Strengthen Your Brand through Pop-Up Shows
Cleveland Flea Vendors Take Their Online Stores to the Next Level
In the last of our series on the Cleveland Flea, we’re digging into brands that run Etsy shops, along with their storefronts, art shows, wholesale accounts and pop-up markets. Selling your products in-person is a great way to get your brand in front of more people and to drive traffic back to your online store.
If you missed the article on how the Cleveland Flea began or the one discussing how a handful of vendors create strong bonds with their customers, be sure to visit them after reading this.
The internet allows us to connect with people who otherwise may never hear of our small businesses. But what do you do if you want to meet people in person and hear their thoughts on your products? Five brands bridge this gap by selling at the Cleveland Flea and other pop-up events. Their presence has allowed them to turn their passion projects into thriving businesses.
Brighton Wool & Honey Co.
Website • Etsy • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram
When Andrea Wargo and her sister Marilyn Kennedy found themselves unemployed at the same time, they seized the opportunity to raise alpacas, sheep and Angora goats on what is now That’ll Do Farm. Andrea had been “a long-time knitter, rug hooker and all-around fiber addict,” so she encouraged the addition of the sheep and goats. The business expanded when Andrea’s son and girlfriend graduated from college and added beekeeping and soap making to the farm.
Brighton Wool & Honey Co. grew out of what the farm could offer and the various products they could make. These products include raw and infused honey, scented laundry soap, wool dryer balls, and hand-dyed alpaca and wool yarn.
In addition to offering Brighton Wool & Honey merchandise at the farm’s store, they also sell their products at shows similar to the Cleveland Flea, the Countryside Conservancy’s Farmer’s Market, various retail locations in Cleveland and Akron, and through their website and Etsy shop.
They wanted to be part of the Cleveland Flea because of its energy and “artsy vibe”. Andrea says that “the mix of people that come out to shop is wonderful: families, young couples, groups of friends out for the day. And we look forward to it every month.” The Flea has been a very positive experience for the company. Many people recognize Andrea, having seen her at the event. Some people comment that the person they bought laundry soap for loves it, and they wonder if Brighton Wool & Honey will be at the Cleveland Flea every month.
Andrea says, “The number of people we reach through pop-up shops is incredible.” She doesn’t really find any negatives in pop-ups, except when weather slows down attendance. Even then, she appreciates those “hearty souls that come out to support local businesses no matter what the weather.”
Photos courtesy of Andrea Wargo, Brighton Wool & Honey Co.
clear blur design
Website • Etsy • Instagram
About five years ago, Maria Smith apprenticed under Master Ceramicist Lorén Scholz in Berlin, Germany, learning the basics of throwing on a wheel and clay sculpting. Since then, she’s been developing her craft in order to turn her passion into a small business called clear blur design. Earlier this year, she increased her focus on her Etsy shop to sell items from her small batch pottery studio in Cleveland.
In 2015, Maria mostly sold her “one of a kind, stylish pieces of ceramics art” at shows around the city. The Cleveland Flea encouraged her to become a vendor after finding her work through Instagram. Maria saw it as an opportunity to connect with the community and to expand her sales from those who accidentally stumbled upon her Etsy shop and whatever she sold to her coworkers at her “regular 9-5 job.”
Being at vendor at the Cleveland Flea increased her confidence in her product and exposed her craft to organizers of other shows. Maria noticed that “each show draws a very different and unique crowd of people.” Even though the types of customers may vary, the ability for her to share her story and interact with them does not change. “A picture of a product is great, but being able to hold and touch my wares really helps a person understand the hard work and love that goes into creating a unique, one-of-a-kind piece of ceramics art.”
Maria understands that even though she might not make as much money at a show she had intended to, being able to introduce her brand to future customers and building relationships with other vendors and creative minds make up for that minimal loss.
Photos courtesy of clear blur design
Crochet Til Death
Etsy • Facebook • Instagram
If you can dream it, Ashley Ross can create it with yarn. Under the business name Crochet Til Death, Ashley designs “cute and kitschy crocheted goods,” including hoods, hats and unique crocheted taxidermy.
When Ashley was eight years old, her grandma taught her the only stitch she could make. Ashley later taught herself to read patterns and picked up knew types of stitches. Now patterns just slow her down when coming up with her own designs.
