5 Trends that Best-Selling Vendor Booths Follow

With such a wide variety of rare and unique items just waiting to be discovered, antique malls feel like magical destinations. Customers can find just about anything, from antique jewelry to upcycled furniture to vintage light fixtures and more. But no matter what they're looking for, the adventure starts behind the scenes, with how each vendor decorates their booth and keeps collectors coming back for more. 

From shoppers strolling the aisles of our Melbourne antique mall to vendors in Algonquin, we are constantly asked one very important question: What sells best? 

When we look at the numbers and listen to repeat customer feedback, we can see which vendor booths tend to sell more items than others week after week. If you've been searching for tips and tricks for transforming your rental into a best-selling booth, check out these five common trends. 

Who is the Target Audience for Vendor Mall Customers?

Sometimes, the key to vendor booth success is knowing who you’re selling to, and with such a wide range of customers, you never know who may stumble upon your curated collection. At our locations, our shoppers come from all walks of life, from first-timers looking to start collecting coins to niche collectors searching for the missing piece of their valuable collection to grandmothers who stop in every few days and everyone in between. One of the most helpful tips for improving your business is knowing exactly who your audience is as you design your booth. 

5 Trends for Best-Selling Vendor Booths

It doesn't matter whether you sell rare antique dolls or revamped vintage clothing—you can set up your vendor booth for success.

Try applying one (or all!) of these five trends we've noticed from the booths that get shopped from the most and see how your business increases:

1. Transform your booth into a storefront

2. Restock regularly

3. Rearrange your booth to freshen things up

4. Decorate for each season

5. Utilize social media

1. Transform Your Vendor Booth Into a Storefront

When it comes to the overall look of a booth, it's proven that shoppers spend a lot of time in ultra-curated and styled spaces. Go the extra mile to make your vendor booth look like its own small boutique storefront by choosing display cases, hangers, and wall borders that elevate your area and draw attention. Discover more tips for setting up your booth, and look at the others in your vendor mall location for inspiration!

Top 5 Tips for Adding Flair to Your Vendor Booth:

Tip 1 - Plug in vintage light fixtures to give your booth an intimate and inviting glow– and don't forget to add a price tag to each!

Tip 2 - Create a vignette or grouping of items for a display so customers can shop all of them at once.

Tip 3 - Play with levels and use your space, from baskets and crates on the ground to high hangers on the wall.

Tip 4 - Lay down a rug or two on the floor to set your space apart from the aisle and other booths. 

Tip 5 - Keep things organized to add to that storefront feel. 

2. Add and Restock on a Regular Basis

Whether you bring in carts of new merchandise or only a few new items, the key to keeping customers coming back for more is regularly restocking your booth. Antique mall regulars will come to expect that you always have something new to offer, ensuring that your booth is a repeat stop during all of their visits.

Constantly restocking also creates a sense of urgency to buy, buy, buy because customers know that the thing they're debating buying may not be there next week when you switch up the items. Rotating your collection and introducing new finds will add excitement to each shopping trip and make your booth memorable!

How Often Should You Restock Your Vendor Booth?

To stay relevant and keep your sales high, rotating and restocking the items in your vendor booth is key—but how often should you do it? A few of our vendors, such as Florida's own Joanna or Ben from the antique malls near Chicago, love to come in as often as possible, stopping by almost daily with new pieces, but not everyone has the time to do that. We have noticed that the vendors of best-selling booths come in at least once a week with fresh merchandise. 

3. Move Items Around for a Fresh Look

In an ideal world, vendors would always have new items to add to their booths, but if that's not the case, don't let that stop you from making your weekly refresh visit. The secret to successful showcases and booths is rearranging the items within to create a revamped space. Move around bigger items, like furniture and wall art, to create a new layout and updated display options for smaller items. 

4. Decorate with Seasonal Pops of Color and Pieces

Between the four seasons and countless holidays, there is always an excuse to redecorate your vendor booth with seasonal pieces. Whether you're sprucing up your booth with a vintage Christmas ornament tree (all baubles for sale, of course) or adding springtime florals to your collection of antique vases, vendors who take the time to add fresh décor for the season have higher foot traffic than those who don't. 

Possible Holidays and Occasions for Décor Inspiration:

Back to school

Seasonal changes

Christmas

Easter

4th of July

Special sales

Booth anniversaries

5. Utilize Social Media Marketing

Just because our employees handle the day-to-day sales of items from your vendor booth doesn't mean your job is done once you leave the store! The top-selling vendors utilize social media to market their hot new items, advertise annual sales, and create an online fanbase. While we often advertise vendors and collections on our pages, the secret to success is running your own Instagram and Facebook accounts and connecting with people directly.  

The last thing you want is for your vendor booth to be overlooked. To avoid a stagnant, forgettable look, you have to invest in keeping up with the antique mall trends. These simple changes will gain attention from new customers and regular visitors and help you show off new additions to your collection, drawing people into your booth! 

For many passionate collectors, a vendor mall is their home away from home. Make your vendor booth a must-visit by applying any or all of these five tips, and watch your business take off!