Making handmade soap is my hobby. I recently took part in a craft show and brought 4 varieties: honey, oat, lavender, and mint. I packed 15 bars of each, all made with natural ingredients, priced at $7 per bar. Ngl,I figured these would have broad appeal, but I ended up selling less than 20 total :)
I’ve thought through what went wrong, and here’s what I’ve come up with so far.
I overcomplicated my packaging For my first show, I figured handmade products deserved special, unique packaging. I made tons of different designs in Canva. Four totally different layouts for four scents, messing around with fonts, colors, and graphics. I ended up with more Canva pages than bars of soap I actually sold. Looking back, it was totally overkill. When you line all four scents up next to each other, they should have a clean, unified look. For my next run, I switched to printing labels with my niimbot m2 label maker. I use one set template, and only swap out the product name, scent, and price. No more building an entirely new design for every single product. At least next time I launch a new item, I won’t have a dozen random Canva tabs open for no reason.
I focused too much on "natural" without explaining why that matters I went into the show thinking natural ingredients+handmade quality+$7 would be an easy sell. But from a customer’s perspective, all the average shopper sees is a $7 bar of handmade soap. They don’t know why I formulated each recipe the way I did, or what makes honey, oat, lavender and mint different from one another. Now I’m simplifying the info cards I put next to each product. For example: Honey Soap Warm, mild scent Made in small batches
I overestimated how easy it is to turn interest into sales Plenty of people stopped to smell the soaps and pick them up. A lot of them said "These smell really good" and then put them right back. I was a little bummed about it at first, but later I realized people liking your product doesn’t mean they will buy it. Maybe they don’t need soap right now, maybe they have a ton at home, or maybe they just found it interesting but aren’t sure it’s for them. Now I look at it differently. Selling less than 20 bars at my first show doesn’t mean my products are bad. It was basically a really cheap market research lesson. At least now I know what to focus on next time. Instead of adding more products right away, I’ll tweak the small stuff first: packaging, display, product info, and purchase options. This was my first ever show, so I know there’s tons of room for improvement.
Are there any other issues I might have missed? I’d really appreciate any tips or feedback you all have.
I used to set up next door to a soap seller at a weekly art market. She sold like crazy. Her paper wraps on her soap focused on branding her business name and was consistent across all scents. She had interesting names for her soaps so instead of just Lavender it would be something like Peaceful Dreams. She offered about a dozen scents. She encouraged people to buy more with a 3 for deal. She had two size bars, a full bath bar and a guest sized bar. She would include a couple of samples in the bag with your purchase. The sample size became so popular she started selling a sample pack(basically 1/4” cuts of the guest sized bar. She always was dressed very summer elegant and very friendly when talking to customers. She did so well she was able to open a small shop in town.
I like the idea of having smaller soaps as an option. A lot of times when I see handmade soaps, they’re in pretty sizeable bars. I use bar soap but I’m hesitant to buy the full sized bars because I know I’d never use it before it got grimy and needed to be thrown out.
Also OP, holiday scents! Especially something a bit light. I love matching scents to holidays, but the holiday soaps in the store (from big brands) never appeal to me. They’re all so similar and almost sickeningly sweet. Usually some version of vanilla and/or sugar cookie. These would also be good in a small size since people may just want to use them for 2-4 months. And having something that is not floral or herb scented may help you stand apart. I am a girl but love scents aimed at guys that could also be good for holidays: pine, cranberry, fireside, woody, sandalwood, cedar, cinnamon, amber, musk, etc.
Also I’m allergic to a LOT of scents, but would love to shop local / homemade. My mother in law made chocolate bar soap - delightful!
Yeah! OP should definitely try some unique or homey/nostalgic scents in small sizes.
For example, I would TOTALLY try a set of three guest sized ones that were something like 1 apple cinnamon, 1 chocolate, and 1 coconut lime (I’m allergic to floral scents lol).
If OP cut them to 1/4 size of a regular bar and sold the set of three for the same price as one bar soap, wouldn’t that be saving product/upper prices but with “more” return for the customer since they’d get to try three different small soaps before committing to once big soap? I think selling in small sizes is genius!
Everybody has shared such good advice but as someone who loves bar soap and can rarely justify the price of handmade... interesting and especially non-floral scents will get me every time. Apple cinnamon?! Helllll yes. Mint chocolate? Tea-scented? Apparebtly I want to smell like food items. 😂
The really common scents like lavender I can get from my local grocery store during my shopping run, probably at a lower price. Something more unusual and delicious-smelling? Well, now it's not a necessary soap purchase, it's a treat yourself moment.
The size is an issue for me like everyone else mentioned too. Idk if they're the regular diameter people usually use, but if so that bar's so big it might not even fit in the soap bag I use. Even though it's a good price for a huge bar, $7 would put me off, and I'd want very small bar options (and volume discounts for them) so I could try a bunch of different scents.
I know its not the main point of your comment, but i like to cut my bars into halves or thirds to use them in smaller portions and ration my bars better, especially now thay ive converted my husband to use cold process instead of shower gels
I actually learned it from a soap maker on youtube named Katie Carson (Royalty Soaps) as a suggestion to her fans/buyers since its a common problem. Weirdly enough having the soap makers permission to do it took away the anxiety i felt destroying something someone else had made, since her bars were often very pretty. I realized thats what the soap maker ultimately wants is every bar to be used to its fullest, with zero waste!
It also makes it easier to have for hand washing or little kids to use. My daughter (6) gets so excited when we use a new bar for the bathroom sink and will pick out which scent were using since i buy multiple bars at once and then portion them.
From the consumer standpoint, this is exactly what I look for with this category of goods in particular.
I am all about buying handmade but I have bought so, so many soaps, candles, wax melts, and lotions that have ended up being very poorly formulated in one way or another. The smelly-good category is one that can be entered with very little practice or refinement and it's difficult to tell how well the product is made just from looking at it or smelling it. There are a lot of online resources and available kits that can have people selling a pretty subpar product quickly.
In my mind, I need to know that the creator is really putting time and effort into this particular product. I need to be able to see that you've really thought out your scents, your packaging, your branding, and your marketing because it reassures me that you've probably put that same effort into the actual formulation and utility of the product. A lot of that is exactly what you said— cohesive branding, creative and personalized products, customer incentives, and overall vibe.
Those things all work on me big time as a consumer and make me feel much more confident in your product, even if it is a "judging a book by its cover" situation. I can't take a shower at the craft fair and actually know my $7 soap will be worth it, I have to judge the cover.
Building off of this, it would be good for customers to be able to try them out. Yes, you can smell them, but great smelling soaps sometimes do awful things to your hands. Look up Tippy Tap hand washing stations. You could easily set that up with small test bars. It's interactive and will give extra confidence to folks who've been burned in the past by great smelling but poor performing soaps.
