Amounts for Bath and body- first show

[indulgebandb]

I've seen lots of information on here about the number of soaps for a show but I'm curious about other bath and body products. I'm considering doing my first show at the end of March and I'm trying to calculate how much product I would need so I can see how much I'm going to have to spend on packaging. I currently sell scrubs, butters and body oils. I also have some melt and pour soaps but that's not my main product line. The show will have about 8000 attendees across 2 days. As of right now I don't know if there are other vendors selling my same type of product. I do not want to run out. I offer my scrubs and butters in two sizes and I'm wondering how much I should prepare for. Obviously the packaging is quite expensive so I'm trying to plan for that. Up until now I just make my products on request so I don't have to keep huge amounts of packaging around. Any bath and body vendors have any thoughts or advice? Sorry this is my first show and I'm willing to make the investment to do it I'm just don't want to overspend. Thanks for any help!!

 

[cmzaha]

In my opinion I just don't think anyone can give you a definitive answer. It depends on the State and area you live in. I can say in So Ca sale are down 40% in the last year and I cannot sell a scrub to save my life at the markets or craft fairs, and mine are not oil based scrubs. What you do have to keep in mind is how much product it is going to take to make up your expenses including booth, supplies, gas, time etc. Then you need enough to bring in the income you wish for. Unfortunetly what we want back is not always realistic in today's economy. Sorry I am not much help, but I have seen many vendors not even have enough product, at their selling price, to make back their booth fees. In fact I wanted to do one next month but $250 booth fee is just to much for our area with a 1 dayer. I wish you high sales for your first craft fair

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Any more information on the show? Where is it, any theme and so on? I won't be able to help, regardless, but it might help some others nail it for you

 

[indulgebandb]

That is really my concern that I'm going to invest all this money and not get a good return. I don't really know much about the festival. It's in a very small town here in Georgia but it's evidently well attended- kind of the premiere event for that town . I certainly want to make some sales but my bigger concern is more from a marketing standpoint to get my product in front of more people than just my friends, family and acquaintances. This town is about 60 miles from me so I'm hoping it will open up a little more of a market for my online sales. I was just curious if others had attended shows about that size and had some indication of amount sold. I definitely know it's really going to be a guessing game for this specific festival until I actually go. It is a featured event in feativalnet and had some good vendor ratings so I'm hoping it will be a good starting point for me. I would have preferred to start with a smaller show there's just not much smaller in the area that I can find and feel will be a good fit.

 

[cmzaha]

I would contact the the festival rep and see if they will let you know of other vendors selling your products. Unfortunetly there is not a good way to judge anymore. Five years ago I had a good idea how much to take, today it is a crap shoot, especially with the larger ones. I did a tiny one last Dec which I predicted would go really bad and it turned out 3x's better than I expected. It was a little senior center craft fair. You just have to take enough product, as I stated before, to cover costs, then add enough to make you some money. You won't make anything if you do not try, and you will gain valuable experience. I always feel every time a product sells I have a potential return customer. One of my markets I have been doing weekly for 5 yrs actually cost me money 2 weeks ago for the first time. Don't expect to make a killing and you won't be disappointed

 

[dixiedragon]

Not a seller here, but one approach might be to do what you can to limit costs, especially packaging costs since that seems be a concern. That's an issue with me as well - I find it frustrating that jars and roll-up tubes are so expensive and people are paying more for a package than for what's inside the package.

Some things I would think about:
Selling scrubs in baggies rather than jars. Perhaps you can bring your scrubs in large jars and people can dish out the amount they want. It could actually be a selling point and people could make their own "custom" scrub - add a scoop of lavender and a scoop of vanilla, or whatever. Maybe even have something like powdered goat's milk so people could decide they want a milk bath and add some of that.

Can you find somebody to share an order with you? If you are able to buy in bulk from a place like SKS, you can really save some serious money per item.

 

[indulgebandb]

I do order from SKS and am planning to order one of the sizes in bulk. I calculated it and the cost per item on the other size actually came out better ordering in smaller quantities - once I had to purchase the lids separately. I don't mind making the investment in that- I'll eventually use it and now not having to buy the other size in bulk saves me quite a bit.

