Christmas markets are a great way to get your products in front of the general public, as well as allowing you to branch out and make new types of products. However, if you’re attending your first Christmas market this year, you may be feeling slightly apprehensive.
In this guide, we’ll share our top tips on how to sell your crafts at a Christmas market.
There are a huge number of crafts that usually sell well at Christmas markets, including:
If you need any more inspiration, we have a full guide on the best Christmas Crafts to sell, in which we give the full rundown on what crafts are profitable and where to sell them, and a guide on what to sell at a Christmas craft fair.
If you’re slightly nervous about going to your first Christmas craft fair, or maybe you feel slightly out of practice with craft fairs, don’t fret! We’ve listed our top tips that will have you well prepared for selling your crafts at the Christmas markets this year.
Before you even start thinking about making and collating your products, you should be looking at which type of market you wish to attend. Think about the type of products you sell and try to find a Christmas market that will suit your business.
For example, if you make festive floral arrangements, attending a food and drink market may not work in your favour. Instead, try and find a dedicated craft fair that focuses on handmade crafts.
Deciding on a fair ahead of time is also a great way to get an insight into your customer base and statistics about their fairs, so you could base your products and the amount you take off previous years. Take a look at our list of Christmas craft fairs and events to find one that suits you, and apply early as popular venues release exhibitor applications months in advance.
Once you’ve decided which fair(s) you’re going to attend, you can then move onto prepping your products. Whilst you may have a few staple products that you know will sell well at a market, think about some products that will best appeal to crowds looking for Christmas specific products.
However, you may not want to go too heavy with the Christmas themed items as these can be less appealing to customers who want products that can be used all year round. You also don’t want to be left with unsold stock that can’t be sold again until next year.
Be sure to review your finances. Look at the cost of hiring a stall, as well as the cost of making your products. At the end of the day, you will want to make a profit, so set yourself a budget so you don’t end up spending more than you need to.
Many craft sellers want to make their stalls look festive, but it’s easy to get carried away with decorations and props, so it’s a good idea to set a budget for these. If you can reuse these for the following years, this will be a much more cost effective solution.
A lot of fairs will require you to have your insurance in place when you apply. This is usually just a standard practice upon booking and you will be required to provide proof of your insurance policy.
At CraftCover, we can provide you with fully comprehensive Christmas craft fair insurance with bespoke options available to your business. This includes Public Liability Insurance and Product Liability Insurance, both of which are vital for protecting your business.
Every market runs its own pitch-booking process, but a few things are fairly universal. Popular Christmas markets can sell out their pitches months ahead, so apply as soon as applications open rather than waiting until autumn. Most organisers will ask for proof of your public liability insurance as part of the application, so have your policy documents ready before you apply.
Before you commit, check what your pitch fee actually includes: a table and chairs are usually provided, but items like a gazebo, power for card readers or lighting, and Wi-Fi are often extra or your own responsibility. Ask about arrival and setup times too: most markets expect stallholders on site well before opening and won’t allow you to pack away early, even if trade is quiet.
Finally, ask about the market’s weather and cancellation policy. Outdoor markets in particular can run rain or shine, and pitch fees are often non-refundable if you can’t attend, so it’s worth checking this, and making sure your gazebo and stock are properly secured, before the day.
During the build up to the date of the fair, it’s a good idea to utilise social media platforms to show off the products you’re going to take. You could either do little sneak peeks of the products, or show them off fully to get potential customers excited, as well even enticing new customers to have a look in person.
Push your market stall as much as possible on your social media. You can do this through stories, posts, reels and even videos on the likes of TikTok and Instagram.
Since most places now accept card payments, it’s no shock that craft fair attendees will just expect stalls to have card machines. Not having a card machine may actually reduce your chances of getting a sale.
Companies such as Paypal have their own card machine that you can order for an affordable price. You will have to pay a fee for using the card machine, but it is usually just a small percentage of sale, but this will quickly be earned back.
However, be sure to also have a petty cash flow for anyone who prefers to use cash.
The final step of the sale is deciding how you wish to present your products when you hand them over to your customers. This means thinking about things such as gift bags, wrapping paper, thank you notes and so on.
Although you may not think it’s important, how you present your products can make a huge difference in customer satisfaction.
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