Wednesday Market - Why

Really?

Really?

Well-Known Forumite
I'm at a bit of a loss really. I walked around the Wednesday market in the square this week, expecting to see something new and different but they were just standard market stalls. It's as if the Council have decided the current market is crap so they would try and get some money out of occasional pitches in the town centre. I simply don't understand the logic at all
 
G

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
Hold on Really....but you have openly complained before about the council not doing enough to get peolle in the town.

Yet here we have a visible open market in the MARKET square every mid week, on a day when the indoor market is shut and shops in town are shut or half day shut I.e. see Mill Street.

Whether it is a success or not remains to be seen, but it is far past its trial period and the noodle stall is extremely popular.
 
M

marky

Well-Known Forumite
before Xmas there were loads of stalls, extending way past north and south of Market square
 
G

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
the stalls were side by side down the high street as they couldn't get into the square itself as the huge xmas tree was there.
 
Steve_b

Steve_b

Well-Known Forumite
But why on Wednesday? Would there be a conflict with the indoor market or the monthly Farmers Market if held on a Saturday? I thought there were plans once to hold the Outdoor Market along Princess St, Crabbery St, enhancing the indoor market?
Holding the Market on a Wednesday is great for those working in the town, they can pop along to the noodle store at lunch time, but not so good for those not! But it's a start!
 
Steve_b

Steve_b

Well-Known Forumite
proactive said:
Maybe to encourage people to come into the centre of town on a day that is traditionally quiet?
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But if stall holders are not returning, is there sufficient demand? Why not try a Saturday also, see how that goes? Many other town markets seem to be doing ok on a Saturday.
 
proactive

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
Steve_b said:
But if stall holders are not returning, is there sufficient demand? Why not try a Saturday also, see how that goes? Many other town markets seem to be doing ok on a Saturday.
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Firstly we know of one stall that may not have returned as far as I know. Yes it was bigger on the run up to Christmas than it is now but that's hardly surprising.

On a Wednesday that part of town is traditionally quiet so this livens it up. It also doesn't compete with the regular market. Time will tell if it is a success.
 
littleme

littleme

250,000th poster!
I quite the Wednesday market, its more like Penkridge Market rather than our indoor market........
 
ATJ

ATJ

Well-Known Forumite
Steve_b said:
But if stall holders are not returning, is there sufficient demand? Why not try a Saturday also, see how that goes? Many other town markets seem to be doing ok on a Saturday.
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there's already a once a month saturday market
 
Withnail

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
If anecdotal evidence is anything to go by - and one would argue that 'post truth' or 'alternative facts' are, at least in part, actually lazy constructs to explain an 'anecdotal evidence based environment' in which we find ourselves - the Wednesday Market, though visibly shrinking in a to be expected cruel January/February, is actually doing what was expected of it.

Apropos the obvious success of the 'noodle stall', this confirms to me why the real Market should encompass, as i have been articulating for some years now, a 'food hall' element - the 'market' is quite obviously there, put it in the Market.
 
Really?

Really?

Well-Known Forumite
Gareth said:
Hold on Really....but you have openly complained before about the council not doing enough to get peolle in the town.

Yet here we have a visible open market in the MARKET square every mid week, on a day when the indoor market is shut and shops in town are shut or half day shut I.e. see Mill Street.

Whether it is a success or not remains to be seen, but it is far past its trial period and the noodle stall is extremely popular.
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I actually don't think I have complained about the Council not doing enough to get people in(to) the town, I try and steer away from those comments as I am pretty sure the Council don't even know where the town centre is.

There is a reason that the Market only opens 4 days a week - it seems to have always been the case in most towns- "Market Days" were always the busiest days of the week "back in the day". To have a seven day market defeats the object of the "market feeling".

To have a second market on days that the main market is not open would make sense if the products sold were different to the main market. If they are the same you are simply spreading trade out rather than generating new traffic (and reducing trade for the current market holders). Personally I have never been a fan of indoor markets. Having been a market trader there is something wonderfully masochistic about being on an outdoor market in the winter and it generates a market spirit and brotherhood which transfers to the customers. For me it would be better to close the indoor market altogether and bring it back to where it belongs - in the Market Square.

As for food market stalls - because Stafford hasn't got it's fair share of food retailers and cafes:rolleyes:. They always do better in blocks - the reasons most towns have "food courts".

Mind you, it could be worse - Lichfield Council delight in putting a mobile coffee van outside a coffee shop, a pie stall outside Greggs and a burger van outside McDonalds every time they have an event. At Christmas they even put a sweet stall ten foot away from Mr Simms and a stall selling Christmas cards next to the "Write Card" shop. They couldn't have been more blatant in telling its Bricks and Mortar Retailers that they didn't care.
 
Jonah

Jonah

Spouting nonsense since the day I learned to talk
The council should look at Macclesfield's Treacle Market to see what sort of market they should be aspiring to in Stafford.
 
G

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
So what you saying...at events councils should restrict what type of sellers and stalls there can be?

So what if there is a bit of competition, especially as a one of such as events or outdoor markets.

Of course I would prefer variation but that doesn't happen in small town centres, my god a few months back the guildhall had 3 card shops and another in the market.

People are attracted to a different offers in town centres, even if it is the same thing offered in a different way, more convenient and accessible way.

I have said before the story of the chap I have worked with for the best part of 5 years who didn't think there was a butchers, fruit and veg, fish mongers etc.....if these alternatives drive more people into town centres, they may find things in town they were unaware of and that a good thing.

This can only be a good thing, but it should not stop at just markets, more events are needed to generate interest and visitors that offer more than just retail, food and drink and get rid of those market car sellers and bloody chuggers.
 
G

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
Jonah said:
The council should look at Macclesfield's Treacle Market to see what sort of market they should be aspiring to in Stafford.
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Good call, but the treacle market also isn`t a council enterprise though it is supported well by the council and other local businesses. They have worked together to make successful.

In lots of towns ( I include stafford and lichfield here), many don't look outside of the box. Many think markets and town centre events are a nuisance, get in the way and take away trade. Instead it should be a step in the other direction.

One way SBC fails is in the advertising of what town offer and what is coming, it is awful.
 
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