On-Site Supply: The Remote Festival General Store

On-Site Supply: The Key to Smoother Remote Festivals

Remote festivals present unique challenges. With venues far from urban conveniences, attendees can’t easily run to a store for forgotten items or emergency needs. A well-stocked on-site general store becomes a lifeline – providing essentials like water, electrolytes, sunscreen, and tent stakes right at the venue. By offering these necessities at fair prices, festival organizers reduce stress on guests and minimize traffic on rural roads, helping the entire event run smoother and safer.

Why an On-Site General Store Matters

When a festival is miles from the nearest town, even small needs can turn into big problems. If someone forgets a crucial item – be it a toothbrush, a phone charger, or allergy medication – getting it might mean leaving the festival grounds, driving long distances on unfamiliar roads, and potentially missing performances. This not only inconveniences the attendee but also increases vehicle traffic in and out of the site. Having a “remote general store” on the premises eliminates that scenario. Festival-goers can quickly buy what they need and get back to enjoying the event, all without leaving the safety and excitement of the festival community.

Providing supplies on-site also enhances safety and comfort. Dehydration and sun exposure, for instance, are common risks at outdoor events. By stocking electrolyte drinks, refillable water bottles, and sunscreen at accessible prices, organizers encourage attendees to stay hydrated and protect themselves from the sun’s intensity. Medical teams at festivals often report that many health issues (like heat exhaustion or severe sunburns) are preventable with the right precautions. An on-site store makes taking those precautions easier. Guests are more likely to apply (and reapply) sunscreen or drink that electrolyte packet when those items are readily available and affordable, rather than if they’re overpriced or absent.

Moreover, a well-run general store keeps the festival site more self-sufficient. In remote parts of Australia’s outback or the high deserts of the United States, festivals might be hours away from the nearest supermarket. International attendees flying to a festival in rural Indonesia or India can’t pack camping stove fuel or full-size toiletries in their luggage. The on-site store fills these gaps. It becomes part of the festival infrastructure – much like water stations, toilets, and medical tents – geared towards keeping everyone safe, happy, and focused on the experience instead of logistics.

Stocking the Essentials (and Then Some)

What should a remote festival general store carry? The short answer is: a bit of everything essential. Start by imagining the most common items attendees forget, need, or run out of during a multi-day event. Here are key categories to cover:

• Hydration and Health: Water (if not provided free), sports drinks, electrolyte powders or tablets, and perhaps vitamin supplements. Electrolytes are especially popular at music festivals where people dance under the sun for hours. Stock electrolyte packets or rehydration salts so that anyone feeling drained can quickly recover. Also include basic first aid supplies (band-aids, antiseptic wipes), pain relievers, antacids, and allergy medications. In tropical or mosquito-prone locales, don’t forget insect repellent.

• Sun and Weather Protection: High-SPF sunscreen (including sensitive-skin and eco-friendly options), lip balm with SPF, sunglasses, sun hats, and aloe vera gel for sunburn relief. If the festival is in a rainy or cold region, also carry rain ponchos, umbrellas, rubber boots (wellies), and warm blankets. Weather can be unpredictable – a hot day may turn into a chilly night in the mountains, so things like thermal blankets, hoodies, or hand warmers can be surprise lifesavers for attendees who didn’t pack for temperature drops.

• Camping and Gear: Many remote festivals are camping events, so camping supplies are a must. Think tent stakes, mallets, guy lines, and duct tape for when wind or accidents cause damage to tents. Spare tent poles or repair kits, if available, can save someone’s shelter. Sell sleeping bags, air mattresses or foam pads, and earplugs (for those who want some quiet sleep despite 4 AM music). Battery-powered or solar lanterns, flashlights, and extra batteries are crucial in areas without ambient light. Phone charging cables, power banks, and portable chargers should be available too – people will pay gladly when their phone is dying and they need to find friends or use a digital ticket. Even consider carrying universal travel adapters if you expect an international crowd (how many travelers show up with the wrong plug for the local outlets?).

