Stallholder essentials

July market shoppers are in for a real treat. Our retailer list is close to being fully locked in and it's looking like the stalls on the day will be a diverse range of fresh, beautiful, some well-known and some new and upcoming businesses. We thought some tips on how to get the most out of your Sugar & Spice experience could be handy for those retailing. So here's Katie from 5 Star, Baby! with some essential market day advice. As a regular retailer on the market scene, and with many, many market days under her belt, Katie's advice may be just what you need. Enjoy! Thanks so much Katie :)

Sherryn & Jackie
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Wow!! What an honour to be asked by Sherryn and Jackie to do a guest post on their blog with some handy tidbits for stall holders.

• First things first…DISPLAY! I can not emphasize this enough. This is your chance to draw someone towards your stall, or have them walk right past.

• Think carefully about your display. Always practice your set up at home. Take photos to get perspective on how it’s going to look and make sure you fit into your allocated space.

• Most of the items I take to a market are purely for display. Think outside the square and make it different, creative and super appealing. Use different heights to create multiple levels of interest.

• Make sure you have good signage so everyone can see your brand.

• Your stall needs to be well stocked so there are no empty spaces, but not so cramped that it’s overwhelming.

• Be friendly. A smile is free and will entice customers over to browse.

• Try to stand behind your stall rather than sit, I know it can be exhausting, but trust me, this small difference will invite customers over to browse.

• Write yourself a checklist of must haves. Some things I try to remember on the day are paper bags, (which I have on occasion forgotten!!) people like to have a bag to protect their precious purchase.

• Your float. Make sure you have a few of each note and as many gold coins as possible. I find many people come to the market via the ATM and only have larger notes. So be prepared!!

• Some plastic drop sheets or something similar to cover your stock on the trip in and out of the hall in case it rains.

• One last thing to remember is your coat! Woodend is freezing in winter. The hall gets nice and cosy, but trust me, until you thaw out, you will need to be rugged up nice and proper!!!

• Most of all, have fun. Relax and enjoy the day!

Katie
5 star, baby!