2015 Market Reports

Salisbury Guildhall 19th December
A super busy day with good spending for most
We had a nice and easy set up with stallholders seeming to arrive at perfect intervals which ensured they were helped into the hall with great ease. With the scaffolding limiting the access, it was important to unload stallholders quickly so they would not cause a bottle neck. Once set up, the hall looked stunning as always with a great range of stallholders there was certainly something for everyone. We opened at 10am and started to push the customers through, the first hour seemed quiet with 360 entering the market. Many families who were not wasting the last saturday before Christmas hadn't quite made it in to town until about 11 when the footfall then started to rocket. We managed  a staggering 3636 which is our highest ever footfall! Spending was good with most but as it was so mild outside in the market there was a definite lack in festive spirit. Usually this time of the year people are buzzing for the 25th but higher temperatures have meant most customers have been in the wrong frame of mind! Its bizarre to think the temperature has had such an effect on sales throughout the day. We had some very good sale figures recorded with several customers quoting their best sales of the year. Certainly a fantastic end to the year.

Marlborough Town Hall 19th December
A good footfall leads to excellent sales for many.
This event, our last of the year at Marlborough, had been fully booked for several months. These last minute Christmas markets always attract a good footfall and spending on the cheaper items can normally be very good. The unseasonally warm temperatures and a grey overcast sky were not particulalry helpful in liftin the Christmas spirit and creating a seasonal atmosphere, but thankfully the rain held off. The town itself was not particulalry busy with many local people going in to Swindon or Salisbury to complete their Christmas shopping, there were however a good number of visitors to the town, enjoying its delightful atmosphere. By working hard throughout the day, the Mynt Image team managed to create our largest ever footfall at Marlborough, 910.

Some stall holders did very well at this market, one turning in sales of £800+ and another at £600+. many stall holders made £150+ though as usual there were those who did not do so well. What was however surprising was that it was expensive items that seemed to be selling well for many with some £80+ purchases of large products occuring. One stall holder managed to sell a large item that they had been showing at markets for almost 3 years. We only had 2 jewellers at this market and these stall holders also did very well as jewellery seemed to be in demand. Chutneys and preserves also sold very well, which is what we would expect at this Christmas season. Thi was a good market to end the Marlborough season on. We look forward to ever increasing footfalls in 2016.




 
Salisbury Guildhall 15th December
Our last midweek event of the year started well but was ruined by the rain.
Most of December has been pretty mild which is not necessarily the worst thing in the world however it does make the atmosphere of some town/city centres slightly less Christmassy, this is never helped by the rain! We though here on our last midweek event of the year we were in for a treat, it was quite chilly as we first started to set up which was ideal for that festive feeling. Once we had reached 10am the weather had changed somewhat and was grey and miserable. This meant many of the coach loads arrived later than usual leading to a particularly quiet first hour. There seemed to be few and far between when it came to customers walking past our doors but a superb percentage of passers by entered which is of course credit to the team on hand along side our fabulous work experience students. As the morning progressed a fine mist filled the air and over the next couple of hours it turned it to light rain and then eventually heavy rain! We had a wonderful influx of customers between 11am and 1pm boosting the footfall tremendously. The final hour or so however was so wet our numbers slowed down and very few seems to enter after 3.30pm. We still managed to achieve a footfall of 1625 which is a huge number considering how quiet the market outside was.
Spending went well for most, one or two stallholders quoting the best takings for a midweek market with us which is exactly what we wanted to hear! This event goes to show how much weather can affect these events but if we work hard enough we can still draw the customers in to spend like no other! 

Guildford Guildhall 11th/12th December
The best midweek and best Saturday events in Guildford this year, what a combo!
Friday morning started well, with stallholders arriving in intervals that meant we could help unload and set up very smoothly, the traffic in Guildford seemed slightly quieter than usual which of course makes things easier during the week. With just two weeks to Christmas we eventually felt the Christmas spirit amongst the shoppers who were wandering the high street during the morning. The day looked promising and if it stayed dry we were confident of a superb day. With a thousand customers as our target we worked tirelessly to push as many thorough the door as possible. We managed to hit a total of 1190, far exceeding our target and the previous record here for a midweek event. Its always great to have a good footfall but of course the number of customers looking at your products means little unless they are spending. Fortunately, with the 25th fast approaching customers were keen to spend, many for themselves but lots of presents too! We had a few stallholders easily exceed takings of £500, they were obviously most pleased with the day and those booked in for the Saturday were very excited!
Saturday was again an easy set up, with a couple of stallholders having left the products overnight we only needed to help a few stallholders unload which meant being able to carry more of their boxes and bags than usual. A great start to the day with everyone in a great frame of mind! Customer started wandering through the doors well before 10am and they didn't leave empty handed, a couple of stallholders had nearly covered the table costs by the time we had opened with these early sales! We had to work hard to encourage people in to the Guildhall but when they started to come in the did so in hoards! We smashed the previous footfall record here and achieved a total of 2048 customers through the door. With so many entering and so many spending well, many stallholders had records sales to match the record footfall. A couple of stallohders made about £1000 with many taking several hundred with ease. This was an all-round success and the perfect way to end the year at Guildford. A truly superb couple of days in Guildford!
 
 
Dorchester Corn Exchange 12th December
Yet another grey wet day leads to some disappointments.

Driving through rain all of the way to the event at 6.30 in the morning was not a positive start, and although the sun did theoretically rise at just after 8pm, the day remained very dull throughout the entire day with thick cloud cover and drizzly rain. The High street was never busy and stall holders who ventured down the street  noted that the the High Street was quiet and not at all like it should be at Christmas. The Mynt Image staff worked hard all of the day despite the dull conditions and strong winds, managing to attract a respectable footfall of 703 into the event. Some stall holders reported a very good day with some very good spending, whilst others unfortunately had a disappointing day.

