Discuss the process of getting your t-shirt line into brick and mortar stores and selling offline. Topics include industry tradeshows, events, line sheets, sales reps and other retailing tips and advice.
I just started an infant t-shirt line - its a tiny business but I'm pushing to make it full-time. In order to make more profits I have been toying with the idea of selling my tees at local fleamarkets but fear that this might "devalue" the product image in the eyes of a retailer. Do you agree?
Also, if I did sell to a retailer and decided to sell at a fleamarket as well (at the same market price), do you think this will turn retailers off the tees? Should I choose one or the other and can I do both?
I have been toying with the idea of selling my tees at local fleamarkets but fear that this might "devalue" the product image in the eyes of a retailer.
Great question, it's just that the numerous local muncipalities have a regular Saturday/Sunday market. They can get quite busy. I suppose I'm worried that a store owner might "unfortunately" come across it.
Also, I plan to send out some press releases to the local papers (every week they run a "New Business" section) and am not sure if I should say "Available at ABC Store and/or Local Fleamarket". Is image more important than price in the long run?
Great question, it's just that the numerous local muncipalities have a regular Saturday/Sunday market. They can get quite busy. I suppose I'm worried that a store owner might "unfortunately" come across it.
Also, I plan to send out some press releases to the local papers (every week they run a "New Business" section) and am not sure if I should say "Available at ABC Store and/or Local Fleamarket". Is image more important than price in the long run?
Do your products really "fit" into a fleamarket environment?
I've always viewed fleamarkets to be sort of bargain/inexpensive stuff. Is that the way you view fleamarkets in your area (might be different where you are)? Is that how you view your products?
I would think a website might be a better sales outlet than a flea market, but I could be totally wrong about the flea markets in your area. They could be much more upscale.
Hey man flea markets are good business if YOU ARE PICKY. No small ones, must have at least 500-1000 vendor with (arbors, unless allot of vendors, or have a good rep). I have been setting up at flea makets with my father for over 20 YEARS and some of them are not lame yunkyards in fact I now hundreds of people who work one weekend out of the month and make more $$$ then most people make all month. NO JOKE my father NETTED almost 40,000-60,000 in a year just with 1 small booth renting handicap equipment out. 4 DAYS WORK A MONTH!!!!!
Retail VS flea market is a simple solution. DO BOTH untill the retail picks up or if you want some quick $$$ stay in the flea markets. Retail people come to LARGER POPULAR fleas markets all the time (w/familes) so that is a good way to promote your product to them. Keep good records of your sales and what areas you sold them in cause if you get enough sales at fleamarkets you can use your selling numbers to promote the product and the customer demand for it. ALSO DONT CALL THEM FLEAMARKETS, CALL THEM LOCAL SHOPS AND TRADE SHOWS , SPECIAL EVENTS WHEN YOU TALK TO RETAILERS. Word play, but it will keep some retailers that dont shop at (fleamarkets) from getting turned off. Its kind of like guns, guns are bad only in the way you use them.. Fleamarkets are not bad unless you go to crappy flea markets then call them fleamarkets.
Also do advertise about being at the local "SHOPS, Special Events" and retail locations (but seperatly if you are worried about it). Some retailers might even want to come out and check what you have and it gives you a good way to talk to the customers and adjust your products for what the people want. Dont jip flea markets they are a valuable tool to selling your product line to the "PEOPLE". AND DONT FORGET, OTHER RETAILERS HAD TO START SOMEWHERE FIRST ALSO.
Hell i have even seen some larger retailers go to some of these events to promote thier new products lines to get people in to the stores.
It may depend on where you are located..but here.. the fleamarkets are full of people shopping for bargains they want the t-shirts they can buy for 5 for 10 dollars.. and we have some huge flea markets here.. The Rosebowl for example has a flea market once a month.. and again there are people there selling things for reallllllly low prices.. so unless you want to give your products away at a real low price It mite not be the place for you.. You would need to go and scope out what is availible there now and check out what the t-shirt selling there are going for..
Locally down here there are several towns that have weekly type events that are more like street fairs or farmers market type things.. You mite do well to check out that avenue and see what is availible and how much traffic those type of events get.
Hey man flea markets are good business if YOU ARE PICKY. No small ones, must have at least 500-1000 vendor with (arbors, unless allot of vendors, or have a good rep)...
TO: Susejevol, Thanks, thats a huge amount of advise and truly appreciated. I absolutely see your point. Advertising a market sale as an "event" is perfect and will definately be doing that. Also, attending the larger more "market" than "fleamarket" orientated events is what I'm working on right now. Thank you so much!
TO: Rodney, I am considering a "collective designers retail store" for the time being. Each designer pays their share of the rent/use of C/C Machine/ads/insurance/alarm etc. If the 'price is right' then I'll set-up there and it can double up as a showroom for potential clients as well as a retail outlet for direct customers - I'm just hoping that the rental cost isnt exhorbitant! They also have an online shopping cart which is great - all profits are yours.
TO: Mystysue, Thanks for your advise, I think focusing on a more 'upscale' market is the way I should go.
Thanks a bunch you guys! I know you hear this a thousand times in these forums but it cannot be overstated - this forum ROCKS! The advise is of huge value!!!
Last edited by Solmu; April 30th, 2007 at 04:26 AM.
Reason: fixed quoting
Do you have any Farmers Markets that include crafters in your area?
