The day started out well enough. 5 AM wake up and I was in my truck by 5:25, a little later than my 5:15 plan, but still plenty of time for a smooth setup. No traffic at that hour, so I got to the bakery at 6:30 and was out the door with the goods by 6:45. All good so far.
At 7:01 AM I hit my first snag. I got an urgent call from one of my bakers letting me know that I'd missed grabbing a couple of boxes with some of our highest price and best margin products. No cinnamon rolls or caneles? Would anyone notice or care? One thing was for sure, total sales were going to suffer.
Tough decision time. Do I backtrack to the bakery to get those items, or keep driving and get to the market on time? The backtrack would increase my total potential revenue by $208. But I'd risk showing up late to my first day at the Chappaqua Farmer's Market, which is not a great look with the people who decide whether you get invited back. I chose to keep driving. For me, it was more important to establish a good working relationship with the market organizers than to squeeze every cent out of one day's sales.
This market day was also the public debut of cacovu.
New name, new packaging, new branding. I'd sampled and sold the product under two previous names (Just Chocolate and TheoBrew) at other nearby markets, but this was the first time many of these customers would see and taste it. I had my flyer, sampling keg and compostable cups ready to go. I brought 8 bottles to sell at $12 each.
Now, there's a bit of cognitive dissonance between showing up at a market with a truckful of breads, croissants and cookies worth over $1,000 in retail value and being more excited about possibly selling $96 worth of cacao cold brew. That's the world I've lived in ever since I started producing and selling cacovu back in December. I'm more excited about a product that drives less than 1% of our total sales than I am about artisanally crafted French breads and pastries. I know you're supposed to love all of your children equally, but the French stuff just doesn't excite me. I'm glad we have a dedicated fan base for those products and they are objectively delicious. I just get much more animated talking about and selling cacovu.
Early sales were brisk with lots of foot traffic despite the chilly, overcast morning. Lots of new people were glad to have a new provider of French baked staples.
Then came the heartache. One woman walked up very excited to see us. "I've been craving your caneles since I had them at the Hastings Farmer's Market 2 weeks ago." Of course. The caneles were in the boxes I didn't go back for. I apologized and offered to personally deliver some to her home that week. I sincerely meant it. For me, it's not about the one sale. It's about showing up for people who show up for me.
What I've discovered in twelve months of vending at farmer's markets is that you live and die with your repeat customers. Once they find you and you give them a reason to like you, they'll keep coming back, even if you sometimes disappoint them. Customer acquisition is sexy, but customer retention is where you actually earn your keep.
My cacovu setup had a flyer asking people to self-assess: if you like your coffee black, if you eat 85% chocolate bars, if you think bitter is a flavor not a problem, ask for a sample. This drew several passersby who just had to stop and read it. My approach was to see if they kept reading and then ask if they were ready to take on the dare. Playful and low stakes.
About 40 people sampled it. One called it "an acquired taste." I don't think he acquired it that day. Another woman was amazed when I told her there were zero calories. She claimed she never, ever tries samples at farmer's markets and cacovu was her first. She bought a bottle.
With an hour to go before market close, I was sold out of all 8 bottles. I kept my sampling keg out because I was still interested in feedback. More people wanted to try it and buy it. They were disappointed I was sold out.
One couple was so intrigued that we had a 10 minute conversation about the product. They wanted to buy some to bring to a gathering with friends. I offered to get bottles from my personal stash at home and deliver them that afternoon. They bought 6.
All in all, $888 in total sales, including $96 for on-site cacovu. Plus the 6-bottle delivery later that day. A long day with ups, downs and lots of engaging conversations.
Worth the 5 AM wakeup? It will be one day.
Disclosure: I write these posts. AI helps me edit them.