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Selling to stores

I've been considering selling my necklaces to local stores, but I'm not sure how to do it.

I've read the articles tell you to visit the store first, call the store for an appointment, etc. But what I don't know is what a Product List looks like and how to create one. The only retail experience I have is as a consumer. When I called one store owner, she asked it I had a Product List. I felt pretty silly because I'd never thought of it.

I purchased wooden trays and the carry bag.. and the pins you are supposed to use.. but I don't know: a) how to use the pins, 2) how to gracefully walk into a store carrying a 40 pound bad, 3) how to pull the trays out of the bag without looking unorganized.

I also purchased a jewelry roll. This seem to be a more realistic way to carry my jewelry. But again, do I just unroll the bag and say "Here they are!" Or do I lay them out someway?

Reply to
chaddock
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OK, I do this "the wrong way" . I tend to wander around an area where I'm looking to put jewelry, wearing some of it, and with some of business cards. If a store looks promising I wander in, talk to the person behind the counter and leave a business card of it's not the owner. Sometimes you get lucky and the person is the store owner, likes what you're wearing and wants to see more of it. Then you can carry in our 40lb bag or how you transport your jewelry. Mine is in folded origami boxes made from regular white paper in soda trays (where I've lately gone to banker's box lids as somebody gave me a stack of those) in big plastic containers, and not very carry-able either.

I find that in my case stores are usually only interested in a subset, so I don't usually carry everything into one store.

And, I did take on another consignment situation, even on the other side of the island, left some jewelry there a week ago tomorrow and one piece already sold.

I don't usually call ahead as I've had it happen to me too often that I then couldn't make it. I usually only make time to do this when I'm on vacation on the other (more touristy) side of the island, so I still don't have anything in a store in the town where I live, other than at the farmer's market.

I find a product list only makes sense if you have more than one of an item or can at least group things under one item. I can for some (royal poinciana seed bracelets with 4mm AB2X Swarovski bicones ...) and can't for others.

Aloha, Maren HiloBeads: Beads - Beading Supplies - Hand-made Jewelry

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Reply to
Maren at google

I like your methods better than making cold calls.

Is there any chance you could post a picture of your folded origami boxes or bankers box lids? I'm not sure what either of them are.

I am really glad you mentioned the uselessness of the product list for unique, one of a kind items. That was one of my main areas of confusion.

Thanks,

-m.

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Reply to
chaddock

Well, it's sort of cold calling, but in person rather than on the phone. I have walked around downtown Kailua-Kona for several hours once and gotten mostly negative feedback. You have to develop a rather high frustration tolerance to do this, a bit like door to door selling. I find walking around easier than picking up the phone.

This is the closest to the box I use that I found:

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I learned how to make those when I was in the second grade, sick at home, from a Reader's Digest book for kids. I don't think you can get bankers box lids by themselves. Bankers boxes are legal and letter size filing boxes made from corrugated cardboard. Somebody at work once used a large number of boxes without taking the lids and as people at work know that I compost cardboard they asked me whether I wanted the lids. I didn't compost any of them yet .
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> I am really glad you mentioned the uselessness of the product list for > unique, one of a kind items. That was one of my main areas of > confusion.

If you have a "line" of particular necklaces that you make again and again (which may be what a store wants), a product list may be useful. Other than that, print out your website :-)

Sometimes it can take a year or several to get together with a person/store, especially if it's an out of town situation.

Maren HiloBeads: Beads - Beading Supplies - Hand-made Jewelry

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Maren at google

That's the way it works here too. I sometimes say Alaska is one big small town. (There are just over half a million people in the whole state.) The personal approach works best here too.

Tina

Reply to
Christina Peterson

Mary and I exchanged a good bit of email in between, and I think this would work in Abilene too from the way she describes it.

I prefer stores that buy outright to consignment, but if I want to get into a location and like a certain store I'll do consignment. I'll also do consignment if somebody offers me comparatively incredible terms (the lady who has some of my stuff at the local farmers market takes 20%. I really have to give her a new assortment of things as what she has from me isn't selling and we'd both like to do better).

I don't know whether Hawaii Island generally works that way, but I work that way, and to me it's a 'take it or leave it'. I have a full time job and more work in that than I can do in full time. I can't go out to some gallery (especially at today's gas prices) when the owner happens to have time and come back with nothing.

Aloha, Maren HiloBeads: Beads - Beading Supplies - Hand-made Jewelry

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