The Wholesale Forums

[thecandlelady]

Hi there
Need a lil advice

I'm a candlemaker and I've done shows, events & markets before, but I have the opportunity of a pitch on a VERY large weekly market in my local town in a pedestrianised area where there is phenomenal passing trade!

What concerns me is setting up and packing away ... at the smaller events that I've done, it has just never been an issue to leave my boxes by the table while I run out to the car to load up because the customers have usually left the building / space by then ... and there is always a neighbour to watch your stuff!

It DOES concern me about packing away in a large public open space though.

Are there any single market traders who could offer me any advice? I assume it will be a similar sort of "you watch my stuff, I'll watch yours" as it is at the smaller ones?

Any other general advice for my first large town centre market would be greatly appreciated!!

[lighthousedirec]

Are there any single market traders who could offer me any advice? I assume it will be a similar sort of "you watch my stuff, I'll watch yours" as it is at the smaller ones?

Any other general advice for my first large town centre market would be greatly appreciated!!

Basically yep, as above, but it does depend, most traders are great but certain markets seem to have crooks on them, never got on with Leicester market traders for some reason, ask them to keep an eye open and the lot would walk.

I used to pack stock away, stack the boxes under a table or at the back of a stall and then wrap a tarp around it, stack some tables etc on op if necessary. Once you are a regular it's not too ahrd to employ a local kid to watch for you as well, but there are not many markets where it is much of a problem, most traders agree a rota of when to leave for their vehicles to avoid theft at the end of the day.

Re other advice, never sit down, talk to everyone who walks by, even if it is just to say how ugly they are, market buyers love characters, so the more eccentrc you are the more they will take to you.

I used to stand next to a guy who always wore a cowboy hat, so I used to fire a bow and arrow at him every now and then to get attention, one fella I know who sells football gear dresses up as a ref and blows his whistle and issues yellow and red cards to passer by's, no-one ever forgets him

[thecandlelady]

Thank you sooooo much ... that's hugely helpful actually - I like the idea of wrapping a tarp around the rest of the boxes and stacking the tables on top while I go to the car... that will definitely work!

<<< Re other advice, never sit down, talk to everyone who walks by, even if it is just to say how ugly they are, market buyers love characters, so the more eccentrc you are the more they will take to you. >>>

Ohh definitely ... customers feel like you're pouncing on them if you've been sat down and all of a sudden stand up as soon as they approach your table!

Loved the note about the guy in the cowboy hat! It makes the day pass so much easier when you have friendly neighbours!!

Thank you for the advice - I feel better now! I've been doing craft shows & small village markets for years, but this is going to be huge even for me!!

[Tango34uk]

I agree, you have to become someone that people talk about, even if they havn't purchased from you? If you get people going home and saying to friends / family....

"Saw the candle girl today, you would never guess what she was wearing" = great advertising. Once you have got the public behind you, ring up your local paper and get them to do a feature on you. = more free advertising.

[lighthousedirec]

When I started selling many moons ago I used to sell joke certificates a boot fairs, worlds greatest gran kinda thing where people would fill in the name and present them, worst boss etc.

I used to do well yelling out "Your a wan*er" to people going by, all these guys used to run up lookin for a fight, and I would explain they looked like they were the sort of person who would buy a certicate dedicated to the worlds biggest wan*er for their boss etc.

Most ended up buying, easiest sale was the worlds biggest sex addict, used to sell that to the grannies no end.

Ohh definitely ... customers feel like you're pouncing on them if you've been sat down and all of a sudden stand up as soon as they approach your table!

You misunderstand me, it's a general rule, looks lazy too the punters, you look down in the mouth, hard to see, once you sit down it's not long before you start to read etc. If you get bored start a line dance or something.

Sad to say most markets are in general decline, which market are you looking at standing on out of interest?

[geosamm]

It is a sad fact that most markets are in decline, gone are the days when you had to show up as a casual for a couple of years and make sure the Toby got to know you before you got the chance of a regular spot. A friend of mine was a casual for 6 years at Fleetwood market before being offered a spot and that was for the outside, inside you had to buy the stall from the occupier. Just a short while ago I convinced another friend, who had hit troubled times, to go and give it a try with a new line he was hoping would pull him out of the brown stuff. After half a day trading he was offered a choice of 3 stalls inside.
They key to markets is your product, your price, your individuality and your attitude. Always look busy even when your not and get some banter going with the potential customers, they remember a smile far longer than a grimace. He purchased a skull and crossbones plaque that burst into "them bones them bones them dry bones" every time someone walked past it, worked wonders at breaking the ice, once they got over the shock and laughed he talked and sold. He moved on from Fleetwood, he has a few shops and an internet business now.