The following is an excerpt from the Farmers Market Book - Chapter 1

CHAPTER I

How to create visually exciting displays with unique fixtures for your Farmers Market Business

If you are one of the many who want to join a farmers' market, you have to remember that in farmers' market, there are numerous participants displaying their goods and produce. Thus, the only advantage you can have over the competition is a well-thought out marketing technique. With many competitors, how are you going to stand out? Consumers buy with their eyes. Before smelling, touching, and tasting your products, people see and look at them first. Thus, visual displays play a very important role in attracting your consumers to come to your booth.

The quality of your display can actually entice and convince potential buyers to become actual buyers. Unique and functional display fixtures attract potential customers and add convenience in the shopping experience. However, many make the mistake of rushing to a store and grabbing just about any kind of fixture or taking every available furnishing stocked in the attic. As a result, they end up with a hodgepodge of mismatched fixtures which do not add any aesthetic or functional value to their displays. But don't call a professional decorator just yet. With a good eye for detail and functionality you can create your own unique and exciting displays without wasting a good amount of money. You'll save precious bucks while adding up to your profits because of the sales your displays would generate. Creating visually pleasing and exciting displays is best summed up in three easy steps:

1. Focus on a theme.

Although variety is great, too much diversity in product displays confuses consumers so much that they may actually leave. Focusing on a theme creates a positive impact on consumers and makes them remember your displays and goods as well. In choosing a theme, consider your goods, your location, and the environment. For example, you might want to put a scarecrow holding a basket of fresh vegetables but if it isn't Halloween or if you know that old folks could be visiting, then a tamer decor may be your best choice.


Themes can range from contrasting colors, regional themes, to any other idea you might have. If your products are mostly green-colored produce, you can have a color contrast theme by displaying your products in contrasting but complementary fixtures like big red tables or yellow bins. The tables and bins would highlight the verdant freshness of your products while providing variation. You can also try a Hawaiian theme by using wicker baskets and other wooden structures like open-top shelves to display tropical fruits like pineapples, citrus, and mangoes. Adding subdued lighting and soothing music (if possible) to your booth would also contribute greatly to your chosen theme.


Creating a themed display doesn't have to be expensive. With a few household items and a lot of creativity, you could have a themed display which would not only showcase the best in your products but would also draw in the crowd.

2. Choose functional and interesting fixtures.

Since the emphasis should be on aesthetic and function, your displays should also add convenience to your customers' shopping experience as well as add that extra punch to your booth. Fixtures like open-top shelves provide easy access for customers while allowing maximum visibility for your products. Vibrant bins and baskets also allow customers to sift through products easily while tables are practical choices for flat-bottomed or bottled products.


If you opt to use fixtures of varying heights and widths, position each fixture in a manner which would allow for maximum shopping convenience and product visibility. Tall cabinets or shelves are better positioned at the back where they would not hinder access to products displayed in smaller containers. Open fixtures like tables and bins are suitable as front displays while hanging rods would look better at the front of your booth when draped with garlands of fruits and vegetables.

3. Include surprising and interesting details.


Using baskets, bins, and shelves makes you no different from the competition. As it is, do not just pick out or use plain colored display fixtures. Add interesting details to your displays like a bunch of flowers to accent and contrast the green of your limes or fill in gaps in your tomato towers with bunches of aromatic herbs. Using wicker baskets and wooden structures with interesting details like carvings or polished textures would add a classy edge to the rustic setting of the farmers' market. Vintage iron-wrought frames under baskets or bins would add stability as well as an unexpected twist on the usual.


Aside from interesting storage fixtures, other items which could help you create exciting displays include lighting fixtures. Avoid using fluorescent lights as these are harsh on the eyes. Instead use shaded lights to create a subdued lighting effect which generally makes fresh produce look better. If you opted for a themed display, using an element or decor characteristic of that theme would surely enhance the aesthetic value of your display. For example, mini tiki girls, paper lanterns, and a surfboard for a table display would highlight a Hawaiian-themed booth while mock fences, ropes, and cowboy hats would add a Western flair for a dairy booth.

Visual displays can make buyers out of mere passers-by. Carefully choosing and positioning unique fixtures can really make average displays fun, exciting, and original. However, displays that entice buyers are only the tip of the iceberg that is the farmers' market. After creating visually exciting displays with positive results, you can then consider organizing a new farmer's market in your area.