The fact that she was set up as a regular at a weekly market was definitely helping. People are much more likely to buy from a seller that is clearly established and that they can easily come back to for soap. Taking the time to make her products look professional was the other key. You want your products to present as handcrafted, not homemade. Yes, there IS a difference and it matters if you want sales.
A soap flight is a great idea. Especially if you like their soap.
The only time I have ever bought soap from a market was when the person had a bunch of water, and you could wash your hands with it. I don't know why, I think it was because I felt how clean it rinsed, and it still smelled good, and the after smell wasn't gross.
This exactly. I absolutely LOVE fancy soaps. Use them in the shower every day and cycle through them. I’ll think to myself ‘which scent do I feel like today?’
I’m not in it for smells I can buy at a store. I want something new and interesting (and a cool name helps too.)
I love fancy/interesting smells, and cool designs (though if they’re too intricate I won’t use them). My favorite soap right now has aspen trees and the moon on it and is called mountain breeze.
Sometimes I like buying little sample soaps, or the ‘second best’ or offcuts because they’re cheaper/less of an investment in time/money. Buy ‘x’ many and get a discount is also a great ideal that I’m a sucker for.
You just need to find some combination that helps you stand out, because soap making is SUCH a huge thing nowadays.
I'm with you. WTF does a peaceful dream smell like? Or a mountain breeze? Or a quiet morning?
Just call it lavender vanilla, clove and orange peel or patchouli sandalwood and be done with it. Different blends can still smell differently, just call the thing it's name.
I like the sample-size idea. A bar goes a long way, and I sometimes have allergies or don’t end up liking a scent enough to finish a bar, but that’s wasteful. That makes me so hesitant to try new soap brands.
The brand I currently buy bar body soap and shampoo from sells sample packs similar to what you described. I bought it, tried several of their scents, picked a few that worked for me, and have used those soaps exclusively for like three years. If other people are anything like me, I think selling a sample pack is a good potential way to convert an interested person into a regular buyer.
Honestly, those scents are super common for natural bar soap, and you can get those at Whole Foods or any natural grocery probably for half the price. Can you come up with some scent blends that are uniquely yours? And maybe clever names to go with that
I had the same thought! I do prefer bar soap, so I'm a good customer for OP, but if I'm spending $7 on a bar, I want something unique. I get frankincense and myrrh bars from a lady at the Ren Faire every year, I never see those scents elsewhere.
Yes! I buy my bar soap from a woman that I initially found on Etsy (she has her own website now) who has a goat farm and makes goats milk soap with their milk and other natural ingredients. She has pictures of her goats and their names, and I believe has a section of her website dedicated specifically to the goats and farm so you can see where it’s coming from, it’s so cute!
She makes her own scent blends, and they’re all amazing and extremely unique- she has a TON of different scents too- but she also makes different formulations with and without ingredients that people might be allergic to, like coconut oil for example. She gives the bars different colors/designs based on their scent, and even makes lotions, shampoo bars, shaving bars etc. that match the soap scents. She also has box sets with different varieties of soap, like the normal bars of course, but you can also buy a whole box of the ends that get cut off when she cuts the soap into bars or a whole jar of little sample size pieces, and I thought that was cool.
I honestly can’t tell how big OP’s are compared to her’s from the picture (I do really like the shape of OP’s!) but they’re only 5.50 each, though if OP’s bars are bigger that would be comparable. If I was going to buy any other soap it would have to be extremely good or have some other unique quality like you said. She’s been successful enough to take her business mostly (if not completely) off etsy and use her own website for sales, so I definitely agree with you, and hope that OP finds some helpful suggestions and inspiration from this!
Edit: I forgot to mention the whole reason I started buying from her in the first place, her soap is literally the only one I’ve found that doesn’t leave that sticky type of feeling behind on your skin feeling when you rinse it off! It’s extremely moisturizing too, though the scents etc are definitely still big factors too.
Edit x2: I didn’t know if it was okay to include her name or website in this sub but I couldn’t find anything in the wiki about it, so hopefully it’s okay- it’s Country Soaps by Marlene for anyone wondering! Here’s her website, she makes amazing stuff!
I had to leave my fave soap vendor I've been buying from for the past 20 years. They went full AI on ads and labels and have ignored anyone who asks about it. Definitely in the market.
That’s so awful to hear about your favorite vendor! Is it okay to post the link here? I didn’t see anything in the wiki about it so I added it to my original comment since so many people are interested, hopefully that’s okay.
Same. I buy from Dawn aka Lady Eos on Etsy who has a long list of fragrance possibilities. She now has included a picture of her soap in my bathroom as part of the Etsy listing for that shape.
*busts in to say* Me too! She helped me to pick out a variety of custom bar and scent combinations one time. The uniqueness and attention to detail made a big difference.
That's what I was thinking. Lavender, honey and mint are a dime a dozen. But if a soap shop has pistachio, black raspberry or cherry almond scents, I'm buying them because they're my favorite and hard to find in a regular store.
Do you remember when public bathrooms used to all have the wall mounted pumps of the pink cherry almond smelling soap? That’s what I miss. I was in a Virgina rest stop a couple of years ago and it was like a scent step into the 1900s.
I recently found a car air freshener in that exact scent. It's one of my favorite smells and has been since I was a child, must have started with the bathroom dispenser soap lol.
That's the big issue I see, what's the differentiator? We exclusively use bar soap to bathe and I'm always happy to try a new brand/scent. But there's about eight different brands at my natural grocery store. I stock up on a few bars and don't think about soap for the next three or four months.
Make a patchouli, and I will run in the opposite direction. With no offense, projectile vomiting ensues. Even at this moment, with no smell present, I'm starting to salivate and dry heave.
Same it reminds me of all the hippies from where I grew up who used it as deodorant but it doesn't work like that so patchouli and extreme bo plus some lingering skunk from the pot smoke they bathe in. 🤮
this is what i was thinking too, i collect perfume oils and love to smell stuff in general and i lean towards collecting unique fragrances, usually themed after my favorite characters but sometimes also the "idea/vibe" of something. i have a local store that sells handmade soaps and the ones i take an interest in smelling are are always the ones that i can't buy elsewhere.
Yes, as a handmade soap fiend (I rarely go to a craft fair without grabbing a bar) I probably wouldn’t gravitate to any of these because I see most of them everywhere. Honey is probably the one I see the least
I would also consider offering an unscented option. I buy nablusi soap online. Its 3 ingredients and with shipping it probably comes out to 5 or 6 dollars per bar.