• Personal Care and Hygiene: These include toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo (biodegradable if the site has showers or a lake), menstrual products, condoms, deodorant, wet wipes, and toilet paper. For multi-day events, attendees truly appreciate being able to buy a bar of soap or a pack of wet wipes on day 3. Sanitary items are particularly vital – no one should be stuck without tampons or pads when needed. A small selection of common cosmetics or body care items (like sunscreen sticks, dry shampoo, or chapstick) can also be welcome. Medications such as painkillers or antihistamines may need to be sold from a pharmacy-licensed booth depending on local laws, but having them available in some capacity is important.

• Food and Snacks: Even if the festival has food vendors, some basic grocery items can be popular. Instant noodles, granola bars, fresh fruit, bread, coffee, eggs, or cereal can cater to campers who cook at their site or need a late-night bite when vendors are closed. Ice is often in high demand (for keeping coolers chilled or just for cold drinks), so plan for regular ice sales and have enough ice storage on hand. If you allow campfires or camping stoves, selling firewood, charcoal, or camping propane canisters is critical (and safer than attendees trying to forage or smuggle fuel in). For remote festivals with an eco-friendly ethos, consider stocking organic or locally-sourced snacks and wholefoods to match your event’s sustainability values.

• Festival Convenience Items: There are always those miscellaneous items that make festival life easier. Portable phone battery banks, earplugs, disposable or reusable ponchos, duct tape (cannot be emphasized enough!), cable ties, scissors or multitools, notebooks and pens, and even cheap sunglasses can be hits. For music festivals, ear protection (from simple foam earplugs to higher-end filters) is important for health. At art or glow-themed festivals, things like LED string lights, glow sticks, face paint, or costume pieces might sell well. If the festival is family-friendly, include items for kids – small toys, sunscreen for kids, ear defenders for children, etc.

• Local Culture and Specialty Items: Think about where your festival is and the cultural context. In a remote part of Mexico, for example, stocking some local snacks or traditional remedies (like electrolyte drinks popular in that region) can be a nice touch. At a desert festival in the Middle East, you might carry head scarves (keffiyehs) to help guests cover from sun and dust. In a cold mountain festival in Canada, packets of hot chocolate or hand warmers might be appreciated. Align your stock with the environment and audience. If your remote location has unique hazards (say, a festival on a beach in Thailand might need extra sunscreen and sand-friendly mats, while one in a New Zealand forest might need strong insect repellent and tick removal tools), tailor your inventory accordingly.

The goal is to make the on-site store a one-stop shop for survival and comfort. For example, Shambala Festival in the UK provides an on-site “Corner Shop”. It proudly bills itself as “the place that stocks everything you forgot to bring, and everything you didn’t realize you needed”, and indeed it lives up to that promise – stocking useful camping supplies, everyday household items, medicines, sun creams, rain gear, fresh bread and milk delivered daily, organic snacks, toiletries, and even camping gear fixes (tents, sleeping bags, gas canisters, gaffer tape, tent pegs, and more) (www.shambalafestival.org). In other words, they anticipate just about every essential an attendee might require, which is a gold-standard model to aspire to.

Tip: Pay attention to what items sell out each day and what attendees ask for. This data is invaluable for adjusting inventory. If you noticed that the portable phone chargers sold out by the second day, you’ll know to stock more next time. If nobody is buying the insect repellent but everyone asks for sun hats, adapt to the demand. An on-site survey or just feedback via staff can clue you in to items attendees wish you had. Festivals often evolve year-to-year; your general store’s offerings should evolve too.

Fair Prices and Attendee Trust

Stocking the right items is only half the equation. The other half is pricing and goodwill. Festivals have captive audiences, and historically some events (and third-party vendors) took advantage of that by price-gouging on site. Seasoned festival-goers likely all have a story of ridiculously overpriced water or $10 for a small tube of sunscreen. But high prices can backfire badly: they drive attendees to leave the site in search of cheaper supplies, or foster resentment that mars their festival experience. In the age of social media, a festival gets a reputation fast – if fans perceive organizers are trying to nickel-and-dime them for basics, expect backlash.

It’s wiser to take the long view: price essentials reasonably and build goodwill. When Bonnaroo, a major U.S. camping festival, introduced multiple on-site general stores, they made a point to keep prices low, explicitly telling attendees there was “no need to leave the campgrounds” (support.bonnaroo.com). This move was celebrated by attendees because it showed the organizers cared about convenience over profit. In contrast, some UK festival attendees have complained in the past about being charged exorbitant prices (one Glastonbury-goer recounted being charged £4 for a box of tampons years ago, a price that left her shocked and frustrated). Clearly, no festival wants a necessity like hygiene products to become a source of bad press or bad memories.

