Markets industry 'at crossroads' as campaign starts

Some markets are facing "some very, very tough times", an industry body has said

The markets sector is "at a crossroads", a body that represents UK markets has said, as a two-week campaign starts.

Love Your Local Market is a worldwide initiative created by the Oswestry-based National Association of British Markets (NABMA).

Chief executive David Preston said the organisation was worried that only about 8% of market traders were aged under 40.

The organisation has set up a national campaign aimed at attracting and retaining traders.

He said many market operators struggled during the pandemic with no rents coming in.

Mr Preston added the wider issues around funding meant some markets were still "facing some very, very tough times".

However, he said there was lots of evidence of markets serving their communities in valuable ways.

Newport Market and Trading Company said there was a long waiting list for stalls

"It's not just about retail, it's about community, where community organisations come on to the market and they promote what they're doing," he said.

"I know some... markets have charity markets, they have gardening markets, young people's markets."

Newport Market seems to be bucking the trend.

Company secretary Clare Farrell, who manages stallholders, said it had "quite a waiting list" for stalls.

She added: "They're not [things] that come about very often.

"But we have quite a variety of stallholders and you do actually start to see the next generation coming through."

Dan Smith (right) works at The Pastry Box in Newport indoor market, which sells food including doughnuts and cakes

Dan Smith, who runs The Pastry Box at Newport indoor market set up his business in the second week of lockdown during the pandemic.

"Cooking in general has always stemmed from my grandmother. She was a school cook and she was a very, very good cook," he said.

"But also all this was born from... lockdown. I got bored, [started] to learn to make pork pies and then started supplying a few people [and] bought a container with kitchen equipment in.

"We just built it up to two shops, a wholesale business and two kitchens."