There seemkd little rhyme or reason what the customers were buying with some glass product makers and jewellers doing far better than others did. Some card sellers did well, whilst others reported selling very little. chutney for Christmas did however sell well as it normally does at this time of year. The stall holders did all however comment on the delightful atmosphere within the market and all said that they had had a lovely day. Some sellers of household products (in a shabby chic or craft style) also reported doing well, but it seemed as if the customers were after small items today not the larger ones. 


Winchester Guildhall 5th December
Our best event of the year by some margin, superb footfall and superb spending!

As the day started, unloading was easy enough as always. Although the hall is on the first floor the access is good enough, particularly with the help of our lovely work experience students. Not long after 9 the majority of our stall holders were unloaded and setting up, the hall looked absolutely superb! With Christmas music in the background the atmosphere was wonderful! 
As 10am approached coach loads of people started to arrive in Winchester. The park and ride stop has been temporarily moved to directly in front of the Guildhall for the Christmas period which of course we ensured to capitalise upon! Woking hard to draw these swarms of people up the stairs we were confident of a busy day! With about 400 through the door in the first hour we were positive of a large footfall but nothing prepared us for how busy we became as the afternoon approached! Within 2 hours we had just over 1000 customers enter the market and it just kept getting busier! By 4pm we had managed to attract, a staggering, record breaking and quite honestly unbelievable footfall of 3630 customers through the door (this is no typo, we genuinely managed to attract over three thousand and six hundred customers into our event!) Obviously this huge footfall is partially thankful to the Christmas market by the Cathedral and the fact Winchester is simply magical at this time of the year so don't expect footfalls quite so high in earlier months!
With such a great number of customers entering the building it was always a worry that we were almost too busy for the customers to be able to enjoy the market. Fortunately we ensure the gangways were slightly wider than usual which worked nicely and customer seemed to slowly meander their way through the event spending money wherever they stopped!
Spending was as superb as you could imagine, one stallholder cleared £1000 with ease and at least 2/3 reached the £750/800 mark with a few more making it to £500. We have since heard reports from many that they had experienced their best ever days in terms of sales and could not thank the team enough. One or two stallholders were left flabbergasted and exhausted at such an incredible event! Christmas at Winchester is certainly the way forward and a great way to close the year! Some stallholders still have a few events to go and have got to restock a lot more than they'd have anticipated at this stage! We honestly could have asked for a better day and are so please to be able to report that so many stall holders took so much money!


Thame Town Hall 5th December
A good market to end the year at Thame

We always expect our final markets of the year to be our best, and as Thame had performed well all year, we were looking forward to this last market. Gale force winds made work outside very unpleasant, but at least there was no rain. Rotary club stalls sellinbg mine pies and warm mulled wine helped us attract customers, whilst at the same time, sight of the hall was blocked by two other large gazebos with music in, who the crowds were avoiding. Nevertheless, the Mynt staff worked with the situation they had been given and by the end of the day had produced a very good footfall of 766.

But were the customers buying? One jeweller sold £600+ and another £300+. Several other stall holders also did well with most selling £150. We had a really goiod range of stalls from recondtioned dolls houses to Christmas gifts, uniques 'brick artwork' to jewellery, making this a really interesting market. we had several veryt good comments from customers who commented on the quality of the products being sold. We were very happy with this last market at Thame for 2015 and look forward to starting our season at Thame next year in April 2016



Salisbury Guildhall Hall 1st December
A superb footfall, Salisbury finally showing signs that Christmas is coming!

With the Guildhall covered in scaffolding we knew the unloading here could be relatively difficult. Fortunately stallholders arrived timed well enough to avoid too much congestion in the small unloading area available. We also had the help of 5 work experience students which of course meant the morning ran much smoother! Setting up was going very well until the fire alarm went off at about 945, having to evacuate the building meant we couldn't open until slightly later. At 1020 we started to draw the customer through the doors, they seem to enter thick and fast with coach loads of people arriving in town and entering our market. Even with a particularly quiet last hour we achieved a total footfall of 2231 (yes thats two thousand!) With the Christmas market outside the atmosphere is finally taking a turn in the direction we wanted it to, Christmas shoppers have eventually started to spend their money but many still buying for themselves! With such a great footfall many stallholders took £300-400 with one or two selling over £500. The general consensus was there could have been a little room for improvement as we felt it was still right at the beginning of the festive season so give it a week and customers will be spending an absolute fortune! Its bizarre to think 'Christmas' has happened so late but we are very excited to capitalise on this over the next couple of weeks! Overall a superb market and we can't wait for the next one!


HenleyTown Hall 28th November
A slow start but an excellent end

At last, a bright dry start to a day! But where were the customers. Henley High Street was strangely deserted at 10.00am  with just a scattering of possible customers and by the end of the first hour we had only achieved a low footfall. We were also slightly worried as the sky was clouding over rapidly. Where were the customers, In Reading Christmas shopping, recovering from Black Friday or just sleeping in? However we needn't have worried as suddenly, despite there still being only a few people on the streets throughout the entire day, customers started rapidly and willingly going into the town hall. Between 10 and 12 over 230 customers went into the building and these lareger numbers continued for most of the day with a footfall of 908 by the end of the day....one of our best at Henley.. And despite the rain which came at 1.00, customers continued to enter the hall with spending being best in the last hour, as is often the case at Henley.

There were a lot of new stall holders with us this saturday and it was interesting to get to know them all. After the event, when many had done very well indeed, we were inundated with requests for stall spaces in 2016. Most stall holders made £100+ with several at £150+ and some at £200+. As usual there were one or two who did not do so well, but these were in the minority on this Saturday. Candles seemed to sell especially well and jewellery as usual did well. One author also had a good day as did the pastriess stall, with a queue at this stall on occasions. Overall most stall holders did really well and spending was you would expect at this time of year in Henley.
 
