Where Do You Find Products?

One of the questions I get asked over and over is “Where do you find the products for your store?”  My answer?  That’s my secret sauce!  I don’t mean that it’s a secret and I can’t tell anyone...I mean that that’s one of the reasons I opened a retail store...“discovering” new products is a hobby (read: obsession) of mine.  Other people may not want to spend their free time combing the internet for new products...to me, that’s a dream job!

If you’re opening or running an indie boutique, then you probably spend a fair amount of time looking for products too.  If you’re running out of ideas or happen to be new to sourcing, here are some tips on finding new products for your store.

1. Flip through popular magazines

Magazines are an amazing source for new products.  Not only do most magazines feature new products each month but, chances are, if the item has hit the radar of the magazine’s editors, then others (i.e., customers) will like it too.  Think of it as market research!  Make sure to flip through all different kinds of magazines.  If you have a clothing boutique, don’t just read fashion magazines.  You never know what you’ll discover by branching out.  You may discover color trends, design trends and even products for your customers that they haven’t heard about yet. 

Don’t forget online magazines - they make it even easier to find products - most provide links that take you directly to the vendor’s site.

2. Attend trade shows & markets

Use Google to find the major trade shows happening in your industry.  Although they can be expensive to attend, seeing the artists and products up close and personal can be a major plus.  The (cheaper) alternative is to peruse the trade show website - most provide a list of the current exhibitors for that show and links to their website.  One of the biggest and best to check out is the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF)

There are also a ton of smaller market & craft shows out there these days.  Check out Renegade Craft Fair and don’t forget to see what shows are happening in your community.

3. Peruse blogs and sites like Pinterest

I find that blogs are a tremendous source for new design and products and, even better, they’re incredibly timely.  You can immediately see what’s trending online - if you see that a few blogs are talking about the same item, then you can make a safe bet that people will be wanting that item! 

The same goes with Pinterest. You can search for all different kinds of things and, better yet, you can see what is getting pinned and repinned.  Think of it as another form of market research!  You can also create your own board to collect images of products you like.  I’ll add a warning on this - by creating a board, you’re also allowing people to see what products you may be bringing in to the store - if you like the element of surprise, then this won’t work for you.

I would love to hear from you...Where do you find your products?  Any tips you’d like to share?

Images:  1. NYIGF via Oh So Beautiful Paper

{Editor’s Note: Vianza’s a great place to find new designers and makers - every one of our sellers is an experienced and reliable wholesaler. A buyer’s account is always free, so sign up here to get started browsing and buying}

Piper Toth happily traded the corporate world for the online world when she opened her online boutique, one sydney road. She authors the blog of the same name where she waxes poetic on the crazy roller coaster ride that is entrepreneurship!

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