Vendor Info & Application

Hello and thank you for your interest in joining us as a vendor! We have made a change this year and have just one application covering the spring AND fall Market dates. There will be separate Holiday Market application this summer.

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HOW TO APPLY:

STEP 1 --> Review the Vendor Guidelines (summary of key info) and FAQ's (additional detail) below. Returning vendors, you should not skip this step.

VENDOR GUIDELINES (Handmade, Antique, Vintage only)

STEP 2 --> When you’re ready to apply, click on the link below. You’ll need 1 product photo and 1 display photo handy. Photo file names should be, or should include, your business name for easy tracking.

VENDOR APPLICATION (Handmade, Antique, Vintage only)

If you have shelf stable, artisan-style food products (e.g. spices, teas, honey chocolates, hot sauces, other condiments), you use this application - you'll be in the Handmade category.

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Food trucks & tented food vendors with items for consumption by customers onsite including savory, desserts and beverages please review the Guidelines for Food Truck applicants first, then use this FOOD TRUCK & TENTED FOOD VENDOR APPLICATION to apply. Your application is due by 1/24 at 11 pm and notifications will go out on 1/31.

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KEY APPLICATION DATES:

Application Posted: 1/1/25
Application Deadline: Friday 1/31 at 11 pm eastern
Notifications (all 8 spring & fall dates): Friday 2/21
Spring Season Invoice Emailed: Mon. 2/24, due 2/27
Fall Season Invoice Emailed: Mon. 5/5, due 5/8
Holiday Market: separate application, expected to be posted 7/1

The application confirmation email will come from notifications@typeform.com and will include a copy of the dates that you applied to for your records. Vendor notifications will come from helloclovermarket(at)gmail.com.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What are the dates and hours? Our Market schedule can be found here and is typically finalized by Nov of the prior year. All Markets are 10-4 pm, rain or shine.

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Where are the Markets held? We host our Markets outdoors in four beautiful and vibrant downtown locations in the Philadelphia area: Chestnut Hill PA, Collingswood NJ, Bryn Mawr PA, and Kennett Square PA (photos at the bottom of this page). These locations allow for plenty of parking and access to the busy nearby retail corridors and public transit. We closely partner with, and receive additional marketing support from, the local business districts. We also host a 2 day indoor Holiday Market at the Westtown School in West Chester. Our social media pages give a pretty good flavor for what the events look and feel like.

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Who should apply? We are looking for vendors with high quality handmade products along with carefully curated antiques (100+ years old) and vintage goods (25+ years old). Specifically, we select handmade artisans with unique, high quality, modern/on-trend products and antique and vintage dealers with a carefully curated selection of goods (i.e. we are not a "flea market"). Creative and beautifully styled displays are prioritized when we select vendors. We welcome applications from emerging and established businesses.

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What about food vendors? Each Market also includes a selection of high quality food trucks and tented food and beverage vendors with savory options, desserts, and beverages. We are not currently accepting applications for new alcohol vendors.

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Who should NOT apply? We do not accept vendors with merchandise which is wholesale, buy/sell (e.g. Temu, Alibaba), direct to consumer/multi-level marketing, AI-designed, trademarked, directly imported, made from kits, or made from purchased designs or components without the clear creative imprint of the applicant on the final product sold. Vendors who misrepresent their work on the application may be asked to leave the Market and will be cancelled without refund from future scheduled Markets. We do not offer spaces for businesses for strictly marketing or promotional purposes.

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Do products need to be made in the US? Our priority in selecting vendors is on locally handmade products. We sometimes include vendors with products produced outside the US via fair trade partnership, but in that case 100& of the product design must be done locally by the vendor. We do not accept directly imported products.

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What is the vending fee? Is there an application fee? Vending fees range from $200/Market (for handmade and antique vendors at our outdoor events) to $250/Market for full sized food trucks. There is never a fee to apply.

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How do you select the participating vendors? When reviewing applications, we consider product quality, craftsmanship, uniqueness, cohesiveness of design, the overall mix of sellers, and fit with the Market’s aesthetic and what we feel will resonate most with our customers. Product display and presentation are very important considerations, and we look for applicants with creative and carefully styled displays as we are looking to create a high quality shopping experience for our customers.

