Market Confidential: My experiences with the Hong Kong Pop Up Market circuit.
- Richard M Crosbie
- 3 days ago
- 20 min read
Updated: 18 hours ago
Setting the scene.
As a full-time artist living in Hong Kong, I've immersed myself in the city's vibrant pop-up market scene, which has become a crucial revenue channel for selling my art and connecting with the public. These markets provide me with a platform to promote my brand, and have become a vital outlet for me to create a mini gallery and exhibition space and share my work that is inspired by the joy of living in such an exciting metropolis.
In this post, I’ll share my experiences, highlighting both my successes and, how shall I say it? Perhaps ‘challenges’ is the best word, with the hope of offering insights and building connections with fellow artists and vendors considering this niche endeavour, as well as giving some background to the casual market attendee. I know that I have a new found respect for market traders whenever I see or walk past a market, since I can appreciate the hard work and effort they put into these events.
Markets: Why do them?
Most artists I have spoken to bemoan the lack of opportunities to display and exhibit their physical work in Hong Kong. Getting into a gallery is extremely difficult and exhibition space opportunities to display ones work are few and far between. It drives me crazy to think that high end art galleries are clsoing their gallery spaces in Hong Kong when I know for a fact there are so many artists crying out to be seen and exhibit.
There are online and digital platforms for artwork sharing, but they lack the real word connection to viewers and are plagued my almighty attention span lacking algorithm . Hence looking for alternative ways to share and display artwork in real world spaces is a vital and pressing need for most artists, since art exists to be shared and viewed by others.
The begining...
Nearly a year into my artistic journey, I attended a local craft market in my home village of Discovery Bay. Until that moment, I hadn’t realized that the rekindling of my artistic passion could lead to a new career path. I often wondered how dedicating my time to painting could be economically viable. I know that it may be possible for some artists to sell their original artwork at general purpose ‘every day’ type of market events. Usually it is because their particular style or technique allows for artwork to be created relatively quicky or that they are able to employ a hand finishing printing method to mass produce ‘originals’ quickly. But from my experience, most average market customers are not looking to purchase expensive high end original artwork.
For those starting out, selling original artwork at a sustainable price and pace can be challenging. While artistic value is subjective, the costs associated with time, materials, and effort are not, particularly for a detailed painting style such as my own, which requires significant time commitment to produce. Hence selling original artwork at regular non art related markets is not really a viable option for me.
It was only when I saw other artists and craftspeople successfully generating income from selling reproductions of their work and related merchandise that I recognized the broader opportunities available to artists beyond only selling original pieces.
Determining the true value of art is always a challenge. Reflecting on my previous job’s hourly rate, I realized it would be difficult to find enough customers willing to pay an 'art market' comparable price for my original work. It may seem unfair, but a week’s wage as an employee does not equate to a week’s worth of painting as an artist—especially at this stage of my career, where the ‘Fame vs. Value’ dynamic has yet to take effect. However, I saw potential in fine art prints as a means to bridge the income gap and reach the more every day customer..
Fine art prints are high-quality reproductions of original artworks, created from digital scans and professionally printed on various premium materials. They offer a more affordable option for art lovers and collectors, serving as gifts or home décor and I believed they would be an ideal product to sell at various events, marking the beginning of my journey into local pop-up markets and craft fairs.
What is a pop up market?
Pop-up markets, or "Pop Ups" for short, are temporary retail spaces where businesses sell products and services for a limited time. This creates a sense of urgency, curiosity and exclusivity that captures customer interest.
Pop-ups can take various forms, including booths, kiosks, or entire shops, often featuring creative themes to attract visitors. They are typically hosted in outdoor locations such as farmers' markets, festivals, or mobile events, as well as in indoor spaces like shopping malls, vacant storefronts, and "shop-in-shop" arrangements within existing stores. These dynamic environments provide an exciting opportunity for businesses to engage with customers in a unique way and in my own experience, allows me to get first hand feedback and interact with my customers directly.
Market Organisers.
Several companies specialise in organising markets across various locations in Hong Kong. They act as intermediaries between landlords, shop owners, and individual vendors. Typically, these markets follow a specific theme or align with seasonal holidays such as Christmas, Chinese New Year, and Halloween or a particular marketing event. Some companies that specialise in organising local pop-up markets include:
EXD,
Handmade Hong Kong
Lifemart HK
LOCOLOCO,
Sandhill Project,
Soho Market
The Hong Kong Market Organisation (HKMO)
These companies typically advertise upcoming events on social media or through their newsletters, inviting vendors to apply. The application process is usually conducted online, which can be challenging, as not all forms are available in English. I often find myself bouncing back and forth between the application form and Google Translate during this process.