Set fair price points that cover your costs (including transport to the remote site and staff wages) but aren’t a huge markup over normal retail. For example, if bottled water typically costs $1, maybe $2 on-site is acceptable for the convenience – but $5 starts feeling exploitative, especially if it’s hot out. Some items you might even choose to subsidize or sell at-cost, such as sunscreen or first aid items, because it encourages safety. Another approach is offering small items for free at certain points: a basket of free earplugs at the info booth or complimentary sunscreen pump stations around the site can coexist alongside the paid stock in your general store. Free water refill stations, in particular, are now considered a must at most festivals for health and sustainability. The on-site store can then sell reusable bottles or electrolyte mixes as an add-on rather than selling plain water at high prices.

A reputation for fair pricing can become a marketing asset. Attendees will mention in reviews and forums that “the festival didn’t rip us off for essentials,” which reflects positively on event organizers. It creates an atmosphere of trust and community rather than feeling like the festival is solely trying to maximize profits on every little thing. Over time, this can even influence ticket sales – happy attendees are repeat attendees, and they bring friends. Especially for remote destination festivals (where fans might fly in from other countries), knowing that they can travel light and still pick up necessities on site at a reasonable price can be a deciding factor in choosing to attend.

Logistics of the Remote General Store

Running a pop-up store in the middle of nowhere is no small feat. Logistical planning is key to make sure the store itself doesn’t run out of stock and operates smoothly. Here are some practical pointers for festival organizers setting up a remote general store:

1. Sourcing and Transport: Decide whether to run the store in-house or partner with a vendor. Some festivals collaborate with existing retailers – for example, the UK’s Co-op supermarket chain has installed large pop-up stores at several festivals, bringing in a wide range of products and professional retail staff (thefestivals.uk). This kind of partnership can ensure a well-managed inventory and potentially lower wholesale costs, since a big retailer has supply chains in place. If you run it in-house, you’ll need to source inventory in bulk beforehand. Plan transport carefully: use trucks or vans capable of reaching your site (some remote sites might require 4×4 vehicles if terrain is rough). Stock should ideally arrive before the festival starts, with a buffer for restocking if the event is several days long. If your festival runs multiple days, arrange resupply runs during off-peak hours (early morning) to bring fresh items like ice, bread, or milk. For very remote festivals, sometimes organizers coordinate a mid-festival supply drop or shuttle from the nearest town for restocking essential perishables.

2. Storage and Infrastructure: Once on site, you need proper storage – that means secure, weather-proof structures. A tent or shack works for the store front, but ensure you have lockable storage (container units or strong tents) to secure goods overnight and to stock surplus inventory. For items needing refrigeration (drinks, perishables, medicines like insulin if you offer a storage service), bring generators or solar-powered coolers. Ice is often both a product and a cooling method: have insulated containers or freezers to store bagged ice. Keep in mind the climate – if you’re in a desert, you need shade and cooling for your store; if in a jungle, you need protection from humidity and rain for your stock. Lighting is also crucial if you operate at night; a well-lit store is safer and more inviting. Many festivals open the store early (before the music starts) and keep it open late. For example, Shambala’s Corner Shop stays open from 7 AM until 2 AM, covering most of the day and night.

3. Staff and Operations: Staff your general store with trustworthy, friendly people who understand festival culture. They might be volunteers, paid staff, or employees of a partner company. Train them to handle the POS (point of sale) system you choose, to keep the area tidy, and to be helpful (they might also double as a mini-info booth, since people ask “Where’s the nearest water tap?” while buying a snack). Ensure you have enough staff to avoid long queues at peak times (morning coffee rush or midday when sun is hottest and everyone needs sunscreen). Speaking of POS, consider using a cashless payment system if possible. Many modern festivals implement RFID wristbands or cashless payment apps to reduce cash handling on site. If your ticketing partner (such as Ticket Fairy) provides RFID solutions, you can integrate that so attendees just tap their wristbands to pay, speeding up transactions and reducing the need to haul cash to a remote area. However, always have a backup for internet or tech failures in remote areas – for instance, have a battery-powered cash register or a way to record sales if the Wi-Fi goes down, and keep some small change for cash transactions because not every guest will have a card or wristband loaded.

