Craft Show Dilemma

[irishhummingbird]

We are a Custom Soy Candle & Glycerin Soap Company and we were thinking about starting to do some craft shows to get our name out as we are internet based right now. Our dilemma is that we think most people at shows want to walk away with the product. Does any one else do this type of custom work? Would you mind sharing how you handle having enough product to get people to stop and look without having it be wasted if people want a different scent or color?

Thanks Kathy

[Di_in_AZ]

That is the nature of the beast--trying to figure out what the customers want. If anyone could answer that, we would all be millionaires! I try and take a nice selection, I color by scent and season. You can see what scents are up and coming each season by frequenting message boards such as this one, by going into stores and seeing what they are carrying. You can offer to do special orders, but I don't find a lot of people doing that, most want to buy now at shows. There are a lot of threads on here about how many scents, how much stock you should take, I find that there is no easy answer because it depends on the market.

I know this is not helpful, but it also depends on the length of the show. I usually take around 15 scents, around a third of them seasonal. If you peruse through this section, you will find a lot of discussion on this and it will hopefully narrow down some choices for you.

[hometowncandles]

Didn't you say you were internet based? What are your most popular items now?

You may want to start there, maybe take 10 or so of your most popular scents purchased online, in a variety of your normal sizes, and maybe take some brochures or handouts about your site and your company's ability to custom make products to your customer's specs.

I am mainly home based which is good in a sense that I don't have alot of overhead, but also bad because some people are apprehensive about coming into someone's home to purchase items, especially if they don't know them.

I have found shows to be a great way to get out and meet people, showcase your items and get repeat customers. Once people get an opportunity to try your product, they won't want to wait until the next show to buy more, so they will often call and either want to come pick up items or have me meet them somewhere in town where I normally sell and get their goods.

HTH

~J

[sockmonkey]

It sounds like you might be better off doing wholesale shows rather than craft shows. Of course, people expect to take product home with them when they go to a craft show.

At a wholesale show you can easily get away with setting up samples and displays and only taking orders. The problem with most wholesale shows is that they will be way more expensive than your typical craft show. But then again, you have a different type of customer. Customers at those shows expect to drop $100 + per order, unlike the craft show where a customer might spend $5 a pop.

Another venue that might be worth exploring is getting your products in a bridal shop. Most brides expect to have to order everything for their wedding. Maybe even a floral shop would work with you.