Design your market booth before market day
Place tables, shelves, and equipment on a 10x10 grid. See how much space you're using and print your layout to take to market.
A great booth setup sells more
Height sells more product
Flat tables lose sales. When all your products sit at the same level, nothing stands out. Use wooden crates, tiered shelves, or display risers to create height variation. Products at chest and eye level outsell products at waist level by a significant margin. Your most profitable items belong at the highest point of your display, front and center.
Use the L-shape or U-shape layout
The best-performing market booths create a three-sided enclosure that invites customers in rather than blocking them out. Two 6-foot tables in an L-shape, or three tables in a U-shape, draws shoppers into your space and increases dwell time. Customers who spend more time at your booth spend more money. A straight table across the front creates a barrier.
Plan your flow before you pack
Arriving at market and figuring out your layout on the spot wastes setup time and creates a chaotic-looking booth. Sketch your layout before market day — or use this planner — so you know exactly where each item goes. The best vendors set up in under 30 minutes because they've done it in their head a dozen times already.
Leave room for sampling
If your market allows samples, dedicate a specific spot for them — ideally at the corner of your booth closest to the market traffic flow. A small 3x2 sampling station with napkins, toothpicks, and a trash can turns passersby into buyers. Sampling typically doubles sales of the sampled product. Don't hide it at the back of your booth where customers have to commit to entering before they've tasted anything.