Generally, the required details are consistent across applications, including the cost to join, a refundable deposit (to encourage good behaviour), hours of operation, space or table size, and various do's and don'ts, along with other conditions and hopefully an agreed time when one can received ones deposit back.
Applications are usually submitted several weeks or months in advance of the event, requiring skill in planning calendars, managing budgets, remembering when a deposit return is overdue and preparing goods ahead of time. Every market event has its own unique character and challenges and things to consider in advance. Things to be aware of at each event include:
Location:
Not all markets are created equal. A key factor to consider is the amount of customers who will visit, often referred to as "footfall." A venue with high customer traffic can provide valuable exposure for your product and brand, however, this doesn't always translate into sales.
Some locations may attract a significant number of visitors but have a low conversion rate into sales (the number of visitors who actually buy something). This is often influenced by the customer demographic; for instance, venues in lower-income neighbourhoods may not support high sales. Conversely, events in more affluent areas might lack the necessary visitor numbers or be too remote to draw in outside customers. Plus other venues may look busy with high ammounts of customers, but upon closer inspection they are just destinations for being to 'hang out' together and are not a place for serious shoppers. It's always a good idea to check out a potential venue in advance and look to see the number of shopping bags being carried about people.
One high profile advent that I attended was hosted at a 5 star hotel. It ticked several of the required boxes to ensure a successful event. It was well promoted, had a high foot fall and featured many quality brands and hence attracted a wealthy clientele. Unfortunately the joining fee was so expensive and the break-even target set so high that everything that I sold went towards paying the table cost, with minimum actual profit made. Was it a good trade off in terms of ‘exposure’? Perhaps, but exposure has become one of the key buzz words I dislike, since it can be used by event organisers, marketeers, advertisers and media platforms to justify high joining fees, and rarely does it actually translate into positive sales or brand building. Plus 'exposure' doesn't pay the mortgage.
It's over 4 years since my first market and in that time I have taken part in market events at so many various locations including shopping malls, disused book stores, schools, restaurants, pubs, churches, streets, parks and even a music festival. In all this time the one consistent thing that I have learnt is to be prepared for anything, and seldom do things go according to plan. Often I have to think on my feet and rethink my approach and sometimes it’s better to just relax and enjoy the time rather than worry too much. And always remember to bring Blue tack!
Space:
The amount of space available to set up my display is always a challenge, especially given that my product type requires significant surface area, especially since the shape is after all, large flat panels. Hence it can be difficult to showcase a lot of artwork clearly in small spaces. I do strive to keep my artwork flat and utilize a combination of racks, easels, and hooks to hang my pieces on every conceivable selling surface.
I try to do my due diligence beforehand. Knowing the exact space available is often key to planning a successful event. Once I know the available table size, since most places provide a table at least (although not all) I mock up my intended display at home. Then I pack the required amount of items accordingly with perhaps one or two extra pieces just in case.
I now have my packing routine down to a fine art, and know how to pack things in a certian order and with some peices packed inside others. However, it took me a while to appreciate the importance of a final checklist to prevent me setting off without a key piece of equipment or accessory.
Set Up:
It is always a good idea to arrive at an event early so as to have sufficient time to set up and adapt to any unforseen changes or surprises as not everything may be as per what was planned and things can be a lot different in reality. Sometimes a table size may be smaller than anticpated, or deeper, which may require a change to how artwork is displayed.
Since each venue differs, it’s essential to be flexible and creative in adapting to the available space. I carry a "bag of tricks"—a collection of various hooks, clips, and attachments that provide me with numerous options for displaying my items and gives me ways to solve unforseen issues and sudden chnsges to my set up plan. I cannot overstate the value and importance of Blue Tack! Have I mentioned that already?
I try to offer the customer as many artwork and size options as possible. But it is not always possible to do this with every different design or style of artwork. Hence I try to display as many different artworks as possible without doubling up too much in terms of sizes. Knowing that if a customer wants an artwork at a different size, I can follow up with them after the event. The important thing is to let the customer find that artwork that connects with them.
Lighting.
While not an issue when outdoors in broad dalylight, lighting can become critical when working indoors or when working at events where the working hours extend into the evening. Seasonal changes can bring about the need for additional lighing too, since it becomes darker earlier in the fall and winter months.
