Do You Have an “AND” or an “OR” Craft Show Booth?

There’s a simple mindset shift most craft show vendors need to make…especially newbies.

When I started selling at craft shows, I made products to fill my table so that if a shopper stopped and they didn’t like the first product they saw, they would hopefully like the second.

And if they didn’t like the second product they looked at, maybe they would like the third.

I made so many different types of products (e.g. aprons, pajama bottoms, pillow covers, bags, mittens, etc.) and then within each product category, I made many variations (e.g. a frilly, feminine apron, a plain white apron with a screen-printed phrase, a plain apron in a fun print, etc.).

I wanted more shoppers at my table searching for something they wanted to buy.

But instead of making products to appeal to more shoppers, I started making products to appeal to one shopper. And my business grew.

Instead of:

>> Something for everyone

Go for:

>> Everything for someone

Get really clear about who that “someone” is, and then create products that are perfect for them; they’ll want to buy everything at your table.

 

The “OR” booth

An “OR” craft show booth is when a space is filled with items that a shopper will choose between.

For example, do I want to buy an apron or pajamas? Pajamas or a purse?

Shoppers aren’t going to buy pajamas and a purse together.

If most shoppers wouldn’t buy or use your products together, you have an “OR” craft show booth.

Another version of an “OR” booth is when there is one category of product (e.g. aprons), but a shopper is looking at all the options and would only choose one as fitting their style.

For example, I will be drawn to either a vintage-style apron OR a simple canvas apron, bright colours or soft pastels, bold prints or solids, etc.

If all your products don’t fit under one defined style (e.g. vintage), or even just a description (e.g. colourful), you have an “OR” craft show booth.

 

The “AND” booth

An “AND” craft show booth is created when a shopper is drawn over, and they could buy this and that and the other thing.

Everything appeals to their style, everything works together, and everything is cohesive.

For example, I love this vintage-style apron AND that vintage-style apron AND that vintage-style apron.

The other “AND” you should create is among different types of products.

For example, if I love aprons, that doesn’t mean I will also love pajamas (I may not even sleep in pajamas). But if I’m using an apron, I will also need oven mitts and hot pads and tea towels.

If the products on your craft show table are commonly purchased and used together, you have an “AND” booth.

And if shoppers are able to use one or two adjectives to describe everything on your table (e.g. feminine and pastel), you have an “AND” booth.

 

An “OR” exception

The exercise of creating an “AND” booth rather than an “OR” booth will help ensure you’re creating a clear box that your business fits into (e.g. I sell feminine, vintage-style aprons).

Once you’re within a box, then you can create a couple of “OR” options.

Feminine may be pastel pink or mint green. It may be a solid or a floral print.

If I love a feminine style, I’ll like both the pink AND the green, but I’ll have to choose between buying the pink OR the green.

There are options within the “feminine” box.

 

Why an “AND” booth is more beneficial

There are several perks to building an “AND” craft show booth.

Shoppers:

• Stay longer (most craft show shoppers don’t want to sift through dozens of products to find something they love; that’s for thrift, bargain, or flea market shoppers)
• Are more likely to remember your business (do you remember the store that had one item you liked or the one full of items you want to buy and you can’t wait to go back?)
• Are more likely to buy (they feel confidence in your brand and what you’re offering, and can find multiple items they want to buy)

You:

• Have a clear direction for your business
• Are more efficient (e.g. instead of looking at all the materials in a fabric store, you zone in on the pastels)
• Become more profitable (the more efficient you are (not switching between fabrics, patterns, tools, etc.), the more profitable you are)
• Build a clear brand (how do you describe a brand that follows 10 different styles? You can’t. But feminine vintage-style products build a “feminine vintage-style” brand)

 

Don’t build a booth where shoppers might like something. Build one where the right shopper likes everything.