It happens nearly every time; whether it is at a street fair, the New York Fashion Boutique Show, a store, or a Grateful Dead show, the first thing a person does when they encounter products made from 100 percent hemp fabric is pick it up and smell it. Countless wholesale and retail customers all agree: this is the predominant reaction to someone’s first exposure to product made from hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.). This nasal curiosity is quite a buzz because according to the Webster’s Dictionary, and the U.S. government, hemp products are made from Marijuana, a psychoactive drug.
This reaction is a great conversation starter and quickly builds a strong rapport with a customer. More often than not, the discussion leads to a sale, and if there are other customers in the vicinity, a buying frenzy can occur. What does it smell like? Hemp, of course, and nothing else smells like it. If you have never smelled it, now is the time. It looks great and feels even better. Hemp is a plant that is great for sales both ecologically and financially, it requires zero pesticides to grow and there is little impact in processing its fabric. Current demand and improvements in manufacturing have made hemp a hot commodity for stores.
This coming May will mark the 20th year that Hempstar has been manufacturing and selling accessories and clothing made from hemp. We have sold thousands of pounds of hemp products all over the world. Entrepreneurs and environmentalists believe hemp is a dream substance, because it is the best and most environmentally safe fabric for sale in recent years.
One of Hempstar’s more popular hemp products, the tri-fold wallet, is made with an 18 to 20 oz. canvas that is four times stronger than cotton and has a much better feel than nylon or leather. The amazing strength and durability of hemp handbags and wallets is why customers are willing to pay a higher price.
Engaging your customers with some knowledge of hemp can be fun and profitable. Here are a few hemp trivia tidbits that often engender potential customers towards purchasing the Earth’s #1 environmental product:
- The word canvas comes from the Dutch pronunciation of the Greek word “Kannabis.”
- Hemp is the oldest known woven fabric, as it began to be worked in the eighth millennium (8,000-7,000 B.C.). According to The Columbia History of the World.
- The long strands of the hemp are what makes it ultra strong when woven together.
- Hemp contains natural disulfides, which help to eliminate odor and keep it from rotting. Hemp socks are the best for your feet!
- Ninety percent of ship sails were once made from Hemp: Levi Strauss used hemp cloth, strengthened with rivets, to make his famous jeans, which did not rip when the pockets were filled with gold and sediment by 49’ers panning for gold.
- Hemp needs no chemicals and has few weed or insect enemies.
- Hemp fabric is more environmentally friendly than cotton.
Sales of hemp continue to increase across the country as the demand for high quality, eco friendly products increase. Small items like wallets, bags, hats and twine are produced affordably and with a nice profit margin for retailers. These items check through the cash register at a nice pace, with or without a mini hemp education dialogue. If a customer does not know what it is made of and you as a retailer explain it to them for the first time, see what their reaction is. I bet they smell it!
For more information:
Dave Martyn
Exodus Sales / Hempstar.com
1835 Newport Blvd., A109-127
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Toll Free: 877-436-7786
Tel.: 949-246-4067
Website: www.hempstar.com