Show sales for me were borderline fantastic. I think that if the snow didn't fall on Friday, I would have had a spectacular week. Samplers were flying off the table and I can't even explain how warm and fuzzy I feel when someone comes over with the intention of giving a ½ dozen other people something that I made myself. It boggles my mind and I really take it personally. I really have the best customers. They are so warm and giving, sometimes even just stopping to say "hello" even though they made their purchases a few weekends ago.
One of the best experiences was a young woman who had won a gift basket that I had donated to a local library. She even had my lip balm in her pocket at that exact moment! Once she recognized me she made a purchase. But it was so cool that she recognized the product, and even had it on her.
As for the show itself: because Friday was such a wash out because of the snow, I had plenty of time to think about ways it could improve:
1) First, bravo for opening at Noon on Friday and saving us all a snow-driving nightmare. They even worked with a local hotel for a price break for people who would rather stay over than drive back and forth.
2) But I think that the show should start later every day. This year the show went from 5 days to 4 days, and opened an hour earlier. But honestly, I haven't yet had a sale in the first hour to anyone who isn't a crafter there already. I think that they should go back to opening at 11 am, and heck, I wouldn't be opposed to Noon on Thursday and Friday.
3) Add a light to the booths that the artists can flick on to let the volunteers know they want/need a break. Being in the back, it is impossible to get any attention. This would make the volunteers work harder, but if you made the break a maximum of 15 minutes, it should work well. I don't even bother getting a booth sitter anymore. I just put my chair in my entrance with a "be right back" sign and off I go.
4) They really need to look at how they set up artisans better. There is nothing worse than a long line of jewelers, or two people with a fragranced item next to each other. I have been noticing that a lot lately. And although people want the same spots from year to year, I think that the flow of the show is more important than getting the same spot. There are plenty of shows that I do where I never have the same spot two times in a row. I think if you pay extra for a corner, or a double booth (or both) you get to choose where you want to be based on seniority, and the rest of us just need to grow up and deal.
Best Sellers:
Soap: rejuvenation
Bath Salts: Lavender
Fizzys: Oatmeal, Milk & Honey, Rejuvenation (tie)
Lotion Bars: Autumn Amber
Lip Balm: Cantaloupe
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