When Andy Digirgis decided he wanted to open a kiosk, it
wasn't difficult to figure out what he wanted to sell. He just
followed his passion: cigars. "I figured if I liked [them]
that much, I might as well do something with [them]," he
explains.
Three years ago, DiGirgis started The Cigar Guy, a kiosk
specializing in cigars and cigar accessories, at The Galleria at
South Bay in Redondo Beach, California. To choose exactly which
products and product lines to carry, DiGirgis, 42, turned to
industry experts. "I would poll certain salespeople to see
what was selling and what wasn't," he says.
Even after his kiosk opened for business, DiGirgis' offering
was constantly evolving. "I built the product selection by
trying different things," he says. "Based on the first
year, the whole product [line] was streamlined."
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Using your hobby or passion as a launching pad is a great way to
begin the process of choosing products to sell from your kiosk.
"In a lot of cases, people already have a kiosk idea based on
what they like or what their passion is--for example, making
jewelry," says Susie Grant, specialty leasing manager for The
Galleria at South Bay. "They have a concept in mind and just
go with it."
Unfortunately, not all kiosk entrepreneurs know what they want
to sell. But even if you're not an aficionado of some sort, it
is possible to find strong sellers for your kiosk. "If you
want to start a business but aren't sure what to sell, check
out gift shows," Grant suggests. "They offer an abundance
of ideas. If you walk the aisles of these shows, you might suddenly
realize what you want to do based on the different products you
see."
Whether you're selling your own handicrafts or distributing
items you found at a gift show, it's important that the
products you offer work within the confines of a kiosk.
"Products that are bulky probably don't work as well due
to space limitations," Grant explains.
Price is also a major consideration. "[Avoid] higher ticket
items because kiosks offer impulse buys for the most part,"
Grant adds.
The location of your kiosk can also be a deciding factor when
you're selecting a product-you've got to make sure your
product's audience can find you. "I wanted to be in an
area where there's a lot of male traffic because it's a
business that primarily targets males," DiGirgis says.
As soon as you've figured out what to include in your
product line, you'll have to work to perfect it. Variety is
essential in maintaining your customer base. Grant believes the
Italian charm bracelet kiosk at The Galleria does well because of
the array of items that are offered. "Our merchant has the
best variety of charms I've seen, and that's really
important," Grant says. "That particular line is
ever-changing, and she's up on all the new stuff. She's
always adding to the collection of charms customers can choose
from."
Whether you're just starting out or already operating your
kiosk, keeping up on new products and fads is always a good
strategy. And remember, you're not necessarily limited to one
big idea. "A few merchants out there are truly entrepreneurs.
They're willing to take risks on things they may not know
about. They want to jump on various trends or fads, so they open a
number of carts [featuring] different concepts," Grant
explains. "Those are the people I love to deal with, because
they're open to different ideas."