Some indoor venues may have directional lighing that can be adjusted to spotlight your table or on the flip side have poor lighting in areas where markets are being held, since they were not originally designed for these events. Therefore it is always a good idea to bring along your own lights just in case. I use some small USB powered hiking lights to provide dome extra spot lights and a powerful strip light for outdoor purposes. This was learned the hard way as I found myself trying to pack up in complete darkness on a few occasions..
Frames.
Framing is an issue that I have given a lot of thought about. There’s no question that my artwork looks better when framed. As soon as it is mounted and framed an artwork seems to come alive. Yet it is difficult to transport too many frames to events due to their size and weight and so I try to display a token amount of framed artwork to give customers the general idea of how artwork will look in their homes etc.
One of the most challenging things for me to do at a market, is to swap artwork into different frames as requested by customers. Suddenly I will have to reconfigure my stall into a workshop and shut down everything while I deal with a customer’s request. The difficulty factor increasing if outdoors and in windy or wet conditions. At my most recent outdoor market, (which I can honestly say was the most difficult I have ever experienced so far due to temperamental weather), I left my booth completely to go to a nearby safe and dry indoor space to reframe some artwork. It was just impossible to do that at the cramped booth I was at.
Stall Designs
Another logistical hurdle arose when I arrived at one market only to discover that my stall space had no entry point. After setting up my display, I had to drag the table inside, essentially sealing myself in for the day! This added stress to an already busy event and highlighted the importance of clear communication with organizers who sometimes don't think things entriley through from a vendors perspective. It reinforced how something that looks great on a map or concept proposal may not be practical in reality, reminding me to always have a backup plan and not drink too much water when access to the bathroom is limited.
Outdoor Markets
Some of my most successful markets have taken place outdoors, but I've also encountered complete disasters. The biggest factor, of course, is the weather, which is often unpredictable and beyond our control. I've experienced markets that were too hot, too cold, too humid, too wet, or too windy. Events have even been cancelled outright due to typhoons and black rainstorms, which are far from ideal for selling paper items. I've suffered from heatstroke and dehydration at sweltering summer events and caught colds and flu at cold, windswept ones. Not to mention the aches and pains I often feel the morning after an exhausting event, with the ‘micro movements’ of bending down repeatedly for 10 hours playing havoc with my back or knees.
Just like Morgan Freeman says in the ‘Shawshank Redemption’ I always hope! I hope for the "Goldilocks Day," when everything is just right: pleasant weather—not too hot or cold, and no rain; a good number of visitors; and an organizer who has effectively publicized the event and created an enjoyable atmosphere. “…I hope”
Outdoor markets typically offer more generous space, allowing for a greater display of items. My favourite outdoor market takes place in my home village of Discovery Bay on Lantau Island. I consider it my "home field" where I can showcase larger artworks and transport more goods from my home. However, when I attend events outside my village, I think of them as "away games", which limit the number of items I can transport. These are usually "single bagger" events, where I can only display what fits into one suitcase or what I can carry in a taxi. I know that for some vendors they need to arrange for transit vans to transport their items to events. Personally, I try to avoid this extra expense and just take whatever I can carry so as not to raise the break even point.
Indoor Markets:
Indoor Markets are usually safer from being affected by bad weather, however they can still be cancelled due to high Typhoon signals or customer volume affected by external weather. But for the most part the internal temperature is controlled and the environment pleasant to work in. However, the downside is often space restrictions and later working hours. Some markets organisers put restrictions on eating and drinking at ones stall, which means having to dash off to get some lunch or have a sneaky bite underneath the table!
Indoor markets are usually cramped affairs however. Space is at a premium and organising ones space is critical. It only takes one successful sale of an item to throw the behind the scenes into complete chaos, as you dash for packing materials, bags and receipts! Not to mention the fun and games of having to reframe something!
I once attended an event in Happy Valley where the space behind the tables was so narrow I could not turn around and had to step to one side and do a 3 point turn like a car if I needed something behind me!
Costs:
Cost of transportation, cost of entry, cost of feeding oneself etc. Sometimes the cost of an event isn’t worth it. Of course you seldom know that in advance. Occasionally an over confident event organiser will charge a percentage of sales as well as a joining fee. Some events insist on using their own internal point of sale devices, which means a delay in receiving final payment or have a ban on using physical cash (due to licensing laws) and so insist on electronic payments only. Which means it is necessary to get set up on as many different payment systems as possible such as Octopus, FPS, PayMe, WeChat Pay and Alipay. Credit Cards are currently an issue for me as I have not yet set up a merchant account to process them. But I can usually use PayPal as a last resort to accept international payments (even though the fees are high).