Guildford Guildhall 27th/28th November
An astonishing couple of days in Guildford with high footfalls and high spending!

As mentioned with our other back to back events in Guildford, those stallholders who appeared at both events were able to reap the benefits. Not only could they leave their stall set up overnight which makes logistics far easily they also saw two of the best events we've seen in Guildford this year and had the sales to match!
Friday started with relative ease, most stall holders arrived and set up in plenty of time ahead of a promising day. It was cold but dry and the highstreet was looking busy. As it was the last pay day before christmas and of course "Black Friday" many customers were tempted out into Guildford to go shopping. We made the most of the busy day and pushed as many through the door as possible resulting in our best ever midweek footfall at Guildford over 950 people. As it was black Friday we saw a few issues with card machines, the most plausible theory for this is the network slowing due to such a large volume of transactions being processed across the country. We also had a few tentative customers who seemed reluctant to spend unless a deal was on but otherwise most of our footfall spent well. Many stall holders justifying the outlay for 2 events in just one day setting them up perfectly for the Saturday. Spending was good across a range of products with nothing in particular standing out from the rest as everything sold so well. We did have a slight struggle with leaving the hall as many stallholders got stuck in the multi storey car park. There was a lorry fire locally so a gridlocked Guildford meant queues just to leave the car park, eventually everyone manage to get out of course and the day was still a great success, it just finished slightly later than originally hoped.
Now we thought Friday was good but Saturday blew it out of the water, unloading was very easy as many stallholders were already set up from Friday. Customers wanted to enter before we opened and were queueing to get in at many points. Working extremely hard on the highstreet the final footfall was an extraordinary 1685! Working outside it was great to have pushed that many inside but the big question was did they spend? The simple answer was yes! A handful of those booked into both days took over £1000 (yes, one thousand pounds) across the two events and of course couldn't be happier! There wasn't a single stallholder who was not happy by the end of the day, when I asked them how the day had gone the most common response was along the lines of "had an amazing day, sold really well but then again who didn't sell well today!" 
These two days have gone to prove why Guildford is one of our most sought after events! Can we replicate this success or even beat it when we're here again before Christmas? Somehow I think we might just do it!
 
 
Winchester Guildhall 26th November
Best midweek event of the year so far!
What a great start to the Christmas period in Winchester, with the first of two midweek events here we left the hall already excited for the next one! We have recently been working with Eastleigh College to provide work experience for a group of Craft Enterprise students and this was their first event working with us. Accompanied by these students and their tutor a team of 6 helped set up and unload each of the stallholders, some who usually require 3/4 trips to and from their car were unloaded in a single run helping the morning run particularly smoothly. Once set up, there was a certain festive atmosphere in the hall which would of course lend itself well to spending.
At this time of the year the council move one of the park and ride stops to the curb directly outside the guildhall, this lends itself perfectly to encouraging waves of customers into the event. Capitalising on groups at a time we worked hard to push as many customers up into the hall as possible and managed a total of 989 through the door, excluding those who entered via the tourist information centre! Surprisingly the highstreet was quieter than anticipated which meant that a large proportion of the footfall relied upon the buses and coaches. We have higher hopes that on a busier day we could easily exceed 1500 during the next midweek event in Winchester and even higher on the last Saturday we have here.
The spending matched the high footfall too, most stallholders clearing £100 with many in the realm of £200-300! We had reports of at least 2 £500+ stallholders with one managing to exceed £700 in the 6 hour period! Jewellery and art sold very well but the real money seemed to be in hats scarves and gloves causing some stallholders having to emergency restock ahead of other events coming of the few days following. Overall a superb event!
 
 

Godalming Borough Hall 21st November

A strangely unsuccessful Christmas market

This was one of our most disappointing markets of the year because we have high expectations for this market and it has performed well throughout the year. Coming up to Christmas we expected a really good send off for the year....but unfortunately we didn't get it! The day was bitterley cold and there had been ehave sleet showers in the early morning...the first cold spell of the winter. The streets at Godalming were empty. We have a photo of a High street with just 2 people in it. The event team worked hard to try to get people in, but by 2.00pm had only managed a figure of 200 customers. So where were all of the people? In Guildford...it was heaving!! Apparently residents of Godalming go Christmas shopping in Guildford and then in the afternoon return to Godalming to complete their weekly shopping at the end of November and early December. We hit one of tho0se weekends. Suddenly at 2.00 it was as if the town woke up and we managed a footfall of 348 by the end of the day....still very disappointing for a Christmas market.....but we have learnt for 2016.



Thame Town Hall 21st November
Freezing conditions but some very good sales for many

In the Winter season you have to be ready for anything at our markets. This glorious day started with stall holders and the Mynt event team driving through heavy snow to reach the Thame Town Hall. Thankfully there was no snow here, despite a temperature which didn't rise above 3.5 degrees C all day. The start to the event was a little frought with 2 stall holders who were not booked in arriving and 3 stall holders who had booked in just simply not turning up. However by the time 10.00am came, everything was settled. With Christmas music playing, the market had  a Christmas feel to it. However, the town of Thame seemed not to be in the Christmas spirit yet and sales in the morning were slow. It was strange , but there was no sign of Christymas decorations in Thame even just a few weeks before Christmas.

The Mynt Image workers worked hard outside despite the almost freezing conditions and managed to attract a footfall of 691 customers beofre the end of the day. As is often the case, the afternoon was far better than the morning and the last 1/2 hour was the absolute best for many. Most stall holders sold 100+ by the end of the day with 2 selling £200+ and 1 selling £500+. Bread knives were the biggest sellers at the market today. Books also seemed to sell well with one author and one p;ublisher also doing very well. With just one more market at Thame in 2015, which is already fully booked, our Thame markets continue to be a great success.
 

