So I run a very small gift shop in a town which is mostly financially supported by travelers/tourists. I hand make a lot of my items, and have built the business up from nothing. My friend however stops through when she is in this part of the state. She travels full time in a bus, so she carries all of her goods and such with her. But she only rolls through during major holidays and times when business is at its best. When she stops through she places all of her inventory in front of my place, and attempts to pull my customers in before they even get to my entrance. I don’t want to be greedy, or discouraged her from making and selling souvenirs and whatnot. But I rely on my income from my shop to support me. How should I handle this situation? Should I just let it go and lose 2 weeks of typical income? Or should I ask her to move away from my store front? I’ve spent a significant amount of time landscaping and making it eye catching, and I feel like she is taking advantage of the hard work I’ve done, and attempting to give the impression that it’s her place. I don’t know what to do, honestly.
I’d do a deal to sell her products on consignment in your store. Agree on a cost price per item, set the retail price, and you only pay for the items that actually sell. You keep the difference.
She’ll take less profit, but if it works well, you can discuss carrying her products on a permanent basis instead of just the 2 weeks here and there that she currently does to you. By doing this, she can avoid having to man her stall, allowing her to either enjoy some free time or find another location to set up a shop, increasing her exposure. Selling on consignment also protects you from getting screwed over if she does open her stall in another location and tries to undercut your pricing since she only gets paid if you actually sell something.