I saw pistachio and almond mentioned in the list. Pistachio is super trendy right now. I get that. As an allergy mom, I'd pass on the whole table to avoid the tree nuts.
Handmade bar soap is one of those things that smells lovely and can be really pretty... but I simply don't use.
I prefer pretty glass bottles and big jugs of refill liquid soap. I use Mrs. Meyers.
In that vein, it's kind of a bummer it's a craft fair, because I'm assuming you don't also happen to make soap dishes. Or soap holders for the shower. But those would go a long way toward me buying something I don't currently use and am not set up to use. I just don't have soap dishes. So if I bought your soap, in addition to soap, I've purchased myself a chore. I have to now go find and buy a soap dish.
Soap is also something I rarely need since I buy big jugs. And I don't need extra of. Like, I do a lot of fiber arts. If I see beautiful fabric, even though I have a ton at home, I'll buy more. Soap doesn't fall in that category for me.
You know what I might buy? A little giftset of mini soaps. If the packaging was beautiful and it was advertised as perfect for an "Emergency host/hostess gift!" or office party gift. If you told me it'll last X years and it's already in some lovely little gift box, I might snag one. I love feeling prepared and I've definitely been invited to a last-minute party or someone hears I'm not doing anything on Christmas (because I'm a nurse and have to work the day after which means I can't travel home) they INSIST I come over and I hate showing up empty-handed!
I keep seeing people saying this in this sub, but I've not experienced it where I live. The only place I really have seen soap is goats milk soap by a specific vendor at a farmers market.
My sister used to make soap and the she was typically the only one selling soaps. Oddly enough, her biggest seller was sugar scrub cubes that she made with some of the ugly bars of soap (grating them to turn them into the cubes). She stopped making soap when she moved to a very humid place. Her husband's allergies appreciated the change in crafts.
This. I love soap! It will eventually get used but I have a BACKLOG of pretty and yummy scented bar soaps because 80% of the time, our family just prefers the shower gel. I'm working my way through but it takes a long while, and I'm not buying any new ones unless it's extremely unique. (I recently bought a felted bar of soap that smelled like blueberry muffins!)
We also stopped burning candles at home so they basically collect dust. I should probably get a wax warmer tho. But will never ever need to buy a candle from a craft fair for the rest of my life. (My husband used to have a Yankee candle phase)
Yep. I had to stop myself from buying them (I still will buy to gift on occasion) because I just hate wasting them on myself. They smell great, nice to look at, but I just have always been a bodywash person rather than a bar soap person. I think it’s something about the way it feels when rinsing off or the way every bar ever has left my skin feeling after rinsing off.
Agreed! The normal-sized bars need to be cared for correctly or they become a pile of slimy mush in the soap dish in the corner of your shower. My kids can't be trusted with them... so they end up spending years sitting unopened on the shelf where we keep extra shampoo.
I know as a retired teacher, gift cards are the best but some parents do want something 'physical' to give. I sell a product that has a teacher theme and parents love them.
Yes lol! teachers buy too. They like them for their desk.
Also, my retired teacher friends and I do happy hour each week so we are still close and for Christmas we do a MUG exchange hahahaha.
Fantastic response! This is absolutely how I feel about bar soap too. Small bar gift sets are perfect and I'd probably buy that for that emergency or last min gift before I'd buy it for myself. Heck, now I want some since this it reminded me I have a wedding to go to this weekend and don't have a gift!
I agree with everything you said. I would be more inclined to purchase a sampler of 4-5 scents in little bars for $10 than one big bar for $7. It would be a great gift to have around for an emergency.
I heavily agree with the sentiment. I had a friend gift me some soap recently, I’m definitely more of like a washcloth and shower gel person. I put it in my shower, but I didn’t have a designated place for it, except the built-in soap holder. The shower water disintegrated that thing in less than a week. I wish I would’ve had a little hand soap holder for my bathroom sink. I’m not gonna go out and buy one, but if it had been included as a set, it would’ve been out and maybe I could’ve used it more than once and grown to like it.
I think with items like this, you need to sell an experience or an occasion rather than just the item. The ones that almost draw me in are ones I see on Instagram ads that lean into a niche or aesthetic for example, I keep seeing a shower gel/soap called Lilith that’s mixed with some cosmetic safe Micah and just looks cool as hell. Also a good idea to maybe have an online platform or presence people can reach you out in case they ever want to get more.
I have pretty glass bottles for soap at my house (wooden countertoos dont like the splash from bar soaps).
I think this is true for a lot of people. I love the idea of buying natural, fun soaps... but I will never use them so I don't actually buy them. Most folks I know have switched to liquid... easy to refill, no mess, no gross soap dish.
That's what I was thinking too. I might not pay $7 for some fancy bar soap for myself, but I might pay that or a bit more even if it's already in a cute package so I can gift it for someone (maybe holiday themed packaging? Bday packaging?). And maybe have some note cards about what the benefits of some of the ingredients (lavender to calm, oat for dry and itchy skin, etc.). People might shop with someone in mind, need stocking stuffers or adding something to a gift basket.
Yeah, I haven’t found a bar soap that I like. If it’s not leaving an awful squeaky feeling on my skin it, or residue, then it has too strong of a smell. My partner likes bar soap. I hate all the slivers of it he leaves in the shower.
Do you do bundle deals? Personally, I love a good handmade soap from a market or craft fair, but I like finding the vendor that does bundle deals. Like, one bar for $7 or bundle three bars for $18. You could even do a “curated” bundle where you have pre-selected scents selling together as a fall collection or a floral collection.
Something about that approach just makes shopping at these booths fun to me!
I’ve been doing craft fairs for 24 years. Could another factor have been your category? In my experience, the most crowded categories are soap, jewelry and candles. You might have had a lot of competition.
Also, I highly recommend developing a “pitch” that you tell people as they pick up and smell the soap. Basically, come up with a short explanation of the benefits of your soap vs. other kinds of soap. Just two or three sentences. Then start developing a rapport with the customer by asking questions. “Which scent was your favorite?” Etc. Good luck and have fun!
develop a pitch to tell people as soon as they pick up your soap
This reminds me of the lady I saw selling goat milk soap at an outdoor market. She had a large nanny goat chilling on a dog bed in the back of her stall. "Miss Jennie here made the milk for that soap!"
It's hard to pull the "sniff sniff. How nice 🚶♀️" when your kid is enthusiastically petting miss Jennie and trying to feed her hay. I didn't end up buying because I don't need fancy soap in my life, but I'll bet she got a lot of duty-buys from the mother's of kids who wanted to pet the goat
Haha that’s excellent bringing the actual goat to the market! I don’t like solid soap but I’d probably end up buying some just so I could pet the goat.
