11 Ways to Lose Customers at Markets

After 10 years of being a vendor at artisan markets and bazaars, I am more than familiar with how local markets are their own scene, and that every booth sets the tone for how shoppers experience that space.

But, we’ve all been there, wondering why shoppers aren’t stopping...

I recently asked a handful of locals what makes them walk right past a booth, and their responses were brutally honest in the best way.

Hearing what shoppers actually notice makes it way easier to set ourselves up for success, and to create a booth that feels inviting, intentional, and shoppable.

Here are 11 reasons shoppers keep walking:

1.Be disengaged

This one swept the board. Literally everyone I polled said this is their biggest turnoff.

If a vendor is “unapproachable, offering no smile or greeting when walk up,” shoppers bounce fast. Sitting on your phone or nursing a good book (guilty 🙋‍♀️), sends out a very strong “don’t bother me” vibe. One friend put it perfectly: “if you appear uninterested, it makes me feel almost burdensome.”

How to fix this:

Keep the phone tucked away or on a Focus mode. This will allow you to be attentive and not distracted. Keep a soft smile on your face while you sit, which makes you look very approachable. Definitely let the RBF sit this one out. If you need to keep your hands busy, doodling, writing, crocheting/ knitting, all read as approachable and even authentic.

2.Keep it cluttered

This was another chart topper.

Booths that look like everything was “thrown on the table with a hope for the best” is a major turn-off. Shoppers get “instant sensory overload” when there’s too much going on, and the clutter reads like chaos. An overcrowded booth can easily become overstimulating.

Further, it was noted that shoppers steer clear of booths if they lacked tablecloths, or the tablecloths didn’t go to the floor, and it looked overall “messy with boxes everywhere.”

How to fix this:

Group like items or themes together (i.e. all bird stickers in a row, all hats together, or organize the table by color for a clean visual flow). Only put out a few of each item, and keep the overstock out of sight. Use tablecloths that hit the ground on all three sides to hide your storage. And leave at least a hand’s-width of breathing room between items or groupings.

3.Don’t include visible pricing

When prices aren’t visible, most shoppers simply won’t ask. In fact, turns out that many shoppers “feel uncomfortable asking” for a price. In particular, at busy markets where there’s one vendor working the booth and a line of people all waiting just to ask, “How much is this?” the shopper will often just bounce.

A few people also mentioned that no card reader or no range of price points can be a deal-breaker.

How to fix this:

Add price tags on each item, even if it’s on the bottom or back. Use little tabletop signs (wedding table place card holders work great for this) placed at groupings of the same item. Or, if your prices and products are consistent from show to show, a printed price list works great. Apply what feels right for you -- just be careful of hand-writing any of these, though… see No. 7 on this list.

4.Don’t be original.

Shoppers tend to be disappointed when visiting a market and find that multiple booths are selling the same or very similar items. This happens most with crochet, Cricut creators, and laser- or 3D-printed goods, as the internet is full of the same patterns and designs for download. Shoppers will easily walk right by yours if they had been “looking at similar items at another booth.”

Fairbanks folks especially love supporting true makers. If your booth features items that aren’t handmade, or feels dropshipped or mass-produced, shoppers will keep walking.

How to fix this:

Develop your own knitting or crochet patterns, or create your own designs for the Cricut, and design your own 3D printing files. Originality is your selling power. And if you’re a rep for a chain product (leggings, essential oils, etc.), find a market that’s right for you; a handmade or craft show is likely not a great fit.

5.Be a master of none

Crafty people love to craft. But bringing a little bit of everything creates confusion and leads to too many items on a table, especially when they don’t go together. As a shopper walks by, it’s “not clear on what you are actually selling.” It also ties back to No. 2, with a booth that lacks organization and is “visually cluttered and just too much going on.”

How to fix this:

Recognize that you don’t have to monetize every hobby. For an effective booth, pick the thing you do well (and love) and build your booth around that. Related items make sense, like knitted goods, stitch markers, patterns or kits, and hand-dyed yarn --  aim to stay within the same medium.

6.Be aggressively pushy for sales

Many shoppers are super uncomfortable talking to vendors. Eye contact alone feels like pressure to them, like it will “make them get hopeful they might have a sale coming.” If you lead with a sales pitch, brag about your product, or overshare too soon, people shut down fast; you’re making the shopping experience feel too transactional and disingenuous. One poller mentioned that if they aren’t attracted and curious about a product, then they “don’t want to start a conversation” at all.

How to fix this:

A simple smile and “how are you?” is enough. Let the shopper guide the interaction. Avoid staring at them while they shop, and don’t fixate on what they’re touching. Keep your brand story in your back pocket unless they open the door for it. And always say “thank you” -- whether they buy or not. Beware the 180, and don’t completely ignore them; see No. 1.

