Farmers markets have grown tremendously over the last decade. These shopping experiences have begun to pop up in neighborhoods all around the country.
They are clearly popular and for a good reason. People love their friendly, down-to-earth atmosphere and the variety of unique items and fresh produce on offer.
But they are fantastic for vendors too. Research has shown that they can yield substantial profits for farmers and other sellers.
If you are a vendor, it is essential that you find out what will make you stand out among all the other vendors and markets. In this article, we are going to cover farmers market ideas to sell more produce and handmade goods.
1- Giveaways & free samples
One of the things that people love about farmers markets are the free samples that they might find there. These give you the chance to try out any products before making a purchase.
Giveaways often attract people to approach your stall in the first place. Display them right in front of your table or goods. Pick a selection of some of your most popular products and any new items.
If you are selling handmade goods that they can’t use there like soap, it can work well to provide a small test item that they can take home to try.
A sample can really help customers who are on the fence to make a decision. So don’t miss the chance to entice buyers.
2- Pile it high
A pro tip for increasing your sales is to be generous with the number of products you display. Don’t skimp, but instead put out a bunch for each item.
Create the impression of abundance. This will appeal to many potential customers. It can look as if you have a much wider variety of products available and are likely to have something that will satisfy them.
You can really get creative with this. Stack the goods, lay them out, hang them, or put them in baskets. Whatever suits your specific products and stall.
3- Connect with customers
With the rise of departments stores, we have lost much of the personal touches that characterized older forms of shopping. People miss knowing their local bakers, farmers or fishmonger.
These markets give you and your customers the opportunity to form a more personal connection.
Make sure that you and any of your staff are friendly. Greet customers as they arrive at your stall and take the time to talk with them. If necessary provide some training for your team.
Creating this connection with customers can help to build trust. People want to know where their products and come from. They want it to be safe and high-quality. It could also increase the chances of them returning to your stall in the future.
4- Fresh products
For many people, farmers markets epitomize freshness. It is all about farm to table produce. Or directly from crafter to customer. People often come here because they believe any goods will be much newer than what they will find in a department store.
As you can imagine, it is essential then that you focus on keeping your products looking new. It’s vital whether you are selling produce, animal products, other foodstuffs or handmade goods.
In terms of fruits and vegetables, you want them to look crisp and fresh. For other items, the packaging should be new and undamaged.
When it comes to your products, think of the best ways to store them to keep them in good shape. One solution is to put any foodstuffs in cold storage and bring them out as products on the table are sold. This counts for crafted goods that can get damaged by the sun or heat as well.
5- Your best foot forward
You have to be strategic about setting up your display. As the owner, you might feel that all your products are equally great. But this isn’t necessarily how your customers will see it.
Therefore, one strategy you can use is to place your best or most appealing items at the forefront. You can literally put it in a more visible position than your other goods.
Additionally, you can make these items the focus of your marketing and signage.
6- Under wraps
No matter where or what you are trying to sell, packaging is always crucial. It is often a customer’s first look at your goods. This means that you need to pay attention to the design and materials.
Because customers who come to markets are interested in consciencious living, it can be an excellent idea to use these principles in your packaging.
Try to make it as eco-friendly as possible. Use recyclable material or reusable containers. Otherwise, don’t use any at all. Going “naked” with products is currently one of the most significant trends. You can offer customers the chance to bring their own containers for the goods.
7- Marketing
How do you advertise your farmers market stall?
Many vendors might believe that marketing is all up to the organizers. But this isn’t always enough. You can really boost your sales by taking some of the promotion into your own hands.
Take any chance to advertise the market and your stall on different communication platforms for your business. For example, in newsletters or on your website.
Another option is to put up signs in your business or around it. This way, anybody who visits your farm or primary location will see it.
Be creative about the different methods and platforms you can use.
8- Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
A vital part of your advertising should be to use social media. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are all fantastic resources for this.
These sites give you the opportunity to tell people about your business. One of its best features is that you can share photos and updates about your goods. Pictures are an ideal way to attract potential customers. It can really make your stall memorable.
Besides this, people will have the chance to ask you any questions that they have.
