Get Wholesale Ready - Helping Makers Take the Next Step

Leith Makers is hosting Get Wholesale Ready, a workshop for makers looking to move their work into shops, on Saturday 6 February 2027. It's one of those sessions that takes the vague idea of "going wholesale" and breaks it down into the actual, practical steps you need to get there.

The morning is led by Alice, founder of the award-winning handmade brand Melt Me Real Good. She's a good person to be learning this from: the business started in 2020 as a kitchen-table idea and now stocks in more than 20 independent retailers across Scotland and the UK. Alongside her own brand, she creates bespoke collections for commercial clients and helps run Wylde Thistle Events, through which she supports other makers at artisan markets. The whole session draws on her experience of growing a handmade business beyond the market stall and building relationships with independent retailers.

Over the course of the morning, she'll walk you through the bits that usually feel the most daunting when you're starting out. That means wholesale pricing and margins—how to price for a shop without losing your own profit—as well as packaging, putting together a catalogue, and how to actually approach independent shops. There's also a section on preparing for trade shows, so if you've been thinking about booking a table but aren't sure what you need to have ready, that's covered here too.

It's a practical, step-by-step look at the business side of making, rather than a high-level talk. The workshop runs at Leith Makers, 105 Leith Walk, Edinburgh, EH6 8NP, starting at 09:30 on Saturday 6 February. Tickets are £20.00 via Eventbrite.