Then there is the cost of the man hours worked as well as the cost to actually produce the product in the first place. Whenever I am feeling brave enough to deduct the product cost from the total income of a market event, I try not to be shocked and dismayed by the actual profit and say to myself the line ‘Dory the Blue Tang’ fish says in the movie ‘Finding Nemo’;
" Just keep swimming! Just keep swimming! Swim swim swim swim swim!"
Good Markets
The best market I’ve ever participated in was also my first, held in my home village of Discovery Bay. Its success was largely due to the incredible support from my friends and colleagues. However, since that initial event, each successive market at this location has been less successful, seeing dwindling sales.
This decline can be attributed partly to the economy and the turmoil the city has faced, but also to the over-familiarity of the same customers encountering the same products. This underscores the need to expand my horizons and explore new events further afield.
One of my favourite locations are within shopping malls as they offers a clean, comfortable environment with good foot traffic and sometimes an event will run over the weekend or for a few days and one can keep a display set up overnight. It’s such a good feeling to arrive at an event and simply uncover a display that is already set up from the night before and saves on all the bending up and down again!
Time:
While I certainly appreciate any sales I make, more often than not, one of the biggest factors I face at an event is how to pass the time when things slow down, and things can become very sloooooooow. With hours and hours passing with no sales and worryingly no visitors. So knowing how to keep calm, keep productive and ‘carry on’. Is key.
I try to see these slower moments as an opportunity to paint and draw behind my stall when things quiet down. This not only helps pass the time and keeps me sane but has also led to some of my best-selling art pieces being created while I work at a market. I like to call it multitasking—creating art while selling art!
Challenging Markets
Not all markets have gone smoothly. Some have been complete disasters, resulting in what I call "Zero Days" when I haven’t sold a single item. This type of setback occurred more frequently during the post pandemic months, when customers were too nervous to venture out and attend public events. But every now and then they do still happen. Usually due to bad planning by the event organiser, since by now I have a certain level of confidence and a track record with my product offer and know which of my items are best sellers. But sometimes there is no mystery to knowing why an event is unsuccessful. Simply put, if there's no people there can be no sales!
Even now, failing to reach my break-even target remains a significant challenge at some events I try for the first time. Various factors can contribute to this, including lack of awareness, poor promotion, low foot traffic, or a location that isn’t frequently visited. It’s vital for one’s own wellbeing not to feel too disheartened when this situation occurs.
If the event joining fee is lower than usual, it may indicate that the location isn’t ideal, as some landlords ask market organizers to promote new or unpopular sites. In such cases, some venues may rely on vendors to do their marketing, hoping they will bring their own customers.
The worst market I’ve ever attended was at China Hong Kong City in Tsim Sha Tsui. I was invited to join a market at a ferry terminal in the midst of the pandemic. I should have known better than to participate in an event where no transportation was running and no travellers were allowed. Lesson learned.
I continue to face challenging markets where one key factor remains unaddressed. For example, I attended an event at Hopewell Center Mall during the Chinese New Year and was thrilled to have the biggest and best display area I had ever worked with. Unfortunately, the venue was so new that few people knew of it's existence, resulting in only a handful of visitors who seemed to have stumbled upon the location by accident!
Memorable Experiences
Amidst these challenges, I have also enjoyed many uplifting moments at markets. It’s always gratifying to receive positive comments about my artwork from customers and passersby, and I feel truly humbled and honoured whenever I make a sale. Knowing that someone has connected with one of my pieces to the extent that they wish to own it and display it in their home is remarkable.
One cherished experience involved a couple who approached my stall, clearly captivated by a painting of a Hong Kong scene. They shared that they had been following my art journey for some time and were interested in purchasing the original piece of what I had on display. Their joy was contagious, reminding me of the impact my art can have, and I was deeply touched when the couple returned the next day to collect the original artwork.
Difficult Interactions
Of course, not every interaction has been pleasant. I’ve encountered customers who made dismissive comments about my work, including the painful accusation that my art was AI-generated. I found this particularly shocking since I consider it one of my foundational principles that everything I create is done by my own hands.
When one becomes ‘customer facing’ you are exposed to the great challenge that is the general public and all the many different personalities, quirks and unfiltered comments that come with it. Moving from moments of artwork creation which is usually an isolated solitary introverted activity to suddenly being the public face and brand ambassador for those creations can be very jarring and requires a change of mindset and mental gears. You may think that you are self-employed and your own boss, but when your livelihood depends on the decision making of the public you then realise that every person you meet is actually your boss and has power over you!
One of my pet peeves is when visitors annouce that they are 'also artists' and then proceed to show me pictures of their artwork or someone else's artwork who they are related to. This of course means they have no intention of buying anything from you but feel justified in taking up your time to tell you their life story and how they think your art is nice, but not for them. Great. Thanks for that!
