Fairs and markets

Well it has been an intersting weekend. The rain was torrential at times.  Bath bombs love water, but not the rain.  Saturday we had a round robin informing us that they had a good day "in the rain".  They did not communication like the other shows that they would use alternatives to gazeboo's if you turned up so lots did not.  If they had said they had access to a hall and sports pavilion I am sure not only would more stall holders turn up but also more people - communication.  My son was great this weekend, took the time off work and carried everything and drove us to the various venues.  Sunday was a good day as we were in a very large marquee so it was not squashed and everyone had room to move.  However talking to other stallhorlders we all said it was like pulling teeth trying to get people to spend.  Over the last month, whether everyone is saving for the holidays, or parents are having to watch the pennies to afford the school holiday clubs we don't know.   I think that organisers who to me have had it easy are going to have to do more advertising, and charge less.  At the end of the day we are there to make money and when you pay out for a table and don't even make that money back and you have petrol, four hours of sitting there, Thye latest I love is that they will ask for something like £45 plus VAT, and I am sure a lot of them don't pay VAT.  I think fairs and markets may well have peaked and it will be more difficult to get stall holders.  We will have to see.  A lot that I speak to feel it is better to pay double and go somewhere that you know will be well attended, so like the Food Festivals in the high street, the large shows where you are guaranteed footfall and not hope that someone has advertised enough and some people will come through the door, and this is not just this year, that has been happening for a while, however now the people that do come through those door are reluctant to spend.  I can understand when it is something you like but don't need but when it comes to some things, my soaps, they are a necessity, ok, they are not cheap nasty liquid with chemicals and therefore you pay more but the number of people who come back to me and say how much better their skin is justifies the price, and believe you me they are a lot cheaper than a lot of soap companies.