From May to October, towns and villages in Quebec offer various markets to go for a stroll and discover local artisans and farmers. Flö and her team love participating! Initially, it was mainly to sell our facial care products. It was a great opportunity to make ourselves known and to introduce our 100% natural skin products. Now we go there for several OTHER reasons. Here are the 4 main ones:
- We know the needs and preferences of our customers
Public markets are excellent places to take a first step toward selling natural products to the public. Online sales are interesting, but do not put us in real, physical contact with our customers. By meeting our customers, we had the chance to do demos offering an on-site sensory experience. These moments allow us to get to know our customers, see their reactions, collect comments and hear the needs and requests of our customers to inspire us for new recipes. We also know how to respond to demand since we have these live comments! We always have the right time! We also have the chance to see several customers again and receive their feedback, which always warms our hearts and allows us to adjust.
- We meet passionate entrepreneurs.
By participating in public markets in Estrie, we have the privilege of knowing many local businesses and their creators. We also have interesting discussions because we talk to many people who are passionate about the same field, and who have realities similar to ours. This creates a whole group of solidarity with people who understand us and who we understand. It’s a nice exchange! We learn a lot about entrepreneurship in public markets: in the markets, the distributors, the points of sale, and what's more we have the opportunity to build relationships with valuable collaborators! Thanks to unexpected encounters, beautiful surprises are offered on a silver platter, when we didn't expect them. New opportunities develop and information relevant to the development of our business is exchanged. A synergy that would not have happened if we did not participate in public procurement!
- We enjoy outdoor fun in our region and elsewhere.
As Geneviève and I also work in other exciting fields, we like to enjoy the great outdoors and the sun in the markets. As they are often located in parks or enchanting landscapes, it is a much appreciated change from our routine! The presence of singers on site and their music, people from everywhere who are in a good mood and on vacation, people who live in the region and who come to discover products and chat with the merchants, all these are good reasons to find yourself in the markets! We love contact with nature and the local people. It’s a great opportunity to experience the energy of a festive group! We like our working conditions not flat!
- We like to spend too!
We discover lots of beautiful products on site that we can't help but spoil ourselves and our loved ones with! It’s a great opportunity to taste and go home with fresh vegetables for the week!
Here is a final list of our favorite markets:
Magog public market at Cantons beach
Sutton public market in the heart of the village