what size are your best selling sizes for ready made frames?

[Not your average framer]

I am preparing to make a batch of ready made frames for stock and also to display in one of my shop windows. I am considering how many frames and of what size I can get out of how many moulding lengths. For instance, I usually expect to get three 12" x 10" frames out two 3 metre moulding lengths. So most smaller ready made frames, get produced from most left over part lengths.

I am thinking that most sizes below 12" x 10" are generally less in demand and therefore probably are less likely to generate the best sales volumes and spend much time on producing many of them, might not be worth the effort. I've found quite a few lengths on narrower deeper box frame mouldings, but quite a few of the are probably not strong enough for larger frames and are plain white. To me they lack excitement and need some narrow painted slips , or deep rebate spacers in them to generate any worthwhile interest.

My thinking is that this is going to be a time to really push the boat out and to go for it 100%. I don't think that customers are necessarily going to be falling over themselves to buy ready made frames right now. So whatever we are offering, needs to look extra special. Any thoughts about frame sizes, will be much appreciated.

Thanks in anticipation,
Mark.

[Abi]

These are the most popular search terms for picture frames on my marketplace.

https://pin.it/4cNtOlV

Gallery wall sets are still quite a popular trend, which could be something that would work for a window display.

[dmcgreen]

good question! Abi has pointed out a powerful source of secondary market data. While I cant speak from experience i.e. offering ready made frames I would take a similar approach to researching further given consumer buying habits and reliance on search engines.

google offer a similar tool: https://trends.google.com/trends/?geo=US

I have a hunch that amongst larger frames (i.e. approx A3 paper size and up) rarely meet the exact need of the customer but are bodged to get an acceptable results. I get asked often by friends and family something along the lines of "what size frame do I need for this <inset size here> print" assuming that those off the shelf are made to somehow fit.

Would need something to back this up but my gut tells me a3 would be popular among millenials/gen z. Low-budget open edition prints that are all over the net appeal to this market are more often than not advertised and start from a3 size so frames to suit would be a start. However if you're targeting a different market that may not be the case.

[Not your average framer]

Most of my ready made frames are made of off cuts and the range of existing size are any thing from 5" x 5" up to perhaps 20" x 16", with quite a lot of sales about 6" x 8" and 8" x 10". A lot of people seem to buy the frame first and then size the picture to suit afterwards, which always seems crazy to me. When the covid virus shut down gets lifted, I want to trying to shift some extra ready made frames, as I think there will be less shops wanting to sell low profit items and using lots of space in their shops to sell items that are using up areas of space that the potentially less sales and therefore less profit won't necessarily so easily cover the stores overheads.

If so, I'm hoping that means perhaps ordinary framers, might get the change to sell more ready made frames and it might be a different group of customers to our usual customer. Theres a lot of new housing going up around the town, by the new residents don't tend to do any of their shopping in the town at all. They generally are a different age group, without any family connections within the town and only live here to have somewhere to sleep at night. Goodness knows where these people are doing there shopping, but there's not much sign of it being around here. Maybe the covid virus problems will change this, but it's all guesswork at the moment.

Whatever happens having some more ready made frames on display, has got to be worth doing to see if more customers for ready made frames, we look in the shop window and decide to check me out. Maybe it will work, maybe it wont, but if I don't try, I won't find out.