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Making the Most of Arts and Crafts Supplies

Boost profits with purchasing and merchandising strategies for arts and crafts supplies

By Denise Ryan
Although there are certain craft supplies (like adhesives and basic tools) that crafters always need, you can increase your sales by stocking additional materials and embellishments to enhance simple projects. By buying wholesale arts and crafts supplies and discovering cutting-edge ways to use them, you can appeal to your customers' creativity and improve your bottom line.

When making the most of arts and crafts supplies, turn to sources like wholesalers, designers and other arts and crafts store retailers for ways to improve product selection, displays and services. Search for helpful information by trying to:

1. Buy arts and crafts supplies from reliable wholesale sources that include basic craft necessities and creative new products to ensure your customers will return for the latest and greatest items.

2. Take workshops and find websites that will help you become an expert on your art supplies and teach the techniques to your customers through classes and demonstrations.

3. Attend craft industry trade shows to discover display ideas, network with suppliers and meet designers who can create enticing sample projects for your arts and craft supply store.

 

Find basic wholesale art supplies and innovative tools to generate additional sales

Although art supply necessities might be the bread and butter of your business, making the most of arts and crafts supplies means increased profits. For example, generate new sales with specialty tools and embellishments. Creative customers are always in the market for tools to achieve cutting-edge techniques or simplify the creative process. If you sell scrapbooking supplies, for example, stock new styles of paper trimmers, die cut machines and rubber stamps. Your customers will buy the tools, along with additional supplies like cardstock and ink pads to accompany them.
Try: Get wholesale craft supplies online like adhesives, jewelry findings and painting materials, as well as time-saving tools for a variety of crafts, through J&R Industries. Fill out the new account application with your valid sales tax certificate or tax exempt certificate to receive a catalog. Craft Hobby Wholesale offers art & craft supplies and seasonal items perfect for teachers, parents and creators of home crafts. Check out its selection of stickers, beads, adhesives, paints and helpful tools for child crafters at wholesale prices.

Master product features and techniques to offer new arts and craft services for your customers

Offer helpful arts and crafts services by learning how to use the supplies and tools in your inventory. Take online craft classes, watch video tutorials for new tools or ask company representatives for product demonstrations. When customers ask about new products, you'll be able to explain them with ease.
Try: Find tutorials and project ideas lead by experienced crafters through eCraftClasses.com. The Trading Ideas section of the Oriental Trading Company website features resources, articles and project ideas that you can tailor to your classes and demonstrations. If your art supply stores feature jewelry making materials and tools, discover ideas through the videos and how-to articles at WigJig.

Get new merchandising ideas and product sources through arts and crafts supply trade shows

By attending craft industry trade shows, you'll be able to discover hot new products and participate in "make and takes" to learn how to use these products. You can also study innovative display and marketing ideas and network to share merchandising strategies with other owners of art supply stores, so making the most of arts and crafts supplies in your business becomes easier.
Try: The Harvest Festival Original Art and Craft Show is the ideal convention for meeting distributors, arts and crafts supply companies, independent designers and other retailers. The event features exhibits on crafts from sewing to woodworking to glass etching, along with classes and seminars on growing your business. Discover new project ideas for your arts and crafts store, along with new wholesale sources, at the American Craft Retailer Expo, produced by Wholesalecrafts.com, a wholesale arts and crafts supply store for retailers and artists.

 

  • Increase sales of key products by keeping an attractive sample project, along with the targeted craft tool or supply, near the cash register. Prepare a short demonstration that you can show customers to reveal the versatility and value of the highlighted art supply.

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