My first table at a Christmas Market – Part II
Two weeks to go until the Christmas Market
(Here’s the link to part I)
Since this is going to be my first market table I decided to do a dry run at home. There’s nothing worse than being ill prepared. I want to be sure that everything will work the way I had it mapped out in my head. The plan was to have all merchandise ready two weeks in advance. I did not quite manage that because I ran into production challenges.
If you have the opportunity, visit the venue. Check out the parking situation, venue layout, washrooms, coffee shop.
This week my brain was pre-occupied with the fundamentals: what items should I be selling at the Christmas Market? Will I have enough display containers to display all cards? How will the merchandise be displayed?
Displays
I spruced up the greeting card spinners a bit. Fairy lights were added to the pole and black backing to each pocket. During the past couple of months, I also gathered containers to display everything.
The Table
The table at a craft market is your shop window and shop at the same time. It must be appealing for people to stop by and hopefully also buy a few items. Keep your most popular items at eye level or otherwise in a prominent spot. Display items in vignettes to create more impact. And like in well appointed boutiques, also create layers.
I measured out an area on the floor 6’ long and 2’ wide for the setup because we don’t have a table of that length. And then I arranged everything as I imaged it. Surprisingly all display units pretty much fit as planned. The signage needs editing and adjusting in size. These are issues that one notices when everything is put in its place.
Another thing I noticed is that I do need a bit more greeting cards. The little suitcase looks a bit empty.
Result of the Exercise
Things to take care of this coming week: print more cards, adjust and create signage according to notes taken, stamp logo on packaging materials, need more table decor to create Christmas atmosphere. I’m also not quite sure if I should sell Advent calendars at all because the space on the table is pretty much taken.
