Our annual Megabucks Survey reports on 2004 sales figures experienced by a select group of stores, both in standalone locations and in parks and attractions. In 2004, stores adjusted their merchandise to meet the changing tastes and traveling habits of consumers by stocking a wide array of goods, from T-shirts and apparel to gifts for the home and for pets.

Licensed and scented merchandise and jewelry continued to do well, as did special goods for holidays such as Christmas, Father's Day, Mother's Day and Valentine's Day. And the nautical merchandise trend, which has been spurred on by films such a "Finding Nemo" and "Pirates of the Caribbean," continued in 2004 in shops located everywhere from California to Pennsylvania.

Zoo gift stores in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kansas and California focused on profits in 2004, expanding beyond the animal trinket business into offering a variety of wildlife-inspired goods to draw in customers. And at the Detroit Zoo, the shop is reproduced online, further enhancing the facility's ability to sell. In the area of amusement park shops, the stores at Six Flags Fiesta Texas tapped into the buying power of over 1 million visitors a year at its 13 stores.

For stores such as Papyrus, a 150-location chain owned by Schurman Fine Papers, offering the very best products has proved a winning strategy. Also finding retailing success is ARAMARK, which in 2004 operated retail venues at over 50 locations throughout the United States, and found T-shirts and personalized products to be top sellers. The company also noted that customers were willing to pay more for better quality garments last year. And Calendar Club LLC did well in over 500 locations, selling popular wall, desk, daily, pocket and other types of calendars.

We hope you enjoy this year's edition of the Megabucks Survey. Please e-mail us with your questions, comments and suggestions at sgnmag@kanec.com.