...not so many "bargain hunters". I easily sell an adult XL T for $24. (Tie Dye of course so it's a little different.) I've been involved with one for about 10 years and people have come to know to look for me there and I love the interaction with the customers.
Jo
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I agree, flea markets can be a good way to get your product out there. You may have to sell them cases cheaper than you would to retail stores. If you only sell certain designs at the flea markets, someone who really likes your product may search for your stuff online to see what else you have.
Ok here'e the deal with Flea Markets from a longtime flea market dealer. You have different types of markets, the junk markets, the good ole boys place to visit markets, the new markets and the combination of some or all of the above. You need to find one that fits what you sell. The junk market doesn't work for new items just like you dont got to Wal-Mart to buy a BMW.
Also at a flea market you need to display your items just like a store and if you don't have plenty to display don't expect people to stop. As far as the quality of the items, mine all come from the same suppliers as the mall stores so don't even go there.
Don't expect to go to a flea market the first time and set up at the best location in the market, there is a food chain just like everyplace else and you will do time at the bottom of it.
Price wise I have to be about 30 percent less than the regular retail stores or people don't buy. My things are almost all personalized so I charge a premium for the service but still stay below mall prices.
The big problem you would have selling to retailers and doing flea markets would be the attitude of the retailers. They tend to look down on flea market dealers, but when I deal with them I try to give them the same respect I give the 16 year old kid buying a license plate for his first car. Neither one knows what they want or need so you just help them through it as best you can. When I sell signs to one of my multi-million dollar real estate developers the first time they are a little shall we say apprehensive . But once they find I have high quality standards fast delivery and fair prices, the next time they lighten up and it's business as usuall. As for the ones that still view me as just a flea market dealer and go to an "Established Sign Shop" they may be surprised as to who actually made their new signs!
So after all this I will only say if you want to start out at a flea market and grow from there do it. If the retailers wont buy from you after that then let them buy your items from your distributers.
I agree with BRC- i have been doing a flea market in Tx for the past 20 years and you have to work you way up to the good spots at a feaMarket. I have seen people come and go but I have learned one thing from the people that tufted it out, including our booths (3 separate ones in the end). Every booth takes a min of 3 months to start drawing in a good amount of money. Repeat visitors have to keep seeing you before they notice you or fill comfortable buying from you. Your there to stay not just a fad. IN about 1-2 months im about to go back out to mine a set up again, providing there is not TORNADO warnings :-) and have at it again. Even though I made only one a day at my last before all my equipment got destroyed I still did more then enough money to make me want to come back. SO much Im struggling if I should quit my job and just go for it. I work as a security guard nights and ALL weekends making a little bit on money per/hour however I get a whole bunch of overtime!!!! Plus I have kids so it makes everything harder to decide.
Either way flea markets are a great way to go when you are starting out. Maybe even if you were established it still work setting up and the PROPER ones for some extra side cash.
ONE THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT FLEA MARKETS IF YOU COUNT ON THE 100% FOR INCOME. YOU WILL HAVE NO OR AT LEAST Little BUSINESS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS BUT YOU HAVE TO GO OR YOU WILL LOOSE ANY POTENTIAL LONG TERM CUSTOMERS. Count for at least 4 bad months a year, not that they will all be bad but every now in then they will......
BRC what markets do you set up in, any ones in Texas?
I set up in western North Carolina. I'd like to visit Texas but so far I stay east of the Mississippi River.
Another thing with flea markets as well as stand alone stores is you have to be willing to make changes. I started with just license plates, added sign work, then dye sublimation and now am adding t-shirts. While I do work for large companies I prefer the small ones. It's better to have 10 customers that spend $100 than only 1 that spends $1000, if you loose one of ten you still have nine. That is the advantage of a flea market. We have thousands of people seeing us every week, the only other place you get that exposure is a mall. In a mall the rent per month is a lot higher (notice I said per month) I pay $9.12 per sq ft yearly for 12 days a month that comes to $22.80 sq ft. if you figure the same rate per day for a 30 day month so I get tired of hearing that mall rent is more expensive so they have to charge higher prices. I could be in one local mall for $20 sq ft but WHY? I show up 3 days a week have fun and go home. Monday - Thursday I make my own choices as to what hours I work and have personal freedom to go where I want to. I do not have to open a store at 9AM and be there until 9PM. But I also never really take a day off because there is always something that needs done, or sombody needs something. Every trip I take I find a business reason to take it and it then becomes a tax deduction. The thing is you have to love what you do and treat it as a business. Otherwise it is doomed where ever you open.
How do you compete with the people at the fleamarkets/events/local shops.....
if they are selling t-shirts 3 for $10 ???
I know they dont make the shirts, the buy them pre made.
I guess you could try to be different from them..... but still no one is willing to pay $10 for just one shirt.
Or might it depend on your presentation?
Or you could pick a better spot one where you are not near one of thoes places that sells them for 3 for $10.
At my local shop.... in Roseville Ca. your space cost $22, but you have the option of picking your spot a day in advance for about $40 (dont remember the exact amount)
Because I just recently went to a "local shop" and did very bad..... I did not sell any shirt, I only sold baby onsies, that I sold for $1 because thoes where my practice items. (did them with a home iron)
and we had other yard sale items too.... that also might of been why I dint do good... because people saw the yard sale things and dint pay attention to the t-shirts , but if I dint take the yard sale things I might not even sold anything.
Fleamarkets vs. Retailers 
Re: Fleamarkets vs. Retailers 
