Nearly new sale

stimpy27

Im running my first children's market (about 30 nearly new stalls and 10 local businesses). About half of the local businesses are interactive ie. face painting ).
My question/worry is that I'm not sure whether to group all the nearly new stalls together and the businesses together or to intermingle? Obviously when people arrive hey usually want o get to the nn steals to check out any bargains. Perhaps nearly new around the edge, businesses in the middle??

Any other tips re running these types of sales would be well received as its all new to us and we'd love to make it a success.
Thanks x

paddyrg

There will be good and bad pitches in the market, the corners for instance don't have as much standing room as the lengths, footfall near the entrance higher than the back. Proximity to the tea and cake stand may be important to a face painting stall so parents can watch with their feet up.

what I'm thinking is that it is quite complicated what will and will not work, and so how about you keep a master plan and as people book stalls in, they choose their location. Makes it worth confirming early! Maybe keep a few premium ones back like near the entrance, but otherwise let them mix it up as they like? It will never be perfect for everyone no matter what you create, but after a few months of this it will find its place and shape.

Savvy_Sue

As paddy says, it's not a simple matter - Baker Ross I'm sure did an 'article' about how to set up the stalls for a school fair in one of their catalogues, but that would be about 20 years ago ... :rotfl:

However, it might be worth getting in touch with them and asking if they have anything like that, on their blog for example.

stimpy27

Thank you so much x

podperson

Personally I would probably intermingle them then it encourages people to walk around and you don't get crowding round the stalls in a certain corner while the rest might be empty. Also having to walk round to get to the stalls they want to see may encourage more 'impulse' buying at the other ones.