Sometimes I get away with using table space that the customer can see, but can't reach all of the product on it. If you put an 8' table down each side, putting a table at the back would be a U, up front would be an upside down U, and in the middle would be an H. With the H design, you can move the cross table up and down as necessary. If your booth is only a few feet in depth, it's a lot easier for the customer to come in.

you could try to put a table across the front with enough space to walk past it into your booth. a 6' table would work. put the most eye catching stuff on the front table. sounds like your bonsais would be good for folks looking to buy gifts.

Hrm, hadn't thought of that configuration! Great idea! My tables are only 6 footers (because that's all that will fit in my truck) but I do have a small card table that would effectively work across the middle that I can pack in. Then I could put the higher priced plants in the "unreachable" area (which could also save them from being handled).

How does it work where there's a group of customers? Do they crowd in or do some hang back until the others leave? Mine seem to show up in groups of 2-4 complete with large shoulder bags......

The only problem I noticed is that you sit at your market. I don't sit and don't provide seating for any help at my stand. If you are there to sell your product you should be active in selling. I've noticed vendors actually reading books or texting at markets and they wonder why their sales are declining. I can't comment on your stand layout but I use a combination of tables and 3-tiered stands which are difficult to navigate but if I see a potential customer I am eager to offer them a bag or assistance. If they see that you are busy they will usually be willing to wait but when they see that you are not interested in making a sale you send a wrong signal and they are likely to walk away.

i guess a crowded booth can be a problem if you display high value stuff. i sell produce and am not concerned about that.
i also think its important to engage the customer and make them want to keep coming to your booth.

There's a balance to be found between helping customers and intimidating them. People need space to figure out what they want and I've found they don't always respond well to too much customer service.
I usually just say, "let me know if you need some help" and then stay busy stocking etc.

When I'm only using a 10x10 booth I usually favor the L shape. One table along either side and another table across the back.

-Mark

Randy, they definetly will not walk around a table. Neighbor vendor tried that one :(

Bmoser, standing in the booth scares them off before they even look! I do stand about half the time, but I'm either out of the booth or behind it (outside of the 10x10). I have a high stool so I'm almost at standing height when I am sitting. My comment was more towards if I'm "hidden" they seem to come in more, not that the sitting is what does it :).

I never read and rarely text (usualyl just add a sale to my running list and that's it) in the booth. But working on something (crochet, a tree, etc) seems to make me less "hungry" looking...but they still hestitate. I have plenty of retail experience (day job) so the big smile thing comes as a reflex (I've watched sourpuss vendors not even try to smile!) and does help once I've caught their eye.

Mandroneb, that's the issue...space LOL. Where are you in the booth if you have an L? behind the back table? I even tried a V but moved that back quickly cause it was "trapping" people.

I'm jealous of the people who have the booths in the middle and four sides of frontage (I have one side....). Lot easier to just do a square and have full access LOL. Was watching the one lady who does a U shape, she is never actually in the booth but rather hangs outside of it. I am limited because I have a neighbor, on the other side is palmtrees, and behind me is a wall so I can only go out through the front easily..whereas she is out in the open.

We also just have 10x10 or I would love to do the tables across the front. When I just needed 2 tables this year I did this:
one table up against the right side (from my point of view) the other table perpendicular to it right up to it but with a little of the side table coming out behind, so not an L and not a T. Then the vendor to my left is very popular and just has one short table in the center front. So what happened was I had a lot of customers go from in his booth to mine, staying under the canopies since my side closest to him was open. I know this doesn't make sense.

Here is a pic showing a customer going from my booth into his. This way worked better than any before until I needed 3 tables later in the season. If you need just a bit more space, pile some boxes up at the end of the table toward the other vendor to make it extra long. It basically could turn into a 10 foot long space with about a 5 foot long space running on the side.

An idea I breezed past the manager that went no where may work for your very shy market customers. At the grocery store they have a mascot logo thing they move around the store. The kids locate it and when they say where they saw it they get a treat. I think hiding something like that in a different booth each week and then having the customers go to the market manager booth and make a prize entry, saying which booth it was in, would get people into all vendors' spaces.

