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I’m back this week with some updates on how I use retail at my acupuncture practice to bring in extra income without adding more patients.
In my previous posts, I shared how my practice brought in $4,043.93 in retail sales in 2025 using Faire Wholesale, as well as the exact products that sold the best (and did NOT sell) last year.
In my initial post, I also shared why I started selling retail in the first place: Some acupuncture colleagues that I interviewed on the podcast suggested that I might be able to pay my clinic rent with retail income.
And my mind was blown. I immediately knew that was an experiment I was interested in trying!
So I’m documenting my progress towards that goal. Clearly, I did not meet the goal last year, but that’s okay because it’s the first year I took retail seriously. And I can see that sales are only going to increase year over year.
Today I wanted to share what I purchased to refresh my retail sales for springtime.
Why? I’ve noticed something interesting happening at my practice in past year in regards to retail:
The same people tend to purchase retail over and over. They just love what we carry, it resonates with them, and they love supporting a local business.
So they come to us to buy small gift items when they need something.
AND – pretty much whenever I bring in a new product or restock a shelf, they purchase.
So they are regular purchasers. Now, they don’t necessarily but the same notebooks (for example) over and over. But if I buy new items, almost whatever it is, they’re very interested and likely to purchase something.
So in order to keep my regulars happy (and buying), I add a few new retail items quarterly.
Here’s what I purchased to refresh my retail shelf for springtime, and what’s selling well already:
I purchase most of my retail wholesale items from Faire. These items are all from one brand, BV by Bruno Visconti on Faire. The pricing for these notebooks is very reasonable and sometimes I even mark items up higher than they recommend to increase my profit margin.
A5 Notebook – Butterflies on Blue
Vegan Leather A5 Owls – A variation of our bestselling A5 Notebook
Our bestsellers so far have been:
These adorable A5 baby rabbit notebooks
We only have a few of these notebooks left and it’s not really even springtime here in Western NY. I think people are daydreaming about warm weather, flowers budding, etc. And these notebooks really bring that energy.
And these beautiful, giftable, owl-desgin gel click pens.
These pens are a little pricey at $8 retail, because they come with two gel refills (!) and they come in a little gift box. They make the best gift for someone who loves journaling and also loves nature, birds, owls, etc.
One thing that a few fellow wellness professionals have asked is, “Does it matter that these retail items have nothing to do with acupuncture or health and wellness?”
Nope! We also sell Chinese herbal medicine, supplements, and natural skincare products (since we specialize in cosmetic acupuncture).
None of our patients seem bothered by the gift type items (notebooks, pens, stickers, bookmarks, etc.).
And I position this corner of our reception area as a “gift shop” so it’s clear that is the purpose – I want them to think of us when they need a small present for someone.
It works well and the process is frictionless. Patients usually pick something up at the end of their appointment and pay for it along with their treatment.
It’s been an easy way to increase the average per-visit value at the practice.
Want to Try Faire for Your Own Clinic?
If you want to add retail to your acupuncture clinic in a way that’s low-investment and simple, I think Faire Wholesale is the way to go.
With Faire, minimums are removed for your first order with many brands, which means you can order a small amount and test what sells.
Faire also has an option where you can return unsold items from your first order with a brand for a refund (more on that here). This makes dipping your toe into retail feel incredibly low-risk.
They also offer net 60 payment terms, which means you have the option to buy retail inventory and pay for it 60 days later, without interest. There is no fee.
The idea is that by then, the products will have hopefully paid for themselves (and more than that), so you’re not paying for inventory out of pocket before it has a chance to sell.
All of this is why I got started with Faire – it makes experimenting feel financially safe. No huge orders required.
Here’s my link to try it and you can use code AMS10 to get 10% if your first order is $400 or more.
(Of course, you do NOT have to spend $400 on your first order – the discount code is there just in case you happen to spend that much.)
If you decide to try retail at your office, I hope you have fun with it and make a good profit!
I’m finding retail to be a nice creative outlet – a chance to use my brain a little differently than I normally would in clinic. And it’s been so well received by our patients that I look forward to continuing to grow it this year.
As always, you’re more than welcome to send me your questions: michelle@michellegrasek.com.