Tried selling Detroit-made soap at Eastern Market and barely broke even

Honestly, I spent about six months developing a small batch of handmade soap with local ingredients, and rented a stall at Eastern Market last August. I sold maybe 40 bars total, but after the booth fee, materials, and parking, I walked away with like $12 profit. What I learned is that foot traffic doesn't automatically mean sales, especially if people can't see your product clearly from the aisle. Has anyone else had a similar experience selling at a Detroit market?

2 comments

2 Comments

brian_coleman9d ago

Man, 40 bars and $12 profit after all that work? That stings. Were you stuck in a bad spot at the market where people just walked past without stopping? I've seen vendors at Eastern Market get buried behind bigger displays or end up in that back row where nobody wanders. Also, how did you have the soap displayed? If it was just stacked flat on a table, folks might not have realized what it was until they were right on top of you. It sucks that good product and hard work don't always match up with the right setup or location.

oliverbailey8d ago

Focusing on your setup layout might actually be the real issue here. People walking through markets make snap decisions based on what catches their eye from ten feet away. If your soap wasn't propped up at an angle or sitting in a small basket with a clear sign, they probably just saw a flat table and kept moving.