By Ken Gastineau Artisans sell their products through a variety of venues like trade shows, retail shops, galleries, department stores and the Internet. Each sale can be seen as a successful connection between artist and buyer. A number of factors create the successful sale of a product to a customer including design, color, price and availability. Often times the direct connection between the artist producing the product and the customer buying the product involves an intermediate step, a purchase by a retail shop. Retailers often purchase inventory by attending trade shows.
Retail shops are important artisan customers.
As such, artisans must produce products that meet the needs of retail shops. However, there is often a disconnect between what artisans produce and what retail shops need. This disconnect is seen when buyers are unable to locate needed merchandise on acceptable terms. Product development initiatives create links between producer and retailer. Today s accelerated rate of change and information growth means the artist craftsman will inevitably face increased competition in their market niches.