How To Sell Art Prints To Stores

Selling Art In Local Gift Shops

Many artists starting to sell their art are filled with excitement and drive. They dedicate a large amount of time to enhancing their artistic skills, building an artist website or Etsy shop, uploading images of their artwork, and waiting for the sales to come in.

After weeks of posting images on social media and waiting for their first sale, they become discouraged and lose their drive and motivation.

Even though there is much information about tips for selling art, how to sell art prints online, and how to sell art prints on Etsy, they are overlooking the importance of selling art locally.

To be able to sell your art online, you have to build name recognition and brand awareness.

Building brand recognition is easier locally than with people you have never met online.

Start with your friends and family; they will help by discussing your art with their friends.

Selling art in local stores and art craft fairs is another excellent way to build name recognition locally.

Not sure how to sell art prints in stores? Here are some easy steps for placing your art prints in local stores.

Make A List Of Local Stores

You might be wondering how to get your art in retail stores.

The first step is to identify gift shops or small businesses selling artwork prints in your area.

Write down all of the shops within a thirty-miles of your home. Remember that you will not schedule meetings with every gift shop on your list.

You are creating a list to identify which stores fit your product brand.

Next, you will want to go through your list and cross off any stores that do not sell products like yours.

For example, a local convenience store that does not sell art prints or greeting cards will not be a good fit for your artwork.

Keep crossing off stores from your list until you have a handful of gift shops that look like they will be a perfect fit for your art brand.

Make A List Of Local Music Stores and Restaurants

There are more opportunities than searching for local shops to sell art prints.

Local music shops and family-owned restaurants in your area might enjoy helping local artists.

Add the names to your list if you live in an area with family-owned music stores and restaurants.

Prepare Your Elevator Pitch

Once you have completed your list and have between five and ten local shops, it is time to prepare your sales pitch to connect with the shop owners.

An elevator speech is a summary of what your art business offers. 

Keep your elevator pitch short and detailed. Keep in mind that business owners are very busy and do not have the time to spend an hour talking about the prints you are trying to sell.

To read more about elevator pitches, visit, How To Write An Elevator Pitch For Artists.

You might already have an artist elevator speech. If you do, you might have to revise it a little for meeting with the business owners.

The goal is to express your passion for your art prints and highlight how they will sell well in their shop.

Create A Press Kit

After you have written your elevator speech and rehearsed it, you will want to get a press kit ready to show the owners when you share your pitch.

To read more about press kits, visit, How To Create An Artist Press Kit.

You will want to bring a few of your best art prints and your press kit so the owner can observe your artwork’s quality. 

Include information about how your art prints sell in other stores or local art fairs.

Create A Wholesale Rate

The last step you will have to take before scheduling a meeting with the owners is to create a wholesale rate for your art prints.

Wholesale price is the price charged for a product sold in bulk to retail stores.

The rule of thumb is to charge half of the retail price.

For example, if your prints sell for $30, the wholesale price will be $15 for a specific amount.

You might want to offer an incentive for the shop owner to purchase a larger quantity by offering a tiered pricing plan.

An example would be:

• 20 prints for $25 each
• 50 prints for $20 each
• 100 prints for $15 each

This ratio can be altered, but the primary thing to consider is keeping the prices the same for every shop.

You do not want the word getting around that you are giving special deals to some shops.

Print Size

Decide on what size art prints you will be selling at local stores. Offer the same size if you are selling your prints in multiple shops. Doing so will make it easier for you to keep an inventory.

Sell Art Prints On Consignment To Local Gift Shops

Another option is to sell your giclee prints on consignment with local shops.

Some small businesses will not have the extra funds to invest in purchasing prints to sell in their facility but would see your items on consignment.

Consignment is an arrangement in which goods are left in possession of an authorized third party to sell. (Source: Investopedia)

Before you can offer a consignment deal, you will need to have a list of your retail prices and a percentage of the sales the shop will receive after a sale.

You will also want to set up a payment agreement when the shop pays you for the sales. Most shops pay monthly, but you can negotiate the details with each shop owner. 

To read more about wholesale prices, visit, How To Start Selling Handmade Items Wholesale.

Schedule A Meeting

The last step is to schedule a meeting with each owner.

Take two or three days to visit, or call each store on your list to schedule a meeting with the owner at their convenience.

Try to reach out to the owners on their slower days, usually Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Visiting the store to introduce yourself to the owner or sales rep will be best.

Start the conversation complimenting their facility and products and naturally go into your artist’s elevator pitch.

Final Thoughts On How To Sell Art Prints To Stores

Selling your work in local shops is an excellent way to build local name recognition.

You will quickly sell original artwork on an online gallery when people start to identify your artwork and name.

The people who get to know you locally will share your art on their social media pages, helping you reach a broader audience.

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