Farmers Market...what would you do??

[pixie]

So I got the application for my first farmers market. I am excited at the prospect of selling my soap for the first time but am a little worried. There are about 25 vendors at this market and they already have one soaper. The market organizer seems okay with it but I wanted to ask you experienced market vendors...is two soapers in a 25 vendor market okay or is two one too many?

[LuminousBoutique]

Two is OK as long as you have a better set up, superior product (or know how to sell it better) and never trash talk the other!

If anything, get a good idea what they make, and try and make some other products. For example, my booth doesnt compete with the other booths, we all do something a bit different.

One woman sells 7 different kinds of soap and two body butters, but she also sells a ton of other mishmash in her booth and honestly it looks messy. She doesnt sell much. technically shes a soap maker, but shes not taken seriously.

Another is an ace soap maker, but he has a limited offering. They make goats milk soap with fresh goats milk from their farm- really cool! I generally DONT make goats milk soap, so I can send people their way looking for that.. they send people my way looking for scents they dont and wont carry.

Last, there is a company that does "scent your own" type products. They use all bases, so customers know what they are getting with me.. handmade, truly handmade from scratch products.

There are 4-5 of us in a market of 80, and its not too much... although I wish there were less.

[Candybee]

There is another soaper at my farmers market. But she also has a table set up for selling produce and the other table full of her soaps and lotions etc. She makes CP and I make M&P so our soaps are completely different.

I've been there going on 5 yrs now so I have an established customer base at the market. You will find that your customers prefer your products to others while other customers will go to the other vendor. I'm fine with that and we are both good friends so it doesn't bother me.

I do both soap and candles so my booth is different from hers. One day we had another candlemaker at the market. She was set up across from me but didn't sell any candles. She used an assortment of different jars for her candles so they looked pretty unprofessional. She never came back as she could see if people wanted candles they came to my booth and spent time sniffing the candles and soap before buying.

Honestly if you make a good product you should not worry. Customers will always come back to you if you treat them right and give them quality products at a good price.

But don't get discouraged if at first you have no customers. It takes time to build a good customer base. By the end of the market season you will have some people that will be your repeat customers for next year and so on.

Edited June 21, 2011 by Candybee

[SliverOfWax]

But don't get discouraged if at first you have no customers. It takes time to build a good customer base. By the end of the market season you will have some people that will be your repeat customers for next year and so on.

Truer words were never spoken.

I did a market for 3 years that had maybe 20 to 25 vendors at any given time, and there was another candle booth there. No problem. Our products were totally different. We got along just fine and even went together on bulk buys a couple of times.

I think one thing that's important is to be as far in distance as you can be from another vendor with scented products. I once did a show where they put me right next to a booth that had bath salts in open tubs. It was overwhelming and nobody could really zero in on any specific scent.

[country bee]

You will be fine!

[LuminousBoutique]

I think one thing that's important is to be as far in distance as you can be from another vendor with scented products. I once did a show where they put me right next to a booth that had bath salts in open tubs. It was overwhelming and nobody could really zero in on any specific scent.

yes, yes, yes! And try really hard to ask to be away from the food. Scented food + scented products.... not a good mix.

[Kitn]

You will find your niche there..Not to worry!!

[Jeana]

I think it depends on the fee. If the fee is very reasonable you could make it work. It also depends on how large the market is. Personally I don't like to deal with competition in a small market.

Like others have said it is a good idea to have other products, and look like you really have it together. I used to practice my displays at home so I would be prepared when I got to my markets.

A couple things you can do to stand out is to create a soap club card where the customer gets punches and work toward a free bar of soap. Have 3 for deals to encourage buying more than one bar. I did well recently by giving a very inexpensive soap dish away with a purchase of three bars of soap. I didn't like the dishes really but other people went nuts for them, they wanted to get something free. You could do a gift with a purchase of like $25 or $35 or what ever amount you want. This works pretty good too. One time I gave a lip balm for a purchase of $35.00 people look for other stuff to buy to up get to the amount where they get the free gift. Don't do everything at once, but maybe run each promo for a month then switch. If you are near an Ikea they have $15 folding chalk boards that you could write your specials on.

Some other things. People usually don't like to walk into your booth unless you get pretty established, at our markets here people are very cautious. Set your table up in front of your booth if you can. Bed risers are great to bring the table up more eye level.

Don't spend time talking to other vendors. Focus on the customers. Try not to sit in your booth, this makes customers feel like they are bothering you. Be friendly, make eye and say hello to people as they pass. Many will stop just because you are friendly. Be prepared to talk about your product like you know what you're doing. Prepare conversation starters about your products. Say things like "have you ever tried handcrafted soaps before"? I still have to work on this but I've gotten better. Sometimes there can be an awkward silence after you say hello if you don't have any thing to follow up with.

Probably more info than you wanted but these things really do make you look professional and set you above other vendors.

[DebM]

I've been doing farmers markets for 7 years - the biggest question isn't how many vendors, but how many customers. I am doing one market in an upscale area whose attendance has declined dramatically for unknown reasons and two vendors would be too many. In *most* cases it is not - a good market master will put like products throughout the market, not bunched together, and would not allow the *same* type of soap. One of the festivals I vend at has 5 soapers and we are all different and all do well. I do m/p and concentrate on herbal soaps made with herbs from farm, and I also offer herbal tea & jams & jellies. My herbal soap however, far outweighs any food items. Far-r-r-r. Good luck to you, I'd be interested in hearing how things go. Is this a suburban market? A city market? In a touristy area?