Alternative Market Types
Seafood alternative markets come in many forms. They can be used singly or in combination with one another and/or traditional markets. The requirements for each — the amount of time, resources and interactions with consumers, among other attributes — vary.
Below we define eight types of alternative markets, and provide links to more detailed descriptions of each, including benefits and challenges, key questions to consider, tips and resources. This information is based on various sources and insights provided by fishermen and buyers who have experience with alternative marketing. We also provide a comparative table — Alternative Markets at a Glance — to help identify differences among market types.
- Off-the-Boat and Over-the-Bank Sales
- Fishermen’s and Farmers' Markets
- Community Supported Fisheries (CSFs)
- Seafood Buying Clubs
- eMarkets
- Restaurant and Retail Market Sales
- Institutional Sales
- Your Own Retail Market or Restaurant
Consider This
Selling at a fishermen’s or farmers’ market requires having face-to-face interactions with customers and being present at the market for many hours on a certain day. Don’t have time for that? You could sell to restaurants or fish markets instead. This requires having a routine delivery schedule (even when fishing is good) and a consistent product (e.g., size, quality, species, form). See Alternative Markets at a Glance for further distinctions among seafood alternative markets.
Resources
WA State Department of Agriculture.