I've had some retail opportunities pop up which may interest everyone - grab your chance to get your stuff into a Real! Live! Shop!
Fleur from BluebellEco Candles has let me know about a new shop in Kenmare, Co Kerry called 'One of a Kind' . Charles, the owner, intends to fill it will ONLY Irish handmade crafts. Should anyone be interested in supplying on a sale or return basis, with commission to shop of approx 30% of sale to the shop (each person can work on their own deal) you can get in touch with Charles on 087 9953864 or email gerretsen@hotmail.com
Kenmare has a very busy tourist trade so business is fairly strong all year round. The shop has a nice appeal with a old style pretty blue front window.
Fleur will be supplying the shop with her candles and can give better feedback in a few weeks.
Ella from Ellarta is opening up a shop & gallery 'The Mood Gallery' in October in the Main Street, Mill Lane, Castlebar, Co Mayo and is also looking for Irish crafters to rent some shelf space in her shop / gallery space! So you can try out the retail environment at a very low initial price.
Ella says the gallery will offers a unique and totally different concept from existing galleries or art & craft shops and will specialize in selling only hand made items such as jewellery, pottery, glass craft, wood craft, leather craft, paper craft, clothes, bags and toys and many others.
The Mood Gallery will rent many individual retail shelf spaces in our retail shop (from 15 euro / month plus 10% commision sale), for hand made art and craft creators wishing to set up a retail presence for their art and crafts.
Thus means you don’t need to outlay large amounts of money and take the risk of setting up your own retail shop premises. You can email Ella on info.themoodgallery@gmail.com for more info or check out the blog.
So get cracking for the run up to Christmas. It's not that far away! And fulfil those dreams that you've always had in the back of your head of Retail Glory!
And of course you can convo Fleur or Ella for more info about these.
I'm considering "renting" a shelf in Ella's gallery. This sounds like a great opportunity to get your brand known in a wider community. I hope in the future we will have more places like these two.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back Alex.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone done sale or return? Would love to hear some views.
No have never done it but as far as I know you put your stuff in the shop and if its not sold they can return it to you,but what can you loose?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind trying sale or return, like Valerie said nothing to lose and it's a good starting point.
ReplyDeleteI have done a lot of sale or return and it is good if the shopowner is fair.
ReplyDeleteI have had mostly very good experiences but once one were the woman running the shop just would not pay(the check was in the post for about a year).
I also think that we now NEED to do sale or return for the sake of anyone brave enough to open something new now.
You have very little to loose in the end.
There's a shop in Galway called Pippa Blue, which I think would be the perfect place to try to sell my yarn. But I don't know if they do sale or return. Has anyone had any luck getting their crafts into shops in Galway?
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, Alex!
ReplyDeleteSounds great - pity I am so far up North...
However, Aly from the Fashion Souk is planning to set up a pop-up shop before Christmas, so I'll keep you up to speed on that one.