VENDOR REQUIREMENTS/FAQs
Becoming a vendor at The Shops is very different compared to being a vendor at a weekly market, fair or other event. Opening a brick-and-mortar shop with inventory and regular hours is a commitment of time and resources. We strive to provide as much information as possible to potential vendors to allow them to make an informed decision about becoming a business owner. If after reading this the requirements and the following FAQs you still have additional questions, please email them to susan@shopsatzannys.com
1. First you must read and carefully consider the information contained in this Requirements document to determine if being a vendor at The Shops at Zanny’s is workable and realistic for you. If, after doing so, you feel it is something you can commit to, then fill out the vendor application.
2. Required Shop Hours– Merchants and their staff are required to abide by the agreement and addendum. This includes: being open during the required days and hours of business outlined in the agreement; managing an attractive appearance of their shed; taking ownership and responsibility for the cleanliness and security of common areas; engaging in communication with the management when necessary; taking responsibility for their product/sales; ensuring their staff carries out the duties and tasks the owners have agreed to.
Vendors must be open minimum hours of Thursday to Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. from the months of September through June. You may open for MORE hours and days than this, however, you may NOT be open LESS. One of the keys to retail success is maintaining consistent business hours and being open when you say you will be open – Opening late or closing early is also not acceptable.
Each summer, the current merchants are polled for their input regarding shorter ‘summer hours’. This may result in only being open 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Again, vendors must meet the minimum hours everyone decides on, but if a vendor wishes to be open for more days and hours than the minimum, they are welcome to do so.
Each shed/cottage is equipped with a small wall air conditioning unit. The unit may be used while the shop is open and must be TURNED OFF when the shop is closed. If the unit is found to be on when the shop is not open, the vendor will be fined, as per the Agreement Addendum. The Shops do not close on extreme weather days: this includes heat, cold, wind, rain. Vendors and staff, if they have them, should dress appropriately for the weather. For cooler months, Vendors are welcome to run a small space heater, which also must be turned off when the shop is closed.
3. Music is welcomed in your shed to set an atmosphere for your customers. Because other vendors may have very different atmospheres, the music in your shed should not be audible in the common area or in other sheds.
4. Holidays.The Shops are only closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. We are doing business in a tourist area and the expectation by visitors is that we are open on the other holidays.
5. Partnerships: Each space is meant for a single vendor to create and personalize it to their own liking (within limits). If you have a business partner you’d like to work with, please include this information on your application (and photos) so we can review both products and styles. Partnerships will also be required to show proof of partnership agreement, indicating all partners are equally responsible/authorized to sign on behalf of the partnership and both are equally responsible for the legalities of such an arrangement.
6. Maintenance Duty. Currently the vendors are sharing in maintaining the facility. This includes trash cans being emptied and going in and out on the appropriate days and restroom maintenance. When Vendors sign their Agreements, they receive an Addendum which includes a schedule of tasks for each month of the year. Fines and Rental Agreement Violations are issued to vendors who do not follow the schedule and complete their assigned tasks. If the vendors staff did not complete the task, then vendor is still held accountable.
INFORMATION ON THE PROCESS OF SUBMITTING APPLICATION PROCESS AND FAQs
The Shops is a creative and eclectic mix of shops comprised of seven individual retail business spaces and one music/performance venue. There are also monthly Art Market events on the second Saturday of each month from March to November/December, as well as intermittent special events as planned by management.
We look at all the applications we receive to decide who we feel would be the best fit for the space we have available. We also consider the quality of the items for sale, as well as the experience of the applicant.
The Shops strives to maintain a variety of offerings, presented in a pleasant atmosphere for the benefit of our customers and vendors. As a vendor at The Shops, you are part of a collective of businesses who consider and respect the other merchants by maintaining required minimum operating hours and providing a pleasant ambiance to our customers through cooperation and ownership of the facility through daily and weekly tasks.
After you submit your application, you will receive an automated response notifying you that we received your application. If the confirmation doesn’t arrive in your inbox within 10 minutes after submitting, please check your spam/junk folder.
Q. I’ve received a confirmation regarding my application, but no one has reached out to invite me for an interview. Does this mean I haven’t been selected?
A. If we decide to move forward with your application, we will contact you to set up a personal meeting. If you haven’t heard from us, it could mean one of several things: your product/business may not be the best fit for The Shops, or your product may not be the right fit at the present time.
Q. Which spaces are available now?
A. Space availability is always changing. We work to select vendors strategically for the benefit of both vendors and shoppers. Only once we’ve reviewed an application and set up an appointment to move forward will we disclose which space is available.
Q. Is a deposit required?
A. Yes. A deposit equal to one full month of rent is required.
Q: What are the terms of the lease?
A: There are no leases. The agreement is month-to-month and can be ended by either party for any reason provided proper notice is given as per the terms of the agreement. A security deposit equal to one month’s rent is collected upon signing the agreement. This is refundable at the end of the term if the shed is returned to us in good order.
Q. Is parking available?
A. Vendors and their staff – if they have – are encouraged to park on the street and leave the parking lot for customer use.
Q. I’m having trouble submitting my application. What should I do?
A. First, make sure your pictures are the correct file size. There is a link on the application that can help you do this. If you do this and your application still does not send, remove the photos and click SUBMIT. Then, please send the photos via email to: susan@shopsatzannys.com. Please put ‘VENDOR APPLICATION PHOTOS’ in the subject line and include your name and the name of your business in the body of the email.
Q. How long does it take for my application to be reviewed?
A. Applications are reviewed based on available openings, which may be immediately or may be six months or more from now. If your product is a great match for The Shops, we will contact you when we have the appropriate opening.