Because decision fatigue is real, and so is your overstuffed booth table

Let’s be honest for a second.

If you need a spreadsheet to keep track of your product options and SKU names, and you spend half your market setup time deciding whether to bring the rose gold version or the speckled one with lavender flecks — you may have a product line problem.

I say this with love (and from experience):
You do not need 47 products.

You probably don’t even need 20.

Yes, I know. They’re all special. They’re all different.
But your booth isn’t a craft buffet, and your customers aren’t in the mood to mentally wrestle 12 soap scents before 10 a.m.

Let’s talk about what happens when you try to offer it all — and why narrowing down your line could actually make you more money, save your brain, and help your customers say “yes” faster.

Here’s why fewer products can lead to better sales, stronger brand identity, and a far more joyful handmade business.

Your brain is not a warehouse

If you’re hand-making your goods, every new product you introduce creates more:

• Inventory to store

• Supplies to source

• Pricing to track

• Packaging to figure out

• Signage to update

• Variations to remember when a customer asks, “Do you have the oat milk version in mint green but unscented?”

It’s a slippery slope from “I want to offer options” to “I have 200 items and I want to disappear.”

Instead, what if your product line was something you could remember without a cheat sheet?

Example: Citrus & Sage Soap Co. used to carry 24 scents at every market. Customers sniffed like they were wine tasting, got overwhelmed, and left. After narrowing down to 6 core scents plus 2 seasonal, their average order value increased. Shoppers felt confident choosing, and they could restock faster.

Decision fatigue is real — for you and your customers

Customers don’t want to make hard choices at your booth. They’re often shopping between coffee runs and stroller navigation.

The more products you offer, the more you ask them to:

• Pause

• Analyze

• Compare

• Second guess themselves

And when that happens? They say, “I’ll come back later.” And we all know what that means.

Tangible tip: Limit yourself to 3–5 core products at any one time on your table. These should be your bestsellers, your high-margin items, or the ones that consistently spark conversation.

You can always rotate options between markets or offer custom orders online. Your booth doesn’t have to hold your entire business.

More options do not equal more sales

It’s easy to think, “If I offer more, I’ll appeal to more people.” But too many options often lead to no decisions. And here’s the kicker: if your products are too varied, it becomes hard for customers to understand what you’re known for.

Do you make candles? Jewelry? Fiber art?
Or are you just hoping someone will buy something?

Focus breeds trust. Trust breeds sales.

Example: Stitch & Sage used to bring crochet hats, coasters, baby booties, and reusable sponges to every market. Nothing matched. It was all technically “fiber art,” but shoppers were confused. She rebranded to offer just modern home décor — now she brings 5 products, they sell in sets, and she stopped apologizing for not having baby stuff.

Simplify the booth, sell more confidently

If your display looks like a garage sale hosted by Etsy, people don’t know where to look. And you don’t know what to promote. Every time someone walks up, you start describing half your table, your brain short circuits, and you end up saying, “Everything’s handmade, let me know if you have questions.”

That’s not selling. That’s surviving.

When you shrink your line:

• Your table looks cleaner and more curated

• You can talk about your products like a pro

• You stop overspending on inventory and materials

• You build brand recognition — people remember your products

Tangible tip: Next market, test a “capsule collection.” Choose your top 5 products, space them out well, and use signage to clearly explain each one. You’ll get more engagement, faster decision-making, and a clearer sense of what’s resonating.

How to know what to cut

Grab a notebook or Google Sheet and ask:

1. What sells every time, no matter the market?

2. What do people ask about, touch, then walk away from?

3. What’s the highest margin (profit per unit)?

4. What do you actually enjoy making?

5. What takes the most time but makes the least impact?

Then ask yourself the hard one:
If I had to cut this in half, what would stay?
That’s your starting point.

You can always bring something back. But editing now gives you breathing room and focus later.

Final thoughts from your friendly display-simplifying mentor

You’re not doing anything wrong by offering a lot. You’re just probably tired, overwhelmed, and hoping that one perfect SKU will unlock everything. But chances are, it’s not more options you need — it’s clarity.

You can be the brand known for one thing done really well.
You can give your customers the ease of choosing fast and feeling great.
And you can stop spending half your profit restocking supplies for the product that sells once a year because your Aunt Kathy likes it.

Build a line that supports you — not one you have to constantly babysit.

Because you’re not here to play inventory Tetris.
You’re here to sell what you love, without losing your mind.

Need help designing a booth that looks intentional with fewer products? We’ve got modular displays, real-life examples, and layout tips to help you simplify, stand out, and actually breathe at your next event.