Success on road
requires
research and planning
On the one hand there are the challenges—it’s
either hot and muggy or cold enough to require gloves, or a downpour or
high winds can wreck your merchandise.
There are sticky-fingered children who’ve strayed
from their parents’ sight, and few security precautions against
shoplifters.
On the other hand, there are many benefits—a constant
stream of people strolling past your wares, the opportunity to pass out
business cards to everyone who shows mild interest, the camaraderie with
other mobile merchants.
There’s the mild adventure of seeing new towns and
cities and the joy of having last year’s customers greet you with
relief that they’ve found you in the crowd, bringing a friend who
may like your wares.
Selling at fairs, festivals, trade or craft shows, farmers’
markets or flea markets offers unique benefits and challenges. Retail
on the road is a specialized skill.
How can mobile merchants improve sales and minimize the
annoyances of being away from a storefront? Michigan Retailer
asked two retail veterans of such events for their advice on making the
most of fairs, shows, and markets.
Patty Monroe-Mohrenweiser, of Beyond Letters in Brighton,
sells her calligraphic artwork at 30 to 50 shows a year. She’s been
selling at Michigan art fairs for the past nine years and does about 70
percent of her business at such events.
Shirley Kautman’s business, Country Home Creations
in Goodrich, has been selling mixes for dips, soups, dressings, cookies
and cakes at craft fairs and shows for the past 20 years.
These veterans put one suggestion at the top of their
list—investing in a wireless transaction terminal to allow safer
credit card transactions at lower rates than those charged for transactions
using a manual imprinter (See the March Retailer “Retailers
on the road go wireless”).
For those who don’t sell from booths at fairs but
coexist with a fair or festival that comes to town, see the sidebar, right,
for tips on making the most of the opportunity.
Do research, be picky
These experienced merchants have noticed a steep increase in the number
of fairs, shows and festivals over the past 20 years.
With so many events available, it’s crucial to research
them and choose carefully which ones to participate in, they agreed. Not
all are run well, and poorly run events are not worth the time, effort
and expense.
Kautman suggests trying various promoters rather than
signing up for all the shows a promoter offers.
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,”
she said. “You won’t see the differences in how shows are
run if you stick with only the ones you know.”
Several factors contribute to an event’s quality,
and many are best learned through careful research and experience. Two
important factors are the event’s length and its dedication to maintaining
high standards among participants—including willingness to enforce
those standards when necessary.
Events that have expanded from one or two days to three
or four may not be growing wisely and are not always a good deal for merchants,
they say. Too often the same number of people are spread out over more
days, so the increased booth cost isn’t matched by increased sales.
“A show that was once $250 per booth for two days
is now a four-day show that charges $500 for a booth,” said Kautman.
“Can you make up the difference in increased sales? Maybe, maybe
not.”
A bigger problem for artists and craftspeople is the presence
of buy-sell booths, in which a vendor is merely reselling items he or
she didn’t produce. There’s a place for buy-sell—it’s
the essence of retail, after all—but the line between art or craft
shows and traditional retail should be respected, the merchants agreed.
Most art fairs and craft shows prohibit buy-sell booths,
but whether the managers actually enforce the rule varies from event to
event. “Some shows are excellent, but sometimes the show’s
organizers seem more interested in selling booth space than maintaining
this rule,” said Kautman.
“When you’re watching a guy at the next booth
ripping the ‘Made in China’ tags off his birdhouses, it’s
hard not to resent it,” Kautman explained.
Two problems arise from buy-sell booths at art fairs or
craft shows.
First, they hurt the atmosphere of the show and disappoint
attendees. Some shows charge admission, and for that price shoppers expect
to meet artists and craftspeople selling their work, not items you can
find at a regular store, according to Kautman. “When shoppers see
buy-sell booths, they may leave early and not come back the following
year,” she said.
Second, the buy-sell booths can afford to undercut the
local artisans.
“Jewelers, for instance, who have designed and handcrafted
their pieces must compete with people who bought wholesale and can sell
for less. All of us artisans are getting more and more resentful,”
said Monroe-Mohrenweiser.
Serious artisans or crafters may want to avoid shows where
buy-sell booths exist despite the rules against them. Merchants who are
considering having a buy-sell booth at an art fair or show should respect
the rules of the event and find events that allow buy-sellers.
Finally, it’s important to look for shows that are
well promoted and marketed, and ask show organizers how they plan to promote
their shows. Good show promoters who care about the success of their exhibitors
will become evident to the savvy retailer who observes and asks questions.
Beauty and the booth
Visual merchandising is just as important in a booth as in a traditional
store, and it must be balanced with the concerns of efficiency and security.
The best way to learn it is to attend many shows and take notes or even
photos of what catches your eye at a booth or of mistakes you see.
“Go to a lot of shows and look for booths with items
like yours,” advised Monroe-Mohrenweiser. “If similar artists
appear to be doing well, note what they’ve done to make the booth
an attractive and efficient space.”
Add it up
It’s also smart to know your “break-even” point before
going into an event. Factor in all the costs: gasoline, hotel rooms, booth
rentals, eating out. Kautman must also factor in the cost of her product
samples, since she sells food items. Those who sell food at farmers’
markets may also need to factor in that expense.
“You can get caught up in the sense of needing to
be at all of the shows or fairs,” said Kautman. “You can end
up just chasing your own tail, working harder than it’s worth when
you look at your profits.”
But there may be other benefits of selling at fairs, such
as marketing your business. By passing out business cards to those who
show interest, you’re expanding your customer base for your traditional
store, gallery or website business as well.
Monroe-Mohrenweiser advises patience.
“If you are new to the fair scene, don’t be
disappointed if you don’t quite break even on your first time out.
If you learned from the event and apply your learning to the next show,
you may do better, and perhaps gradually build a following, with customers
seeking you out.”
Kautman points out to retailers considering getting into
fairs or show that it’s not for everyone.
“You have to enjoy being at the shows, the camaraderie,
the atmosphere,” she said. “It’s certainly not a get-rich-quick
scheme. But it can be a lot of fun.”
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