A Christmas craft fair is not like any other market. Almost everyone walking past your stall is looking for a gift for someone else, is in a hurry and is comparing you with the stall next door. That changes which pieces to bring, how to show prices and what to do with people who walk away saying "I'll think about it".
This guide adds the December-specific bits to our market day checklist.
Before: choose the right market
Many councils, towns and associations open stall applications weeks or months in advance. If you are too late for the big ones this year, look for neighbourhood, school or community markets, and note next year's application dates now.
Before you pay for a pitch, ask:
- Dates, opening hours and whether the stall is covered (in December it rains and gets dark early).
- Whether there is electricity and what you can plug in.
- Which other makers are coming: if there are five candle stalls, yours will have a harder time.
What to bring
- A range of gift prices. Have small, affordable pieces for Secret Santa and a few special ones for people looking for "the" present.
- Ready-made bundles. Two or three pieces that go together, in a box or bag, at one price. They solve the problem for people who can't decide.
- Extra stock of your best sellers. In December, small pieces sell out first.
Prices on show
Gift shoppers who can't see a price often don't ask: they keep walking. Price every piece or, at least, use a clear card per group ("Earrings · $25"). If you're unsure about your prices, read how to price your products with confidence.
Gift wrapping
- Have paper, bags or boxes ready, and a quick way to wrap: at peak times there is no time for complicated bows.
- Offer a card for a handwritten message.
- If wrapping takes you a long time, charge a small extra or wrap only above a certain amount. Put it on a sign.
Take payment without losing sales
Have change and a way to take card or phone payments, whichever you normally use. At a market, "cash only" sends many people off to find an ATM, and they don't come back.
"I'll think about it": don't lose them
This is where most December sales come from. Plenty of people like something but don't buy on the spot: they need to check sizes, colours or the budget with someone else.
- Put a QR code on your table that opens your catalogue with prices, not a list of links. You can make one with our QR code generator for your stall and print it at least 3 cm (just over an inch) wide.
- Hand out cards with the same QR code and your WhatsApp for people who prefer something to take away.
- Offer to hold a piece for a few hours or ship it later, and explain how to order: a WhatsApp link with the message already written helps; make one with the WhatsApp link generator.
In Mercader, every product has its own page with a photo, a price and a button to message you, so whoever scans your QR code at the stall can find that same piece in the evening and order it. Your upcoming fairs and markets also appear on your storefront, with date and place.
Afterwards: shipping deadlines
If you ship, decide the last day you accept orders so they arrive before Christmas. Check your carrier's holiday deadlines and add a buffer. Put it on your storefront and your socials: "Order by … for Christmas" sells more than any discount.
Next step
A good stall sells on market day; a good link keeps selling until Christmas. If you want your QR code to open a catalogue with prices, you can create your storefront and try it for 14 days. And if you are also planning the end of November, there are ideas in Black Friday for makers.
by Equipo mercader.app
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