How are your Christmas sales doing?

[Candybee]

Just wondering how everyone's Christmas sales for your craft shows, shops, markets, etc. are doing? I have had a couple of Christmas craft shows so far this year. One did super and the other not so good. I have another Christmas craft show this weekend and a Christmas Winter market the weekend after.

 

My Christmas candles have been selling really well so far. The big seller is Christmas Tree. For soap my salt bars are selling really well followed by my oatmeal, goat milk & honey soaps. I never would have thought salt bars would sell so well during Christmastime. Glad I decided to keep them in stock year round this year.

 

I am debuting my solid lotion sticks in Christmas scents this year. So far sales on those are slow but starting to pick up closer to the big day.

 

So how are holiday sales going for you?

[GailC]

I did one Holiday Bazaar that was very sparsely attended, so sales weren't great. I don't attend a lot of craft shows because I am the caregiver for my adult handicapped daughter, and can't get out much on weekends.

 

I get most of my sales through Facebook now.  Just today some random person ordered 6 candles.  I don't know how he found me, maybe on our town's 'Chatter' site.  Another lady ordered 20 candles after I posted on our towns Small Business facebook page.  Yay!

 

And the servers at IHOP swarm me every time I go in there, usually about once a week.  I took some candles in there once for my cousin to smell, and the rest, as they say, is history. One server alone has bought over $100 of candles and melts since October.  

 

So all in all, I am happy with my sales.  I just started another project today, making Christmas table runners, so I want to have some time to do those.

[SuzyK]

I have my first show this weekend. It's a big one.  I'm also really really busy with orders on Etsy.  I'm a bit overwhelmed at the moment but I'm thankful to be doing what I love!

[kandlekrazy]

Finally picked up Thanksgiving week, thank goodness!  Was very slow in Oct and beginning of Nov.  I need to get some gift sets made up quickly, those always sell.

[pcbrook]

I am doing about the same as last year!  It seems I am selling more wax melts than candles but the Christmas candles are moving pretty good!

[moonshine]

First weekend selling Christmas trees I had record breaking candle sales- most of my Christmas scents sold out- been up Til 3 am last couple nights to make more for this weekend and they won't have a full cure for scent throw but I did not anticipate this

Christmas tree, cracklin birch and cedar garland are the top 3 followed by tinsel, Rocky Mountain Christmas, mistletoe, autumn lodge and pumpkin pie ......I have had tinsel on the shelf for a year and it wouldn't move and now everyone wants it.....go figure

I wanted to do colored Mason's in select Christmas scents but I guess that's not happening I will have to them in spring scents

Sold a lot of floral as well

[Candybee]

Moonshine my cedar garland hasn't sold very well this year. I picked up some Home for the Holidays from Peaks and that is selling well this year. Other years the cedar garland was my biggest seller and the home for the holidays wouldn't move at all. Go figure!

 

All in all, my sales are much improved this year over last and by far over the last 5 yrs or so since the great recession. I also think that since I started using Square and have improved my marketing, labels, table decor, my interacting with my customers, also my improved salesmanship, and products in general, that all those factor into my increased sales as well.

 

I also revamped my soap this year and also added more info and selling points directly to my customers as they browse. So now they are more saavy about my soap as they shop for and buy it. I have found that an informed customer is really a happy customer and typically becomes a repeat customer.