6 ways to Create an On-Brand Christmas Stall

At every market you want to your stall to shine, and at Christmas more than ever! We’ll show you how to create an on-brand Christmas stall, so that customers are more likely to stop by, shop from you, and you can go to your festive markets feeling confident and Christmassy!

Designing your stall for Christmas is not just about your product offering – you need to create an on-brand Christmas stall to really capture the festive spirit but entice shoppers to explore your products and remember your brand in future too.

Below are some tips to turn your stall into a winter wonderland and boost your sales during the most wonderful time of the year!

6 ways to make your stall a ‘little more Christmas’

Add Christmas-themed props
Offer Christmas ranges or festive versions of your products
Offer sets or bundles i.e. 3 for 2 that make for easy gifting
Create a sensory experience with interactive displays
Offer personalisation of products for a special gift
Think about seasonal sustainability – many people don’t want to gift just for the sake of it, so being environmentally aware is a great bonus!

Let’s delve a little further into each of these points…

1. Christmas Themed Props

To create an on-brand Christmas stall, firstly we need to make your normal stall festive! You don’t have to spend a fortune. Why not simply ‘shop’ from your own home? Raid the loft and grab some products that you would usually put out at home over Christmas, but don’t take up too much room on your stall!

This is a great way to add a little festive love to your stall at a low cost. Some of our Pedddle members have already been to their local charity shop to grab a few bits (perfect for sustainability! Looking for festive items in January is also a great time to shop, when people have the post-Christmas clear-out you can get some real bargains for your next festive stall).

Don’t just buy a crazy festive table covering and think you’ve nailed it (*gasps in horror*), UNLESS that kind of chintz happens to fit with the vibe of your brand. Think about your brand and its ‘vibe’. Are you minimal or do you love the maximal look? Would bold colours work best, or something understated? Some brands get away with cracking out the tinsel, but certainly not all. Consider what works for your brand and fits with the type of products you sell (for example, if you’re selling something sustainable, plastic tinsel won’t look right). Even adding some minimal fairy lights could spruce up your stall in a Christmassy way, and add that simple festive touch!

Below are some examples of different stall ideas, from UpsyDaisy (left) to Teppi (right). Both go for quite different looks, but both have a way to celebrate the festivities.

Alternatively, you could make your whole stall about your Christmas stock – see point 2 for more on this!

2. Offer Christmas Ranges Within Your Products

Although this doesn’t suit every business, you may wish to create Christmas themed products. We have recently discussed this within our community and there were two quite clear camps – a) those that felt their products could lend themselves to a change of colour-way (ideally a festive one), or could include a specific Christmas range, and b) those strongly against it, usually for sustainability reasons (especially because if you don’t sell out of those products, or if customers dispose of them after the festive season, it could be a waste). However, a dedicated Christmas range is an easy way to create an on-brand Christmas stall and if it’s something sustainable too, you could be onto a winner.

If you can create Christmas products, this should usually start early on in the year, and by August at the latest you should have the images taken and product listings complete ready to launch (in an ideal world! We know it doesn’t always work out like this). Whatever works for you is fine!!

If you are in the camp that is against making products specifically for Christmas, then think about our next point below… keep reading!

3. Offer Sets or Bundles

If you don’t want to create specific ranges for Christmas, help your customers visualise how they can use your normal product range for gifting instead. You can do this by creating gift sets – and it’s a great upsell, especially if you can bundle your products!

Make gifting as easy as possible for customers, and by providing cute packaging such as a little bag or a box, it saves them wrapping things up – a service they could even pay extra for. You could offer bundles at a discounted rate too, or a 3 for 2 deal. There’s plenty of elements and upsells you could consider with this.

Considering creating the perfect gift as a collective (and use more than one of your products), or offer a lovely box/bag etc as part of the bundled price. Check out Tiny Box Company for some lovely gift boxes in various colours.

4. Create a Sensory Experience with Interactive Displays

These are becoming so much more popular with traders over recent months – not least because we keep bashing on about it!!

Interactive displays can make your stall fun, and give customers both something to engage with and something memorable, so they will remember your business in future, and perhaps even purposely seek it out at future markets (ideally). A delightful experience will not only boost your sales but also encourage repeat business and positive word-of-mouth referrals.

How can you make it interactive? Here are some ideas:

Lucky dip boxes. This is a great way to get rid of older stock too!!
Gum ball machines. These are a total hit with younger clients and can keep them busy for a while – the element of fun and surprise all rolled into one.
A prize draw of some form. You could use this to get people on your email list or similar. You could get them to buy a raffle ticket, do something interactive like colour in an image, and with each place coloured they enter a draw to win a free gift. There are many ways so have a think about this one! Over the festive season this could get completed and you could showcase your customers work to draw in more people, too.

5. Offer the personalisation of products

Again, not everyone can offer this but it could be a great thing at an event (if it’s easy enough for you to do). If customers are purchasing bespoke products, you may be able to complete it right in front of them, which could keep them at your stall longer, both to chat and potentially shop from you more. These little personal touches make the customer’s shopping trip much more special is more likely to make them a repeat customer, too.

6. Promote Sustainability

Christmas is the season of giving, and many shoppers are increasingly more environmentally conscious. Showcase eco-friendly products, highlight your sustainable practices and ethics. If you can use recyclable or reusable packaging, clearly communicate your commitment to a greener planet. Customer love this and it will encourage them to shop. Show them what you’re made of – literally!!

Good luck with your Christmas stall!

Good luck in your festive endeavours, we can’t wait to see you create an on-brand Christmas stall! If you’re a Pedddle Member, do tag us in your Instagram stories about your stall set up, @PedddleUK, we love to share!

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