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Saturday, October 4, 2008

Craft store

I've been contacted by a someone who is opening a store that showcases crafts. They rent spaces (booths) in the shop out to crafters, who then stock their own area and the store sells the merchandise for them.
I'm concerned about being able to maintain the stock, but on the other hand, how do I know I will sell enough product to make the rental worth it? They are asking anywhere between $65 and $165 per month rental and they want a 6-month signed contract to start off with. I'm not sure I feel comfortable with making that commitment, although it's definitely the right time of year to start if I was going to do it. It's also nearly an hour's drive away, in Abbotsford, so that makes it a bit inconvenient for easily checking stock and stocking up.

Some other things I thought of:
-how will the store be advertised?
-What is their motivation to advertise at all, since they really aren't making much money off the sales of the products themselves?
-what kind of traffic is expected through the shop? I haven't seen it, so I'm not sure about the area.
-can I check stock over the phone, or do I have to physically come into the shop for that?

Might have a drive out there this week and check it out. They haven't opened for business yet- they are just signing the crafters now. I'd like to test the waters without signing a contract, but don't see that happening since there was no option like that mentioned. of course, they are going to want a guaranteed rent coming in from the crafters for at least the first few months. I just don't know that I'm willing to be one of the first!

On the other hand, I'm really excited to be sending my online friend Nessa some of my items to sell in her shop in Maine. She co-owns a scrapbooking/quilting shop called Fabricate. I've added a link to her shop blog here. It looks gorgeous. I hope her customers like my stuff! Once she gets my items, maybe she will take a picture of them in her shop so I can post it here.

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