Another pain point is when customers are not interested in anything that you have on display yet instead think you are 'the artist down the pub' who can knock out a quick sketch of their dog or grandmother for 'a couple of quid'. This then leads to converstaions about pricing for original commissioned art work and looks of disbelief. Yes, I am venting a little bit here, but all of these experiences have happened, including the time a lady became angry with me for not having any paintings of horses. I kid you not!
While it’s easy to let negativity and bizarre situations effect ones well-being, I’ve learned to view each experience as an opportunity for growth as an artist (and great anicdotes for a blog post and/or future book!). Each conversation, whether positive or challenging, teaches me something new about myself and sometimes the criticism is justified and easy to remedy.
Opening Doors
A key element of my pop-up art market experience has been how it can lead to unexpected and welcome outcomes, introducing me to new contacts and potential new collaborations. I’m continually amazed by the people I meet and the interesting conversations we share and the new avenues and places it takes me.
At one market, the owner of a stationery shop visited my stall and invited me to check out their store after the event. This led to a collaborative partnership that not only diversified my product range but also helped us reach a new customer demographic.
Working with local businesses who I have been introduced to whilst at a market has also been rewarding. One memorable partnership was with a noodle shop that featured my art on their walls. I even collaborated with a hair salon during the pandemic. While they were prohibited from cutting hair, they could still sell hair products. To help cover their monthly rent, they offered me the chance to display my art, benefiting both of our businesses in a real win-win arrnagement. This example inspires me to continue to look at displaying my artwork in alternative venues or look for partnerships with businesses who have wall space and who could benefit from having my artwork on display.
I continue to be amazed and surprised by the people and contacts I meet whilst out and about on the pop up market circuit. Sometimes people will see an artwork of mine and then fill me in on the background story of the subject or area I have painted, which enables me to give a richer and more detailed description to future customers. More than anything I enjoy communicating with others about my specialist subject of capturing and sharing Hong Kong memories.
Other Vendors
I have had the pleasure to meet some really wonderful people who also work the pop up market circuit as vendors. It’s always a pleasure to see familiar faces at different events and often we catch up and offer each other support and encouragement as well as swapping news and tips between each other.
It's not always peachy however. Markets can be high stress environments and some care and consideration needs to be given into how vendors conduct themselves. Sometimes it is a challenge to share a marquee with other vendors who don’t respect personal space, or who’s product encroaches into your own areas or who ignore the restriction of the number of staff members who are supposed to man the booth.
It is also bad form to have your friends and family members feel as if they can enter shared stalls and booth space freely, or stand in front of other vendors area. Also it should be widely understood as a ‘No No’ to poach customers from other booths whilst they are casually browsing and instead wait for them to finish at each stall before inviting them to your own.
Most experienced vendors however are understanding and supportive. It’s quite common for vendors to gift each other items and I have a nice collection of gifts that I have received from kind hearted fellow market stall operators. Sometimes we may even help each other to split transportation costs by sharing taxi’s or vans and keep in touch with each other and share news and intel about the event circuit. More often it can be as simple as keeping an eye on each other’s stall whenever one needs to use the toilet or go for snacks and supplies.
Reflecting on the Journey
Navigating Hong Kong's pop-up art markets has been a journey filled with valuable lessons. Some pleasant, some actionable and others literally painful.
Each market has taught me about resilience, creativity, and the importance of community and the need to be flexible and to roll with the punches. Sometimes I have had to think creativity and quickly to adapt to changes in the environment such as weather or sale space. While challenges often arise, the rewards of connecting with fellow vendors and customers is worth the effort.
For artists considering entering the world of pop-up markets, it can be both incredibly rewarding but also sometimes bone crushingly disappointing. Research your options, be open to collaboration, and don’t let setbacks deter you but learn and improve as you go. Each market presents an opportunity to grow, learn, and share your artistic passion with the world.
In conclusion. Finding the right market event is a difficult and challenging balancing act. Try to find something that ticks all the right boxes, the right cost, the right space, the right amount of customers, the right break-even point, with the added extra benefits of promoting ones brand and making new and exciting connections.
You can plan and prepare as best you can but there will always be unforeseen circumstances that one will need to be flexible to adapt to. My advice is to learn from these experiences and use them as a sounding board for your product offer and adapt accordingly.
Wishing you all happy market experience and looking forward to welcoming you to my next event soon! Thanks, Richard.
Ps. Don't forget the Blue Tack!
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