I don't really want to change any of my packaging- spent too much time developing it and I really consider that as much of my overall product as what's inside.

Really more or less just trying to get quantity ideas but I do have an amount in mind- just thought some people who focus on just bath and body (non-soap) may have some insight and examples. This is really all a test and more marketing for me than anything. Would love to have huge sales but am really focusing on the long term and hopefully getting some repeat customers!

 

[jcatblum]

Most shows I sell more other product than soap. I think bar soap freaks some people out. However we demo some of our other products, so that is why we are selling more of other product than soap.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

If you don't want to change the packaging and you will need it eventually anyway, then any that you buy and don't sell in this market can just be accounted against a future market. It means an investment, of course.

What CAN you make between now and then? Both from a time and money perspective? How much would you need to sell to get the costs back (booth, petrol or "gas" and so on) based on profit, as you are still paying for ingredients, too! When you know how many you'd need to break even, take maybe 25% more based on what cmzaha said

 

[cmzaha]

Some things I would think about:
Selling scrubs in baggies rather than jars. Perhaps you can bring your scrubs in large jars and people can dish out the amount they want. It could actually be a selling point and people could make their own "custom" scrub - add a scoop of lavender and a scoop of vanilla, or whatever. Maybe even have something like powdered goat's milk so people could decide they want a milk bath and add some of that.

If it ends up being a busy festival there is no way there is time for weighing and packaging at the show. Also I would never never purchase a scrub or butter that is not already packaged and sealed. I have seen that done at farmer markets and no way would I touch it. You open up the jars and scoop out then introduce germs to the entire mix. I most definetly would not let a customer scoop out their own. I out sell another soapmaker at my weekly market and a lot has to do with the fact all products including soaps are wrapped and sealed. If you are going to do a craft fair, farmers market, festival you simply have to invest the money to have enough product, and unfortunetly cannot guarantee you will make money. Three weeks ago my farmer market actually cost me money, tonight the same market I did very well. It is very unpredicable and many times the small fairs with a few vendors do best.

 

[cmzaha]

Most shows I sell more other product than soap. I think bar soap freaks some people out. However we demo some of our other products, so that is why we are selling more of other product than soap.

I actually sell more soap than anything at shows, and find only unwrapped, unlabeled soaps will stop someone from buying. I just had a customer buy 3 bars from me tonight and mentioned she just did not like how the other soapers soaps felt and were not wrapped. Because my sizes are not skimpy, all are wrapped and labled the other girl lost a sale that would have covered her booth for the night. She shares a booth so only pays half

 

[Saponista]

What size are your bars? I had a look around at the weights other uk sellers were selling and the range was from 90-120g that seems really stingy to me, if I was selling I'd want my soap bars to be bigger than that as I would want them to last for people.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

What size are your bars? I had a look around at the weights other uk sellers were selling and the range was from 90-120g that seems really stingy to me, if I was selling I'd want my soap bars to be bigger than that as I would want them to last for people.

At the risk of going off topic, look also at the sizes, too. What might seem like a very generous soap may turn out to be unwieldy in use!

 

[Saponista]

Yeah that's something to bear in mind, I did buy some of the 100g ones and they were very thin though. I will shut up now though as I have dragged this thread way off topic! Sorry everyone.

 

[jcatblum]

I actually sell more soap than anything at shows, and find only unwrapped, unlabeled soaps will stop someone from buying. I just had a customer buy 3 bars from me tonight and mentioned she just did not like how the other soapers soaps felt and were not wrapped. Because my sizes are not skimpy, all are wrapped and labled the other girl lost a sale that would have covered her booth for the night. She shares a booth so only pays half

We wrap all our soap, I leave a couple bars unwrapped so people can see what to expect. Love spell is always my best seller. Did a test the other day, only put 6 bars of lovespell unwrapped soap out. Didn't sell a single bar.
When I say I sell more other product I don't so much mean dollar for dollar. I put all sales into my square & when I log in online I can see I may have sold 36 bars of soap, but also 52 lip balms & 12 body butters 3 bath salts, etc. I do sell to many people that never buy a bar of soap but return for another type of body product. Some are loyal to body gel or a certain brand so never consider buying a bar soap. I think having extra body products helps me reach that buyer.