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

The gift shop industry in Minnesota

County Business Patterns counts 279 establishments in Minnesota classified as Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores (NAICS 453220) for 2023. They employed 1,851 people in mid-March and reported $40.7 million in annual payroll. That is the 24th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Gift, novelty and souvenir stores make up 0.18% of the 154,455 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Minnesota has 4.8 gift, novelty and souvenir stores, 13.3% below the national rate of 5.6. The average establishment has 6.6 employees against 6.8 nationally. Payroll per employee is $21,974, 13.9% below the U.S. figure of $25,533.

Gift, novelty and souvenir stores by metro area in Minnesota

Census published gift shop counts for 18 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Minnesota. The largest is Minneapolis, MN-WI, with 151 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 30% 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 Minnesota

54.7% of Minnesota's gift, novelty and souvenir stores with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 55.8% nationally. 74.8% 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.

What gift, novelty and souvenir stores in Minnesota use the phone for

Gift shops take calls about stock, holds and gift wrapping, with seasonal peaks. Quick answers help capture holiday sales.

Calls a gift shop in Minnesota might handle in a typical week include:

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

What gift, novelty and souvenir stores text about

Shops text hold and order-ready notices.

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

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

Gift, novelty and souvenir stores in Minnesota 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 Minnesota of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in Minnesota

Minnesota has 8 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 Minnesota

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

Porting a number you already use in Minnesota 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.