Selling your crochet in local retail shops is easier than you think! I know. I’ve done it. You can, and should, too!
You do want to be sure your skills are strong enough, and your items are marketable.
Should you Sell Retail?
While pretty much anyone can sell online, selling in a retail space is a whole other proposition.
Shop owners will be particular about what they will accept to place in their shop. They will likely be limited on floor space. And it goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway), your items need to fit with their merchandise.
If you are hoping to sell your women’s crochet fashion line (doesn’t that sound cool?) you want to be sure that your items fit in with that shop’s overall theme.
Approach Wisely
If the shop looks particularly upscale, selling only designer lines, they are not likely to want to add handcrafted items.
Your best bet would be to search out co-op type boutiques. That’s the type of store I sold my crochet clothing in. It was run by a group of various handcrafters. They carried candles, stationery, pottery, wall decor. Each separate station was run by the creator/crafter. The spot I sold in was a yarn, patterns, knitting/crocheting accessories shop.
I simply approached the owner with examples of my crochet items. She chose only my trendier ponchos, which included adorable infant sets. She also requested that I use her specialty yarns. Win-win!
Price Points
Before approaching anyone, be prepared with your price points. You are selling wholesale and the shop owner is selling retail. They need to cover their overhead (rent, marketing, utilities, etc) so they buy at wholesale prices to be able to double or triple that for their retail price.
This is why it is important that you have strong profit margins on your products. You don’t want to create complicated items that take days to complete. You need to make enough on the item to cover your time (labor) and supplies (and possibly self-employment taxes).
It becomes super important to choose your designs/patterns wisely, with profit margins in mind.
Remember the 50 ponchos I made and sold in 3 weeks? That was profitable for me because I could easily crank out 3 a day. And that was possible because I chose one basic, super simple, super fast pattern and inexpensive yarn.
Simple by Design
Keep in mind, most of the patterns I’m creating for you here at CrazyCoolCrochet.com are specifically designed with simplicity and ease by design, with the end goal of selling.
Price Tags and Such
In addition to price points, you want to be prepared with order forms and custom price tags with your business contact info. This can all easily be done on your home pc and printer. Any office supply shop carries pre-perforated sheets of labels that can be used for price tags.
I used labels that I could fold in half with my business info on the front and the garment details on the inside. Include your business name and your phone number. Also include the item size, the material (yarn type), washing instructions (hand wash; machine wash).
Don’t attach the price tags until after you have gotten the order and the shop owner has given you direction. If they buy outright they will probably want to add their own price tags. If it’s more of a consignment shop, they might allow or require your own tags. They might even offer pricing suggestions.
In my example, the shop owner jacked up my suggested retail prices. She felt I was seriously
Another co-op I approached loved my offerings but they already had a crocheter on board. They ended up buying some of my things for themselves. Hey, a sale is a sale right?
I’ll be honest with you. Selling to retail shops is not the best option. Selling handcrafted items, especially crochet, at wholesale prices leaves you with very little profit. Hands down the best way to sell your stuff
Check out how to do that here: Start a Blog
It’s a long read, but so well worth your time! It can be a game changer!!
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