7.Make a bad first impression

Our local shoppers tend to be big art-lovers, and they are proficient in picking up on AI usage. If your logo looks AI-generated, or your art is sus, shoppers pass on principle. ”If I see a single thing that looks like it, I pass right on by. It immediately makes everything look cheap, no matter what they’re selling.”

On the flip side, a poorly made logo (like something a child, or sister, or uncle sketched) or no logo at all also sends the wrong message; it conveys that you don’t take you own business seriously.

Handwritten signs can be a deal-breaker too if the writing is messy. “If I can’t read the price, the materials, or the ingredients, you’ve lost my interest.”

How to fix this:

Hire a legit designer (hi 👋🏻). It’s worth it. A professional logo and visual identity elevates your whole presence. For the labels and signs, strive to get these printed, whether at home or professionally. Clear signage, just like in No. 2, can make a huge impact on your success.

8.Be off-theme or at the wrong market

When your work “isn’t really on theme with the type of event” it creates instant confusion. Instead of leaning in, shoppers keep walking.

Markets are usually marketed toward a specific audience, and every event pulls in a different demographic with different expectations. Seasonal shows, niche events, themed markets, or curated fairs have a distinct reason or vibe behind their lineup.

If you’re selling edgy skull art at a vintage spring market (🫣), the disconnect can be jarring; the shoppers there simply aren’t your ideal customer, so your work and your booth ends up feeling out of place.

How to fix this:

You don’t have to be perfectly on-theme, but your offerings should at least make sense for the event. You can create a small line to fit the vibe, like seasonal variants, themed bundles, etc, but it’s better to be selective about which markets you show up at. When your products feel at home, shoppers feel at home, too.

9.Look like a magazine photo shoot

Some shoppers love a pretty booth… until it turns into a magazine photo shoot.

When everything feels too styled, too curated, or too precious, people are too afraid to touch anything. “When the booth feels like a photo op” and not a place to actually buy things, it can be not only confusing but also feel very uppity and unapproachable.

Brand color overload can do this, too. “I literally walked down the opposite side of the aisle to avoid the all-pink booth -- it was pink signs, pink tablecloth, pink packaging, and just too much.”

How to fix this:

Aim for warm and inviting, not editorial. Keep your setup approachable and avoid being too sparse so people can feel like they can touch things without messing up the “aesthetic.” Use your brand color as a pop, not as the entire booth.

10.Bringing the whole family

Oof, this one hit me hard. I’ve practically raised my kids at the market…

But turns out, seeing your kids (and/or spouse) with you is a big turn off to shoppers. It makes them feel like they are a distraction, (when in reality, it’s more likely the family is the distraction that day 🤓).

How to fix this:

I can vouch that there’s definitely a difference in sales when the kids are not with me. So if market income matters, try to tag-team with a friend of fellow vendor. Swap childcare. Set up play dates. Coordinate support. If your spouse helps with setup and tear down (awesome!), just watch the tone -- fellow vendors and early/late shoppers overhear everything, including those snippy, eyebrow-raising moments. Be grateful for the assist, and be nice. It reflects on your character by those that see how you treat each other.

11.Share political views

Nope. We’re in a wildly polarized time, and political merch or messaging, no matter which direction, immediately narrows your audience and can make people feel unwelcome or downright offended.

Art absolutely can be political and meaningful. But at a casual, family-friendly craft market, most people are looking from a break from the noise.

How to fix this:

Leave the politics at home. Save the heavy messaging for online or designated political spaces.

Bonus for my art friends

Market shoppers are looking for unique, original items  -- pieces that feel special -- otherwise they’d just shop on Amazon. So when “an artist has only unnumbered prints, stacks of the same print, no originals, and nothing one-of-a-kind, it doesn’t feel special at all.” While this doesn’t fit into one of the categories above, it was a poignant note, and something to consider for fine artists and photographers.

How to fix this:

Focus on creating limited editions instead of open editions, and number your prints accordingly.

Bonus for food vendors

Everybody loves food vendors -- but only if the food tastes fresh. Food vendors should make sure that their food doesn’t “taste like it was made sometime last week,” as you won’t get a return customer. “If the big batch prep is so extreme that things are stale by the time they hit the table, I will 💯 pass you up at the next event.“

How to fix this:

Offer samples, so buyers can get a small taste of your offerings (and freshness). A tiny bite builds trust and helps shoppers feel good about committing to a full plate.

We’ve all done at least one of these things that make a guest keep walking -- including me. Market days are long, and if you include the setup and break down, it could easily be a 14-hour day. But no matter how exhausted you are, the little things matter more than we think.