 
Winchester Guildhall 14th November
Appalling conditions doesn't stop the buyers!!!
Once we had set up the hall looked superb, unfortunately we had a few no shows (ridiculous at this time of the year we know!) so stallholders had the opportunity to spread out a little! We had quite a few comments out on the street about how lovely all the stalls were.  It was an awful day weather wise - it either rained lightly or rained heavily all day! However Winchester did still seem fairly busy, although people did seem to scuttle past a little quicker than normal, either rushing for shelter or to the next coffee shop.  We worked hard despite the weather and encouraged plenty of people up into the hall - the footfall was 1097 in the end but that did not include customers that went into the cafe doors or Tourist Information office to use the lift.  The Bapsy hall next door had an extremely well attended RSPB talk that finished at 1pm and the organisers kindly invited the audience to visit us so I expect footfall was a lot higher than we counted.  At 2pm nearly all stall hoders were doing 'OK' but by 4pm just about everyone was very happy - I was thanked by many stall holders for doing a wonderful job!  Jewellery, as usual, did very well with sales of between £200 and £500! Photography did very well indeed.  Candles and handbags did well with sales between £150 and £190.  Other stall holders reported sales of £100+, £200+ and £300+ with the exception of woodturning and cakes not making good sales on this occasion.  Cards, glass and small gifts did very well.  I am positive December will be amazing!!
 

Dorchester Corn Exchange 14th November
Appalling conditions doesn't stop the buyers!!!
This market certainly showed that Mynt Image staff, by working in the most atrocious conditions can still generate a good footfall. Good footfalls at this time of year also result in good sales!

The weather was atrocious, heavy rain which lasted from 10.00am until 3.15 pm. despite the conditions and clearly wearing full wet weather gear, by working the streets hard we managed to achieve a quite amazing footfall of 608 totally astounding considerring the conditions. The conditions were made worse at 2.00pm when a heavy wind arrived blowing over our signs and flags which had to be re-fixed and then at 3.00pm when the church next door decided to hold a bell ringing practice, making any shouting out almost impossible to hear. The staff were glad to get inside I can assure you!

The customers bought really well, with Christmas very much on many minds. I think the fact that they also spent far longer than usual in the market and didn't want to go out in the rain again, really helped. Most stall holders reported doing really well with only 2 stall holders not making their stall money....different products suit different markets. Most stall holders reported a really good day with several making £200+ and many £100+. Knitted items, again at Dorchester, seemed to really well. Cards, jewellery and photograophs also sold well and our glass making stall reported several lovely commissions. The cafe as usual was an additional incentive and helped keep customers warm in what was a really awful day with many weather warnings in force.
 
 
Guildford Guildhall 13th/14th November
successful days in Guildford, this is one of our best markets!
The second of our double event in Guildford saw a certain drop in temperature! It felt sub zero at points but that didnt stop the serious spenders from venturing out! Although unlucky for some Friday 13th was a great day, it started well with stallholders travelling into the city centre with little to no traffic in most areas! Perhaps people were avoiding the roads as there were certainly fewer cars slowing the stallholders arriving, this meant unloading flowed rather easily and way ahead of schedule allowing a relaxed set up and it gave the Mynt team the opportunity a moment to grab a hot drink ahead of braving the cold conditions outside! Fortunately the rain we experienced had stopped just before 10 but in its place came the wind! The highstreet in Guildford is long, narrow and acts as a wind tunnel which seems to chill any passers by to the bone! Many of those about were dashing from shop to shop, stopping at coffee shops to warm themselves up before dashing again to the next shop, this meant slowing them down to stop and think about entering our market was a little tougher than usual. It was strange to be affected so much by the wind where you'd think it to be less of a contributing factor. All of this said however we drew a total of 597 customers through the door. For a midweek date we felt the footfall was good and the spending superb, one stallholder took over £450 with others taking amounts not too far behind! Hats,scarves and gloves seemed particularly popular with jewellery selling well as always in the build up to Christmas. Art and cards also made good sales with no one left disappointed.
 
Saturday was an easy set up also, with a handful of stallholders having left their stalls from the day before we only need to help a few stallholders unload. This meant we could offer more help to each of them which is always appreciated! The cold had stayed overnight but with it this time was the rain. Although it did not rain particularly hard it didnt really stop at all for the duration of the market! It looked worse than it was outside which obviously put a lot of people off from venturing out into the highstreet. Many stallholders commented they'd rather have been at home wrapped up in a blanket than shopping but the rain didnt stop everyone. Although less than hoped, the highstreet was busier than it had potential to have been which lead to an impressive 1018 customers through the door. Again the number to customers was not too much of a concern with stall holders as sales were very good around. One took nearly £600 and others made a small fortune too. We had positive comments and many thanks for working outside in such conditions, not one for dragging so many customers in but for the quality of customer that had entered! Stallholders who are booked into appear again left excited for the next market here which is always the perfect way to end the day! We couldn't have a had a better event given the fact it rained all day, very pleased overall, lets just hope its slightly drier next time!
 
 
Salisbury Guildhall 7th November
Wet and windy is certainly an understatement, but Christmas selling saved the day

The sun rose over a dry Salisbury, unfortunately that started to change not long after 830am when the rain slowly started to fall. Stallholders unloaded relatively easily with the help of the Mynt team and we didnt get too wet! That soon changed as the market opened at 10am! Blustery gales meant there was no escape from the torrential rain. Within minutes, the team outside were soaked through to the skin but still managed to draw a crowd! In the first 2 hours we managed to encourage over 200 people into the market, although this is lower than usually for this time at Salisbury it is quite the achievement considering just how wet and windy it was outside. To put into perspective how bad the weather was, about half of the hardened outside market traders who tend to appear every single week come rain or shine couldn't face working in the market square. With this in the back of our minds we could only pray for a drier and busier afternoon! 

