Setting up product collections in your handmade shop takes intentional thought and planning.
You want to design your product collections to really appeal to your ideal customer and entice them to click – but what’s the best way to do that?? 🤷♀️
Today we’re going to talk about the 3 different types of product collections you can create for your handmade shop – each one unique in its own way – and each a really good option to consider.
So, ready? Let’s dive in.
First is the signature collection. This is often the first collection you create and is the product line you plan to always sell in your shop and really be known for.
This collection will not have products that you only plan to sell for a little while before switching to something else. This is your evergreen collection and the products in it are fixture offerings in your shop.
Of course, you can add items to this collection from time to time (like for example a new color that you’re introducing but that is here to stay . . .
“our best-selling beanie, now available in burgundy!”
. . . and remove items that aren’t selling anymore when they lose momentum – but the idea is that this collection is here all year, something that you market consistently and that is an anchor in your shop because it represents your signature style and introduces shoppers to your products and your style.
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Another type of collection you can play with is a limited edition collection.
This is a collection of products that will only be available for a short amount of time, or until they sell out. Perhaps you used a limited supply material that you can’t get more of, or a special technique, but regardless the collection will only be available as long as you have stock.
And since you’re not going to be creating more after they sell out, this makes every single item within this edition very special.
Here’s an example from an Etsy shop called ClayAndCollection, you can see this item is a limited edition within the title and so the “Selling fast! Only 1 left” notification just below feels even more pressing.
It becomes more valuable to the shopper because it won’t be made again once they sell out.
I have to admit – when I see “only 1 left” it gives me this urge to quickly purchase it before someone else does – I think we all know that feeling!
And finally, we have seasonal collections.
Creating a seasonal collection will depend on your ideal customers and on your market. For most makers you will have what are called classic seasons— fall, winter, spring, and summer, and you can create a collection for each season, or choose specific seasons you want to make collections for.
You can also have collections around special occasions and holidays, like Christmas, Mother’s Day, or Valentine’s Day —whatever fits your market and your customers.
So the products you make for these collections will only be available for a limited time, most likely until you sell out, because there is no point in trying to sell Christmas earrings in the middle of the summer, right?! . . . unless you live in Australia in which case you DO want to be selling Christmas earrings in the middle of the summer! 😉
But the bigger point here is that seasonal collections will have a specific time of year that they sell well and are in demand, but for the rest of the year you won’t want to feature them prominently in your product listings and you won’t be focusing on marketing them either until the time is just right for them.
In our jewelry shop example she is doing exactly that, you can clearly see the Christmas theme with the Christmassy colors
Now it’s important to note here that seasonal collections can be LIMITED as well – meaning they won’t come back next year, which is what this maker seems to be doing here OR they can be the same designs every year or the same for the most part but it’s just that they are not really relevant the rest of the year so you don’t focus on them outside of that holiday season.
You can create designs from scratch for your seasonal collections, designs that aren’t available anywhere else in your shop OR you can offer spin-offs of your signature collection items.
For example, if you sell canvas bags, you might have 4 or 5 main designs in your signature collection, available in some “always relevant” colors – but you also offer them in a special “spring” pattern when spring/summer comes around.
Collections actually help you organize your shop— it forces you to think about what products you want to sell all the time, what ones only sell well during certain seasons or holidays, and which ones you want to keep as special products you only make for limited edition runs.
And having well-organized and cohesive product collections will solidify your brand and make your shop look much more professional.
Another important thing you will want to be aware of when creating your product collections is avoiding the 3 common handmade product collection mistakes that I see most often, so definitely check out this article!
Thanks for reading and until next time, aurevoir!
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