The time is nigh to once again start stocking your booth with back-to-school products. As flea market and swap meet vendors are preparing for the rush, The Merchandiser has some tips and reminders to make sure you can provide your customers with whatever they may need.
Checklist Ready
The great thing about back-to-school products is that many different merchandise categories are included in supplies. Students need new clothes for the upcoming year and want to look trendy in front of all their friends, different office supplies get a makeover with the latest movie or show stamped all over them, and college kids need home decor essentials to make their dorm feel like home.
Your best option is to create a back-to-school checklist of everything students might need to be fully prepared and then you can start sourcing your products from there. If you’re looking for a new supplier, WholesaleCentral.com has pages upon pages of suppliers in all different product categories. Trade shows are also another great way to find new suppliers, and ASD Market Week is coming up at the end of July.
Sourcing Back-To-School Products
If you’re planning on attending ASD Market Week, then you’re most likely covered on this front. Not only will this event have new and trendy products, but it’s guaranteed to also have plenty of suppliers offering back-to-school essentials. Four days is plenty of time to take your time and look around, making sure to cover all different grades including grammar school, middle school, high school and college students.
Think New Signage
In order to sell your back-to-school supplies, you’re going to need new signage to market these items. There’s no need to get super fancy with it, but adding some cute colors and graphics such as pencils and backpacks can help your booth stand out from the others. Make sure to use bright neon colors to catch a customer’s eye from far away.
DIY School Supplies
If you’re a handmade or artisan vendor then it’s probably worth making your own supplies. You can get super creative and make your own pencil holders, pencil cases, art supplies boxes and even backpacks and bags if that’s an area in your specialty. At a time when handmade products are flourishing, give your customers a unique piece that can’t be found anywhere else.
Don’t Forget About the Teachers
Grade school teachers especially like to decorate their classroom with fun posters and inspiring pieces of art. They don’t necessarily need to be school related, but definitely have some ABC’s and 123’s posters on hand.
You can also buy office supplies specifically for teachers, such as pens or mugs with ‘Teacher’ written all over it. Kids returning to school might want to get something special for their favorite faculty member, so it’s not just for educators.
There are so many awesome ideas and products vendors can sell for back-to-school supplies. Just have fun with it and make cute little displays for the kids or create survival packages with bundles of coffee wrapped in a shower caddy for college students. School supplies includes many different products, so you can never have too much.