You need QUALITY - that would be interesting things people will want. Cool vintage things. Items that are seen in magazines and on Pinterest, where customers are getting their decor inspiration.
QUANTITY is important, too. When you have more in your booth, you increase the chances that a customer will see something they want. Don't go overboard. It shouldn't be so crowded that your booth is uninviting.
Which brings us to the BEAUTY part - Why is beauty AFTER quality and quantity???
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I have stopped and stared at a beautiful booth without walking into it. I have admired the colors and the decor and the creativity. But, no matter how pretty the booth, if I scan it from the aisle and see nothing I'm interested in, I move along to the next booth.
On the other hand, I have stared at a stall, thinking how that lazy vendor should clean up that booth and how he/she is bringing down the look of the store. And then... I spotted something interesting, so what do I do? Despite my disgust, I wade through the debris to get to my new found treasure.
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| I found this photo on Pinterest. It was linked to a totally un-related site. If anyone finds the true link, please let me know! |
Why bother decorating and creating a beautiful booth, when you could easily sell from an ugly stall? Don't misunderstand! Beauty IS important. I plan a million posts on this site about making your booth look pretty.
People may buy items from a stall but they expect to pay less. You can charge a slightly higher price for things in a pretty booth. Generally speaking, if you can't charge MORE than double what you paid for something, you will NOT be making money. See my SCARY post on this for the full explanation.
If a booth is pretty, a customer may stare at it longer, increasing the chance of seeing something they like.
If a booth is pretty, it gives the buyer the feeling they have a chance to buy something special and valued. A pretty booth can gain a following of customers who return often to see what's new. A pretty booth can show things in a way that makes a customer want them even more to achieve a similar look.
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But really, a pretty booth is only good if the booth has things people want. If the booth is pretty but is decorated with too many not-for-sale items and/or with things that are nice but wouldn't work in most people's homes, then sales for that booth will be poor.
When you set up your booth, make sure you have plenty of things that might catch a customer's eye from the aisle. Make sure there are good-selling items visible that many people with different styles will be attracted to. I worry about vendors who create booths that are only interesting to a small group of customers. A broad appeal is best for most vendors (unless you are famous and are in an extremely popular mall). I plan to elaborate on this in a future post.
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| I thought about saying Quality would get you the sale, but that's not actually so. There are a number of other factors that come into play at that point - like price. |
* Note about the photos - None of the photos used in this post are meant to make a statement one way or another. All three are photos of booths that seem to have the quantity part taken care of. As for quality, that's in the eye of the beholder - you. You'll likely have style preferences between the three, but that's not quite the point. Go back and take a closer look at all three and see if anything catches your eye that would make you want to go in the booth or go check the price tag or go take a closer look. If so, in my opinion, that's a winning booth.
