Business phone system for gift, novelty and souvenir stores in Massachusetts

Gift, novelty and souvenir stores in Massachusetts by the numbers

Massachusetts had 484 gift, novelty and souvenir stores in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns (NAICS 453220, Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores). They employed 3,172 people in mid-March and reported $86.1 million in annual payroll. That is the 13th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Gift, novelty and souvenir stores make up 0.26% of the 183,767 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Massachusetts has 6.8 gift, novelty and souvenir stores, 22.1% above the national rate of 5.6. The average establishment has 6.6 employees against 6.8 nationally. Payroll per employee is $27,135, 6.3% above the U.S. figure of $25,533.

Massachusetts's largest markets for gift, novelty and souvenir stores

Census published gift shop counts for 10 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Massachusetts. The largest is Boston, MA-NH, with 328 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 37% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at gift, novelty and souvenir stores in Massachusetts

59.4% of Massachusetts's gift, novelty and souvenir stores with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 55.8% nationally. 78.5% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.

Calls a gift shop in Massachusetts has to catch

Gift shops take calls about stock, holds and gift wrapping, with seasonal peaks. Quick answers help capture holiday sales. That holds for gift, novelty and souvenir stores in Massachusetts as much as anywhere.

A few of the calls that come in to gift, novelty and souvenir stores in Massachusetts:

• The store calls a customer about an order.
• A customer calls to ask about a specific item.
• A customer calls to hold an item.

Business texting for gift, novelty and souvenir stores

Shops text hold and order-ready notices.

Texting from a local number in Massachusetts requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

Callata vs. per-seat pricing for gift, novelty and souvenir stores in Massachusetts

Gift, novelty and souvenir stores in Massachusetts average 6.6 employees, so the comparison uses a 7-person team. Priced per seat, 7 users would run $210.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $174.65 on Ooma Office Pro (month-to-month list prices, checked September 28, 2026). Callata comes to $139.00 a month for 7 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $852 less than RingCentral for a gift shop in Massachusetts of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has 9 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a gift shop can hold a number in more than one of them.

How Callata works for gift, novelty and souvenir stores in Massachusetts

For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.

Porting a number you already use in Massachusetts is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.