow.”
While the shop is typically crowded, Erb notices that shoppers are always eager and excited to find the newest gear. “The people that come and shop there are just the nicest and friendliest you’ll ever meet,” she says. “I’m so very appreciative of the customers.”
More Than a Souvenir
For that positive experience and atmosphere, Erb says she has the Purple Cow volunteers to thank. “I know there can be times where it’s a long line – and it’s all volunteers that work there. It’s a wonderful group that comes to help, and the camaraderie is just uplifting. I’m very grateful for all those people.”
Erb adds that the intention of the shop today is to provide people with themed apparel that is also affordable. She says it’s not always about the profit – they want people to have a memorable experience, too.
