Over the past few years, I have had first hand experience of the online 'emporium' in the form of both Etsy and Folksy. Drawing traffic to an online stall within these virtual shopping precincts isn't easy. Etsy does at least have an app, making it easier for potential shoppers to find you and buy from you. Folksy has yet to be persuaded that this is a good idea, in spite of repeated calls for this option from users. But more of these virtual marketplaces another day.
If your items are small, like jewellery or baby clothes, you're probably okay storing them within your home. If your items are larger, like sculptures or furniture, having a virtual shop front doesn't solve the physical problem of warehousing. So you are likely to need a physical space to store your products. And if you're going to pay for that space, it might as well be a space from which you can sell, too.
Emporiums (emporia?) are becoming increasingly commonplace. There are several that I know of within a 10 mile radius of my home, and probably many more that I don't know of. The way it works is this: someone buys or leases a space - the quirkier, the better. They then rent out areas within that space to individual traders. X amount will get you a display cabinet, Y amount some wall mounted shelving and Z amount will secure you an area of floor and wall space to call your own.
Some of these require stall holders to put in time on the shop floor on a rotational basis. The larger your stall, the more time you're expected to put in.
Modern point of sale systems allow sales from each individual stall to be tracked. There may or may not be an additional per item commission to be paid.
Of course, it is on the emporium leaseholder's best interests to keep the stalls as varied and wide ranging as possible. Three makers/sellers of crocheted doilies under one roof is probably not the best way to go. So potential stall holders have to apply for a space. It is seldom 'first come, first served'. If an applicant offers a product that is different and exciting, it will attract a wider range of customers to the emporium per se, which the leaseholder will take into account.
These spaces are in hot demand, and there are usually several potential takers for any space that comes open. This tips the scales quite heavily in favour of the emporium owner, and allows them to pick and choose from among applicants to ensure that they get a wide range, minimal duplications and a harmonious blend. They may also choose not to stock a certain type of item based on a historical lack of customer interest in that type of product.
The rent paid for these spaces cover the overheads of the space itself and are used for promotion and advertising. It is, of course, also up to each stallholder to do their own advertising. The upside of keeping your pieces at home is that there are no additional overheads. Once you start renting a space to put them in, you need to make sure you're going to sell enough to earn that money back. You also need to factor in the time you're going to have to spend minding the store instead of making new products.
Because many of the items I produce are fairly sizable, I have been on the lookout for a physical space in which to store and sell my wares. I have approached a few of these emporiums, but have yet to be successful in securing a space. On one occasion, I was under the impression that we had agreed that I could have a space, only to discover that the emporium owner was under no such impression. On another occasion, the person I spoke to was so rude that I left feeling utterly crestfallen. Mostly, people are very kind and polite, but it doesn't change the fact that there are more applicants than spaces.
As the upcycling/re-use market grows, there will be more and more people like me, making stuff in their home workshops or studios. And presumably, there will be more and more emporiums being opened up to house them all.
So this is me, giving a shout out for your local emporium, populated by individuals who are making, remaking, upcycling or recycling pieces. They aren't likely to get rich off it, but their ethos is probably a lot better for the planet and the local economy than the behemoth mass production outlet in the posher premises. Can I challenge you to do more of your shopping there, and less from the mega-chains?
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| Woven bead cuff |
Emporiums (emporia?) are becoming increasingly commonplace. There are several that I know of within a 10 mile radius of my home, and probably many more that I don't know of. The way it works is this: someone buys or leases a space - the quirkier, the better. They then rent out areas within that space to individual traders. X amount will get you a display cabinet, Y amount some wall mounted shelving and Z amount will secure you an area of floor and wall space to call your own.
 |
| Upcycled coffee table |
Some of these require stall holders to put in time on the shop floor on a rotational basis. The larger your stall, the more time you're expected to put in.
Modern point of sale systems allow sales from each individual stall to be tracked. There may or may not be an additional per item commission to be paid.
Of course, it is on the emporium leaseholder's best interests to keep the stalls as varied and wide ranging as possible. Three makers/sellers of crocheted doilies under one roof is probably not the best way to go. So potential stall holders have to apply for a space. It is seldom 'first come, first served'. If an applicant offers a product that is different and exciting, it will attract a wider range of customers to the emporium per se, which the leaseholder will take into account.
These spaces are in hot demand, and there are usually several potential takers for any space that comes open. This tips the scales quite heavily in favour of the emporium owner, and allows them to pick and choose from among applicants to ensure that they get a wide range, minimal duplications and a harmonious blend. They may also choose not to stock a certain type of item based on a historical lack of customer interest in that type of product.
The rent paid for these spaces cover the overheads of the space itself and are used for promotion and advertising. It is, of course, also up to each stallholder to do their own advertising. The upside of keeping your pieces at home is that there are no additional overheads. Once you start renting a space to put them in, you need to make sure you're going to sell enough to earn that money back. You also need to factor in the time you're going to have to spend minding the store instead of making new products.
Because many of the items I produce are fairly sizable, I have been on the lookout for a physical space in which to store and sell my wares. I have approached a few of these emporiums, but have yet to be successful in securing a space. On one occasion, I was under the impression that we had agreed that I could have a space, only to discover that the emporium owner was under no such impression. On another occasion, the person I spoke to was so rude that I left feeling utterly crestfallen. Mostly, people are very kind and polite, but it doesn't change the fact that there are more applicants than spaces.
As the upcycling/re-use market grows, there will be more and more people like me, making stuff in their home workshops or studios. And presumably, there will be more and more emporiums being opened up to house them all.
So this is me, giving a shout out for your local emporium, populated by individuals who are making, remaking, upcycling or recycling pieces. They aren't likely to get rich off it, but their ethos is probably a lot better for the planet and the local economy than the behemoth mass production outlet in the posher premises. Can I challenge you to do more of your shopping there, and less from the mega-chains?
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