Minnie, thanks for the pic. My neighbor has hanging quilts (and fish from coconuts) so there's a wall o stuff between us , actually, come ot think of it, no one is setup so you could go between booths. So that's two L's and an H. I will have to try one...but again, where are you in the booth when it's an L? We're up against a building so I have very little escape room...unless I push the tables forward more .....

this past year i sold at a market where they supply the table. i then shared my table with another vendor. after this experience i feel like the set up takes a back seat to the product. if you've got what they want they will buy it however its displayed. also, you don't need to display everything you have. smile like you are having a good time at the market.

If the booth is an L shape and you have a wall behind you you're gonna have to move the back table a little forward. A 6' and an 8' work well for this configuration. Depending on their size you might also have to overlap the tables a little so that you have a gap to get out.

Do the facing out horseshoe shape like in the above picture, people can enter at one end, see all your stuff in one pass and move along if not stopping to buy. And you can easily move around and access all of it from behind and on the sides, without coming out into the customer area.

Anyone with a setup like a nook, dead end or other tight situation is not likely to get me in their booth, unless they are the only one that has the kind of thing I am already looking for before I get there. And the last time I went to one such a woman came from behind me to get waited on out of turn, the vendor having affixed themselves in one spot - with people browsing and people checking out all being bunched up in front of them.

Sitting, reading, looking off in the distance, facing away and talking to somebody else, behind the table, no smile or greeting when I walk up - it all says "not interested". I don't have to make a special trip to an alternative market to find inept salespeople, should instead be finding self-employed people (or their spouses and other personally involved parties) showing their own wares.

I've been on both sides of the table at local markets and other special events. When I've been vending it has been specialty nursery stock.

This post was edited by bboy on Tue, Nov 4, 14 at 11:15

I've tried lots of different arrangements to get people to stop and look at my booth. I set the tables up parallel going into the booth, so they can walk in and look at both sides. I put my tables L-shaped. I found if I stood across the aisle or pretended to be a shopper at a booth nearby they were more eager to stop and browse. Just keep trying different arrangements. Let us know what works best. Can you put a tiered rack on the back of one of the tables? You could hide behind that.

I'm still trying to figure out the greeting aspect. While some customers respond positively to active selling (even if it is just a hello or good morning from the vendor), other customers seem to dislike it and literally run away. This second group of customers seems to prefer if you leave them alone except if they have a question.
I too am experimenting with different setups. I try to stack produce in such a way that the stand appears full to people coming from either direction. Vertical is good if you have enough produce to support a vertical display.

the customers that don't want to talk=the customers that don't want to buy

I still can't figure people out - I try to stand but it seems to make some people nervous when you're standing, like you're going to pounce on them. A lot of vendors at my market sit, some even knit or do other busywork as they wait for customers, though I don't see anyone reading or texting.

I try to make eye contact and say hi to people glancing my way as they walk by, but I don't try otherwise to get people's attention (no spiel). And I've had plenty of people walk in and discuss all the different tomato and pepper varieties with me, tell me what they have in their gardens, ask for advice, and then walk out. Other people (like the lady who knocked a jar of jelly off my table this summer) come in, don't say a word, and do buy (though usually not much).

I try to set my table about 2/3rds of the way back, with barn boxes stacked in front like "wings" with more produce to try to draw people in, but still give enough room they can stand under cover (from sun/rain). Most vendors seem to set up a table closer to the front, but some have them in back plus along 1 side and 1 vendor had double tables (each about 2ft x 8ft)down the middle running back-to-front with produce bins angled up where the tables met so everything was visible (but that takes more room since you can't tier things).

For high value stuff like bonsai that's also rather fragile, I'd look at craft fairs and see how the vendors who have breakables like pottery and glass have theirs displayed.

It was hard for me to figure out too. I had regulars which helped out alot. I mostly sat behind my table and read cookbooks or the paper. It worked well. Most people run away when I said hello. When I was a shopper I preferred someone to talk to me. I guess I wasn't intimidated so easily.

Sitting on the tailgate of a truck puts you up higher than in a chair. It's easier to make eye contact, and customers don't feel like they are making you get up to help them. A bar stool would accomplish the same thing. It's a nice compromise between sitting and standing.

