Summer festivals: Tips for increasing footfall to your stall

The long-standing tradition of summer festivals can prove fruitful for small business traders whether they’re supplying food, drink, art and craft or other products. The live music and festivals market has a value of more than £2 billion and a study by UK music revealed that in 2015 more than three-and-a-half million people attended a music festival.

So, how do you turn standing in a boggy field of revellers into a good sales day?

Here are our top tips for increasing footfall to your stall…

Pitch for a premier stall space

You may not think one end of a field is much different to another but believe us, when it comes to increasing your footfall, it is! Competition for a good spot starts well before the festival so it’s worth booking your summer stall in the autumn. Have a pitch ready for festival organisers with what your stall will look like and how it will enhance the look and feel of the event.

Look the part

If you want to entice music lovers over to your stall then you should put in an eye-catching display. The likelihood is you won’t be the only business hoping to profit so raise your game when it comes to the appearance of your stall. If there is a theme to the festival then that’s a good clue as to what will grab the attention of customers. For example, a bold image will go down well at a rock festival whereas customers may expect a more traditional look at a classical event.

Be relevant

Choose wisely when advertising your products. For example, a deal on soup is unlikely to go down well on a sunny August afternoon – equally, few will be interested in your ice pops on a cold and rainy day!

Get your logistics right

There’s no bigger turn off for customers than long queues and limited choice. Make sure you factor in the long evening and early morning hours when deciding how many staff you need! Equally, a well-stocked stall will encourage festival-goes to make a return visit.

Put on a show

With some much entertainment going on around you make sure you stay in the limelight! Think carefully about how you can offer something a bit different to customers at your stall. Whether that be music, performance, an artist signing station, face painting or offering free samples. Let your imagination flow!

Lucy Liddiard