Market Selling: Your Quick Guide
Market stalls can make big money and provide a lot of exposure for your brand if you do it right. This quick guide to market stall selling will provide you with some of the things that you need to know to help you get started with selling at your first market.
Things to think about
Are the attendees the right ones for your brand?
First, determine whether the audience likely to attend is a good fit for your brand. This means they must be the appropriate age, demographic, have similar interests, and, most pertinently, be willing to spend money. If you are selling leather shoes and handbags, is a market that is primarily going to attract a vegan crowd going to be the best use of your time, or would it be better looking for a market that is more suited to your product?
Have you considered the best ways of presenting your products?
Attend any market stall and you will likely see a wide variety of equipment, props and marketing essentials to help promote their products. Some traders can make an unadorned wooden stand look beautiful, helping to build trust and show the quality of their brand. However, when you first start selling at a market, it's unlikely that you will know exactly what you will need to bring out the best in your products, even if you are an experienced store retailer or digital retailer. Begin by visiting stalls and researching online to determine how you want to style your stall.
Do you know everything about your products and are ready to answer questions?
This should be the easiest part if you are the creator of your brand and have done everything from sourcing to marketing. It is critical that you are intimately familiar with your brand and its products. Selling can be intimidating, but answering customer questions allows you to demonstrate your enthusiasm for your products. It's thrilling to discover that your customer shares a similar interest or curiosity.
What do you need to get going?
Some markets will provide the very bare bones for a stall - a wooden table and a covering, perhaps. Others give you the pitch and you are expected to provide the rest. Makes sure that you know what you need to take before you turn up. Either way, you will need things to make it look good and work for you and your products.
Some things you may want to or need to consider include:
Table covering: Bringing a table cloth or sheet is essential, as you will want to conceal the surface on which you are selling. You should bring two, one for the table and one for the back of your stall, which will otherwise look into the space of the next vendor. Try to make it work with your brand colors if possible, to go for something neutral to allow your products to shine.
Marketing materials: Banners, posters, or marketing materials with your brand name, key messages, and logo will help you stand out in a saturated market. Not only that, but it will aesthetically strengthen the look of your stall, allow customers to understand what you are about and what you are selling right away, encourage credibility and trust in your brand, and provide excellent opportunities to obtain images for your website and social media.
Business cards: The ever-dependable business card is still one of the most effective ways to promote your brand. Customers frequently want to follow up on questions with online research, so it is rare to find a market stall trader without these. You may also give your information to someone who may be a good contact to make, such as an event planner or distribution company.
Card reader: Nowadays, everyone carries a card, but not everyone carries cash. A card reader is therefore absolutely necessary, and they are extremely simple to find and set up. With the majority of people now paying with a credit card, vendors must bring their own card reader. There are options available here for card scanners, so find the one that works for you.
Spare change: Despite what has been stated above, cash is not extinct. Because many people still prefer to pay in cash, you must be able to provide change. Not only does this mean that selling your products at rounded whole numbers rather than halves or small change can be more beneficial, but it also means that someone will not turn away if you are unable to offer change, which can be the most difficult.
Physical market selling vs online market selling
Online marketplaces have become a popular alternative to physical marketplaces. You can connect to more customers at any time and you don’t have to worry about the costs of renting a stall. You do have to spend time creating listings for each item, but the likes of this Flyp Poshmark sharer have made it easier than ever to place listings on multiple sites.
Of course, physical marketplaces still have their benefits. When it comes to foods and scented products, a physical marketplace can allow customers to grab sample tastes and smells. Customers are also more likely to buy items they weren’t necessarily going to buy at a physical marketplace than they are online - physical marketplaces encourage browsing, while online marketplaces still favour direct searching.
So which is the better option for you when selling your product? The true answer is that both can be beneficial. More niche products are likely to do better online, however you never know who will stumble across your stall at a physical marketplace.
Final Thoughts
Market selling is something almost every product-based business can benefit from trying. By following some of the preparation tips discussed above, you can make sure that your stall is a success.
