If you’re selling creative products at a market, you want your stall to stand out for all the right reasons.
Showing your products in their best light to catch the eye of all those passing by is essential. However, we’ve seen stallholders get this wrong many a time.
Read our 10 Top Tips to inspire you to think more strategically (& creatively) about your next stall set-up…
Height: Your stall should have height to draw the customers eye: up, down, and side-to-side.
‘The eye line is the buy line’ apparently – an old saying in the marketing world.
Light: You should always consider how you light your stall particularly when indoors or in the winter months, not every venue or gazebo can be kind on your products.
Plain Sight: Make your products easy to absorb as a viewer, be clear about pricing as customers don’t always want to ask. Adding layers to your stall allows for clearer marketing opportunities.
It can be so easy to get overly eager to show all your products at once, making your stall crowded and chaotic can make passers-by feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the volume of products.
Keep it minimal, but showcase your best sellers!
You want enough products on display to entice customers in for a closer look, without it looking crowded. If you see someone looking at a particular item and you have other colourways under the stall, then reveal them.
And don’t forget to tell people what your best sellers are (we love to follow the crowd really)!
A bold sign or banner is great for grabbing attention for first impressions.
One of the first things a potential customer will look for is your stall name because actually they want to start building trust with you as soon as they approach your stall, so make it visible! We particularly love an oversized logo at eye-height!
Customers might not always buy on the day. Make sure you have business cards or a website advertised on your stall. Or, for Pedddle members – proudly display your Pedddle board & QR code so customers can scan and find you at a later date.
Free Advertising!
Use paper bags or tissue to wrap your customers’ purchases in and label them with a stamp or sticker of your brand for a spot of extra marketing! They will then carry the bag around and show off your brand name to others and remember it for later, better still if they’re gifting your product, chances are they’ll keep it in the wrapping/bag introducing your brand to others!
Or, to get them pre-printed try the fab ‘Tiny Box Company’ – they will brand boxes and bags for you.
Group your products into colour themes or use a bright tablecloth as a solid background colour to showcase them and make your stall stand out.
Products can get lost in patterned fabrics, so generally plain is best to make them pop – use complimentary or contrasting colours.
If your brand has a set colour scheme for your products, utilise that and carry it through to how you display your stall too.
Sales pitch makes it sound icky – but ultimately that is why you are there so, build rapport with passers by.
• Be friendly and approachable,
• Give (authentic) compliments about an accessory or item of clothing etc,
• Be passionate about your products – say which one is your personal favourite and why,
• Tell them about the processes involved.
Nobody wants a direct sales pitch, but if you keep products clearly displayed and your pricing is obvious then this will do the talking for you!! Then, you just have to be ready to tell customers ‘I’ve got more of this in the back…’, which leads to further conversation and possibly more sales!
Make your brand name and prices easy to see with tags, labels or signs. This makes customers feel more comfortable, as they’ll know prices at a glance without having to ask.
If you offer bespoke, personalised or commission pieces advertise this and/or show examples. Tell customers what your unique selling point is, create signs that state whether your items are homemade, vegan, locally sourced etc.
If you’re selling scarves, jewellery, headbands or clothing, wear the items to make them more visible and easily spotted!
Provide a mirror on your stall so customers can see how your products will look on them.
If you’re selling delicious food or tantalising drinks, tempt your customers with a small free sample of your scrumptious delights. The smell of cooking will entice people in too, and they might just fall in love with it!
Using a wooden ladder for scarves or candles makes them stand out. Consider the style, shape and colour of boxes you use to store things in, that can be used to both transport things to the market and display them as well. Here are some further ideas to make your stall memorable.
Display examples of how your products could be used, for example show how an item could be worn or used in several ways.
Interactive displays are a great idea too – the rise of the gum ball machine was popular in 2023. But think lucky dips, seconds boxes – the list in endless.
Customers love knowing they’ve bought a unique item or homemade piece which has been crafted with passion by an artisan, and not just a run-of-the-mill, mass-produced purchase. Show and chat about your creative process on your stall – one stall I visited recently showed the handmade lino-cut she’d created which was used to print her cards, bags and clothing.
Tell customers how long you’ve been an artisan or creator, you’ll be surprised how many people love to chat and know the history behind their purchase.
Join our stallholder newsletter for more tips!
Finally, carry out your own market research!
Once you get a feel for selling at a market, you’ll know what is working best for you. Use every market to watch how customers interact with your stall – make notes, this will improve your stall-setup down the line.
Want more tips on creating a stand-out stall? Check out the 4 key elements you need to know. I hope you agree these tips will all help you to make your market stall look great.Browse these product suggestions to help with market trading:
Below are some products for stallholders to make their stall shine a little more, or help market days go that bit smoother.
Card Readers are an essential piece of kit for a stallholder, we often get asked which one works best. Some are happy with the simple model and the most common companies to use are Zettle, SumUp, Square. Most of these companies also have devices that have their own build in 4G and also a receipt machine. You need to decide what you want to use it for and how often.
Regular traders might have both versions in case the WiFi available is poor or if one stops working – not uncommon and very stressful at a market.
Check out our Amazon Shop with all these items listed for you to find with ease. #AD
Lighting – rechargeable gazebo strong lighting or table clipped rechargeable lighting. This is to attach to your gazebo – so you will also need some cable ties.
Alternatively you have have this clip on USB rechargeable touch control lamp. A little more elegant than the gazebo lights but it also comes in a version with 3 light heads.
Clickable floor mats to stop the cold penetrating up through your boots. Once the cold has got to you, whether you have 30 minutes left or 3 hours, it is horrible. Take a few of these to a market and keep the cold at bay.
Powerbanks are an essential nowadays and this one has a great amount of energy storage and when you are running multiple devices is definitely worth invest in.
Stall covering – these won’t fit every table set up but if you want to put it on to hide your stock below it’s a great investment.
Did you know?
You can get tons of free tips and advice from our blogs – but our Stallholder Membership can give you even more benefits! Click here to see what you’ll get when you join Pedddle.
Got more questions about Pedddle, or our sister website, Tresstle? Click here to find out how Pedddle can help you, or click here for info on Tresstle.