4. Placement and Signage: Position the general store in a convenient location. Typically, placing it near the camping area or along a main footpath ensures high visibility. If the site is large, consider multiple smaller outposts – maybe one in the main campground and another by a distant stage or in an RV area. Big festivals like Bonnaroo or Glastonbury often have several general stores spread out, so no part of the campsite is too far away. Clearly mark the store on festival maps and with on-site signage. Use flags, banners, or a tall signpost that people can spot from afar (“General Store” or a cute name for it). Announce the store in your festival app or guide, including a note about the kind of goods it stocks and its hours. Some festivals even create fun marketing around their stores – for instance, offering an opening morning discount to draw people in, or running a small contest (“show us your best recycled costume and win a free item from the store!”) to engage attendees.

5. Community and Sustainability Considerations: A remote festival should be a good neighbor to its surrounding community. Instead of drawing attendees away to local shops, you can reduce strain on those shops by meeting the needs on-site. In fact, involving the local community can be a win-win: consider hiring local staff or sourcing some products from local farms or suppliers (fresh baked goods from the nearest town’s bakery, for example). This supports the local economy and builds goodwill with residents, who will notice that the festival isn’t just taking all the groceries off their shelves, but rather buying in advance and serving the attendees independently. Environmentally, having people buy on-site can be more efficient than thousands of separate car trips to distant stores. However, be mindful of waste – provide plenty of trash bins and recycling options around the store, since people will unwrap items right there. Encourage sustainable choices: sell reusable items (water bottles, metal straws, cloth tote bags), stock biodegradable toiletries, and perhaps implement a buy-back or recycling reward for items like gas canisters or used batteries. The general store can reinforce the festival’s green initiatives by what it sells (and what it doesn’t sell – e.g., no single-use plastic water bottles if you’re pushing refilling).

Small Festival or Large, the Principles Apply

Whether your festival caters to 500 people or 50,000, if it’s in a remote location, the concept of on-site supply is scalable. For a smaller boutique festival (say a few hundred attendees on a secluded farm), a “general store” might just be a single tent or even a table at the info center with a selection of critical items. You could keep a modest stock of the most requested essentials – water, sunscreen, tampons, batteries – and then have a system for anything unusual (maybe an on-call provision where a staff member can drive to town once a day for special requests). The emphasis at small events can be on community solutions: for instance, a communal bulletin board where someone can post “I need a phone charger” and another attendee or staff member lends or sells them one. However, even at this scale, having a basic supply stash prevents minor hiccups from ruining someone’s weekend.

For large-scale festivals, more formal infrastructure is needed: multiple stores, large inventories, and possibly different types of stores (one might focus on food and groceries, another on camping gear, etc.). As noted, some big festivals partner with retail chains to essentially build a mini-supermarket on site – for example, Glastonbury Festival in the UK (with ~200,000 attendees) introduced a pop-up Co-op supermarket that offered everything from fresh bread and eggs to toiletries and rain boots in a 6,000 square foot structure (inews.co.uk). The presence of such a store greatly reduces the need for attendees to carry days’ worth of food or supplies on their journey in, and it cuts down the pilgrimage of cars back to the nearest town. Even at more moderately sized events (5,000–15,000 attendees), investing in a well-run general store can significantly enhance the festival’s self-sufficiency. The scale might be smaller, but the core idea is the same: take care of attendees’ basic needs on-site.

Successes, Failures, and Lessons Learned

There are plenty of real-world cases underscoring the importance of on-site supplies. On the success side, we’ve seen festivals that proactively plan for attendee needs and reap the rewards in smoother operations and happier crowds. We mentioned Bonnaroo’s affordable general stores and Glastonbury’s on-site supermarket; another success story comes from niche events like certain desert art festivals where organizers provide a “general depot” for tools and materials so that artists and campers can repair things on the fly without leaving (imagine a tent full of spare batteries, glue, zip-ties, and even fuel, open to all who need them). These services often become beloved features of the festival, talked about in forums and guides for future attendees.

