Rhode Island School of Design Store

Name

Rhode Island School of Design Store

Legal name

RISD Store

Website

https://risdstore.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Supplies Retail

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (459420), Office Supplies and Stationery Retailers (459410)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Art & Drafting Supplies Retail (CRALABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Campus Bookstore-Adjacent Retail (Snacks, Beverages, Essentials) (EDALADAE), Craft Storage, Organization & Display Retail (CRALACAJ)

Keywords

• Art supplies retail
• Campus bookstore
• Design merchandise
• Creative materials
• Alumni gifts

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail merchandise sales: The store generates revenue through direct sales of art supplies, art materials, gifts, apparel, and RISD-branded merchandise through both physical retail locations and e-commerce platform.
2. Gift cards: RISD Store sells gift cards that can be used in-person at the risd:store and risd:store 3d locations and online.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The RISD Store operates as the official campus retail store of the Rhode Island School of Design, selling art supplies (drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, sewing, textiles), official RISD-branded merchandise (rings, diploma frames, apparel, accessories), alumni-designed products, gifts, and RISD Museum merchandise. It distributes these products through two physical retail locations in Providence, Rhode Island (risd:store and risd:store 3d) and an e-commerce website at risdstore.com.

Product overview

The RISD Store is a comprehensive e-commerce platform and physical retail store operated by the Rhode Island School of Design. The store operates as a multi-category retail platform featuring six core product lines: (1) 2D Materials & Supplies — a vast assortment of art supplies including drawing materials, painting supplies, printmaking tools, photography supplies, sketchbooks, and craft materials; (2) Official RISD Merchandise — branded items including custom RISD Rings (handmade with graduation year), diploma frames, apparel, and accessories; (3) Alumni Collection — products designed by RISD alumni including jewelry, home décor, and the Liz Collins Motherlode collaboration; (4) Gifts — general gift items including stationery, books, and home goods; (5) RISD Museum Gifts — museum-related merchandise and publications; and (6) Specialty Products — gift cards, digital items, and course-specific materials. The store is powered by Lightspeed e-commerce platform and serves RISD students, alumni, faculty, and the general public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 2D Materials & Supplies Comprehensive range of art supplies including drawing materials (charcoal, graphite, pencils, pens, markers), painting supplies (acrylic, oil, gouache, watercolor paints), printmaking tools, photography supplies, sketchbooks, bookbinding materials, sewing and textile supplies, papers, glues, and craft materials. Targeted at RISD students and art enthusiasts.
• Official RISD Merchandise Branded Rhode Island School of Design merchandise including handmade custom RISD Rings with graduation year, diploma frames, apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets), accessories (bags, drinkware, decals, aprons), and keepsakes. Targeted at RISD students, alumni, and brand enthusiasts.
• Alumni Collection Products designed or curated by RISD alumni including jewelry, books, apparel, sculptures, games, room décor, serveware, bags, and the Liz Collins Motherlode collaboration line. Targeted at RISD alumni and design-conscious consumers.
• Gifts Gift items including accessories, cards & stationery, books, dorm essentials, games & toys, jewelry, home & kitchen items, and bags & pouches. Targeted at general consumers and gift shoppers.
• RISD Museum Gifts Merchandise related to the RISD Museum including manuals, publications, museum merchandise, and postcards. Targeted at RISD Museum visitors and art enthusiasts.
• Specialty Products Specialty items including gift cards, digital & software products, and Shop by Course materials organized for specific RISD courses (Foundation, Apparel Design, Printmaking). Gift cards are available in $25 denominations. Targeted at RISD community members.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LightspeedcoreTechnology or IntegrationLightspeed provides the e-commerce platform powering the RISD Store website, enabling online retail operations including product catalog, shopping cart, customer accounts, and order management.
• Apple for EducationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRISD Store is listed among Apple's education partners, potentially offering educational pricing or access to Apple products for students and educators.
• Brown BookstoreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCross-campus partnership with Brown University's bookstore, expanding distribution reach to Brown students and staff.
• RISD BuckscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRISD Bucks integration allows RISD community members to use campus currency for purchases both in-store and online, streamlining transactions for students and staff.
• University FramesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with University Frames for customizable diploma frames, allowing RISD graduates to professionally frame their diplomas.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Paper Source: Paper Source is a specialty retailer of stationery, gifts, and paper goods. Overlaps with RISD Store's gift, stationery, and bookbinding subcategories, and serves similar design-conscious consumers.
• MOMA Design Store: MOMA Design Store sells design-forward gifts, books, and museum merchandise tied to the Museum of Modern Art. Directly comparable to RISD Store's RISD Museum Gifts and gift categories, with similar institution-affiliated positioning.
• Jerry's Artarama: Jerry's Artarama is an online-first specialty retailer of art supplies targeting students and professional artists. Direct competitor to RISD Store's online art-supply assortment with a similar student-focused value proposition.
• The Met Store: The Metropolitan Museum of Art's retail store offers publications, postcards, and museum-branded gifts. Directly analogous to RISD Store's museum gift category, with similar institution-affiliated merchandise positioning.
• Blick (Utrecht) Art Supplies: Utrecht, owned by Dick Blick, focuses on professional-grade artists' materials and was historically a go-to for art students. Comparable to RISD Store's 2D Materials category in pricing and professional positioning.
• Princeton University Store (Labyrinth Books): Princeton's official store combines academic-branded merchandise, books, and supplies. Closest structural peer for RISD Store's mix of institution-branded merchandise with general retail.
• Dick Blick Art Materials: Dick Blick is the largest US specialty retailer of art supplies, offering the same drawing, painting, printmaking, and craft categories as RISD Store. Both serve professional artists, students, and hobbyists with multi-channel retail (store + e-commerce), making it the most direct competitor in core art supplies.
• Cooper Hewitt Museum Shop: Cooper Hewitt, the Smithsonian design museum, operates a design-focused retail shop selling publications and curated gifts. Directly comparable to RISD Museum Gifts as an institutional museum-shop peer.

Broad incumbents

• Michaels Stores: Michaels is the largest US arts-and-crafts retailer with broad coverage of art supplies, framing, and DIY categories. While it competes with RISD Store on craft and hobby merchandise, it does not carry the RISD-branded or alumni-designed assortment.

Regional players

• B&H Photo Video: B&H Photo Video is a major photography and electronics retailer based in New York. It overlaps with RISD Store's photography-supplies subcategory but is not a primary competitor for general art supplies or branded merchandise.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhode-island-school-of-design-store

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rhode Island School of Design Store