Don’t Be "That Vendor": The Do’s and Don’ts of Successful Craft Market Vending

If you’ve ever walked through a handmade market and spotted "That Vendor", you already know the one I’m talking about. The energy vampire. The table hog. The one who forgot vendor etiquette actually exists. The one who somehow made a beautiful craft market feel like a chaotic group assignment where only one person didn’t do their part.

Whether you’re brand new or a seasoned pro, this guide is here to help you avoid becoming the cautionary tale everyone whispers about while packing up. Because the truth is simple: success at a craft market is more than showing up and plopping products on a table. It’s about professionalism, community and creating an experience that shoppers (and market organisers!) remember for the right reasons.

So grab a cuppa, adjust your tablecloth and get ready for some somewhat sassy truthful advice.

👉🏽Welcome to the essential guide to Vendor Etiquette—aka how to be a successful vendor without being “That Vendor”.

✨ Why Vendor Etiquette Matters (AKA: Markets Are a Community, Not a Solo Act)

Craft markets, artisan shows and pop-up events aren’t just places to sell things. They’re micro-communities. Shoppers feel the vibe. Vendors feel the vibe. And organisers? Oh yeah baby, they definitely feel the vibe.

Good vendor etiquette creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere that boosts foot traffic, increases sales and makes your business look like the polished, professional brand it is.

Bad vendor etiquette? Well… let’s just say it’s unforgettable—but not in a good way.

If you're trying to learn how to be a successful vendor, the foundation is simple:
Don’t bring stress. Don’t be messy. Don’t be dramatic.

And above all: don’t be “That Vendor”.

DO’S & DON’TS OF SUCCESSFUL VENDING

💛 DO: Arrive on Time (Or Better Yet, Early)

Nothing screams “chaos incoming” like a vendor who shows up 15 minutes before the doors open and starts flinging decor like they’re auditioning for a reality show.

Arriving early gives you:

👉🏽Time to unload without rushing
👉🏽Space to fix last-minute issues
👉🏽A calm, confident start to your day
👉🏽A chance to network with other vendors (community matters!)

DON’T:
🙈Show up late and then blame traffic, your dog, your alarm or the retrograde of any planet. We’ve heard them all. And believe me…we are silently judging you.

💛 DO: Stay in Your Lane — Literally

Every vendor gets a designated space—measured, marked and planned. This is not a suggestion. This is not “guideline energy.” This is geometry.

DON’T be the vendor who:

🙈Spreads out silently like an amoeba
🙈Takes half a foot extra “because it looked empty”
🙈Blocks walkways because your display “needed air”
🙈Adds an unapproved clothing rack, shelving unit or tent wall
🙈Space is limited. Respecting boundaries = respecting everyone.

If your display needs more room than you paid for, the solution is simple:
Upgrade your booth size next time, superstar.

💛 DO: Create an Inviting Display (No, Your Tablecloth Isn’t Optional)

Your table is your storefront. Your vibe. Your entire first impression.

A wrinkled dollar-store tablecloth with two items tossed in the middle?
No. Hard no.

Instead:

👉🏽Use a clean, intentional tablecloth
👉🏽Add height using risers, crates or stands
👉🏽Incorporate branding: business cards, signs, logo displays
👉🏽Make your products easy to see and even easier to buy

DON’T:
🙈Assume shoppers will put in effort to understand your display.
🙈If it’s confusing, sloppy or awkward…they’ll walk. They always walk.

💛 DO: Price Your Items Clearly

Repeat after me:
No one wants to ask how much something costs.
Not because they’re cheap. Because it’s awkward.

Clear pricing helps you:

👉🏽Sell more
👉🏽Avoid repetitive questions
👉🏽Look organised and professional
👉🏽Prevent that weird “mystery price” moment

DON’T:
🙈Say things like “Just ask me if you want to know!”
No.
They won’t.

💛 DO: Be Approachable (Without Jump-Scaring Shoppers)

There’s a golden middle ground between “stone statue vendor” and “overenthusiastic Golden Retriever energy.”

Approachable looks like:

😁Smiling
😁Making eye contact
😁Greeting visitors without pressure
😁Offering help when needed
Basic human warmth = powerful sales tool.

DON’T be the vendor who:

🙈Stares at shoppers like they owe you money
🙈Shouts “Hi!!!” from across the aisle (Seen it, Believed it and Had a mini heart attack because of it!)
🙈Follows them around your booth like a mall perfume sprayer
Balance, darling. Balance.

💛 DO: Respect the Market Organisers

Organisers are doing approximately 27 jobs at once. If they ask you to move your table two inches?
😎Just move the table.

If they ask you to adjust your candles because of allergies?
😎Just adjust the candles.

If they remind you of a rule you forgot?
😎Just thank them.

DON’T:
Argue.
Negotiate.
“Just ask for forgiveness later.”
Roll your eyes.
Complain loudly so nearby vendors can absorb the drama.

No one has time for that. (Ain’t nobody got time for dat!)

💛 DO: Be Prepared

Professional vendors pack like they’re going camping on Mars.
You should too.

Essentials include:

Float for cash sales
Square or tap-to-pay reader
Backup battery pack
Signage
Tablecloth clips
Tape
Scissors
Bags for purchases
Snacks + water
A pen that somehow doesn’t disappear by noon

DON’T:
Borrow every other item from five different vendors and then look shocked when no one has what you need. Being self-sufficient is part of being a successful vendor.