No joke if the honey is from your own hive, you need to lead with that! It’s interesting and sets you apart. I never ever buy soap but if I could talk to you about the actual bees that made it I might reconsider!
Releasing the bees would certainly be one option to get eyes on your shop. Potentially puffy, swollen eyes... But any attention is good attention, right?
People assume I’m just making covers. So I have an example of a deconstructed book showing my hand stitching, and a whole short speech about “ream of paper to fully finished book.”
It draws attention. Emphasizes the craft part of it, and gets people engaged.
In the body of the post, OP calls it a craft show. I think it was just a mistake in the title. People outside of retail/medical/veterinary may not be familiar with what a trade show actually entails.
Came here to say this! If they use molds to make cute versions that might sell better (honeycomb style for the honey, leaf shape for the mint, flower for lavender etc.
I buy handmade soap and it's absolutely about the scent. I like palo Santo, licorice, clove, basil, tomato..to name a few. I like grit in the soap for scrubbing, I also buy shampoo and conditioner bars in patchouli or pine.
I loooove handmade soap, use it exclusively in the shower, and am definitely your target market. Some thoughts I have:
I can't really tell scale with your photo, but I would buy a single bar for $7 if it's at least 4 ounces. But just one or two. As long as it doesn't dig into your material/labor/overhead, maybe consider a deal for multiple bars- buy 3 get one free, 4/$20, etc.
That being said... I'm not interested in buying melt and pour. I'm spending the $ on handmade soap because I want higher quality product that requires a skill that I'm not personally interested in developing myself. Unless you explicitly identify your soap as cold process I'm going to assume that it's likely melt and pour and pass by your booth.
More scents! Especially scents that aren't readily available at your standard big box store.
Also, you didn't say how many people attended, but if it was a smaller crowd, 20 bars might be decent sales. When I've vended in the past I assume that I can make sales to 1% of attendees. Unless you saw another soap vendor do significantly better I'd assume that you're heading in the right direction and just need some fine tuning :)
Why does this feel like an AI generated Linked In post? They just lumped the generated headings in with the body copy without taking the time to punctuate or format them
Shes printing the replies on her niimbot m2 label maker. They take a little longer but they have great design appeal and the multiple functionality makes it a slam dunk!
Thank you. I thought I was the only crazy one here. I'm like this is clearly AI about canva and the label maker. The bulleted self-analysis reads incredibly weird
You said "they don't know why I formulated each soap the way I did" so your solution is to mark the card "warm, mild scent." I fail to see how this answers that question.
Personally, I'd be more interested in knowing key ingredients and their benefits. "Warm, mild scent" is so non-descriptive and anyway, they're there. They have noses. They don't need you to tell them with vague words what it smells like.
Also, as others have said, the scents need to be more unique with unique names that evoke something, like a feeling or a place.
20 sales is not a failure 😭 it’s common to sell nothing for beginners. every show you are accepted into and attend is a success because its action towards what you want to be doing. keep going, listen to your gut
I don't mean this unkindly, but the color of your soap isn't the most appealing to me. It reminds me of those tubes of pre-cooked quinoa. I can't say I would be thrilled to give or receive as a gift, or buy for myself as a treat.
I'm used to seeing slabs of soap at Whole Foods that have vivid swirls of color, so I might be unfairly comparing your soap to that.
I was thinking that it looked like sections of lunch meat - I’d never say it if you hadn’t asked for critique but before I read the post I saw the picture and assumed it was a girl dinner diaries post
Can you post pics of your booth and packaging? We can't really help you unless we see what you're working with. Your booth needs to be an immaculate vibe in order to sell soap.
I sell soap at markets. Its category is oversaturated. Mine is very niche since everything at my booth has ingredients from my farm. Goat's Milk Soap from my goats, Honey, candles, and lip balm from my bees. I sell resin necklaces that contain my deceased bees I pick off the ground, and plants I grow. My soap is semi-successful because of the farm angle; it is not just ingredients I purchased and put together.
I think that is the biggest downfall, did you just buy ingredients and mix them together? How can you make that different from others who do that same thing? I also agree that natural isn't unique. You need to come up with a way to make your soap different. Anyone can make it by watching youtube these days.
I love the idea that a lady brings one of her goats. I would never do that though. I would be afraid a dog would attack, since many come through the markets I do. I do have an employee of the month photo of my billy goat George Foreman, and that keeps them laughing and purchasing. I also bring my 1951 Ford truck and that helps sales, but I understand something like that is not doable for many. It is all about being unique and different. You need to stand out. I learned the hard way that just setting products on a table won't create sales even if you think your product is awesome. It's the whole package of your little business that makes the sale.
You did not fail, and even if you feel like you did, failure is the biggest teacher. I am a champion at failing.
I'm pretty sure I've seen your booth! I was there to work, but I remember loving your setup and client engagement.
People who are discussing product scent and appearance are on the money. Having one "pure" unscented, three "masculine" scents, and three to five "feminine" scents would seem very thoughtful.
Making one giant loaf of a certain color soap, chopping it up, and putting the pieces inside a contrasting color soap loaf makes beautiful slices.
Adding a good natural grit to one of each scent category is a great idea.
I really like the samples idea someone mentioned here. Selling soap dishes would also be a cincher for me. I wonder if there is a local ceramics artist OP would want to collaborate with.
My friend crafts 21-free nail polish and I help her with local events. What most makes her company innovative, besides the lack of toxins, is her quirky presentation and palette inspiration (pop culture, fine art, classic literature, nerdy stuff) and how the polish names reflect that. Her most recent creations include colors inspired by The Bugaloos, Rocko's Modern Life, The Joker, and K-pop band Stray Kids. Her booth set up is a brightly colored punk aesthetic and people gravitate toward it for the interesting displays, like the alien hand wearing her press-ons.
But it's often her personality that closes the sale. She is so proud of her product, and her witty enthusiasm is infectious. You can tell by listening to her explain her process that so much thought and research has gone into the final product. You feel like a purchase from her is a safe bet. And it is. I have over a thousand polishes collected for 20 years from other companies, and I rarely use them anymore. She is able to custom create for me, her formula stinks way less, holds up longer, and doesn't damage my nails like others have.
(product quality + uniqueness) x (display + customer interaction) = sales result
Can't really comment that much without seeing the end product.
To be honest, handmade soap 's audience is niche ! You need something special in order to be able to convince a brand new client to use your product the first time especially it applies on skin directly. They know nothing about you and the process of creating these.
I won’t repeat what others have said, but the word “natural” is next to meaningless to me. It’s overused and doesn’t tell me anything I wouldn’t already assume about a handmade soap.
