Christmas Market | 16 November 2024
Last weekend, I finally checked off one of my New Year's resolutions by participating in my first Christmas market. Better late than never, right? I was super excited to sell my prints IRL for the first time! The market was held at Cardiff's Tiger Yard, a perfect setting with its Winter Wunder-yard theme, offering customers a delightful mix of street food, curling, and shopping opportunities with local small businesses - all taking place across two days on the 16th and 17th of November 2024.
Preparing for the market
The market was organised by Motherhood & Co, a small business founded by Katie to create a platform for mum-owned businesses to thrive and grow. Katie reached out to me at the end of October to ask if I wanted to participate in the event. With only three weeks to prepare, alongside my day job, fulfilling online orders and juggling mum life as a mum-of-two young girls, I knew it would be hard work but I couldn't turn down the opportunity. I committed to attending on the Saturday - and I'm so glad I did. I started preparing by envisaging what my stall would look like, ordering supplies and printing lots of print samples. I did a test-run at home, designing the table layout, getting the display right - then taking photos for memory and a timely setup on market day.
Market day!
Setting up on the day was pretty smooth - apart from fixing the high grid display to the table. Got there eventually with a sh*t load of blue tac! The market was quiet in the morning, getting busier towards midday when it became bustling with energy and festive vibes. Chatting to fellow creatives, showcasing their unique products and creations was the best - and seeing so many people supporting local businesses was even better!
Highlights
Participating in the market was a great opportunity to showcase my designs to a new audience. I loved hearing people's comments as they flicked through my designs, chatting to them about the inspiration behind some of my work. The exposure at the market was great for increasing brand awareness and attracting new customers to my business, with lots of QR code signups!
One of the highlights of the day was being able to share this experience with my children. The market was organized by Motherhood & Co, a community of female makers and small business-owning moms. My five year old loved it, chatting to prospective customers and playing with the other children who were there. She keeps asking when the next one will be!
Lessons
When I agreed to the market, I felt like I had nothing to lose! If I didn't make a sale, I would at the very least learn a lot. I definitely learnt a lot. Talking to customers and fellow small business owners, I learnt about people's preferences, different markets in the city, what works well and what doesn't. I also learnt the importance of securing a good spot - I was lucky where I landed but others weren't, so I'll consider that for future events. Looking back at my display, I think it was eye-catching enough and drew lots of attention - but perhaps, less is more. I took lots of my designs, as I wanted to learn what would sell well and what didn't, but I think having so much choice led to indecision with customers. I'll also definitely be figuring a better way to secure that pesky high grid display!
Overall, my first Christmas market experience was super fun! Festive fun was had, and it was good to see some new faces (and some familiar ones too!) enjoying my work and purchasing too. It was a day filled with festive cheer, new connections, and exciting opportunities for my small business. I can't wait to participate in more markets in the future and continue sharing my passion for creating bold and unique art prints with a wider audience.