Fortunately as the rain passed we saw an increase in footfall and managed to achieve a total of 774 customers through the door! Sales were not fantastic in the morning but certainly improved, one stallholder took next to nothing in the first few hours but had a rush over lunchtime taking over £100 in less than half an hour! Many Christmas presents seemed to sell through out the afternoon with every proactive stallholder making the most of the customers in front of them. We honestly feel this market could've been something spectacular if the weather was quite so bad so have very high hopes for the coming events here!

 


Marlborough Town Hall 7th November
Appalling weather conditions for much of the day...but good sales.
What a difference a week makes! 

The days started with heavy rain, very low cloud, an almost evening feel with streetlights still on due to the yellow gloom. With rain gear on, the Mynt Image team worked outside in terribl;e conditions to attract what people they could into the warmth and dryness of the town hall. We had prepared the stall holders for a poor footfall due to the conditions, and many of them did come outside to see the weathr conditions we were working in. Despite the condition s we were still managing to get people into the hall, many to escape the rain, and theyw ere stragely staying in the hall longer...an who can blame them. The customers were also buying quite well, possibly to avoid going outside again. By 1.45 the weather brightened up a little and the streets suddenly filled with potential customers who were still willing to come into the hall. By the time the market closed, despite the conditions we had amazingly managed to attract 603 custoimers into the market.

The customers were also mostly buying well. By mid day, despite the weather, several stall holders report4ed some really good sales. In the afternoon, with more customers around, other stall holders seemed to fair better. Overall, spending could be classed as quite good with many stall holders making £100+ and several £200+ .  Cusions seemed to sell particulalry well as did jewellery. Skin care products did not seem to be in demand today, perhaps their type of client was indoors hiding from the rain. Some photography and art also sold well. One stall holder at the end of the day couldn't believe how many cutomers we had got into the market, hving worked with another event organistation at Marlborough a few weeks before when it was bright and sunny and hardly served a customer all day. There was plenty of conratulations for the Mynt team who had worked outside in such terrible conditions to cause a sucessful market.



Salisbury Guildhall 3rd November
The first sign of a promising Christmas period.

Although the day was cold we had a relatively easy set up, stallholders worked well with their allotted space and the hall look great, especially with an attractive café at there rear of the hall. The weather seems undecided as it was mostly dry but tempted rain throughout. Fortunately we stayed mostly dry and the footfall was good for a midweek market. It seemed as though Christmas was on people minds as many gifts and presents were bought. We also saw a large movement of jewellery making accessories sell, many customers preparing themselves for either selling their own wares over the Christmas period or making presents themselves!  Footfall 512


Dorchester Corn Exchange 31st October

A great turn out in Dorchester to end the month.

It was a lovely warm sunny day in Dorchester, despite being the last day of October. The High street was really busy in the morning and customers seemed to be interested in attending the Craft and Gift market so that by 1.00 we had almost 400 customers…..but then it died! Despite less than 200 customers in the final 3 hours, these customers spent a lot better than the larger amount did in the morning. It is often the case that it is quality of customer that is important not just quantity. However by the end of the market a footfall of 582 had been achieved.

Almost all stall holders sold £100+ with several almost hitting £200. Most stall holders enjoyed the day and there was a tremendous atmosphere throughout the entire event. Knitted items seemed to sell especially well at this market with one of our knitwear stall holders having her best ever day at a Mynt Image market.  The café also did well especially in the afternoon and we are glad to have  the café with us throughout this and other markets during the next 2 months. Christmas has certainly come to Dorchester today.

 

Guildford Guildhall 30th/31st October
The first of our Friday/Saturday combo events worked nicely for all.
As we have ran both Saturday and Midweek events in the Guildford Guildhall, it makes sense to put the two together. We have decided to run these events as two singular markets where stallholders are able to book either the Friday, Saturday or both. One of the main benefits of booking both days is of course the ability to leave your table overnight meaning that getting away Friday is far easier and theres a lot less to worry about on the Saturday morning.
 
The first of these double events went well, the Friday started off wet and miserable which admittedly didn't help in terms of the local traffic but once stallholders were set up the hall looked fantastic. With a cold chill throughout Guildford the warm guildhall was very inviting and with our best efforts managed to draw 718 customers through the door. 
Spending on Friday was okay, despite being payday for most it would seem that those who were about weren't ready to Christmas shop at all which meant the spending certainly had room for improvement. That not to say it was awful however as a couple of stallholders took around £300. We had quite a few late sales, a handful of transactions in the last half hour or so exceeded £100 which is of course always gratefully received! The day itself was an enjoyable and the only real discrepancy was the traffic towards the end of the day, may stallholders taking far longer than anticipated to retrieve their vehicles to load up. Those who were booked for Saturday however simply covered their stalls and left Guildford with little to no hassle whatsoever.
 
Saturday morning was possibly the easies t set up we have ever enjoyed at this stunning venue. It took all of 5 minutes to place the flags and banners etc outside as they were all ready to go from the day prior. We had fewer stallholders to help in so those booked in for the Saturday only were unloaded and set up in plenty of time for a nice and easy morning. Those who had 'stayed the night' simply arrived at 9:45, uncovered their tables, adjusted a few things, made a coffee and were ready to go!
The town was busy on the Saturday, many passersby ambling up and down the hughstreet with no real motive. Those who weren't in a world of there own acknowledged the team working hard and flowed into the market, some wandered round then back out within a matter of minutes and some really slowed and appreciated what was on offer. The general consensus was that Christmas is still a little too far off really to be influencing a spike in spending at the moment! Having said that however, with a total footfall of 1132 we certainly had enough customers to make the most of. Most stallholders did well, those booked into both days felt it worked well as a double event too which was always great to hear.
We can't wait for the next set of events here as we will be well into November so spending should reflect how close we are to Christmas.
 