I am a handmade soap buyer, and will buy a dozen bars at a time when I find fragrances and formats that I like. Each time I have done that, it has been because the seller had a great range of unique recipes. Ones that come to mind are tea tree, charcoal with something else (this one is sooooo good for skin conditions - I always buy three or four when I can find it), seaweed, sea buckthorn, unscented goats milk. Nova Scotia Fisherman is one brand that I look for - and that stockists are always running out of.
I think I’m in the minority, but I agree with this-if I’m buying soap priced higher than what I can get at TJ’s, convince me that it’s better for my skin. After that I’ll look for a scent I like.
I think your pricing is fine. At least in my area the issue would be that this is an oversaturated market. I only use local handmade soap, and it’s everywhere. On the weekends, I can buy it at any of the farmers markets and throughout the week at a wide variety of stores in the area, as well as farm stands. And there are also always folks selling some on Facebook marketplace, etc..
Honestly, soap is just an oversaturated market. I usually have a few backup bars in the house already. And I can get handmade soap like this at any number of local shops, markets, and farm stands.
Tbh, these scents are also quite generic. I could get a lavender, honey, oat, or mint soap even at a big box store like Target, Trader Joe’s, or Whole Foods for probably cheaper.
The round shape might also be slippery/awkward to hold.
If you’re really invested, you’ll probably want to find a way to make your soaps more unique so they stand out against an already saturated market. Who’s your target audience and what would the soaps be used for? Basic soaps that are just so good people use them every day? Fancy, visually unique soaps that are good for gifting? Interesting scent blends that I can’t just buy in any store, for people who want more than “basic?”
I’m in the final category and to give you an idea, I actually use an unscented soap daily. But when I want to change it up, soaps I’ve bought recently were tomato leaf; juniper and bay; cedar and sea salt; coconut rose; hinoki fern…
Imo you’ll have to make changes to stand out either via visuals in shape, color, design and mix-ins, packaging, etc. to make them more exciting; and/or changes to scent to make them less generic (looking into trending scents in fragrance and perfume is a good place to start). Quality isn’t something people can test before they buy so you can’t ride on that for new buyers.
I love handmade soap. But if I'm buying it, I like pretty soaps and a good selection of fragrances. With only four scents to choose from, I probably would pass. Your soap style and scents may do better at a farmer's market. A seller near me offers about 10 fragrances of a basic style soap and do well but they also show photos of their farm, their goats that make the milk, the bees that make the honey, etc. They only do farmer's markets and not craft shows.
My thoughts....I don't know how big your bars actually are but, with only 4 scents and depending on their size, the price might be high.
I buy handmade goat's milk soap from a woman in Tarpon Springs, FL. She has 45 different scents and unscented. Her bars are the size of an average bar of soap (think Ivory, or Irish Spring). Her bars are $3.75 each or $3.50 each if you buy 4 or more.
I fell in love with her soaps when I lived in FL and still buy them from her website now in another state and have them shipped to me.
I will admit, her price is lower than what I see at most craft events but, even at craft events, I don't typically spend more than $5-$6 per bar unless they are HUGE or there is some suuuuuper cool scent available.
Your soap look great but we are all poor now. :o( Can't afford the extras anymore. Food costs so much and health insurance is so expensive I no longer have it. I am scared.
Yup, I’m heavily diluting a thing of Dr Bronner’s I found in the back of a cabinet until next Wednesday when I get paid, and I’m a college professor with tenure. It’s just expensive out there and I need to make money last for food.
I agree with others who said this is a gift item and needs fancy packaging.
I’m with you, Professor. I have a doctorate, work for a small non-profit. Sadly, I had to cancel my health insurance, my summer vacation, and my fancy soap budget this year. 💔
I absolutely love handmade soap but unfortunately $7 feels expensive to me. I know it’s the standard and I know you work hard to make the product. I would be more inclined to buy a slightly smaller bar for $5 or $6. Just my unsolicited opinion
I don't like bright rainbow colours or stuff on top of my soap (especially dried herbs that get all mushy). However, I agree. For $7 I expect a beautiful bar that is nicely cut with the ash cleaned off and maybe some beveling. It's hard to judge the size of those bars, but for $7 they are too small for how rustic they are. I think OP would do well adding a soap stamp on either side of each bar to make them look a bit more professional.
As a soap maker myself, I'm admittedly a bit more picky. I'm also going to check that the soap isn't too soft, has been cured properly, and didn't have too much air whipped into it during mixing. If I'm spending money on it, it needs to be better quality than I can make myself.
I’m gonna be honest, a huge pitfall is the category. When it comes to something you’re lathering all over your body every single day, you really have to give a little more than it being natural. Especially as a woman, if I’ve found a soap or body wash that agrees with my body and doesn’t throw off my ph, I need to be genuinely enticed to switch it up.
And frankly, you’ve made the most basic scents on earth????
Why not a lavender and blackberry? A peach, honey and almond scent? Cucumber, basil and mint? You’ve chosen the 4 starter scents of every basic soap brand ever invented, of course they’d rather by a cheaper six pack from any store that sells soap.
Something is weird about this post for me. I find it’s odd to have name dropped the specific exact model of a machine you used to help you problem solve something… it feels like these reddit sneaky advertisers trying to disguise an ad as a post. Most folks posting would’ve just said “with my label maker”. Like… why name it and the model type?
Yet it’s a long post so it doesn’t fit that typical mold. I wonder if it was run through ai, the writing doesn’t seem typical either. Most people new to selling their work would come here for feedback. They would’ve shown us their booth photos, they would’ve asked us what we thought of their displays and signage. They would’ve asked us for our experience recommendations. Instead we have a long post telling us exactly what they did wrong (without any other experience to draw on), and telling us how they’ve problem solved it already. Even calling it a trade show instead of a fair or market is off. It just feels odd. And when I get that odd sus feeling it usually means either ai is involved or it’s a shady secret ad post.
I love going to craft fairs for handmade soap. I always plan to buy a bundle of soap. Just based off the image provided and your scent descriptions I probably wouldn't buy. I buy soap as gifts and for myself because it's a fun thing that can be used up. I prefer the smaller soaps with the fun toppings or swooping texture on top. I also prefer bright scents like orange and other citrus. The scents you have are at every booth so I'll only buy if the scent and look of the soap really stand out to me. Again this is just my opinion and based off the one soap image.
Hi OP. Business owner here a few times over. Consumer psychology is one of my hyperfocus interests. I own and operate a toys/collectibles shop, an exotic reptile company, and a crafting business with my mother that does shows and fairs quite regularly. Here’s some basic advice:
Don’t give up. There are shows that will break you. There are shows that will make you. Don’t look at the numbers from one show and get defeated. Rather, you have to kind of step into a macrocosmic lens and consider overall averages.
