A guide to makers' shops and galleries

You make nice things but where can you sell them? 

A makers’ shop is usually a collective of different makers and artists housed under one roof (it might also be called a craft shop or gallery). The maker's shop will rent you a shelf or space for your items and charge a commission on sales. It is an easy way to get into high street retail without having to go down a wholesale route, especially as you might not yet have the profit margin to sell at wholesale prices to independent gift shops. 

How does it work?

There is no common rate for these shops. Some charge more rent and lower commission, others have lower rent and higher commission. One example we know in Berkshire charges £75 per month and 20% commission and another in Cornwall is charging £40 per month and no commission. 

Think about what type of goods you sell and their value – if you think you’ll sell a lot of high value goods, then lower commission may be best. Some galleries charge commission only but this can be quite high e.g. 35%.

Check if there is a separate credit card charge.

There is often a minimum rental period of 3 months, but it could be 6 months. This might seem like a long time to commit but you can’t really assess your sales over just one month. This is because sales levels vary across a year, for example, January, February and August are particularly slow but November and December are the busiest of the year.

Some shops require you to work in the shop a couple of hours a month. This can be nice if you want to get other makers, or a nuisance if you really don’t have time. Make sure you are clear on the commitment required.

Researching shops

We suggest making a detailed list of makers' shops by looking on Instagram and Google. Where are other brands you know stocked?

When choosing a shop, do some desktop research to find out if they have a particular niche. There is no point applying if your items don’t fit; for example, do they only stock sustainable goods, or children’s stuff, or homewares? Some shops have a geographic focus and will only take items made within a specific area to support local makers.

It is a good idea to visit a shop before applying. What kind of area is it in? Does the street have good footfall? Is it next to other nice shops? If you can’t go in person, use Google Maps or Streetview to help!

How easy is it to get to from where you live? Is there a loading area outside? How much is parking? Some shops will let you send your products by post instead of in person - are you comfortable with doing that and the cost involved?

Does the shop look professional and well organised? What size and location is the space on offer? Is the space well lit? There is no point agreeing to pay rent for a space that you don’t feel confident that your items will look good in. Some shops will rotate the stock so that everyone has a chance to be in prime position - this means eye-level, rather than down at the bottom of a shelf.

Do the staff seem confident in talking about the products? Some shops will let you put a small profile next to your items to explain a bit about them, but great staff will really help things sell. Are there enough staff? Sadly, shoplifting is a problem and there needs to be enough staff to keep an eye on things.

What other items are sold in the shop? Will yours fit in with them? Is the quality good or a bit amateur? The curation of the shop is key and tells you a lot about the type of customers that will be going in.

Does the shop have a website and can your items go on it? This could be a great bonus.

Don't forget that there could be some less obvious retail spaces for consideration such as cafes, hospitals, antique centres, museums and arts venues. See what else they sell and work out who to speak to. 

Applying

The shops/ galleries need to curate their stock and so the application process is necessary and competitive.

Applications for these shops usually involve an online form where you provide details of you/ your business and nice photos of your goods. Some applications are only open a few times per year, but others are just ongoing. Signing up to the shop’s newsletter or following them on Instagram is the best way to find out. January is often when many shops have a shout out for new stock.

Shall I just walk in? Yes you could but the owner is often not there, or the staff are not allowed to take direct applications. Even if the right person is there, they are usually dealing with customers and will just tell you to email them. This is because they get a lot of unsuitable walk-ins!

What if I am rejected? The shops/ galleries can’t have too many similar makers at one time so even if you are rejected the first time, do try again! It may be down to the timing rather than your items themselves. If you can get some feedback, it might be that your items aren’t really a good fit for the shop – this is why research is important up front.

Stocktaking and pricing

When you drop off your goods, you should take a transfer sheet. This is simply a list of your items that the shop should sign so that everyone is clear about what is being left there. It will also help you later on when you need to work out what has been sold.

Each shop has a different labelling and reporting system but generally you have to label all your items with your name or a code and the price. Not many of these shops use barcodes! Bear in mind you have ‘overheads’ selling in this shop i.e. the rent and commission, so your pricing may need to be higher than that of your market stall or on your website.

If it is a well organised shop, they will send you an itemised list of what you sold. But some shops cannot do this, and just send you totals, which is not that helpful for stocktaking. This is why you may need to go back to the shop every few weeks to check on stock levels and replenish. Some shops are fairly relaxed about restocking but others want you to make an appointment. If the shop has a stockroom, they may allocate you an area which makes the process easier, but a lot of shops don’t have space.

It is possible your items will get lost, stolen or damaged. Generally these shops will not insure your stock so think if you want your own product insurance.

Marketing

Some of the shops will offer to do a little bit of marketing for you on their Instagram page or website. If they have a mailing list, ask if you can be highlighted. You can also announce on your social media that they're your new stockist so both of you benefit.