With experience doing big shows; Henri Bendel and Bloomingdales and small shows; galleries and boutiques, I compiled a few important things you ‘ll need to know before you set foot in the store on your show date!
1. Confirm with the store who will provide the display items and how the sold items will be reported. You want to have enough risers and forms – try to get an idea of the amount of display space and how it will be set up. I suggest buying a small three-part order pad to write up the order, rather than your wholesale forms. Everyone involved in the transaction can keep a copy with a three-part receipt.
2. Confirm the price structure and how the show orders are going to be processed. You are labeling the retail prices. Make sure that you know their markup so you get your wholesale amount. Typically, the store takes payment from their customer and you will send the store an invoice based on your wholesale earnings. Decide the payment terms for the show – Net 30? Immediate? *Usually it’s the same as your regular store order.
3. Ask if the store has any color or clothing requirements. Bloomingdales asks you to wear black to match their salespeople. Remember, you will be handling your jewelry. Don’t wear full sleeves – you don’t ‘want to knock down your displays. Wear a neckline that will enhance your jewelry as you are the best display!
4. Be Prepared! Make sure your items are tagged and you have ample bags for sales. Pack up your display items and put them in your trunk. Bring tools – you never know when a jump ring will need to be fixed or you’ll have to add a chain extension for a larger customer. Bring extra hand tags a pen and scissors in case you “missed one”. Give yourself enough time to prepare and set up your merchandise and displays, grab a bite and freshen up. You are a professional and don’t want to be setting up and running around away from your station after the event start time.
5. Wear. Comfortable. Shoes. Trust me on this. The worst is standing for 5+ hours on a cold, hard floor, trying to smile while your feet are burning. Buy nice shoes with cushioned soles. No one will be looking at your feet, they will be concentrating on the jewelry you have for sale and you will be engaging them on the selling floor.
*Do you have shows lined up? What do you need to be prepared? Do you have show experiences you’d like to share with the other Open Studio Creatives? Leave comments below!
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Great tips for newbies and oldies alike Andrea! It’s easy to forget the basics at busy holiday time…
Hello Yve!
Yes, it’s such a busy time of the year because not only are you running a business but you’re also preparing for your personal holiday time so some things slip through the cracks. That’s another reason I wrote this article, as a gentle reminder to save your headaches.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment! *You can sign up for my newsletter for more art biz news.
Best,
~Andrea
Thanks for taking the time to remind us with all of your pertinent information. I really appreciate all of the information that you provided. I would love to see a post on how to approach a store to do a trunk show. Any ideas?
Thanks Again… I look forward to more posts.
Susan
Hi Susan,
Glad you enjoyed this article. Approaching a store for a Trunk Show and working with retailers; speaking, follow up, promotional materials, offering product, what retail stores to contact and more, is something that can take an entire 45 minute, One-Off Session and it’s an important part of my Mentoring. It’s not a cookie-cutter, step-by-step process. It has to be formulated around the product and the person who created it. *click here for One-Off Session information: http://openstudiocoach.com/programs-sessions-clarity-focus-achievement/one-off/
However, I can say that if it’s a store that you currently wholesale to, all you have to do is ask them if they’d like to do a Trunk or Holiday show with you. They may want more than one vendor there, and that’s there prerogative. If it’s a store that you’ve never done business with, find the manager/buyer’s name and call or e-mail her/him with a short introduction then ask to make an appt to show her your work for a Trunk Show. If you’re passing by the store, walk in and ask for the Manager/Buyer and ask her Show Policies (they may not even do them). With every correspondence be personalable without taking up too much of their time and explain your work and it’s benefits.
If you feel you need more help in this area and you’d like to speak to me directly, you can always contact me and we can set up a session: mentor [at] openstudiocoach [dot] com
I look forward to having you as an Open Studio regular and thank you again for reading and commenting!
Best,
~Andrea