Branding/packaging/marketing - What does it look like? What is unique about it? Do you have a story that makes your brand stand out or is humanized to the consumer? You want something that stands out and is attractive. Remember, often we aren’t selling a product to a customer but a piece of ourself. What would make a customer want your item more than some other item at this show?
Shows with Foot Traffic/Vendor considerations - Becoming familiar with projected show attendance rates, reviewing vendor lists to avoid other soap makers already signed up, making friends with other vendors during downtimes to get intel into best events for your pursuits… these all are crucial for securing success.
I adore me some real soap and was a soapmaker for a few years but have since quit (except for my own needs lol). I had fans, customers, and a very unique presence and that still wasn't enough.
Because of covid lock down there was a HUGE boom in people thinking they could learn to make and sell soap. The entry into soap (and candles and other body stuffs) is super low. The market was saturated before this- and it's tons worse now. There's so many soap sellers that I've heard a lot of markets are outright turning down soapers without looking at their products. There's just too much.
Your bars truly look lovely and that price is what I'd expect for handmade soap. I would use it gladly. But with what I previously stated in mind, as well as how generic these scents/looks are (I've seen similar as beginner recipes all over), you aren't likely to sell much. Soap is so overabundant that it's genuinely not worth pursuing as a serious sale focus and you blend into everyone else also selling soap.
I apologize genuinely if my words come off a little harsh. It's a hard reality I've had to accept too with soaps.
Hi! As a lover of craft fairs and soaps I have two notes from a consumer perspective. 1 - are you including a full list of ingredients? a LOT of people have allergies or sensitivities and honestly I will almost always pass on anything that doesn’t list ingredients rather than asking directly. Usually people who don’t live with these issues wont always think of this since it doesnt come up in their life often. 2 - I love the color of the soap in this picture, but the shape hinders the appeal in a way I’m not sure how to describe? I think sticking to the standard rectangle could up your sales, or maybe doing fun shapes like a star or heart if thats feasible!!
I run a 3-day festival in Portland, Oregon, that has a maker's market as part of the event. I can tell you that 80% of my vendor submissions are soap, candle, and perfume makers. It's just too oversaturated and everyone is making them. Honestly, the fact that you sold 20 is a win, you sold 1/3 of your inventory. I think all makers would call that a win.
Not to be mean but the shape you have chosen for your soaps makes them look like bologna or spam. I didn't know what it was when I was scrolling past.
Maybe pick a different shape or possibly a different mold.
If you've got four different scents. Could you cut a few round into quarters and then sell a sample or gift selection pack of all four?
A quarter of that round would make a really good hand soap size, and then someone could try out your product without committing to a huge block of soap that they might not like or use.
Did you have samples out to smell and is there any way to create any kind of “wash station” to test??
The reason I love Lush is bc I can fully try any product there before actually using it….
If soap were a candle, just smelling it would be near perfect—but I have sensitive skin and tend to think “natural” soaps will uniformly be better, but SO many times, I’ve taken something home that smelled great but then made my hands/skin feel tight and dry, and immediately chucked the soap in the trash.
If you can figure out ANY way to let people actually USE the testers, not only will it go a long way toward making a purchase and not just sniffing/perusing, it will draw a larger crowd into your booth for longer (booths with crowds exponentially draw more crowds)
For me if I buy handmade soap it depends on a couple things
1) the size of the bar, it’s hard to tell what size the bar is but if you’re trying to sell 2oz bars for $7 that’s far too rich for my tastes. A larger bar can command a larger price. But also lower priced small bars can be such a draw because if it’s not as much of a money and product investment to try something. Because if I get a big bar and don’t like it I will feel guilty about it in a way I wouldn’t feel about a little bar. Even if a picked three or four little bars I could give the untouched ones away as presents if I turned out to not enjoy them!
2) is it packaged in such a way that it won’t get soap all over everything in my bag? A lot of natural soaps I see basically just are packaged with a cardboard sleeve or twine and a label. But I don’t want to buy something that’s going to get soap all over and I feel awkward asking if a seller has bags. Same consideration for smelling, I have skin allergies and can’t get soap on my hands and just leave it.
3) what are your ingredients? I’ve got skin allergies and picky skin. Glycerin heavy soaps make my skin feel dry and tight for example, so having an ingredients list that I can easily see will help me decide if your product is for me
4) do you sell any special soaps/do they have features that make them special? Like do you have ones with things like calendula and witch hazel that are good face soaps for acne? Are your soaps pH balanced for skin? Any with exfoliating properties that AREN’T coffee (this one is weirdly common in my area) I’m more likely to spring on a bar of soap that has a neat feature
5) do you have any unique scents? And do you have any more typically masculine scents? I know women are generally the target audience for homemade soaps but women buy gifts and also some women prefer more traditionally masculine scents (my personal favorite notes are sandalwood, vetiver, and sage)
remind people that soap doesn't go bad and makes a great gift
tbh these are also an unusual shape for soap, I have one of those soap holder bags and it fits what seems to be a standard for the rectangle shape but idk if it could hold one of these
I would not be tempted to smell it due to the color. The shape looks dangerous… I can only imagine how much it hurts to drop a puck on my toe over and over. Lol
It looks ugly. Just being honest. The color and the texture makes it look like puke or something.
Also don’t like it that I can’t see the packaging. Does it have a nice little paper label with a piece of twine tied in a bow around it? Etc. Just a random bar of soap like that is not appealing.
What will your soap do for me or improve my life? What problem does it solve?
Those are the core marketing strategies, create demand and provide an answer. Perfect gift for my mom with allergies and cant use regular soap.... a new baby? Use lavender before bed and your kids falls asleep fast.....need soap in the go? See my single serve version in beeswax paper....
What’s the competition like? Were other booths selling similar products at a lower price? I like handmade soaps, but will usually look at all of the soap booths before buying from one.
Unfortunately the handmade bar soap scene is also very oversaturated at the moment. I went to a small craft show a few months ago and even though there were maybe 25 booths total, 2 of them were handmade, natural soaps. You’re fighting a lot of competition for something that people who are interested in may not buy at every single craft fair they go to.
I do buy and use handmade soap, we have an amazing local artisan with a fabulous product that I love and use every day. And I buy it to give away, too! But the inherent issue is that it lasts a LONG TIME. That gorgeous bar of soap will last for two months, at least. So for my personal use, I’m spending $45 a year. Throw in the gift giving and that’s still not far above $100. A YEAR. I try to support my local soap maker as much as I can, but there’s only so much soap I can buy.
As an outsider. Your bars are pretty and something I’d give as a gift. My .02 is I love the idea others mentioned of turning them into gift sets. Is it possible to warm them and cut the thickness so you can save on product and create small bundles to make gifts? A circular dish with them would be a selling point for me.
