A Note on Selling Plus Sizes

Women who wear plus sizes aren't used to finding their size at a craft market. This is the sign that I now bring to craft shows to make them look at me. It is not subtle. Sometimes up to 75% of my sales at shows are plus sizes! 

The frustrating thing is that there are no high-end independent boutiques for plus size. A significant portion of Wulfka's sales are wholesale, but 0% of my wholesale is plus sizes. Clearly the customer exists but stores are not meeting their demand!

Not that I blame local boutiques that serve straight-size folks. A store that has built a straight-size clientele can't just dabble with a few plus-size pieces on a rack in the corner. It's sad. It's "othering." They would need to go all-in, carry every style in every size, and re-brand as size-inclusive. 

And I can attest, friends, it's not as easy as it sounds! Plus sizes are a completely different market segment. It takes time to reach a new customer base. All that merchandise is a huge up-front cost that probably won't sell in the first season. It's a risky move for a boutique that is doing fine, but not swimming in cash. 

I know a lot of my customers are serial entrepreneurs with excellent taste so I'm planting the seed: We need a high-end plus-size boutique in Chicago! Women who wear plus sizes love to share gems with each other. They would flock to your store from states all around. Please. Give the people what they want.