Thanks everyone......... so it's not just my area :).

I do have one bookcase on top of the table for vertical effect, and I just put a foot tall stand up on the back end of the other one to raise two plants up. Hard to go too much vertical because I've already had a plant fall off the table due to someone reaching for it (luckily it hit the dirt and not the asphalt so the pot survived). So I either have to have backs (hence the bookcase) or put the bigger ones there that arent so easy to lose.

Toyed with asking for two booths and running the tables across the front but that'd double my cost and probably not my revenue.

I may try the L idea this weekend, I got permission to put a stand outside my booth since I'm on the end so I may make that part of the long leg of the L. Now the great debate...put up the screen sides? Or let my neighbors stuff invade my area.... or put up just a tarp between us ... (screen sides are a pain to put up)...arg more choices LOL

People are funny................

It was always interesting to go to the market. I tried to set up in the same spot every weekend and be next to people I got along with. Of course, that didn't always work. I never had a problem with other vendors stuff bleeding into my space. The tarp could be a problem if it's windy. I used to back up my step van and sit on the bumper. That put a good distance between me and my customers. I also sold plants.

we never sit down unless it's during the summer Wednesday market and then I sit on the tailgate of my old truck. People like that! it looks rustic...lol...
We greet everyone that comes into the market, we are right next to the entrance, and it really works. We don't try to sell them anything during that greeting, we are just friendly and smiling, saying hi or hello, or what crazy weather or whatever. Just enough to slow down people a little bit and focus them in our direction...

Here is a link that might be useful:

The best situation you could want is a line of customers forming at your stand and customers directing other customers where the line ends. My point: activity breeds more activity. Your stand layout can change with circumstances and if you have nothing to do for a period of time than you should be rearranging everything as that activity may draw customers in itself.

I noticed many years ago while opperating a roadside stand to sell strawberries that whenever I was setting up or getting ready to leave the most customers showed up. Then I did a complete rearrangement as if to be leaving and, sure enough, customers appeared.

At a market stand you can't just leave but you can be active in many ways. At a market earlier this week I ate 5 of my apples and I made it appear that I enjoyed every bite. My favorite customer greeting- " Sorry I have my mouth full; just can't resist eating an apple".

How true, bmoser. When I sold household items I even had one lady that was helping me unpack! I would rearrange stuff just out of boredom.

This market doesn't have the vehicles pulled up to the booths or I"d def sit on my tailgate (which is what I did at a different market). Matter of fact, there's a building five feet behind me (great windbreak). And on one side of me is palm trees with wooden supports-my tent won't go very far if the wind gets mean at least :).

It's supposed to rain this sunday... boo. I'm going to try out the L shape and see if that makes any difference. I have also noticed the "packing up" sydrome, to the point where I start packing the least likely to sell first and taking down signs and such. The other market near me extended their hours due to it, but it just seemed to shift the crowd to later LOL.

another suggestion nsmar4211 is to visibly work on your craft while you are at the market.

In a 10x10 space, i would use the U shape, or H shape. 6' in center of booth with additional 6' at each end. I found that it gave me some space at the back of the H to work on anything that was needed. If you are working on something, people are curious. Just don't get too involved in your working that you miss out saying hello or good morning to each and every person that passes within hearing distance. Speak up so they can hear you.

This is how I have set up at farmers market for the past 15 years or so. It is a U shape and we stand inside (or sot if it is slow and we have onions to clean which is what is going on here). Customers can walk around the display and grab what they want. We usually have things on 3 different levels so we can fit as much as possible in a 10' x 10' space but in this photo we are not using the shelf we put on the table.

I always stand and I greet everyone who comes by. Yes there are people who don't like that but they are in the minority and they are usually the least likely to buy.

When you greet people walking by your stand their eyes will turn towards you and your stand and 50+% of the time they will stop. if you don't do something to get their attention 90% will walk on past.

Sitting and reading makes you look like you do not care/unprofessional to the buying public and they will walk on past your stand, if you don't care why should they? You are likely losing 50% of your potential sales by doing that (same with talking/texting on a cell phone-don't do it).

