The Surprising Trick to Higher Craft Fair Sales

When I started selling at craft fairs, I made as many types of products as I could. I wanted to have something for everyone.

Even when I niched down and focused on selling handbags only, I still offered a lot of selection.

But then I discovered how much better my sales were when I cleaned up my product line and simplified my craft show display.

The Problem: Choice Overload

Too many products or product options on a craft show table can cause choice overload.

It’s what happens when a shopper is presented with too many options.

Too many options require too many decisions to be made.

And when a shopper has too many decisions to make they:

• Overthink
• Second-guess
• Hesitate
• Leave without buying because they feel overwhelmed

Why choice overload is common at craft shows

Many craft show vendors are like me, and in an attempt to make more sales (by trying to have something for everyone), they create too many types of products or too many variations of a product.

Craft show shoppers can become overwhelmed before they even get to your table.

There are so many vendor booths to take in in a short period of time. And then at each booth, a person only has a few minutes to take in each product, before they start to feel rushed and in the way of other shoppers.

In a retail store, a person has the space to wander and browse as they think through decisions. They can hold an item in their hands as they walk around and check out other products.

At a craft show, shoppers must stand in front of a salesperson as they browse and they can’t walk away with your products to compare them to others at the craft show.

They also end up blocking half the “store” when standing at a 6-foot table, which can create a sense of urgency to make a decision and move on, so others can get in.

 

The Trick: Fewer Products = More Sales

Your booth can stand out at a busy craft show by having fewer products. It will feel like a calming space in a room that triggers choice overload.

Fewer products will help you sell more because:

• it creates a more professional-looking display
• it helps shoppers make buying decisions faster
• your table is highlighting your best work

One study found that a 25% reduction in product options resulted in 27% more sales. 

If you had 20 items to choose from for dinner, it’s going to take you a while to decide what to order.

On the other hand, if you’re given the choice between chicken, beef, or fish, you’ll require less time to decide.

This is exactly how fewer product options help you sell more.

If craft show shoppers can’t decide between 20 different items on your table, they’ll need to walk away and think about it.

If you have 3 options they love and must decide between, they won’t need as much time.

They’ll quickly choose an item to buy and make room for new shoppers to come in.

 

How to narrow down your products

Of course, if you offer just a few products but they’re not items craft show shoppers are interested in, it won’t boost sales. You need to choose the items you present strategically.

1 – top-selling products

Look at your past sales and make cuts based on items you haven’t sold any of, or have sold very few. Make more of what has sold in the past.

It can be hard to spot patterns when you have a lot of selection. You may have 20 sales but when each sale is a different item, you can’t say for sure which item is the most popular.

If your sales stats don’t point out clear bestsellers, look for other sales patterns.

• Which category of product do you sell the most of? For example, if I’m selling bags, throw pillows, aprons, pot holders, and scrunchies, I would see if my sales show that I sell more accessories (bags & scrunchies), home decor (pillows), or kitchen items (aprons and pot holders).
• Which product features are the most popular? Do you sell more of items that are a particular color, size, shape, etc.?

2 – high-interest products

If you don’t have many sales, pay attention to the products that get shoppers’ attention.

• What do shoppers tend to gravitate towards when they spot your table?
• Which items get picked up a lot?
• Which products garner a lot of questions from shoppers?

3 – relevant

At each event, try to stick to products that are a fit for the season or in line with current trends.

It can be tempting to haul old products to each craft show in hopes of finally selling it, but it can clutter your table and shoppers’ minds.

Keep stock that’s not as relevant to current shopping trends behind your table or at home.

4 – price ranges

Ensure that you have products in different price ranges: low, medium, and high.

5 – test and adjust

It will take time to perfect your product offering, and what shoppers are interested in will change throughout the year and with each event.

Constantly track sales and shopper behaviour to spot trends and adjust your product line.

 

But won’t I attract fewer shoppers if I reduce my product selection?

Often, a craft show table with tons of product options will attract a lot of shoppers. So it can seem like those booths are the most successful.

But when measuring success in terms of sales (not shoppers), studies, human psychology, and my personal experience, prove that fewer options produce more sales.