Thame Town Hall October 24th
A drier than forecast day but still a little too miserable to really get people spending.
Despite the promise of a particularly wet day we actually managed to set up and unload relatively dry. The hall looked rather inviting and certainly cosy which is always great for customers to spend the little bit longer inside when its so cold outside. Early showers saw a busy morning with many passers by ducking out of the rain to have wander around before dashing back to their cars. They didnt really seem to spend at this point and it was only really in the afternoon that we saw an improvement in the weather and spending to match. Sales ranged from stall holder to stallholder and there was no real pattern as to which products were most successful. It was great to see some new stallholders do well and enjoy the day, one very unique artist had a superb day with us and the other is already looking at next years dates! Christmas spending is just a little bit our of the way at the moment so we have strong expectations over the next couple of months. With a late rush our overall footfall was 571.


Salisbury Guildhall October 24th
A grey wet day...but Christmas has come for some.
With the rain starting before 10.00am and then continuing on and off throught the day, thios was not the most pleasant of days. Despite this however, the Mynt team were out trying to get in customers whowere still out in good numbers in Salisbury. It was harder work than usual due to the poor conditions which always seem to have an effect not only on customer numbers buit also on spending. The stall holders however made use of the gloomy conditions and the fact that Christmas was just a few weeks away, bringing strings of lights to decorate their stalls. This really lifted the atmosphere of the market which really did look very attractive. By working hard the Mynt Image team managed to  encourage 974 customers into the hall. For some reason the tourists today were not spending and this section of the customers did not really help our stallholders.

As at several other of our markets this Saturday, the afternoon was a lot busier than the morning and people were also spending better. When we closed at 4.00pm there were still people wanting to come into the market, always a good sign and showing positive signs towards Christmas. Most stall holders did well with many making £100+. There were as usual several stall holders who had a disappointing day. If we had a formulae to work out who was going to do well and what customers were looking for at each different market we would certainly use it to our advantage, but until we work this out, we know that there will always be those who don't do so well, even if there is a good footfall. 
 However from talking to stall holders we did get the opinion that everyone had enjoyed the day. Finally it was good to hear that many customers were asking when the Craft and Gift market was going to be open next. at Salisbury as they wanted to return to buy for Christmas

Godalming Borough Hall October 24th
A very slow start with a much better afternoon

This was our penultimate market for the year at Godalming, and being within the lead up to Christmas, just 8 weeks away, we had expected the people of Godalming to be in Christmas spirit. It was a grey and drizzly day, and to be honest not very pleasant. The High street was deserted almost all day. At times there were so few cars around that you could walk up the street and the Mynt Image staff made use of this during the day. The Borough Hall was covered in scaffolding, something we only found out during the week prior to the event. However we made use of this as scaffolding provides a perfects etting for our large banners. With flags and banners, the market certainly couldn't be missed.By the time 11.00 came, we had less than 60 customers and we were worried. However the good thing was that the customers we did entice into the Borough hall were buying well. However with a lot of effort, customer numbers picked up and we ended the day with a very respectable 528 footfall.

The hall was really full of excellent stalls today with some stall holders entering the Christmas spirit and turning the attention towards Christmas. Unfortunately for Godalming residents, Christmas season does not seem to have started yet and they were buying products mostly not related to Christmas. Most jewellers sold well as usual. Soft furnishing sold very well for one stall holder and candles and related products also seemed to be going well. By the end of the day, several stall holders had made £200+ with many £100. As usual there were exceptions. Stall holders who stood up and engaged with the public most of the day did far better than those who sat down and waied for people to be interested in their products. We really do encourage all stall holders to stand up as this really does seem to be becoming a common trend in our markets.
 
Petworth Leconfield Hall October 17th
Slightly busier day in Petworth with a lovely atmosphere in the hall
It certainly felt Autumnal in Petworth, overcast for much of the day with sunny spells and crisp cold afternoon. The day started well with stallholders setting up in a nice and relaxed manner and all in good spirits. With a lovely mix of stalls, many customers comments on how lovely they found the whole event with many having taken note of stall holders so they purchase from them over the Christmas period.
 
The locals seem to really enjoy our event in the Leconfield Hall, unfortunately the shopkeepers don't agree. We had an A frame stolen from the side of the hall, something we were very disappointed to have had occur. This certainly put a slight dampener on the day which was otherwise rather successful.The streets were busier than of late with many visitors making their way over from Petworth House and most weree buying for Christmas. David worked hard to draw a total of 321 customers through the door. There was no real pattern for who sold best, for example one woodturner sold okay but the other sold particularly well. Toys and small unique gifts certainly flew off the table. We have very good expectations for the last event here before Christmas, we feel spending will be superb so can't wait to return at the end of November.
 
Guildford Guildhall October 17th
A busy event with mixed spending and the promise of return business.
With a cold and crisp start to the day on the Guildford high street, the set up was nice and easy. Being able to unload on the doorstep is certainly a great benefit and the hall soon looked very welcoming indeed. Once set up and open for business we had a relatively quiet opening hour with a much busier 5 hours to follow. The highstreet was admittedly a lot quieter than the month prior, one stallholder remarked 'how have you managed to get so many people through the door, its dead out here' by which of course they meant it was not busy in comparison to this years record footfall of nearly 1700 people. We worked hard pushing a great percentage of passers by into the hall achieving a very impressive footfall of 1296.
Spending seemed varied throughout, one artist sold over £300 worth of cards and a jewellery sold £600+ whereas a few others seemed to cover cost and make a little bit of profit. There was no real rhyme or reason to success but nearly every stall holder said most customers were asking when they'd be back. The best way to describe those that didnt spend was that they were writing their christmas lists ready for shopping over the next couple of months. We have a very good feeling that the next events here 30th/31st October will be tremendous. they coincide with the second to last payday of the month so spending should hopefully represent this! 


