At this most wonderful time of the year, Speciality & Fine Food Fair share our top tips for Christmas market success.

Festive markets can be a valuable sales channel for speciality food and drink brands. They offer direct access to consumers, rapid feedback on products and packaging, and a chance to build brand recognition at a high-traffic time of year. They are also physically demanding, weather-dependent and fast-paced.

Whether you are testing a new product, shifting seasonal stock or using markets to complement retail and wholesale sales, careful planning makes a significant difference to your results.

Here are some practical tips to help speciality brands make the most of selling at festive markets.

Be clear on your objectives

Before committing, decide what success looks like. Are you aiming to generate immediate sales, build an email list, test a festive SKU or drive longer-term online orders? Your objective will shape everything from pricing and sampling to signage and data capture.

If your goal is exposure rather than margin, factor that into your budgeting and stock planning from the outset.

Curate a tight, festive-led range

Festive markets reward focus. A tightly edited range is easier to explain, quicker to sell, avoiding customer decision paralysis, and simpler to restock. Lead with products that feel seasonal or giftable, supported by clear price points.

Bundles, multi-packs and limited-edition flavours work particularly well, especially if they reduce decision-making for time-poor shoppers.

Make your pitch clear in seconds

Shoppers are often cold, distracted and moving quickly. Your brand story and product benefit need to be immediately visible.

Clear signage that answers three questions helps:
– What is it?
– Who is it for?
– Why is it special?

If you have awards, provenance credentials or standout ingredients, surface them simply and prominently.

Mairi Hawkes, Founder of Slainte Sauces, comments: "For Christmas markets, I’d say the biggest tip is to engage with passers-by in a friendly, relaxed way. Have a wee chat, read the room, and remember it’s Christmas, people are there to enjoy themselves, and so should you. Clear pricing is essential as markets can feel overwhelming, and a simple, clean stall makes it easier for customers to browse. Samples are brilliant when appropriate, and it’s always worth having a few wholesale leaflets to hand too, you never know which fellow stallholder or shopper might be a shop owner. And above all… keep smiling!"

Price for the environment

Festive markets are not the place for complex pricing structures. Round numbers, visible pricing and straightforward offers perform best.

Factor in market fees, staffing, travel and wastage when setting prices. Remember that consumers often expect to pay a small premium for artisanal or local products, but only if the value is clearly communicated.

Sampling, but do it smartly

Sampling remains one of the strongest conversion tools, particularly for unfamiliar categories. Keep samples small, hygienic and quick to serve, and be ready with a short verbal explanation.

Where possible, link sampling directly to a call to action, such as a bundle offer or a gift box upsell.

Plan for payments, connectivity and power

Reliable payments are critical, and festive markets can be challenging environments for card machines.

Check signal strength in advance where possible and avoid relying on venue Wi-Fi alone. A card reader with its own SIM, plus a mobile hotspot as backup, can prevent lost sales. Fully charge all devices before trading and bring power banks or spare batteries to get you through long days.

Have a clear fallback plan if connectivity drops, such as cash acceptance or offline payment modes, and ensure pricing is easy to calculate without a screen. Payment friction is one of the quickest ways to lose impulse purchases.

Capture data while you have attention

Festive markets are a powerful opportunity to build your direct-to-consumer database. A simple sign-up incentive, such as a discount on a future order or early access to launches, can encourage engagement without slowing down sales.

Make the process quick and visible, and ensure you comply with data protection requirements.

Prepare for the practical realities

It may seem obvious, but markets are physical. Dress in layers, plan for cold hands and wet weather, and bring more stock, bags and change than you think you will need.

Claire Rennie, Head of Fizz at Summerhouse Drinks & Walter Gregor's Tonics, says: "If outside, take some cardboard to stand on as it helps insulate your feet. Layer up - you can always take clothes off but it is miserable if you are too cold."

Portable lighting can transform a stall during darker afternoons, while a clear system for payments and packing will keep queues moving and stress levels down.

Build relationships with your neighbours

Your fellow traders are one of your best resources. Introduce yourself early, share information and be generous where you can. There will almost certainly be a moment when you need someone to watch your stall while you grab a coffee, fix a display or make a quick dash to the loo.

Good relationships also make long trading days far more enjoyable.

Review and refine

After each market, take time to review what sold well, what didn’t and why. Note customer questions, objections and price sensitivities. This insight can be invaluable when refining products, packaging or your wider route-to-market strategy.

Festive markets can be hard work, but for speciality food and drink brands they remain a powerful way to connect directly with consumers, test ideas and build momentum at a crucial point in the trading calendar. With the right preparation, they can deliver far more than just seasonal sales.

For brands looking to build on that momentum, events such as Speciality & Fine Food Fair provide an opportunity to take those learnings into a dedicated trade environment.

Taking place on 8-9 September 2026 at Olympia, the Fair brings together retailers, buyers and producers from across the speciality sector, offering a platform to showcase products, meet new stockists and continue the conversations started at markets throughout the year.

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