A strong social media and online presence is also important as we ask all vendors to help promote the Markets in partnership with us. We strive to have a variety of styles, price points, and categories represented at our events and maintain targets in each category. Finally, but importantly, we are always interested in increasing representation of BIPOC brands in our vendor community, and this information can be shared on the application.

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Do I need to apply to all Markets in a season? No. You can apply to as many Markets are you are interested in doing. You'll be able to indicate if you have a priority date on the application. Due to strong demand for our Markets, please note that most handmade vendors, especially in typically oversubscribed categories (jewelry, clothing, candles, bath/body, ceramics) will only be accepted for 1 or possibly 2 dates within a season.

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What are you looking for in terms of tent setup? When reviewing applications, the display image is a key item of consideration. We've put together a gallery of images from prior Markets that gives a good sense of what we're looking for but essentially we're looking for vendors with creative and carefully styled displays who can help us create a high quality shopping experience for our customers. This typically includes an engaging and inviting feel, unique display pieces, high quality signage and branding, a curated offering of items, and an engaging and inviting overall feel. Our Instagram page also has many examples which reflect the overall feel of the Market and the vendors we typically select.

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What do you consider to be "handmade"? We consider handmade products to be those which are original in design and which require a level of skill and creativity in their final execution. We value seeing the maker's personal imprint on the final products sold versus products with very minimal handiwork done on purchased components.

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How many vendors do you accept at each Market? Do you limit the number of vendors in each category? We accept 90-100 vendors per Market and we do maintain a target number of vendors in each of our categories to avoid over-saturation of products. We have found this size to work best for us; it's small enough to be manageable but "worth it" for customers and large enough to allow for a nice assortment of vendors. We typically have around 5 savory food trucks, 1-2 desserts, and a few beverage options at each event too along with live music, kids crafts and more.

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Do I need to have a website or social media pages to apply? Yes, we will use either your website/shop page (e.g. Etsy) or your Instagram page to review your products. You will need to have one or the other, ideally both, to apply. Since so much of our promotion is done on social media, we will prioritize applicants with an active social media presence who are able to partner with us to promote the events and yourselves to our customers.

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Will I submit any photos on the application? Yes you will need to have one display photo and one product photo to apply. If you are new to vending and don’t have a display photo, you can create a small mockup to give us a sense of how you'd propose to display your work or collections. We will review additional photos on your website and social media pages. Please make sure they're up to date and have enough product that we can assess your work.

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Do I need to be personally present at the Market? Yes, and this is very important for us. Because the experience of meeting and interacting with our makers/collectors is such an important part of our value proposition to customers, vendors must be personally present representing their business unless there is an extenuating circumstance and prior approval has been given. Unless otherwise noted, another event on the same day is not considered an extenuating circumstance.

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What is the weather policy? The Markets are held rain or shine. We reserve the right to cancel the Market in case of severe or dangerous weather which might include heavy all day rain, sustained high winds, or lightning. Any weather-related decisions will be made by noon the Saturday before the scheduled Market. There are no rain dates, and we do not do credits for future Markets. If a Market is cancelled by us due to severe/dangerous weather, a 50% refund of fees will be issued. While we would never force a vendor to attend a Market, we do expect vendors who apply to be prepared and able to participate in outdoor weather conditions including rain.

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What is the cancellation policy? A 50% refund is available up to one month prior to a vendor’s scheduled Market if a vendor needs to cancel. No refunds are given for cancellations within one month of a Market date. Vendors may not sell or give their space to another vendor; we will fill spaces from the waitlist if possible. All cancellations must be received in writing (email or text if the cancellation is on Market day), and "no shows" without any communication will impact future acceptance. We do not do credits for future events.

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I have participated before. Will I be automatically accepted again? We are thankful for our long-term vendor community, and we know that our shoppers have built relationships over time with so many of you. However, it's also important for the vitality of the Markets that the merchandise and lineups are fresh and interesting each season, and that we don't have too much of each type of product. All applicants are reviewed with a fresh eye each season and we can't guarantee that prior vendors will always be able to participate, or that they will be confirmed for all of the Markets they have applied to.