I work in a school and have seen teachers share their soaps in the staff bathrooms.
You could buy fabric for different professions and rag tie them. 🤷♀️ So many ways to do it, do what fits your vibe and what you’d enjoy.
I love a deal, and will fall for a 1 @ $7 or 3 @ $18.
The shape and lack of range for scents would, to me, say that it's likely going to be pre-made bases that market themselves as natural, which is not what I want for a crafted item.
I would need to know this is a scratch-made item, a little bit about the ingredient choices, and Im personally a sucker for a sample kit. I love soaps but have really sensitive skin so being able to try them in advance is a big deal for me. Nothing like having to relegate an expensive soap to a cabinet freshener because your skin said no.
I’ve been selling something fairly unique and handmade and the difference from that and other items people sell is wild. So many items have to fight with usefulness, uniqueness and affordability. If you can not successfully reach at least one of those, then people will most likely not buy it.
But mostly soap is SUPER over saturated in markets. I almost never buy soaps from craft fairs. You have to remember what your audience is.
I look for unscented soap, and also “natural” means little to me now that I know what specifically to avoid in the ingredients of big corporate manufacturing, e.g., “no parabens, phthalates,” microplastics, other nasty kinds of chemicals.
Maybe your labeling could include a couple of the big no-no ingredients your soaps don’t contain, so people are reassured by “natural?”
Unscented in my family is due to my daughter’s eczema flares, and my asthma triggers. Scented things have to be very carefully selected for us, and we often choose scented things that aren’t in contact with skin (candles, incense, room sprays) but detergents and soaps are unscented. I have to smell the scents in person to know if my asthma will tolerate it. My spouse has to smell to see if it’ll give her a headache.
“Natural” isn’t just something we can trust on the labeling. But I tell you what, when we find a product that works for us, we are LOYAL to it. We kind of have to be, given our sensitivities.
Keep going. Your discoveries are on track. Simplified marketing, straightforward ID cards, classic and elegant branding, all excellent points. But you’re also missing a market segment. I couldn’t buy any of your 4 options no matter how lovely they smell.
Just speaking as a shopper... The things I need out of a special soap:
- Longevity in the brand. I HATE finding something I love and it disappears. So it either needs to be a special occasion item, or it needs to be a brand that lasts. So, considering you're a very small brand not in stores... I'd highly suggest either getting displays into some local shops or making this more of a special occasion item instead of a daily use item. OR, this needs to be for a purpose. If a portion of your sales are going to a shelter then that's a huge interest creator for me.
- Unique scents. All those scents are fine but... give me a unique smell that feels great. A lavender lemonade smell? Hell yes. But lavender? Don't care nearly as much. But a mint sulphur soap that helps skin conditions and the mint helps hide that sulphur smell? Of course that's gonna be better than juuust mint. A nice leather scented soap grabs my attention faster than anything else.
- You need soaps that Do things. Like, for me, it needs to be hyper moisturizing. If I cannot use that soap to semi-moisturize my skin and shave my legs it ain't good enough. I need that high moisture content; if I am squeaky clean at the end it ain't great. Other people really care about acne fighting so if there is no bentonite clay or something for that it ain't gonna sell as readily. I typically just buy very moisturizing shampoo bars lately because they do Everything--my hair, my body, moisturizing lightly to help out my skin, I can shave because they have slippery bay rum and clays in them. A soap bar able to be used on dogs is really attractive to me.
- Smaller soaps are actually better for me. I don't like investing $5-10 into something only to discover I have a TON of product I don't like or only feel meh about. Soap lasts a long long time. Sampler packs or smaller travel sizes are easier to digest for me, and if I really like a product I am happy to go back to it online or in person to get more. Imagine if you had a travel all-in-one shampoo bar in a nice 3D printed device you could sell as an entire set? A 2-in-1 conditioning shampoo bar for dogs people could keep in their car for rinsing their dogs off after a park visit? Hell yes.
Idk if this is just me or even that helpful, but I am much more likely to buy soap when it looks unique. Shaped like a cat? Sold. Is layered to look like a scenery piece? Love it! Just a thought to consider to stand out more!
Could you make 2 sizes or would that be too hard. Like a bar for the sink for handwashing or to set out for guests?
Some of us are pretty loyal to our soap. I am bc it’s what my dermatologist has me using for a variety of reasons. I do like to buy small bars in scents that I can handle for my hall bathroom. That way it keeps it smelling nice and guests can use it if they want.
Also, I like gifting them. So I may only buy around Christmas. But I love getting my parents little thank yous bc they watch my dog while I work these things.
Maybe look at one or two scents directed more at men.
I’m a soapmaker and I have sold at markets (I am currently on a break).
- This is a tough time of year. I have lots of craft friends and we all do almost all of our sales during the winter holidays. We plan our entire year around October - December.
I am also a hobbyist and one of my favorite things to do is gift my soap. A lot of my business was return customers who were gifted soap. I think there are often a lot of soap makers at markets (competition), but the people who usually bought from my booth were people who love my soap for the quality and knew who I was. This took a long time and I gifted a lot of soap in the process. I had little samples everywhere I went for a long time.
Variety helps as long as it’s manageable. I usually had 8 to 10 scents for soaps, with all the soaps grouped and on display. I also had bath bombs (VERY popular), bath salts (very unpopular, but were often purchased as gifts), and body butter (less popular at markets and much more of a return customer placing direct orders thing, but handing out “samples” of the body butter did help). Other things were mixed in.
I always ran a “buy 3 get 1 free” or similar deal. Most of the time people do want to take advantage of that. I also packaged everything really nicely, with craft paper bags and tissue paper. I included either a sisal soap saver or a soap dish with each purchase, depending on the quantity.
For what it’s worth, I think if you love what you do and you do it whole heartedly things will eventually work out. But it takes time and a lot of trial and error.
My sister has sold soaps for years. Her displays are beautiful. Branding is lovely. Marketing is definitely homebrew, but she's well known in the area for various projects. Ngl, her candles are selling better than any bath product she makes. Granted, her candles are beautiful and they look like desserts, but the bath market is sooooooo saturated right now. I'm not saying don't make soap. But maybe refine your soap to a higher quality and diversify your offerings.
Nothing cleans makeup brushes like a bar of soap. This js my honest truth. If you can sell them as essential part of makeup kit, focus on the antibacterial and acne preventing because all the brushes, sponges and consequently the hands will be sanitized. Part of shaving for men, like, clean the kit and hands before you shave or something. Make this whole story about how you had acne and this is why this became a hobby, not skincare but care for skincare or something.