Tewkesbury Town Hall October 17th

Tewkesbury performs well, with a record footfall.

What a pity there were so few stall holders who booked this event. Those who did had a good day with some very good sales figures.

The day was a grey one and there was quite a nasty cold wind. The streets at Tekesbury were not full of people, but there were coach loads of people descending on the town during the day looking for somewhere warm to do some shopping....our Craft and Gift market provided the perfect opportunity. The day started very w ell and by 11.00am many of the stall holders had already met their table costs. It was going really well until just after 12.00 when although people were still coming into the building, they simply didn't want to spend. Then at 2.30 they suddenly started spending again and stall holders had a very busy end to the day. During the day a record footfall of 783 was achieved.

If we had more stall holders who wanted to book this event. this would certainly be a location we would have wanted to continue in 2016. One stall holder almost achieved £300 with several achieving £100+. Knitwear, cards and jewellery, especially quality jewellery, all sold well as did quality Christmas ornaments. A good day for all those who attended with  a delightful atmosphere througout the day. 
 
Salisbury Guildhall October 10th
Another good Salisbury market and a successful weekend.

Just beating our Lymington market this weekend as our top footfall performerwas Salisbury. Salisbury always draws in the crowds and this weekend was no different. Thankfully the weather was a lot better than it had been on Tuesday October 6th when it had poured all day and resulted in a poorer than expected market. Saturday was a grey day with some sunny periods, but no sign of any rain. The Guildhall at present is dressed in scaffolding, but this has no effect on the footfall, and by working hard the team managed to draw in 1152 customers, just the sort of numbers we would expect at this time o0f year as Christmas approaches.

The stalls looked good and were a mixture of our regular stall holders as well as several new stall holders. As usual, those stalls which did well were those where the stall holders stood up and engaged with the customers, this really is necessary in todays climate. This resulted in some really good sales for many stall holders including jewellers, whilst others did not fare quite so well. It is always disappointing when some stall holders do not do as well as they have expected, but unfortunately this is not something we can take the blame for, especially with such a good footfall and the good profits made by some stall holders. With Christmas approaching we do know that customer numbers will continue to grow and sales will continue to improve.
 


Lymington Masonic Hall October 10th
Lymington performs as usual with a great footfall.

It was a cold and brisk morning, the kind of start to the day you'd expect for this time of the year. Set up seemed to flow easily and everyone had arrived and unloaded in plenty of time to be open of 10. The only slight complication was there were fewer car parking spaces as usual due to the part occurring the night prior. That said however, all of the stallholders were parked on site relatively easily which of course helps the day run smoothly. There was a certain Autumnal feel to the air and stallholders felt confident this would bring Christmas shoppers. This thought process did not disappoint, the highstreet was slightly quieter to begin with, possibly due to such a drop in temperature overnight, but those who had ventured out were in the mood for present shopping. As the day brighenend up the highstreet grew busier and we had one of the highest turnaround of passers by we have ever experienced at Lymington. It was mentioned to a stallholder it was quieter outside but they argued it was because they were all in the hall. By 4 o'clock we had achieved a staggering 1140.
Spending seemed better in the morning and the last half an hour, with a few exceptions of course. One jewellery had sold 90% of their sales in the first 2 hours and another sold 90% in the last two hours. There wasn't any particular product that stood out as the days best seller as everyone seemed to do well. Many stallholders who aren't booked into the net event here in Lymington have already made their interest known so they must had a good day!


Henley Town Hall October 10th
An excellent footfall with some good sales.

The day was grey and overcast and at 10.00 when the market started, the streets were very quiet. There was not the usual bustle of a Henley Saturday throughout the entire day, with many outside market stall holders closing early due to lack of trade. After an hour, we had only attracted very few stall holders and we were concerned, however, we need not have been because from 11.30 both local people and tourists flooded into the event. It did take hard work and where some of the csutomers came from, as the high street seemed empty, we were not always sure, but by the end of the day we had attracted 985 customers into the market, a very high footfall for Henley.

The market had been fully booked for several weeks and the stalls looked tremendous. we had several new stall holders, as usual, but it has to be said that their stalls rivalled some of the very impressive displays put up by our regulars. The whole market was brighly coloured and looked very impressive when you entered the hall and there was certainly a real buzz at the market from 11.30 onwards. One stall holder sold £400+ with several others doing £200+ and many £100+. It was however disappointing that a few stall holders had a poor day with very limited sales. The customers were certainly very faddy today, not buying many Christmas presents yet, but instead buying small lower value items, with few exceptions. Bread knives sold especially well today and some jewellers also did well. Candle and soap sellers also had a good day with one candle seller, new to us, having a very impressive day indeed. 
 
Salisbury Guildhall October 6th

A torrential Tuesday leads to lower than expected footfall
Despite the forecast Salisbury was dry at 8am, something we can only have hope to have lasted. Unfortunately, by 5 past, the rain began to fall and slowly turned into a torrential downpour allowing the stallholders no choice but to get wet as they unloaded. Those who have been to Salisbury in recent weeks will have noticed the large amount of scaffolding surrounding the Guildhall. Usually this wouldn't be too much of an issue as we are more than willing to work around such an obstacle and even use it to our advantage such using it to hang banners etc. However the issue we were faced with on this occasion was the large truck and office container placed to the left of the square (as you look at the hall) completely blocking the access from the cross keys shopping centre. This meant that very few customers ventured into the square itself making ti very difficult to encourage customers into our event. A very large proportion of those who walked through the square entered but with a footfall of only 261 it only shows how many people seemed to avoid the guildhall completely. This was not helped either by the following rain fall at all too regular interval throughout the day.
 
