Thread: Need help with an idea/problem

Ok, by now you all know we have the flea market venture. Well it's failing miserablly. We've got lot's of traffic but hardly any vendors. I need to come up with a way to either get more traffic in the door or more vendors.

I had one idea and that was that it would be nice to have a little "bistro' like corner in the flea market. We certainly have the room. Some place people could come and get something special and maybe have just a coulpel little ice cream parlor like tables in there. Here's the problem I don't want to do it. i prrobably run it if i had to but would rather someone else do it. Not sure what to serve. We have two sub shops in the town (subway and southside subs), One place outside of town that does ice cream, and a place in town that does coffee an specialty drinks. What would that leave....pastries and orange julious type drinks? I can't supply a baked goods as I don't have an approved kitchen so I'd have to get a supplier. though drinks I could do on site. Then back to, I don't want ot do it. How would I go about getting someone else to come in and do something else like this on site? That's my idea to get more traffic in the door.

As for vendors I'm at a loss. Apparently the rent is too high but we can't drop it as we're losing money as it is. If you were a vendor what would get you to come in?

For vendors maybe you could give major discounts for paying in advance, like 3 months, 6 months, etc...

For a food area, maybe you could offer the space half price for the first 3 months? I would maybe pitch it to local caterers? Or even members of the PTA (some parent may decide that it would be a good second income)?

To draw more customers you could try holding some raffles. It will cost a little do so, but could really be worth the investment. The prizes could be as simple as discounts with participating vendors for the second and third place prizes, and something like a Kindle or Nook for the big prize.

Oh! I mean more like door prizes, every visitor gets a free raffle ticket.

Stevi has some great ideas. Maybe smoothies? I don't remember but I am guessing you have a lease on the space so you have to hang in there?

we do have a lease of 2 years. Smoothies crossed my mind too. If I do this the less I have to put into it equipment wise and such the better.

I like the ideas about approaching local caterers and the pta members and such. If I can get someone else to come in and do it that would be the ideal solution.

What about letting comm/civic groups use the area for a fundraiser? They could set up a "cafe for the day" or weekend like all the groups do that set up in front of walmart to sell baked goods or collect donations, they could also do iced drinks and hot dogs, or something healthier like wraps made at home? Not sure what health dept regs would be on that. But it might bring in a new crowd each week with parents, g parents, etc coming by. You could ask for a small percentage but groups like that don't make much, so you might do it just for exposure / goodwill.... What about also setting aside space for live bands to perform for p r for them and to keep people there longer?

Not sure any of that helps with vendors... Good luck :-)

Are any vendors selling veggies? Could you get enough people to sell veggies out of their garden to make a farmers market area?

Something easy to do would be something like what the gas station has; candy, chips, juice, soda, etc esp if you can get a fridge or something for to keep drinks cold.

Farmers Market would be awesome!! You could put ads in the nickel and other free little papers saying that you're going to have space available.

Also could you have tables outside? I have no idea of your layout, so . . .

What about community stuff like those pee-wee football (like terri was saying) or letting something like letting someone rent for a week, or letting a group have something like a "multi family garage sale" type spot, where they could all pitch in to rent it?

Could you hold something like a fair every somethingth week? Or once a month on the third Friday it's a carnival or whatever?

Do you have a place for artists?

Do you have something where high school or community college kids could do stuff like play music or pain kids faces to get publicity out there? [ie hand out business cards or flyers and the face painting would be free?]

i'll come back if i have more ideas . . .

I think more than special deals, high numbers of customers would attract vendors, but what could you do to attract the general public?
Could you do a kids carnival type section with a bouncy house and traveling petting zoo? I know I'd bring my kids to something like that. I also like the idea of a farmers market. With that you might get more local artisans selling more weares like jewelry, soaps etc. My town has a farmers market every thursday and it attracts TONS of people. Then the library (which is right next door) has a local kids entertainer come, so people come out to see that as well.

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What about a plant seller or plant swap? This time of year might not be great but I have several landscape-size stuff I'd love to sell or trade if I knew absolutely the other person wasn't going to just mulch it. [why yes, i do have an overactive guilt complex, thank you!]

I bet some shops would love to hold classes, like a yarn or fabric store could hold knitting/quilting/crocheting/dyeing classes?