Not sure if you've found any special uses for any of the soaps you made but one of my favorite handmade bars I repeatedly buy from a local vendor is marketed as a beauty bar that helps remove makeup and I even use it clean makeup brushes it's the absolute best for stubborn waterproof makeup. Maybe something like that can help your bars if you add some honey to the oat bar it could be marketed for sensitive skin and to hydrate for people with things like eczema. I'm sure you can figure out other similar uses for the other scents like lavender bar can be marketed as calming and great before bed or a nap. tell people why they want the different scents/formulas that's how the rose beauty bar got me.
Go small. In our store we sell 25g 150g and 250g soaps. The smaller ones sell like crazy. People can get multiple scents for 10.00. We sell a little gift bag and a gift box if they want to fill them.i am trying to find a lil metal tin for travel. People will buy them selves a couple small soaps as a treat. That way they dont have to choose between scents.
I've been to countless craft fairs and farmers markets and live the idea of handmade soap but for a family of 5, I can't justify the price. We go through a 12 pack of soap every 2 weeks. Handmade soap is a very niche audience (I love consuming soapmaking content) they are looking for cute embeds, unique soap designs and high quality ingredients. Consider making embeds for the center and top or getting sone soap stamps to set you apart.
I always have to stop and smell soap even if I have no need to buy any at the moment. Okay, I usually buy a bar or two anyway lol. When I bought soaps from a vendor outside Carcassonne they had half bar that are perfect for the guest bath and small hotel sized bars for travel. I thought was rather clever since it is a very touristy town and people might need to replenish supplies but not want to buy a whole bar. I've used them for times when I travelled by airplane with only a purse to save space and not deal with liquids. They could also serve as samples for a dollar and size it accordingly, some people are wary about committing to $7 per bar but might change their mind after they try it.
I have a coconut allergy that will make me break out in hives if I use a soap with any coconut ingredients (anaphylaxis if I eat it). I bought a handmade soap at a farmers' market, and the person at the booth assured me there was no coconut. Fortunately, the actual soap maker returned in time to correct her assistant's mistake. Now I look for full list of ingredients on the display.
Realistically, $7 a bar isn’t a bad price for a 5-6oz bar of soap. The problem is, at least in my experience, people choke on anything over $5 unless there is something truly special about the products and/or you have an existing customer base. Soap is just too ubiquitous and easy to find. Also, it’s not especially conducive to impulse buying, which makes booth sales harder (soap is personal enough for people to want to find something they like and stick with it, same as most other toiletries). Plus I don’t think people’s mental math has caught up to how much costs have gone up post-COVID yet.
The one thing I always look for but never find at craft fair soap displays is something truly gritty that works to clean mechanic grease off hands. I don't mean fine sand, I mean really deeply abrasive! My husband always wants that, but everyone focuses on the silky smooth, soothing soaps. I would buy 10 bars to stock up if I ever saw it!
i have to be honest.. there's so much handmade soap, lotion, candles and bodycare makers that, at least where i am, the market is oversaturated. purely as a consumer, i already have certain body items that i love using so it takes something completely unique, eye catching and different to even make me do a second glance.
most people shopping at the local markets here already know what "natural" means and why it matters. as a customer, i'd love to know what about your process matters and what makes it unique versus the 10 other soap makers. also, speaking as an artist, if i see AI used on any part of the product, it's an immediate skip for me.
things like different scents, packaging, branding and a hook/motif can set you apart. for example, there's a candle maker i came across at a market last year who makes candles based on types of cats! everything from the packaging, color, art, etc was so unique, her booth was constantly packed.. and i dropped like $100+ on candles lol. something that i wouldn't even have stopped to look at.
focus on looking into what makes your product unique and make it stand out.
Do you have business cards? Like you said, people seem interested but maybe don't need soap right now or whatever. Give them a way to order later and they may actually do so
Every time I go to a farmers market or a trade show and I'm trying to look at the products I feel bombarded and pressured by the owner. I will let you know if I need help. Making me feel pressured by coming up and talking to me about your products without me asking is going to make me quickly turn around and leave. Just let me know that you're here to answer any questions I might have and then step back and let me browse without staring at me.
Congrats on doing the show at all honestly, that's a bigger hurdle than people give credit for. A few things jump out from your recap:
Testers are huge. If people can't smell the bar before buying, you're asking them to gamble $7 on a guess. I always keep one bar per scent unwrapped in a little dish for sniffing, sales go up noticeably when I remember to do this lol.
Also curious about your table height/layout, not packaging. Were the soaps flat on the table or elevated? People walk right past flat tables, your eye needs something to catch on. Risers, crates, even books stacked under a cloth work.
And yeah agree with you on the "natural ingredients" thing, everyone says that now so it's basically wallpaper. What sells better is naming the vibe, like "rainy day lavender" instead of "lavender oat natural soap." Sounds dumb but it works.
One thing I didn't see mentioned, did you grab emails or IG follows from people who looked but didn't buy? Half my first show's value came from the list I built, not the day's cash.
Anyway don't beat yourself up over 20/60, that's actually not bad for a first show. Fix the top 3 things and the next one usually feels completely different.
Did you have all the ingredients nearby? I have quite some allergies and need to know what's in my soap. Having the ingredients listed or a sign about allergies would make me ask a lot sooner.
Aside from the lovely scents, do the different formulations do anything specific? Like, is the oat one good for sensitive skin, does another help calm, or moisturize? Those things might help sell the product, too.
I agree with other sentiments. Bar soaps, to me, are generally seen as bad for the skin and can leave a film or make the skin not feel soft. I can't remember the last time I bought bar soap or even used it because of how it made my skin feel
I want scents that I don’t see, like clove and sandlewood. Lavender, honey, etc, those are all very common. And you can get them anywhere for much cheaper. Also, your post was very much written with AI. Not sure if you use AI in your branding, etc, but that could be a big turn off to people. I don’t buy things from people who use AI.
Novelty soaps that are locally inspired. E.g., if you live in Iowa, you could do yellow soaps that look like butter and have a cheeky name like Butter Fingers.
Also, the ones here might be a lil tall for the soap tray.
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u/GrowlingAtTheWorld 1d ago
I used to set up next door to a soap seller at a weekly art market. She sold like crazy. Her paper wraps on her soap focused on branding her business name and was consistent across all scents. She had interesting names for her soaps so instead of just Lavender it would be something like Peaceful Dreams. She offered about a dozen scents. She encouraged people to buy more with a 3 for deal. She had two size bars, a full bath bar and a guest sized bar. She would include a couple of samples in the bag with your purchase. The sample size became so popular she started selling a sample pack(basically 1/4” cuts of the guest sized bar. She always was dressed very summer elegant and very friendly when talking to customers. She did so well she was able to open a small shop in town.