We briefly mentioned flea markets in a recent post discussing interesting ways to supplement online wholesale sunglasses sales. In the days after that post was published, we got to thinking there was a lot more about flea markets we could discuss. Thus, the idea for this post was born.
Selling sunglasses at flea markets doesn't have to be complicated or difficult. You just need to know the system for the particular market you choose. Most flea markets have a lot of things in common. But, as they say, the devil is in the details. Flea markets don't all do things the same way despite their similarities.
That being said, we put together a selection of important things to know about using this particular venue to sell the wholesale sunglasses that you purchase from Olympic Eyewear.
1. Renting Flea Market Space
As we mentioned in the previous post, there are no long-term leases at flea markets. A typical flea market rents space by the day, the weekend, or the month. You pay upfront for the amount of time you want to lease. You are never forced to renew, so you can always walk away if you're not generating enough sales.
The one caveat here is the weekend requirement. Weekends are a busy time for flea markets. So much so that some markets are only open on weekends. But for those that are open every day of the week, there may be a requirement that vendors be present on the weekends in order to rent space. During the week, being there is optional.
2. Choosing Your Booth
Flea markets divide space into booths. This doesn't necessarily mean you'll get a physical booth in which to set up your cases and racks. More often than not, a booth is just a designated space marked off with tape or paint. You bring your own tables, tents, etc.
If you were to rent space at a flea market with both indoor and outdoor booths, consider renting outside. Why? Because you will have potential customers walking around in the bright sun. Some of them may have left home without their sunglasses. Seeing your display is exactly the motivation they need to buy a pair.
3. Visitors Expect to Spend
As a distributor of wholesale sunglasses, one of the reasons we encourage retailers to utilize flea markets is the fact that flea market visitors expect to spend money on every visit. They don't go just to browse. They go in search of deals. They go planning to walk away with something at the end of the day.
Why bring this up? Because there are very few sales opportunities that present so many customers ready to buy. Customers only need the right push from a vendor. You provide that push by stocking the most popular designs, creating a visually attractive display, offering flea market-worthy pricing, and engaging potential customers with a smile and friendly conversation.
4. Wholesale Sunglasses Sell Themselves
Frequent flea market visitors will tell you that nearly every market they have been to features at least one eyewear retailer. There is a simple reason for that: sunglasses sell themselves in the flea market environment. You don't have to aggressively push. You do not need to be the carnival barker daring people to take a look at your products. In fact, you will probably sell more by letting your display do the talking.
Selling sunglasses at a flea market is a no-brainer. While there are exceptions to the rule, most flea market vendors with a little bit of business acumen do very well on average.