Yes it feels strange for the first season or so to be constantly repeating yourself but it does become second nature and standing, despite what some of the newbies seem to think does not turn off most people as a matter of fact it attracts them as does greeting people.

Standing and doing something is less threatening than standing watching people go by and saying hello to every single one of them. (You can still glance up and say hi as people pass by, or make some comment about refreshing the display or whatever you're doing.) I think that sitting and working on a bonsai (wouldn't that be hard to do standing up?) would draw people in - great suggestion randy!

I scared alot of people away when I said hello or good morning. I did read the paper or cook books. They felt more comfortable looking when I left them alone. I guess it depends on where you live.

Some markets are very tight on space. We have 10x10 with another vendor right up to us. It makes table spacing difficult.

I am sorry but there is a lot of research plus my 20 years experience that says you who think you should be sitting and quiet are dead wrong on this. No wonder you guys make no money. This is the root cause,you simply are not selling and that means nom one cares to stop at your stand. You can keep in telling me that is not the case and you can keep on selling under $100 a day by not taking this advice and even telling me it "scares people off" that is BS and what someone who is uncomfortable facing the public would say to cover themselves.

Sorry to be so blunt but I know I am right on this as it has worked for me at many different markets severing many different kinds of people in different states and this is what successful sellers do.

what boulder says is the way to go. it is what i do as well. try it but don't get discouraged because one or two people walk away. they weren't going to buy anyway. if they wanted to buy you would be talking to them. it must be pretty boring to try to become invisible.

I basically only get one side of access the way we are set up. If my booth was in the open it'd be easy, but we're side by side in a row. Great for customers who want to walk down the rows quickly, bad in terms of layout possibilities. So it's either you're stuck with a 8' table across the front, or you get (like me) to try and figure out how to draw them in close enough to see what you have.

The greet/not greet I am not worried about, if they're looking I say good morning and "if you have any questions, let me know". If they're buried in their cell phone or have a barking dog....nada :).

I don't see any reason to get so fired up about this subject.
When I look back over the thread, only one person has said that they prefer not to engage customers, and they never mentioned if they have great days or bad.

It seems to me that most people that chimed in have said: They prefer to look busy but available, make eye contact and say "hello" to most potential customers.

That's all I do and it works fine for me.

Also keep in mind that all markets are not created equal. There are busy markets and slow, shy customers and outgoing ones. What works for one vendor will not always work for another regardless what any persons experience or a study says.

-Mark

In my area, saying hello or good morning doesn't scare anyone. 90% say good morning back, less will say hello

Super flea in Melbourne, Fl. was a weird market. I scared so many people away just by saying hello. I was never bored. I people watched, talked to my neighbors and even shopped nearby when it was slow, always watching my table. Most of the customers were snowbirds so I never knew how to react to them. Most just wanted to look and be left alone. Some I became great pals with and they would come and sit and chat with me for an hour.

Types of Booth Set ups:

Long and one sided, I had to turn the last table to allow customers access to the sidewalk
Good: long walk for customers to see your stuff and eventually stop, easy access to refill from behind
Bad: Vendor has to cover 48 feet of table space

Another long display at our winter market

Double Sided long (come into booth)
This is my most used set up, every Saturday. I have two tents, lined up (only have one up when this pic was taken). Stalls at the market are 10 wide by 20 long. I like this booth as it is in the corner. The port-o-potty is beside the white car in the background, so there is a space to pass through in the corner. Also, I got approval to park my truck at the end of the 20 feet, to serve as a road block to stop cars from driving this direction as there is no outlet. This allows bike shoppers to have a place to park their bikes right beside my booth. Many are now good customers now! With this set up and in this location, I am able to sell from 3 sides of my tables. My oldest, in the blue, is standing behind the cashier table. It is mostly empty. It gives me space to weigh, bag and customers to set down their bags to pay. Also, behind the guy is an exit. This helps keeping traffic moving through the booth.

Single U shape

With this set up, most people feel trapped. I really try not to use it.