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What do I need to have to participate in the Market (tents, tent weights)? Vendors will need to have a 10’x10’ white tent, tent weights (a minimum of 40 lbs of weight securely fastened on each tent leg for 160 lbs total), and tables for all merchandise. We recommend full-length tablecloths for a neat and professional appearance and recommend that vendors have tent sidewalls in case of rain.
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What types of tent weights are permitted)? Our approved types of tent weights are fully filled and adequately sized weight bags (like this) or PVC pipe or buckets filled with concrete for a DIY option (like this). Concrete blocks, bricks, water jugs, dumbbells, ballast plates loosely set on tent legs, loose sand bags or partially filled sand bags are NOT approved types. The round interlocking type (like this) are not approved unless they are securely fastened to the tent and with adequate weight (they are not our preference).

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I missed the application deadline. Do you take late applications? Is there a waitlist? Typically once our application has closed, we do not accept late applications and our informal waitlist is drawn only from the original applicant pool. However, since we are implementing a new process in 2025 with a single application for both spring and fall, we MAY open up an opportunity for vendors to join the waitlist later this spring depending on the number of applications we receive in January (we will update that info here if that's the case).

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If I am not accepted to participate, could I get some feedback? Unfortunately, given the number of applicants that we have each season, we are not able to provide individual feedback on applications. If you were not accepted, you may be in a very competitive category. If you have applied multiple times and have not been accepted, it's likely that our Market is not the right fit.

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How do I pay for my spots if I am accepted as a vendor? Once the vendor notifications go out, accepted vendors will receive a Paypal invoice which will reflect the total number of Markets they have been confirmed for in the season. Please be aware of scammers and NEVER send money to anyone reaching out to you on social media saying that they have spaces available for our events and requesting a payment, especially Venmo, Cash App, etc.

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Will I get additional logistical information if I'm accepted? Yes, vendors will received detailed logistical information including space assignments, how and where to load in, where to park, etc. about a week prior to each Market, allowing sufficient time to prepare for your participation. Our clear and detailed instructions, and our helpful onsite team, are one of the things that vendors most often mention enjoying about participating with us.

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Can I request a specific space? No, we do not accept specific space or adjacency ("can you put me next to so-and-so") requests unless you have a truly extenuating circumstance. This might include a medical condition that requires you to be close to restrooms, two vendors who travel together and must have adjacent tents, two vendors in two spaces who set up a joint display.

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I was accepted but not for all of the dates that I applied to. Is there a waitlist? Yes, you will automatically be kept on the informal waitlist for any Markets that you applied to but were not confirmed to vend. You don’t need to do anything further, and that will be kept active all season in case of any last minute openings.

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Do I need to pay sales tax? Are other licenses required? Yes you need to register your business and pay sales tax on all taxable products. It is each vendor’s responsibility to know their own personal tax requirements, and we recommend working with your tax professional to ensure that you are in full compliance. There is a $20 annual business license required for all Bryn Mawr vendors. Tax/license contact information is included on the Vendor Guidelines.

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Is electricity available? Can I bring a generator? As our Markets are held on closed streets and parking lots, we do not have electricity available. Generators are only permitted for our food trucks.

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Can I share a space? Will you match me with someone? Yes, up to 2 vendors can share a space. Both will need to apply and be accepted to participate, and you will just indicate this on the application. If one vendor is accepted and the second vendor is not, we will offer the space as a solo space to the accepted vendor. We are unfortunately not able to match applicants with others also wishing to share a tent space. We also find that shared spaces work best when vendors have a relationship with each other, and have done that outreach and coordination themselves.

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Do I have to have insurance to participate? We do not require insurance, but we strongly recommend it. Clover Market does not assume responsibility to ensure the safety of vendor’s property. Our recommended company/policy is through ACT and information can be found here (vendors can do a policy for a single show, or an annual policy).

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Do you have any testimonials from vendors? We sure do! Check our some of our recent testominials here. Overall, vendors report that the smooth organization, excellent logistical communication, promotion and marketing, and a devoted customer base cultivated over 15 years sets Clover apart from other events.

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How can I be sure to see future calls for vendors? It's easy - just put your email in the "mailing list" field at the bottom of this page! We send out frequent reminders to everyone our email list and will also post on our social media pages linked at the bottom of the page, too when applications are live.

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How can I reach you if I have a question not answered here? If you have a question that has not been answered above or in the Vendor Guidelines and Policies, feel free to reach out to us helloclovermarket(at)gmail.com. We will get back to you as quickly as possible.

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