Sales channels for craft products and how to diversify them

Most craft businesses use more than one sales channel. A mix of routes to market can help spread risk and reach different types of customers.

Understanding different sales channels for craft products

Common sales channels include:

• direct sales through markets, studios, workshops
• online sales
• wholesale and retail partnerships

Each sales channel has a different role and requires a different type of effort.

Direct sales of craft products

Direct sales - such as markets, studios or workshops - allow for higher margins and closer relationships with customers. They provide a strong platform for telling your brand story in full. However, they often involve preparation, travel and promotion, and can be time-intensive.

Selling through wholesale and retail as a craft business

Wholesale and retail partnerships can provide increased visibility and access to new customers. Being stocked in reputable stores can build trust and introduce your work to people who may not have discovered it otherwise. Retail, however, brings different pressures, including lower margins, lead times, production planning, and additional administration and coordination with retailers.

Online sales for craft businesses

Online sales often sit alongside other sales channels, offering a way to showcase a full range and support customers who first encounter the brand elsewhere. Many craft businesses find that customers move between channels - for example, someone may first see your work in a shop and later buy directly from you online. Online sales require regular updates, order fulfilment and customer communication. See detailed guidance on selling online.

Choosing the right sales channel for your craft product

When choosing sales channels, consider:

• your capacity to produce stock
• how each channel affects pricing and margins
• the time required to manage orders and relationships

Some sales channels may require changes to how you work or may be easier to manage at certain stages of a business. For example, wholesale may require producing in large batches, committing to fixed delivery scheduled, and managing cashflow in ways that can be challenging in the early stages.

Different sales channels can also result in very different margins for the same product. Wholesale prices are typically lower than direct sales prices, while online sales may include additional costs such as packaging, delivery and platform fees. Understanding these differences is important when deciding how much time and stock to allocate to each channel.

It is also worth noting that customers may encounter your work through more than one channel, so consistency in pricing, quality and presentation will help build trust and avoid confusion. Find more tips on choosing sales channels to reach customers.

Balancing sales channels to support sustainable growth

You do not need to use all sales channels at the same time. Many craft businesses introduce new channels gradually as capacity and confidence increase. To support sustainable growth, you should choose sales channels that match your current capacity and aim for a balanced mix to avoid overreliance on a single route to market. This will help spread the risk and provide greater stability over time.