Pedddle specialise in helping you find local markets and their stallholders, so we know a thing or two about markets and how best to plan. Christmas markets are great and as it’s such a huge selling season, we’ve put together some tips on making the most out of selling at Christmas Markets.
- Let people know where you’ll be
As always, advertising is key!
Make sure you check in at events, share them on Facebook and click ‘going’ on event pages, so that your followers can see where’ll you be. Share events on all of your social media pages, including Facebook and Twitter. On Instragram, you can pop events promo onto your grid, and share it in your stories too. The more social media advertising you can do, the better!
Be sure to ‘like’ and comment on the market organiser’s page and the event’s promotional posts too – people will see your interaction and remember you and your stall.
- Have various price points
Consider offering Secret Santa gifts for £10 or £20 – many people have to buy Secret Santa gifts for their workplace, and it’s great to have something that instantly captures their attention.
If your products are a little more expensive, it’s great to have something to pique the interest of passers by and draw them in to look at your more expensive products.
If you’re stuck with how to price your products, check out this blog.
- Offer Gift Wrapping
Most people hate wrapping 90,000 presents in the run-up to Christmas, so gift wrapping right then and there is a fab idea. However, BE QUICK! You don’t want customers to have to wait around, and you don’t want to put other potential passers-by off from stopping by your stall.
You could offer alternatives to gift wrapping, such as gift bags which you can easily pop the products in, which look good enough to give as a present.
- Don’t get cold!
The weather is one of the biggest foes of market traders. If you’re selling at an outdoor market the rain is one thing, but at Christmas time it’s the cold that will be your biggest enemy.
Make sure you wear thermal layers and fingerless gloves offer you warmth whilst keeping mobility so that you can still handle cash and your products. Natural fibres will also keep you toasty. Hot Rox are great to warm your hands, and pop a yoga mat or similar on the floor to stand on, to keep the worst of the chill away. Check out our blog on combating the cold at markets for more ideas!
- Use the chance to collect data and build your mailing list
Due to GDPR you need consent to email people. Use this as an opportunity to get their name, email address and consent (you could use a simple tickbox to evidence GDPR consent),
Send monthly email newsletters to keep your fans interested, and you can notify them of new product launches and so on. You could also ask them to follow you on social media. Consider offering incentives to help build your mailing list further, such as a percentage off their next order with you, or special offers and latest news. You could give your mailing list a special discount, or ensure they’re the first to know about sales and future offers on your products.