💛 DO: Engage on Social Media Before the Event

Good vendors don’t sit back and wait for shoppers. They help bring them to the market.

Ways to support the market online:

✅Share the event page
✅Post your products with the tag
✅Add it to your stories
✅Invite your followers
✅Hype up your involvement
You’re not just selling products—you’re selling your presence.

DON’T:
🙈Ghost the event entirely online and then wonder why traffic feels slow.
Community effort = community turnout. (I’ve seen it many times over!!)

THE DON'TS YOU CANNOT IGNORE

🚫 DON’T: Talk Trash About Other Vendors

Oh honey, just don’t.

Not quietly.
Not loudly.
Not to your neighbour.
Not to your friend.
Not to a random customer.

It’s unprofessional, it’s ugly and it always…always…gets back to the person it’s about.

👉🏽✨Uplift the market. Uplift each other. There’s enough abundance to go around.

🚫 DON’T: Complain Throughout the Day

You can think whatever you want. But verbally unloading negativity into the air? Absolutely not.

Common offenders include:

“My sales are terrible.”
“No one is buying anything today.”
“The weather ruined my morning.”
“These shoppers are so cheap.”
DON’T do this. Ever.
It drags the vibe straight to the basement.

👉🏽✨Positive energy (yes, real or faked) changes the atmosphere…and your sales.

🚫 DON’T: Pack Up Early (Even If Sales Are Slow)

Packing up early is the ultimate crime of vendor etiquette.
It disrupts the event, looks unprofessional and discourages shoppers from browsing.

If the market ends at 4pm, pack up at 4pm.
Not 3:50.
Not “just putting away the back stuff.”
Not “people aren’t buying anyway.”

👉🏽✨Markets ebb and flow—your final sale could be at 3:59.

🚫 DON’T: Eat at Your Booth Like You're at Thanksgiving Dinner

Snacks? Fine.
A discreet bite of a granola bar? Totally normal.

But full meals?
Pizza boxes?
Saucy foods?
A family picnic behind your table?

No thank you.

Not only does it look unprofessional, but you’re also one dropped meatball away from destroying your entire display.

🚫 DON’T: Hover, Push or Pressure Customers

People don’t buy when they feel trapped.

If your energy screams “Buy something or I’ll be sad,” shoppers will retreat immediately.

Keep the vibe welcoming—not clingy.

🚫 DON’T: Host a Full TED Talk in Front of Someone Else’s Booth

Personal conversations with customers are wonderful.
Deep chats? Also wonderful.
Customers who adore you? Amazing.

But here’s the hard truth:
Those beautiful conversations should not happen directly in front of another vendor’s table.

When you and a customer stop in front of someone else’s booth and settle into a heartfelt therapy session, this is what happens:

👉🏽🤨Shoppers can’t see the other vendor’s products
👉🏽🤨Foot traffic gets jammed
👉🏽🤨Potential customers walk past because they assume the booth is busy
👉🏽🤨The neighbour vendor silently suffers while smiling politely like a hostage

DO:

✅Guide your customer back toward your booth
✅Say something like: “Let’s step over here so we’re not blocking anyone’s space!”
✅Keep conversations in your area or off to the side

DON’T:

🙈Hold lengthy chats right in front of a neighbouring vendor
🙈Assume “it’s fine” because nobody complained
🙈Block another vendor’s visibility, flow, or potential sales

This is one of the biggest, most unspoken rules of vendor etiquette:
Love your customers. Just don’t love them directly in front of someone else’s booth.

🚫 DON’T: Undercut Other Vendors

Offering “market-only discounts” is fine.
Offering “my stuff is way cheaper than theirs!” is NOT.

There’s a difference between being competitively priced and being disrespectful.
Stay classy.

🚫 DON’T: Forget to Respect Personal Space

This includes:

Borrowing items without asking
Taking chairs or decorations from someone else’s booth
Crowding into another vendor’s space
Treating shared tables like your private storage room
Boundaries matter.

**THE GOLDEN RULE OF VENDING:

A Good Vendor Boosts the Whole Market**

Here’s the secret sauce that most new (and even some veteran) vendors don’t know:
Your behaviour impacts your sales just as much as your products do.

When you show up with professionalism, kindness, intention and a sprinkle of sparkle, people feel it. Shoppers linger. Vendors support you. Organisers remember you. And guess what? You get invited back.

When you show up as That Vendor… well… good luck getting rebooked.

**FINAL WORD:

Be the Vendor Everyone Loves, Not the Vendor Everyone Avoids**

Craft markets thrive on energy, collaboration and shared passion.
Great vendors help create that magic.
You can still be bold, be loud, be colourful, be YOU—just do it while respecting the community you’re part of.

So the next time you load up your vehicle, head to your booth, and set up your gorgeous display, remember:

✨ Arrive early
✨ Stay in your space
✨ Be approachable
✨ Follow the rules
✨ Support the market
✨ Lift up other vendors
✨ Keep drama at home
✨ And stay until the very end

Because the best vendors aren’t just selling products—they’re selling an experience.

And "That Vendor"?
You’ll never be them.
Not after reading this.

Lisa