Yesterday was my very first (ever) craft market. I was asked for a full report so here goes. First off, this isn't a big market. It's kind of out in the country (among the orchards and vineyards); there are a total of about 100 vendors, not all of whom show up every time. I would estimate that there were about 40-50 vendors this time. The market is in a community hall with a few vendors outside the building (i.e. a flower truck, a food truck, a nursery, etc.)
My husband dropped us (my 14 y.o. granddaughter and I) off and helped with unloading the Jeep then went home to do some housecleaning (definitely needed). There was a bit of confusion as to where I would be situated but not a big deal. It took us about 20 minutes to get everything set up to our satisfaction, then we waited for customers to arrive.
From speaking to other vendors, it was a slow day, which really didn't surprise me because it was, after all, Father's Day. I think most people were doing family stuff, not thinking about attending a market. The majority of customers glanced at what I had and kept walking. Those who paused, I chatted with. One of my sales was to a young woman, one of a group of 4, who said they were "regulars", shopping at the market every week. They were quite excited to see a soap vendor. Overall, the feedback was positive but sales were slow. I had a total of 5 transactions, one of which was after I got home. My upstairs neighbour came down to buy a bar.
I was told by the market organizer that there were two sizes of table - 4' and 8'; we ended up with an 8' table which my table cloth didn't completely cover. However, we worked with it. One friend from my day job showed up, as she said she would, and purchased soap; I asked her for her honest opinion on my set up and she was very positive.
One of the great things about being there was another vendor. She is an esthetician who makes her own skin care line (but not soap). She was a wealth of information, both about the market and about the legal side of things. She asked about insurance (yes, I have it) and said that it took forever (months) for her certificate to arrive. She gave me some hints about the process of registering my recipes with Health Canada, which can also take forever, apparently. She did say that if you're confident in your recipes and follow all the proper guidelines and have your insurance, you're okay to continue selling.
I was quite surprised at what kinds of things people were buying. One vendor, next to me, was selling painted rocks. Rocks! People couldn't get enough of them. I also noticed a few vendors who sold absolutely nothing all day. I noticed a couple of vendors near me who had their tablets open and were playing games... all day! One thing I was determined to do, from the outset, was to engage with people. My tablet was there for business only. It has my Square app on it and that's all it was used for. Speaking of which, all my transactions were cash. Even though I have the Square and the contactless chip reader, I didn't need them at all.
My granddaughter was amazing. I could wander away from the table (briefly) and I noticed her engaging people, talking about the soap and the market. She had a blast. When she wandered around the market, I could see her talking with other vendors, asking them questions about their products and admiring the artwork. Not once was she bored or whiny. She even said she'd like to help out again, every time.
Ok, this post is getting long enough. I only took two pictures of my set up; my husband was shocked at that but it wasn't top of mind, really. The other two pictures were taken another day but will give you an idea of the venue and the market. I will be attending again, twice in July and twice in August. After that, we'll see.
My husband dropped us (my 14 y.o. granddaughter and I) off and helped with unloading the Jeep then went home to do some housecleaning (definitely needed). There was a bit of confusion as to where I would be situated but not a big deal. It took us about 20 minutes to get everything set up to our satisfaction, then we waited for customers to arrive.
From speaking to other vendors, it was a slow day, which really didn't surprise me because it was, after all, Father's Day. I think most people were doing family stuff, not thinking about attending a market. The majority of customers glanced at what I had and kept walking. Those who paused, I chatted with. One of my sales was to a young woman, one of a group of 4, who said they were "regulars", shopping at the market every week. They were quite excited to see a soap vendor. Overall, the feedback was positive but sales were slow. I had a total of 5 transactions, one of which was after I got home. My upstairs neighbour came down to buy a bar.
I was told by the market organizer that there were two sizes of table - 4' and 8'; we ended up with an 8' table which my table cloth didn't completely cover. However, we worked with it. One friend from my day job showed up, as she said she would, and purchased soap; I asked her for her honest opinion on my set up and she was very positive.
One of the great things about being there was another vendor. She is an esthetician who makes her own skin care line (but not soap). She was a wealth of information, both about the market and about the legal side of things. She asked about insurance (yes, I have it) and said that it took forever (months) for her certificate to arrive. She gave me some hints about the process of registering my recipes with Health Canada, which can also take forever, apparently. She did say that if you're confident in your recipes and follow all the proper guidelines and have your insurance, you're okay to continue selling.
I was quite surprised at what kinds of things people were buying. One vendor, next to me, was selling painted rocks. Rocks! People couldn't get enough of them. I also noticed a few vendors who sold absolutely nothing all day. I noticed a couple of vendors near me who had their tablets open and were playing games... all day! One thing I was determined to do, from the outset, was to engage with people. My tablet was there for business only. It has my Square app on it and that's all it was used for. Speaking of which, all my transactions were cash. Even though I have the Square and the contactless chip reader, I didn't need them at all.
My granddaughter was amazing. I could wander away from the table (briefly) and I noticed her engaging people, talking about the soap and the market. She had a blast. When she wandered around the market, I could see her talking with other vendors, asking them questions about their products and admiring the artwork. Not once was she bored or whiny. She even said she'd like to help out again, every time.
Ok, this post is getting long enough. I only took two pictures of my set up; my husband was shocked at that but it wasn't top of mind, really. The other two pictures were taken another day but will give you an idea of the venue and the market. I will be attending again, twice in July and twice in August. After that, we'll see.
which is great. If she was mine I would certainly ask her to help again. Your table and packaging look really good, neat and well packaged. Setup is very attractive so that is not the slow sales issues. Sometimes it takes customers a few trips to market and seeing you to decide to come up to the booth, and 1 time in a market is not enough to judge it. It sounds like you are not basing your entire opinion on one time at the market, that is good. I always tell new vendors not to get discouraged, it can months for sales to pick up. 
