Making the Most of Markets

With new markets popping up here, there and everywhere, it's important to stand out. You know how it's important to smile, have plenty of stock (no running out before 12!) and arrive to set up on time, but what makes some stalls more special than others? Here are a couple of tricks and tips I've picked up along the way...

1. Have Your Wholesale Pack To Hand

Last Saturday, I walked around a popular local market and I came across a fantastic looking gluten free stall selling an incredible array of baked treats. They looked great, were priced well and I couldn't wait to talk shop. My opening line is pretty straight to the point. 'Do you have a card for trade enquiries?' 

Before I'd even got to the 't' in 'trade', I was sharply interrupted. 'We don't do cards.' she scowled, before turning away to rustle at something under the table. I mean, geez. All I wanted was to distribute her products for her.

Competition is fierce in the food product industry and be it trade show, market stall or bus stop, you never know who you might get chatting to. Always have your wholesale pack ready to go, complete with photos of your product range and crucial info such as delivery rates, pack sizes and contact details - you can never be too small or too new to get one ready and just planning it helps you focus on how you want to grow.

2. Pick The Right Staff And Then Teach Them

I can't begin to tell you how many confused, apathetic and dopey stall workers I've met. No matter how wonderful the product is, the whole experience becomes muddied by this one bad exchange and leaves me reluctant to return, while someone who's passionate and bubbly makes me want to tell the world about them. Working at a market stall might seem like easy and unskilled work, but getting it right could make all the difference and getting it wrong could run your business to the ground. In a market environment, people expect higher levels of passion, enthusiasm and warmth from stallholders than they would from their local supermarket - your stall needs to reflect that.

Start by writing down the answers to questions customers often ask and the things that make them go 'ooh!'. What's in your stuff? How is it made? What's different? What's the most popular flavour? And then ask your staff - even if at this point they're just your sister, your wife or your best mate lending a hand - to role play with you while you behave like the most difficult customer you've ever had. It might seem like light-hearted fun at first, but you will be able to quickly spot things that you deem to be unprofessional. Are they quick with packing? Is the float organised, or a mass of jumbled coins? Are they gracious and warm, or disinterested and cold? You'd be surprised to see how someone else might not do what you take for granted.

And never, ever let them eat on the job. Ask a fellow stallholder to watch your stock while they sneak off for a quick sandwich. Nobody wants to buy anything from someone with their mouth full of cheese and pickle.

3. Shoeboxes

As well as providing handy storage for when you're packing away, small boxes are great for propping things up under your tablecloth so that your stall looks enticing and full, without the need for stacks and stacks of product. Rymans do a great selection of plastic boxes that flat pack for transporting as well as 'russian doll' style boxes that pack one into the other, so you don't need a fleet of vans to set up shop. If you're on a shoestring budget, drop in on your local corner shop, who always have a stack of (often pristine) boxes that would otherwise go straight into the recycling. Varying heights is a great way to catch the eye as well as upsell your range, clearly communicating which products are more premium than others. Don't forget to make sure your tablecloth is big enough to cover it all!

4. Never Forget You're On Display

Make sure that you have an idea of what your stall is going to look like at the beginning of the day, in the middle of the day (when you'll be at your busiest) and at the end of the day when (hopefully!) you'll have less than half your stock left. Everyone dreams about the beginning, when everything looks perfect, but it's important to think about the other times too. During the middle of the day, your focus should be on convenience and efficiency. For example, your packing materials e.g. brown paper, bags, cards should be laid out in order and the entire payment, packing and handover process should last no longer than a minute. It hurts too much to watch people walk away because you're taking too long! Towards the end of the day, make sure you know how to arrange your stall quickly so that it is as appealing as it was earlier, just smaller. There's nothing worse than a jumbled, untidy, patchy stall after the lunch rush. A bit like the last bruised banana on a supermarket shelf, nobody wants to pick up what feels like nobody else really wanted.

5. Know Your Goals

This is probably the most important point but one that often falls by the wayside. Why are you at the market? To sell stuff? Duh? Come on... To grow your business, you need to think harder than that! Markets are often the starting point for many food businesses. Make sure that you know what you want to get out of it, which might not always be to turn a profit on that day. Perhaps you want to try out a new range, so your focus will be on leaving out samples of those and asking what people think. Or perhaps you want to experiment with your pricing, so your focus will be on observing people's reactions when they read your prices. Of course, the immediate goal will almost always be to push sales, but bear the bigger picture in mind. Where do you want to be and how is this market stall going to take you there?

By Tara, Kitchen Table Projects Founder