Vendor Information-How It Works

Market Vermont

Market Vermont is an e-commerce engine for Vermont artisans and producers of Vermont made products. For the purpose of this document, we will refer to these people as vendor(s).

Market Vermont is a great way for vendors without e-commerce ability or even a website, to sell their products online. Vendors that already have e-commerce ability can still participate in Market Vermont.

Once you have contacted Jennifer Boyer about your interest, and we have accepted your work, you are ready to sign up: see our vendor packet for easy instructions.

How it works (details below)

• Products must be produced in the state of Vermont
• Selected vendors and products will be listed on the Market Vermont website (www.marketvermont.com)
• Market Vermont will promote vendors’ products via online and traditional marketing methods
• Market Vermont sends orders to individual vendors for fulfillment within an agreed upon time frame
• Vendors are paid on a monthly basis less Market Vermont’s fee and shipping fees

Categories/Mediums

Market Vermont is looking for both functional and decorative products. Product selections will determine what categories will be available new categories may be added as new products demand. We are looking for a well-rounded mix of products that demonstrate some of the best Vermont has to offer and will provide synergy to attract our target market. Here are examples of categories for which we have products:

• Fiber arts and textiles
• Furniture
• Glass
• Jewelry
• Metal work
• Painting
• Paper-prints (cards)
• Photography
• Pottery
• Stone
• Woodwork

Selection Process

Eligibility Requirements:

• Items must be hand made in the state of Vermont**
• Licensed products are not acceptable
• Vendors must have ready access to and be willing to communicate using email
• Vendors must have a functioning printer to print shipping labels
• Preference is given to those artists who use raw materials from Vermont
• Preference is given to work available for purchase via galleries or retail outlets
• Preference is given to work that can be shipped quickly — i.e. does not require production after the order is placed

** NOTE: Exceptions to “hand made” may be made on a case-by-case basis. Example of an exception may be reproductions of original works that meet the“Made in Vermont” requirement like a painting

Market Vermont has sole discretion over what products will be included. We are aware of and draw upon the experience and guidelines of area galleries and the State of Vermont for what is considered “Made in Vermont” but in the end we reserve right to decide what we will accept.

Listing Process

A limited number of artists will be selected for each category in order to avoid over saturation of any one category. The limit in each category is not set in stone. Our goal is to offer a wide variety of sale-able products from a well-rounded mix of vendors and to avoid a disproportionate amount of products from one or more vendors.

Products must be listed for a minimum of 2 weeks. Products that are one of a kind should be held in reserve for the duration of the listing.

Vendors must submit a biography (minimum 300 words); picture of the vendor; and product pictures along with product descriptions, dimensions, options, and any other pertinent information.

While not required, vendors whose products are created from raw materials like wool or wood, etc. are encouraged to provide a statement that indicates the source(s) of these raw materials — especially if they come from Vermont.

Vendor information  may be submitted using our forms on the Vendor Packet page. Product pictures (jpg, tif, or png formats) should be emailed to Jennifer Boyer

Product Pricing

You are welcome to price your products however you wish. Please be aware that  our fee (currently 25% of the base price) will be taken out of each sale and therefore they should be accounted for (see Your Costs – below). Market Vermont will gladly help you determine pricing for your products.

Order and Fulfillment Process

Market Vermont will process payments. A packing slip and shipping label will be sent to the vendors who then must fulfill the order within 2 business days unless an exception has been agreed to in advance by Market Vermont. Vendors will pack the product(s) using their own packing materials. Vendors will use the Market Vermont shipping label to ship the products to the customer.

Timely fulfillment of the orders is critical. The only exception to the fulfillment deadline is for products that are custom made after the order is placed. After order production is acceptable but vendors must inform us of it and commit to a time-line for fulfillment when submitting the product for consideration for inclusion on the Market Vermont site.

Your Costs

There is no up-front cost to vendors. Market Vermont’s fee is 25% of the base price of your product. Shipping fees will be added to your base price to calculate the final cost to the customer. All prices listed on the Market Vermont site include shipping fees.

Here’s an example:

You have a piece that sells for $80 – this is the base price
We determine and add a shipping charge of $10
Total online price: ($80 + $10) = $90

When sold, Market Vermont credits you $60 for the piece ($80 less 25%) plus the difference in the actual shipping fee. If the actual shipping fee was $8.00, we would credit you $2.00 for a total remittance of $62.

Getting Paid

Market Vermont will issue payments to vendors the following month after the sale is made.

Marketing Process

Market Vermont’s knowledge of how to leverage Internet search technologies is one of the best value added services of membership. While a lot of what we do is behind the scenes, members will be able to see traditional methods of marketing such as print, radio and other media that target our audience.

FAQ

Q) I already have a website and I am listed on Etsy and other Vermont themed sites. Why should I use Market Vermont?

A) In this case, the phrase “A little is good, more is better” is applicable. The web is a crowded place. One needs to do more than hang out a shingle and say “Open for business.” Methods for getting high rankings in search engines (Google, etc), driving traffic to a site and converting visits to sales is a full time job. That’s what Market Vermont does. If you already have a web presence, great! That’s one more tool we can use. If you are new to the web, welcome aboard. We’ll make it easy for you.

Q) I have been working with my local gallery and retailers for years. Are they going to be competing with Market Vermont? Will they not like this?

A) They will love it! We aren’t competing with galleries or other retailers that support the artist community. Au contraire, we are going to promote these establishments in a special section in the website. We want customers to come to Vermont, visit your studios and the places that sell your products.

Q) So what’s the deal with the shipping included part of the pricing?

A) In the e-commerce world, it is vital that everything be easy and customer friendly. The customer wants to know what the item is going to cost, period. Please note that there is a significant difference between “free shipping” and “shipping included.” The latter means that the shipping cost is figured into the cost of the item. We want to be upfront about that. One of the biggest complaints is that items are marked up in order to offer “free shipping.”

Q) How does Market Vermont come up with the shipping charge that it adds to the base price?

A) Given the importance of the “shipping included” model, we have decided to look for the best deal on the USPS and UPS websites when calculating shipping. We use the box size and weight you provide us with for the item. We then calculate the shipping charge to the west coast and add that to the base price. If the shipping ends up being less for that item, you receive the difference when you are paid for your item.

Q) OK. What does it really cost?

A) 25% of all orders we send your way. If we don’t perform, you don’t pay.

Q) Wait! What about customer service? Shipping damage, package tracing, complaints and all that nit-picky stuff?

A) We save the best for last. Market Vermont fields all the calls! While we will need your help with many parts of the customer service process, there is a lot we can do that will free up your time: filing UPS claims, taking the phone call or email in a timely manner, coordinating returns, drop ships, etc. All included in your 25%.

Q) I’m in! What do I need to do?

A) Contact Jennifer Boyer so we can look at your work. Once you get the okay from us, see our Vendor Packet for easy instructions. Then submit the vendor and product information forms using the links on the Vendor Packet page.

You can contact Jennifer Boyer with any other questions.

Last Updated 2/18/2010