I me again recall the frenzy that invaded me on the day where I applied for my first Christmas market ... In fact, the word frenzy may be wrong ... Maybe I should have chosen the word " panic ". The stress I had to be the one who was going to have to manufacture, sell and calculate the stock! Woo !
Honestly, how was I going to know what to bring and more importantly, how much? Was it really me " the responsible adult " of these markets?
I worked on them for nights when I had not had enough stock and that I had to remake some for the next day FIOUF !
So I would like to know someone who had done it before me and who was going to explain to me how to do it, what to bring and above all, how much stock to prepare!
Here is some information that will be useful to you
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1 to 2 months before the market
Prepare stock. Lots of stock and ESPECIALLY, samples that Pierre-Jean-Jacques
It is to know that the average budget for a Christmas present is between $ 15.00 and $ 25.00.
What I noticed is that the closer we get to Christmas, the more people are buying items to "complete Christmas stockings" or even hostess gifts.
So I would say:
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75% of stock at low price
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20% stock at medium price
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5% stock at high price.
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1 to 2 weeks before the market
Go and familiarize yourself with the location if possible and take the time to reread the informative documents of the market. Take note of what will be provided on site and start to prepare your market "suitcase".
Speaking of bin, I advise you to get yourself some ultra resistant to transport your stock and with wheels as far as possible . Find out who's going, so in the evening, all you have to do is leave your bins there for the next day instead of repacking everything and unpacking again the next day morning!
A few days before make a simulation of your layout of your stand. Take a table that will have the same area as that provided and try to set up your products . Find a way to highlight them and take a photo. So, on the morning of the market, in full stress, you just have to follow your own photo.
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Market day
Arrive as early as possible. It is always better to arrive much too early, settle in and then have time to go get a coffee and "zieuter" the work of the competition, than to arrive too early or late and be still settling in as the first potential customers arrive.
List of things to have in your market case:
- An order pad for customers who want to order later
- A billing notebook for customers who want an invoice
- Gift certificates ready to be filled
- Business cards, lots of business cards that you put in every bag and packaging you sell or for customers who want to follow you on Facebook or Instagram and who can forget your name. company
- A transaction device like Square People don't really carry paper money or change with them anymore. You wouldn't want to miss a sale for someone who only has one card to pay!
- Change in a small box.
- A propane or electric heater (if the market is outside or you have chosen a table near the front door)
- Decoration (a small tree, elves, garlands, Christmas stockings, etc.)
- A tablecloth that highlights your products. In the markets, tablecloths are sometimes provided, but sometimes we can put our own.
- Shoe boxes to place under the tablecloth to showcase some of your products
- Gift bags and wrapping, people appreciate the option of having their gift wrapped.
- Offer something to passers-by, whether it's a candy, a lollipop, a balloon, a sample… You get the idea! Something that will attract customers to your booth.
- A visual aid to display your logo
- Visual aids to display your prices like Roll on
- Scissors, rope, nails, hammer, screwdriver, battery lights, batteries and sticky paper.
Finally, if there's anything I've learned, it's that customers attract customers, so ask friends to say hi during the day, to come and visit the market . You will see! As soon as someone approaches the table, there is immediately a crowd effect which create themselves and attract other potential customers not to want to "miss" something.