5 Tips to Make the Most From Selling at a Christmas Market

There is something wonderful about craft markets and small fairs at any time of year, but perhaps the time any crafter or small business owner wants to make the most of such days is in the run-up to Christmas. After all, everyone is on the lookout for the perfect unique present and the buyer knows there might just be one on a table at their local market, but it is the seller’s job to draw those buyers in.

To try and help you crafty people make the most of the Christmas markets you are attending this year, I’ve come up with 5 tips to help you make the most of selling:

Think about your display:

As a buyer, the first thing that draws me into a stall is what it looks like. If your stall is dark and dull, making it hard to see the products I am going to pass you by. However, if you work on your display, make it bright and inviting then it’s going to draw more people in. Pricing should most definitely be easy to see and easy to read. Remember you don’t need to put everything out at the start, too much on display can look cluttered, so perhaps try a few different setups and ask for feedback from friends and family before the day.

How are people going to play?

We live in the age of technology and many people don’t carry that much cash anymore. I personally can’t count the number of times I’ve skipped buying something as I didn’t have the cash, or bought more because they could take a card. After all, since the introduction of chip and pin in 2006, it is so easy to buy things on plastic, but how as a trader can you take debit and credit cards? It is actually very simple, all you need is a provider such as SumUp which not only takes chip and pin but is also contactless-ready and is easily compatible with iOS / Android smartphones and tablets. What’s more, there are no fixed fees, you only pay per transaction made, with money going directly into your bank account.

Think about business cards:

I often come across great stalls at craft and gift markets, which perhaps I don’t have the need for at that exact time, so of course, I look for a business card. You don’t need to have anything fancy, just something simple with your business name, contact details and website, can help you bring in customers at a later date.

Hold market only offers:

Consistency is of course key when it comes to pricing for small businesses, however there are still ways to add in offers, without compromising on price. Think about a few key items you sell you could market on offer, for instance, with cards; you may sell 1 for £2 but could look to offer 3 for £5, helping persuade the customer they do need one more.

Can you prepackage your items?

Christmas wrapping can be a pain, so could you package any of your items in a way they are ready to be gifted? Could you use cellophane and ribbon? Or could you offer a gift wrapping service for free, or just a couple of pennies extra? The more you do to make your items readily giftable may just make them more appealing to buyers.

So there are a few small ideas from me to make the most from selling at a Christmas market, can you think of anything else a seller could do, to draw you in?

*This is a collaborative post.