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Katie Goodine loves home parties. After all, they’re not just fun, they have hugely increased awareness of her gift shop, Lakeville Cards and Gifts in Lakeville, MA. Customers who might not have found the store otherwise have discovered not just the store, but a personal connection with the storeowner. As Goodine and gift retailers like her have discovered,
bringing your store on the road spreads awareness of your business, and ultimately directs more traffic back to your store. By observing sales and reactions in alternate venues such as home parties and farmers’ markets, you’ll get immediate feedback about your offerings. This lets you test new ideas without a huge investment, and adapt your products as necessary. The smaller scale and cozy settings of such endeavors also gives retailers time to form strong relationships with loyal customers who are happy to pay fair prices for your merchandise. Most important, the shoppers at such events are already primed to buy. You have a captive audience receptive to your message and your products. Selling at farmers’ markets and home parties are two
excellent ways to bring your store to your customers. Both venues offer distinct advantages. Farmers markets are usually centrally located and well advertised. Home parties virtually guarantee sales, because guests already know they are being invited to a shopping trip.
No place like home A home party is more than just shopping—it’s an experience. Shoppers frequently come to enjoy themselves, not just to find the best bargain. “It’s definitely a women’s night out,”
says Goodine, who frequently sells her store’s jewelry and accessories through home parties. Home parties work very well for reaching people in bed-
room communities, areas bordering larger cities. They can help strengthen your local presence within your communi- ty and increase your reach to neighboring areas. Goodine says the home parties attract plenty of new customers— all of whom are now potential customers for the physical store. The mechanics work like most other home parties. How do you find venues for these parties? Use your
social connections. Tell friends, family, and customers that you’re looking for people to host parties. Use brochures to spread the word. Finding new hosts will gradually become easier, because some guests will want to host their own parties—offer incentives to do so. Ideally you will book at least one new party from every party you hold; these new parties in turn will reach new groups of people. Goodine has used Facebook and in-store ads to
reach new hosts. She also hosts fundraisers on occasion, donating up to 25 percent of sales. Goodine recently held a fundraiser for a woman whose daughter has cystic fibrosis, and is planning another to benefit local schools. Consider pairing up with local businesses and holding
parties for each other. Ideal partners for gift retailers would be clothing boutiques and even gourmet food stores.
Growing sales at farmers’ markets Glass jewelry artist Heather Castillow, who owns a business called Wildflowers by Heather based in Pleasant Grove, Utah, has been selling her jewelry at farmers’ markets
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