Online, Ashley solely sells her products on Etsy. Because she enjoys the concept of pop-ups and loves the opportunity to participate in shows, she’s a vendor at the Cleveland Flea and a few other markets in the city. Her goods are featured at two independent boutiques, and she’s looking for more to represent her so she can make Crochet Til Death a full-time career.
Since her crocheted hats and hoods are seasonal items, Ashley applies to the fall and winter Flea events. Already a fan of the Cleveland Flea, she says that “when the opportunity arose to apply for their first holiday show, I made sure to submit an application. I had never participated in a large show before, [so] I appreciated that they gave me, as a crafter with no experience with shows, a chance.”
After becoming a staple of the fall events, people around the city recognize Ashley. She finds that having a presence at the Cleveland Flea allows people to experience her products in person. They can feel the quality of the piece and try it on to see how it looks on them. Another benefit is “being one of only a few fiber crafters at a market versus one of thousands in an online platform.”
Photos courtesy of Crochet Til Death
Lil’ Burritos
Website • Etsy • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram
From the humble beginning of creating gifts for their nieces, Stephanie and Alex Rodgers took their screen printing hobby and transformed it into Lil’ Burritos, a boutique specializing in printing cute, affordable clothing and decor for kids. All of their onesies and toddler tees are wrapped up and packaged in foil, just like a burrito.
Stephanie is an elementary school teacher, and Alex is a graphic designer. They combined their backgrounds to create the clever designs they sell through their website and Etsy and in Cleveland-area storefronts, such as CLE Clothing Co. Some of their friends who are vendors at the Cleveland Flea suggested applying to the events, and in an effort to expose their brand to more people, they did. Being a Flea vendor allows them to meet their customers face-to-face and to continue expanding the Lil’ Burritos brand.
In addition to the Cleveland Flea, Stephanie and Alex participate in other shows throughout the year. Stephanie says the “Flea is a larger event and has a wider range of vendors and products. [It] always feels like more of an event than an art show.”
Photos (in order of gallery) courtesy of: Lil Burritos, Alex Rodgers, Lil Burritos, Cheryl Cochran
The Republic of Cute
Website • Etsy • Twitter • Instagram • Tumblr • Flickr
Six years ago, Karly West discovered she had a knack for fondant sculpture while working as a cake decorator. So in her off time, she created a line of polymer clay characters called “Bitter Sweetz.” To pay for her sculpting habit, she began selling the “absurd, anthropomorphic pastry thugs” on Etsy. Her characters included grumpy cupcakes wielding forks; Ice C, a rapper ice cream cone; and Cakezilla, a crazy wedding cake that she still has in her shop.
She was hesitant to add wedding cake toppers to her brand, but she found it was a natural progression that fit her skills and experience. Because the cake toppers are “far more sellable,” they support Karly in making The Republic of Cute her full-time business. She can continue her artistic love for creating her offbeat character figurines.
Karly’s high-end wedding cake toppers can only be purchased from her website and Etsy shop. On the other hand, she only sells her unique characters at the Flea and other pop-up markets and juried fine-art shows. Her goal at the Cleveland Flea is to promote the character figurines and increase their success. “It’s an opportunity to make sales, increase visibility in the community and connect with other businesses.” Karly thinks her product photos are good, but her “pieces always look and feel better when you interact with them in person.”
The Cleveland Flea features a variety of vendors, so Karly enjoys the event’s fun and eclectic atmosphere. However, she has “found that the jumbled mix of categories (such as food, handmade and vintage) sometimes puts [her] and other ‘handmade’ vendors at a disadvantage.” Since Flea visitors tend to think all the vendors are similar since they’re at the same event, Karly showcases her products and creative process so people understand her art and why it’s special. Interacting with people help her and her characters stand out.
Photos courtesy of The Republic of Cute
It doesn’t matter if you only sell your products through Etsy (or a similar online shop) or if you have a storefront, pop-up markets are a great way to get your products in front of potential customers. Even if they don’t make a purchase that day, they’re likely to buy something later through your website or recommend your products to a friend. You never know what could happen when you set up your booth or table and meet new people.
Those of us at Poppir have been working on a special project that will help online brands and out-of-home businesses learn how to make more money. It’s similar to what these brands have done. I can’t say anything more right now, but it will be rolling out in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned!
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