On the flip side, failures tend to become cautionary tales. The infamous Fyre Festival in 2017 stands as an extreme example where lack of basic provisions led to chaos. Attendees found themselves stranded on a remote Bahamian island with woefully inadequate food, water, shelter, or medical resources – a scenario described as “closer to Lord of the Flies than Coachella” by astonished guests (www.independent.co.uk). While most festivals are not as disastrously mismanaged, even smaller scale shortcomings can tarnish an event. If a remote festival neglects to provide drinking water stations or runs out of first aid supplies, the health and safety repercussions mount quickly. Likewise, if guests have to undertake risky drives at night on remote roads because they need to find an open pharmacy or supermarket, the festival has failed them in a key aspect of duty of care.

Then there are subtle lessons from mid-range scenarios. Consider a festival where a sudden weather change caught everyone off guard – for example, a cold snap hits a usually warm location. If the on-site store wasn’t prepared with enough blankets or warm clothing, many attendees could be left cold and miserable. Organizers have learned to expect the unexpected: even if you think “it never rains here in July,” still pack some ponchos and tarps just in case. Another lesson comes from pricing missteps: festivals that initially overcharged for basics sometimes faced enough pushback to change course in later years. One organizer shared that after hearing feedback about expensive essentials, they not only adjusted prices downward, but also clearly advertised the new “fair price” approach to rebuild trust. It paid off with better sales volume and customer satisfaction – people were happier to spend $2 each on five bottles of water throughout the weekend ($10 total) than to spend $5 on one bottle and then try to hoard or go without. Reasonable pricing drives more people to actually use the service, which achieves the festival’s goal of keeping everyone supplied.

Key lesson: When attendees know the festival has their back with necessities, they can immerse themselves in the experience more fully. They travel lighter, worry less, and stay longer on-site. That translates to better vibes at the event, fewer logistical headaches (no more cars constantly coming and going), and often better financial outcomes for the organizer as well (because happy attendees are likely to return and recommend the festival).

Final Thoughts

An on-site general store might not be the flashiest part of a music or art festival, but it can truly be a game-changer for remote events. It exemplifies a festival organizer’s foresight and hospitality, turning a potentially challenging aspect of remote locations into a positive feature. There is a certain comfort in knowing that, in the middle of nowhere, you can still get a cold drink, a bandage, a fresh loaf of bread, or that one tiny item you forgot – all without leaving the festival’s world.

For the next generation of festival producers, the wisdom is clear: take care of your attendees’ basic needs and they will repay you with loyalty and gratitude. The “remote general store” is a practical expression of that care. It keeps the show going, come hell or high water (or mud or heatwave), and helps transform a tough location into a thriving temporary community. In the end, a festival is about the experience – and an experience is so much better when everyone is safe, comfortable, and prepared. Stock smart, price fair, and let the good times roll on, deep in the wild where your festival magic happens.

Key Takeaways

• Always Plan for Essentials: In remote festival locations, make a list of critical supplies attendees might need (water, electrolytes, sunscreen, first aid, camping gear, etc.) and ensure they’re available on-site. This prevents emergencies and inconveniences.
• Stock to Match Your Audience & Location: Tailor your general store inventory to the festival’s environment (e.g., rain gear for wet climates, extra hydration for hot deserts) and the demographics (family-friendly events might need kids’ ear protectors, etc.).
• Keep Prices Fair: Avoid price-gouging on necessities. Reasonable prices encourage attendees to buy on-site rather than leaving the venue, and build goodwill that enhances the festival’s reputation.
• Logistics Matter: Plan how you will get inventory to the remote site, how you’ll store items (with proper cooling or weather protection), and how you’ll staff and operate the store. Ensure backup plans for restocking and payment systems (like using Ticket Fairy’s cashless RFID solutions or having generators for power).
• Reduce Off-Site Trips: A well-stocked on-site store means fewer attendees driving off in search of supplies. This reduces traffic on local roads, minimizes disruptions to neighbors, and keeps the crowd safely on the festival grounds.
• Learn and Adapt: After each event, review what sold well and what didn’t. Gather attendee feedback on items they wished were available. Use this data to refine your inventory and operations for the next festival.
• Enhance Safety and Experience: Ultimately, providing easy access to essentials keeps everyone safer (more hydrated, protected from weather, and equipped) and happier. Attendees who feel taken care of will enjoy the festival more and are more likely to return in the future.