Double U with a table in the middle

This is my Wednesday night set up. I always put my best selling thing on the table out front, tomatoes in this pic. Then I put really colorful or really unusual items at the ends of the other two tables. These three items are my "get people to stop" items. If they don't come into my booth, I can still sell to them as they sell on the outside. If they come in, they can easily go out the other side and not feel trapped.

View from inside the booth

Just some observations.

I am always busy doing something, whether restocking or just rearranging and sometimes, I will completely restock an item to appear busy. When a new customer comes up, I usually say "Hello, can't keep these __________ in stock, need any _______. I always say hello and am friendly, even when I am running on 1-2 hours of sleep. I had a customer tell me one time, they always like buying from me, because I am happy and they always leave my booth with a smile or laughing. I make buying produce fun. You have to sell yourself, then your produce. I let my produce sell its self. I always have the cleanest, best looking stuff around (that is what customers tell me).

Buyer behavior is part of the equation, seller behavior at the market stall has lots to do with what sells.

Jay

Those setups look great! I can't afford more space and we're directly side by side so I'm limited :(. Great ideas for anyone who has more room! Thank you for the pictures :).

Since it was forecasted to pour all day (and it did), I didn't get to test out any design other than "single table across the front because I want to pack up fast". Well, I did pull it in a few feet so people could get out of the rain.

Market manager came over laughing....I said whaaaat??? He said, you have a different configuration every week :). So we were talking and he agreed the L is the next shape to try, the U seems to trap people. Honestly, the single table worked well but is not big enough! And I don't like how crowded it looked, but since I figured it'd be a washout it was ok.

Tested out the "not in booth" theory.... didn't notice anyone hurrying away when I wasn't behind the table. We were all pretty much hanging out in each other's booths, and warning each other when there was a looker. No one scurried away after browsing for a minute and then my walking over and saying hello, any questions let me know. Either that or I'm not threatening wearing a flourescent yellow reflective rainjacket :).

I'll let everyone know how it goes next week (assuming I don't have to do the no rain dance again).

Rain can wreck any market. Fortunately in a college town where students don't know enough to get out of the rain or carry umbrellas I still do reasonably well if rain is moderate. I thought it interesting that an Amish vendor said: "A bad-weather day at a market is like losing a cow".
I've had customers thank me for coming to markets in inclement weather and I, in turn, thank them for shopping. You still need to come prepared to sell. I recall one vendor who was asleep on a chair by his stand and the shoppers just didn't want to wake him even though they wanted to purchase from him.

I had mentioned a 3-tier stand earlier if space is limited but I'll add that many customers are reluctant to reach to the highest tier so yo need to be prepared to offer assistance and even hold up a few "Unreachables" to present them better. I also am found of promotions that involve other market produce: "Buy 4 qts. of beans and take a leek here free".

At my old market, rain meant NO customers so I was pleasantly surprised that people still came out. It wasn't torrental downpours luckily (although we did get to show a few newbies the importance of keeping an eye on a tent that doesn't drain 100%...WHOOSH waterfall). Matter of fact, found out they cancelled my old market for the day without even trying! This one I was told "rain or shine, we WILL be there" and there was only two cancels and two no shows. Manager said they don't want customers guessing if we're open so be there! Which I don't mind...

It's hard to do promos on bonsai....although I have tried "spend $25 get free fertilizer". I may have to bring that one back, my clips I was using to hold the fertilizer packets rusted so I have to redo the whole shebang.

Didn't have my neighbor intruding this time because of one of the no shows, we spread apart further :). And she had to put her solid side up due to rain. I may put a solid side up on my tent to slow down the distraction factor (she has colorful sewed stuff)...but then it blocks people from seeing me from a distance.... *bangs head on wall*.

Super Flea was not like the markets I see pictured here. I'd love to have your kind of open air set up. This market was under a roof with rows of tables from one end to the other on both sides of the slab and tables in the middle. I would talk to people if they looked interested. Like I said before, if I greeted people they felt pressured and left my table.

Ok, results are in. The L is the best. And even better if I just go hang out at another booth and only approach after the looker looks like they're looking for someone. And I had to go back to solid sides due to new neighbor (dont want to see a teenager on her cell phone next to my booth all day)....but they seem to work with the L shape!!

I'm glad the L-shaped worked well for you!!