9- Eye-catching signage
Signage is a key part of any market stall and its marketing. But remember that just putting up a sign isn’t enough. Promotional materials need to be carefully designed. You want them to catch potential customer’s attention.
Here are some basic principles to keep in mind:
- Keep the sign simple
- Don’t use too many words
- Make it easy to read
- Use appealing graphics
If they are attractive, they will add to the aesthetic of your entire stall.
10- Label prices
People don’t want to spend excessive time searching for the prices of specific items. And they don’t want to be forced to ask you what every single thing costs.
One trick is to make prices as visible as possible. You can put individual labels on items. Another option is to write the costs out on sign boards. This will add to the aesthetics as well.
Some vendors find it easier to keep prices the same across categories – like choosing one price for all jams.
You can also make it easier by selling goods in bundles.
11- Decorate your table
Set up is on thing that makes farmers markets unique. Instead of having traditional storefronts, you work from a stall or table.
This display should be a crucial part of your strategy. Choose every single aspect carefully. Your display needs to be stunning. It needs to stand out from the crowd.
Your goods form a core part of the appearance. This is vital to the market aesthetic. However, you should also use other decor pieces too. Table cloths, baskets, and other features can increase your display’s appeal.
12- Be prepared
An essential strategy for any trader is to always be prepared. You want to be ready for everything the day can bring.
First of all, if you are new to farmers markets, you want to check up on any rules or policies that might be in place. Make sure you comply with them.
Second, ensure that you bring enough goods along. There is nothing worse than unnecessarily running out of products within the first hour. It can take time and a bit of trial and error to estimate how much you can sell at a time.
In addition to this, be ready for any questions that clients might have. People love asking you questions about the origins of your goods and so on.
13- Cashless payments
To help increase your sales, provide more than one payment option for your customers. Some markets might have policies about this. But the choice is usually up to you.
Only taking cash can look like a trouble-free solution at first. However, it can be bad for business in the long run. Nowadays, fewer and fewer people carry around paper money. Besides this, people often run out of cash on market day.
More options translates to more potential sales and possiby even larger sales.
Two alternatives are card payments and mobile payments.
14- Tell a story
Another one of our brilliant farmers market ideas to sell more is to tell a story with your stall.
When customers hear your personal narrative, they are more likely to build a connection with your business. It will keep them coming back and build loyalty and trust in your products.
The story you can tell is that of your products and business. Show them where it all started and what it is all about.
You can portray this through photos of your business. It can work well to write a bit about your business on pamphlets, signs and so forth. You and your staff should be ready to tell this to your clients.
Remember that this is all about creating a complete experience. You are giving customers an alternative to the impersonal and generic nature of other stores.
15- Local flair
Farmers markets typically form a large part of the movement to go local. It’s the ideal place to find produce and goods from your area.
Customers want to reduce their negative impact on the world. Some also want their money to stay part of the local economy and to support their community.
This is also what you want to emphasize in your stall. Clients should be able to see at a glance that your products are locally sourced.
The following are some ideas on accomplishing this:
- Feature goods that are specific to your area such as a regional cheese.
- Include the name of the area in your business name or in your product names.
- Display photos of the farm or place where the goods were crafted.
- Use local jargon in your marketing and signage.
16- Be unique
Especially at a market with plenty of fresh produce, you probably won’t be the only vendor to sell one type of item. There will likely be more than one person with handmade goods too, like jams and loaves of bread.
Next time you are there, take a walk around the market and look at other people’s stall. This can give you an idea of what makes your goods different. Use what you find to your advantage.
Highlight your uniqueness on your signs and packaging. It can really make the difference between customers choosing your stall and not others.
On the other hand, if you are selling a truly unusual item, you should make sure that you let people know. An excellent way to showcase it is to give people information on how to use it. If you don’t have anything like this, try to source an exceptional product.
Top farmers market ideas to sell your wares
Try out these farmers market ideas to sell to see if they help you to boost your profits. They all involve playing to the strengths of this type of shopping experience.
Farmers markets are all about making more conscientious decisions about our shopping and consumption. If you want to stay in the spirit of being more sustainable, check out FiberMate™ recyclable rigid print media for creating your stall signage.
And before you try to design your sign, don’t miss our tips on creating the most effective signs for marketing.
