Holiday Market Waxing: 2026 Small Business Win Plan

The 2026 holiday market season was meant to bring in big sales for local artisans, but for small business owners like Sarah Jenkins of “Glow & Go” at Ponce City Market, confidence was running low. Her professional hair removal services were a tough sell in the middle of a gift-buying frenzy, even though she knew that feeling good makes you a more confident shopper. Her whole challenge was framing a quick waxing session as a strategic way to feel prepped for the holiday chaos. She set a goal to boost her holiday market waxing bookings by 30% over the last year, an ambitious target, but one she felt she had to hit to make her event participation worthwhile.

So, Sarah had to figure it out: how do you sell a personal grooming service when you’re surrounded by artisanal candles and jewelry? Her booth at Ponce City Market had a great spot near the food hall with tons of foot traffic, but she quickly saw that people just walking by didn’t equal appointments. She noticed everyone was rushing around buying gifts, totally focused on other people and not their own personal care. This meant she had to completely change her marketing approach and start actively engaging people instead of just standing there.

First, she reworked her messaging completely. She stopped just listing services and started selling the emotional payoff. Her new sign, festive but still classy, said it all: “Feel Polished, Shop Confidently: Quick Waxing for Your Holiday Glow.” That messaging tapped right into the holiday mood. In fact, she’d read a 2025 National Retail Federation report showing that 68% of consumers now care more about experiences and feeling good during the holidays than they did five years ago, so she leaned into it. She positioned her services as part of getting ready for the holidays and taking care of yourself, and she made sure her price list was big and clear so no one would walk away because of confusion.

I always tell small businesses at local markets that you have to have some kind of compelling interaction or demonstration. For Sarah, that obviously couldn’t be a live waxing session in the middle of a crowded market. Instead, she focused on educating people. She set up a little display with her high-quality products, showing off her gentle hard wax and the soothing aftercare stuff. By offering free samples of her post-waxing calming serum, she gave potential clients something tangible they could feel and experience right away. That kind of direct interaction builds the trust that is absolutely essential for any personal service. As Sarah put it, “People need to feel comfortable. They’re trusting you with their skin.”

Getting people interested was one thing, but she had to turn that interest into actual bookings right then and there. So, Sarah launched a “Holiday Ready” package, which was a discounted rate on a combo of services perfect for holiday parties, but you could only get the deal if you booked at the market. This created real urgency. On top of that, she offered a 15% off coupon for any first-timer who booked their next appointment on the spot. It turns out this is a solid strategy. A recent Small Business Development Center study found that these kinds of time-sensitive deals can boost on-the-spot sales by about 22% for service businesses at pop-ups.

Sarah knew her work couldn’t stop at the booth, so she got plugged into the local community. She teamed up with “The Style Loft,” a fashion boutique over in West Midtown, for a joint promotion where anyone buying a holiday outfit got a discount voucher for her services at Glow & Go. This cross-promotion put her right in front of an audience that was already thinking about looking good for the holidays. Then, she reached out to some local lifestyle bloggers and micro-influencers who were known for featuring Atlanta small businesses. After a great review from “Peach State Chic,” a popular blog, that specifically called out the relaxing vibe and pro results at Glow & Go, her phone started ringing a lot more. This is about getting an authentic endorsement from people the community already trusts.

You could really see the strategy working one Saturday in early December. A woman named Emily came up to the booth, just looking around, and mentioned she had a corporate party but was nervous about wearing her new dress because she hadn’t found time for grooming. Sarah just talked to her, explaining how quick the process was and how great it feels to be smooth and confident. She told Emily about the “Holiday Ready” package, pointing out how it would save her time and money with the market-only discount. Emily booked an appointment for the next week, saying the friendly chat and the obvious value sold her. That direct, empathetic approach to selling simply works because it’s about understanding what a client needs and giving them the right solution.

Sarah also had a smart, simple system for capturing leads. For anyone who wasn’t ready to book, she had a raffle for a free service that just required an email address. This simple move built her an email list for follow-up. After the market, she sent personalized emails to everyone on that list, reminding them about the holiday specials and nudging them to book. This kept the sales cycle going long after the market packed up, catching people who just needed more time to think. I always recommend this tactic. The relationship with a customer really begins once the event is over.

By the end of the season, Sarah had smashed her goal, hitting a 38% increase in holiday market waxing bookings. Her success came from a smart strategy: understand the customer, communicate the value, and get involved with the local Atlanta scene. She proved that a personal care service can absolutely kill it at a busy holiday market by focusing on the feeling you give people. As her own confidence grew, so did her customers’. With the right approach, even an unconventional market vendor can really stand out during the biggest shopping season of the year.

If you’re a small business trying to compete at a holiday market, the whole game is about figuring out what your customer really needs and showing them how you’re the solution.