10.15.07
This Year In Review
Here is one week’s farmers’ market offerings.
Now that markets are winding down, I think it’s about time to take an early look back and see how things have gone for the year 2007.
Not that I’m through. I have one more trick up my sleeve which I plan to have ready by holiday-shopping time. That will be something like the “Ultimate Bodycare Soap Bar.” I’m still working out what will go into this bar, but my plan is to make it the best of the best. I’ll take what I’ve learned over these years, combining excellent ingredients with especially good essential oils, and make a larger bar that will sell for more money. I’d like to find a way to promise shedding 10 lb. also, but haven’t come up with that yet. Anybody out there have ideas??? More to come on that.
Farmers’ Market Soaps — A Definite Yes
I wanted to report that the series of three farmers’ market soaps I made turned out to be well worth the effort. I was not sure how they’d be received, but I think we are just at the beginning of the awareness people have about what they put in and on their bodies. It will only grow.
Many responses to the soaps were along the lines of “What a good idea.” I took that to mean they really weren’t sure why they’d want tomato and basil in their soap, but they liked the idea of utilizing local, organic and fresh vegetables in whatever way I came up with.
I sold most of these soaps in sets of three (Heirloom Tomato Rosemary, Cucumber Basil and Pumpkin Pie Spice). Each week I took just a few individual soaps to market, and most people responded well to buying the set. I now am down to the last dozen or so of each. I’d hoped to have enough to last through the holiday buying period, but I’ll fall short of that. I’ve had a number of people buy sets for gift-giving already. From the beginning I warned people that when they were gone, they’d be gone. There will be no more until the best, freshest veggies come in next summer.
Wine Soap Series Also Good
Earlier in the year the series of three wine soaps I developed in celebration of the growing number of vineyards in Kentucky were also well-received. I make the soaps sold and used by a local, very excellent winery, Elk Creek Vineyards (www.elkcreekvineyards.com), as well as by another wonderful local winery, Smith Berry Winery (www.smithberrywinery.net).
In this case, when I took the wine series of soaps to market, I did not encourage purchase of soaps in sets, although they were available, at farmers’ markets and festivals. I sold them individually, and that worked fine. I especially liked the combination of lavender and vanilla in the Merlot soap.
Whole Foods Reorder
And finally, I have to say I’m pleased that I’ve already received a reorder from the Louisville Whole Foods Market. This is without my doing anything to encourage growth and with my soaps being the most expensive they carry. I have a mailing list of people in the Louisville area and if I can get a few extra minutes, I will send them each a note asking for their support and suggesting they might buy some of Anna’s EsSCENTials soaps from Whole Foods as holiday gifts this year.
Farmers’ Market Sales Down
Along with all the good news, I have to report that sales at farmers’ markets have been significantly down this year, after five years of steady increases. Other vendors report similar results. I have to think people are having less discretionary income than ever, and probably also feeling more insecure in their lives given the many challenges we face today, nationally and internationally.
I feel this is worth thinking about. As much as I’d like to hope getting rid of the current national leadership can turn things around, my experience is that we’ve seen a steady decline, about 25 years’ worth, in the sense of confidence in the future or personal security people share. And of course issues are even more pressing for people living in devastated or war-torn areas. Right now it’s hard to even imagine turning this around, but it’s a huge issue, and even for those of us doing our creative/artistic thing, I think it’s on most peoples’ minds.
Holidays Ahead
Well, I’m into production now for the holiday season. Ideally I’d like to plan it so on January 1, I’d have sold 90% of each kind of soap I carry. Then I would start soaping afresh for spring, with a trade show in March. Does that ever work out? Never. In the last two weeks I have done four new batches of soap and have two or three others I’m running low on. And I can promise you, requests for those soaps that are low will now skyrocket way out of proportion to others. It’s some kind of universal law.
One thing I’d like to pay more attention to this fall is packaging for the holiday season. During the year I don’t sell many gift sets, although this year the new acrylic boxed sets were a big plus. And usually by this time of the year I’m tired and probably don’t do as well as I should coming up with creative new ways of putting products together.
One suggestion from a friend is to do a “bodycare package” that would consist of a soap, foot rub, lotion, cream and whatever else I could come up with. Well sure…why haven’t I done that before? Another friend suggested a package consisting of a lemon honey soap with a matching beeswax candle…and this one was inspired by an outdoor lunch we had together where I got stung on the finger after playing nature girl and assuring her the bees interested in our shrimp plate were harmless. Great! Now all I need is an influx of energy. More to come,
Sharon