Makers and artisans across the country are pulling out their pumpkin spice fragrance oils right now! Cute, adorable products that scream Fall are gracing the shelves of farmer's markets and fairs, and while they perform well, sometimes makers are left with a lot of, well, pumpkin pie leftovers.
The truth is that many of our favourite fall fragrances easily translate into the holiday and winter season. These gorgeous scents are comforting and warm for a cold winter, all the things we want. The question is, how do we go from a pumpkin-topped bar of soap or Jack-O-Lantern bath bomb and make it appropriate for the holidays and throughout winter?
The trick to making products that perform across seasons? We've compiled a list to help you keep your products relevant after Hallowe'en!
- Choose Your Colours: Stick to neutral blacks, whites or creams paired with green or red.
- Use Natural Elements: the Fall season brings us loads of cool, natural additives for our products - take advantage of botanicals to add a decorative twist! Pinecones, dried berries, extracts, powders and seeds elevate your products while creating longevity throughout the season.
- Plan Your Production: your bestsellers can span the Fall and Winter season, so make more of these, and in all your product options! In turn, specifically themed Hallowe'en and Thanksgiving products can be made in smaller batches, with limited products options.
- Dress It Up With Metallics: A single colour (say, pumpkin orange) can be elevated by simply adding a gorgeous gold shimmer in your design. Suddenly your rustic Fall design is now elevated and luxury, a gorgeous gift during the holiday season.
- Presentation is Key: A simple name and label change can totally redefine your product. Salem's Broom Closet can become Night Before Christmas. Alternately, add a Christmas ribbon and a stick of cinnamon around your product. We love a simple kraft paper wrapper, seasonal stamp in gold ink and twine goes a long way!
- Offer Pre-Orders: Make a small initial batch, snap some great photos, post and take orders. That way you won't even have to worry about leftovers!
- Sell Mystery Bags: Have a lot of product leftover? Customer favourites are mystery bags, chock full of fun options at a bit of a bulk discount. These fly off the shelves, and are so much fun for people.
- Themes: Pumpkin Pecan Jacked, a bestselling Fall oil, moves seamlessly from Fall to Winter with the right design. You could decorate your product as a jack-o-lantern, but for longevity, go with pumpkin pie instead! Suddenly your gorgeous product works from September until December.
- Think Outside The Box: Time to break out an all-time favourite like Hawaiian Lush Cake and offer up a Mele Kalikimaka option! We love alternative stylings like blue and white (Hey Hannukah), Green, Red & Black (Kwanzaa). Something as simple as an all-pastel colour theme (imagine teal, pink, blue and purples) can look gorgeous when done across all the items in your display.
- Merchandising: half of the way people perceive your product is in how you display it! A simple gold and white soap or candle, paired with the right objects, takes on the identity of your display. Imagine it displayed with tall grasses and gourds, then transitioning to birch branches and pinecones, and finally to rich plaids in red and green.
Which of these tips are you going to use this year? Post and share on our Facebook group!