Christmas market stall ideas

Ideas for stalls at Christmas fair

Biscuit decorating 

The joy of biscuit decorating is you get to eat your beautifully designed biscuit afterwards! Set up a table where children (and adults!) are invited to use colourful icing in squeezy bottles to decorate festive biscuits. Let them finish their creations with a selection of mini-sweets and sprinkles in small bowls.

Handmade crafts and gifts 

Sites like Etsy and Redbubble have shown there is a market for unique, artisan items that aren’t mass produced. A stall at a Christmas market is a great way to showcase handmade gifts and crafts, such as baubles, snow globes, wreaths or candles – the possibilities are endless. If you have your own website, you can also include QR codes on your signage so visitors to your stall can peruse your site if they like what they see. 

Eco-friendly products 

Thanks to a growing awareness of environmental issues, eco-friendly Christmas stall ideas are more popular than ever. Consider selling items such as reusable gift wraps, ornaments made from recycled materials or plastic-free toys. You can also display upcycled gifts, such as vintage clocks, cushions or furniture. 

Badge making 

Consider setting up a badge-making station with a variety of festive designs to choose from and provide materials for visitors to create their own designs on the spot. These affordable, customisable badges make great stocking fillers or novelty accessories for Christmas jumpers. Once people see how easy it is to make badges from scratch, you’re likely to attract customers young and old to your stall - and perhaps sell some of your own badges or products in the process. 

Vegan delicacies and treats 

With all the different chocolate, cheese or hot dog options you tend to find at Christmas markets, many stallholders miss a trick by not tapping into the growing plant-based market. Roasted chestnuts and sugared almonds are a festive treat, but consider also offering dairy-free hot chocolate, cheese or mince pies. This niche can attract both vegans and curious non-vegans alike. 

What to consider before hosting a Christmas market stall 

Location – Stallholders will all be vying for spots that tend to get the heaviest footfall so it’s essential to be on the ball when it comes to making your applications. Often, you won’t get much choice where your stall will be but wherever possible, avoid being positioned too close to someone offering similar products to you or in an area where footfall is particularly sparse. 

Cost - Assess the costs of setting up your market stall against the likely profit you think you’ll make. This involves calculating how much it costs to rent a stall, stock costs, signage and staffing. 

Marketing – This isn’t so much about attracting visitors to the fair, but specifically getting people to come to your stall.  Are you going to be relying on people discovering you just by walking past, or are you thinking of having a more comprehensive marketing strategy? As always, this is where social media is your friend. Consider posting offers such as a special discount to the first 50 visitors or 10% off when they use a particular discount code.  

What’s your USP? – What do you offer that no other stallholder does? A Christmas fair or market can quickly become oversaturated with the same type of products. Carve out a niche that sets you apart from the crowd as this is the best way of making sure you attract visitors. 

Insurance – While Christmas fairs are typically happy, relaxed events, it’s always wise to protect yourself against any injury to a member of the public or damage to their property due to negligence, enabling you to focus on running a successful Christmas stall.

At Events Insurance Services, we offer the following insurance for stallholders: 

• Public liability insurance for stallholders – covers accidental bodily injury which occurs to a member of the public, or accidental damage to third party property, if it is proven to be as a result of your negligence in connection with your attendance any event where you are holding a stall. 

• Employers Insurance - provides cover for your legal liability to pay damages, claimants costs and expenses which arise as a result of an injury to anyone you employ at your event (paid or unpaid) including temporary staff, volunteers or helpers. 

• Event Equipment Insurance - provides accidental damage, loss or theft cover for the stock, stand and additional event equipment you are legally responsible for (i.e. hired, leased or owned) throughout the duration of the fair.

Event Insurance Services offers peace of mind 

If you’re planning to host a stall at a Christmas event, we are here to help. Contact us today to find out how Event Insurance Services can help give you that little extra peace of mind this festive season.