Despite the low numbers, few stallholders sold well, owing mostly to returning customers. The market wasn't a complete disaster for everyone which certainly helps considering how wet cold and miserable the day was in general. 


Swindon Pilgrim Centre October 3rd

An average footfall for Swindon but below par spending

Located between the car parks and the main shopoing streets in Swindon, there are a large number of potential customers passing this market. Unfortunately on this occasion it was only ever potential as many of the passers by seemed in a world of their own. It takes the very active marketing techniques used by Mynt Image to get them through the doors, but when they do enter the market, many of them spend well. This market performs best before 2.30pm and by working hard the team managed to attract a footfall of 309.  

We had a good range of stalls, though we still don't attract as many stall holders as we would have liked. This was a pity. but did meant that we could give many of the stall holders additional room, which many were very pleased with. It was unfortunate that some stalls did not do as well as would have been expected, particularly based on how well spending has gone here in past months. Christmas hadn't quite reached the thought of the locals but we're certain that when it does, we'll have an absolutely time in the Pilgrim Centre

Cranleigh Village Hall October 3rd

An amazing footfall leads to some good sales

This truly was one of those dream days that we simply did not expect. The weather was perfect, overcast but warmish. The streets of Cranleigh were packed. Unknown to us, today was the day of the Cranleigh Food and music festival. Live bands and groups were performing up and down the high street. Just up the high street from us, was the food festival and people were thronging to this event and having to walk past the village hall. There was almost an acceptance that we were part of the the entertainment for the day and this meant at times that there was a queue to get into the hall. The Mynt Image staff worked hard and the addition of a cafe made it even easier to get people into the market. We knew after 2 hours that the footfall was going to be huge, but the final footfall of 1242 surprised even ourselves. It is important to recognise that this huge footfall was a total chance reliant on factors we had not created and would be impossible for us to create without the food festival being on. It does however demonstrate the potential of this hall if there are public on the street shopping, as theyw ere on saturday.

Most stall holders made £100+ during the day, which Cristmas cards and jewellery selling well as usual. However it was quality wooden tables that sold particularly well at this market, made as 'one off' pieces by a craftsman who was doing his first market ever with us. He, like us was delighted, especially with the magnificent sales that he made. The buyers were picky as to what they bought and as usual some stalls did a lot better in the afternoon than they did in the morning, the best sales coming in the last 1/2 hour for many stall holders, with several customers returning to buy items they had seen earlier in the day. The cafe also helped, enabling us to not only attract more customers into the ahll, but once inside they stayed for longer and thought about the items for sale, before often buying them,  We did not meet one stall holder who had a bad day at the market. There was an amazing atmosphere in the hall and a real buzz throughout the day. We are certainlky glad that we have booked Cranleigh for 2016.
 
Godalming Borough Hall September 26th

Some fantastic stalls but  where were the customers?

The day started similarly to usual here, the set up was quick and easy with stallholders set up ready to go looking truly superb. The weather looked promising and the team were eager to get going as 10am approached. Footfall began slow but certainly picked up throughout the afternoon supplying the stallholders with a very valiant 505 customer through the door. The was a certain theme for the day with regards to sales as there so often is at our markets. Those who actively sell the product achieve far higher sales figures than those who seem a little lacklustre. One stall holder comment that his sale rate was nearly 4 times higher than at most events, selling to 1 in 6 people engaged as opposed to the average 1 in 20! One artist is also exported to have done particularly well and has already requested to book all of next years date at Godalming with us! 
 
Winchester Guildhall September 26th

Superb day in wonderful Winchester, great sales and returning customers!

The weather was lovely, the promise of a beautiful and warm sunny Autumnal day looked imminent. Between 8am and 10pm the set up was a little more hectic than usual, one or two swaps in the floor plan had a knock on effect and was a little more stressful than usual. However once the stall holders were ready to go the hall looked superb, each and every table enticing in its own unique way. As usual the Mynt team worked hard getting lots of customers in.  In the bapsy hall next door there was a conference that started at 10am and finished around 1pm and the man organising it kindly told his audience (of probably around 200) that they were welcome to visit us after.  I spoke to a good dozen who said they had popped in afterwards which is great for us all!  The footfall picked up momentum during the day and was still busy at 4pm with people still buying.  Stall holders in general made a profit having a good day or were particularly pleased with very good sales.  A few stallholders thanked the Mynt team for working so hard and getting in so many people - 1001 (and that is without counting anyone entering straight from the conference or people using the other entrance to use the lift!)  A handful of stallholders said they have told potential customers what dates they are returning in the lead up to Christmas as they plan to return to do their Christmas shopping which is very positive.  Overall, Winchester was a delight.

Petworth Leconfield Hall September 19th

Some fantastic stalls but  where were the customers?

The day was sunny and warm and there should have been plen ty of toursist in Petworth as is normal at this time of year. The toursist often spend the whole day in Petworth in the street cafes and enjoying the olde worlds atmosphere. But today the tourists despite the weather, simply didn't arrive. We had instead to rely on local people, and it was good to see many more people from the village attending. By the end of the day we had achieved a footfall of 259. This is a really disappoi9nting footfall for Petworth and below the numbers usually achieved at this time of year. Were the toursists at the beach or in the countryside, or had they gobe shopping in Guildford and caused the incredible footfall there?

There was a lovely atmosphere in the event all day, especially in the morning when sales were particularly good. However the stall holders and the customers all seemed to remain positive and in a good modd throughou the entire day and some stall holders actually did very well indeed. The fact that several stall holders asked if the Petworth markets would be running in 2016 certainly shows how much some stall holders value these events and want them to continue. It is interesting to note however that although we feel that this is a low footfall, for many organisers this would have been their best footfall of the year!!! 



Guildford Guild Hall September 19th

Guildford performs very well

This really was a good Guildford market and certainly proves why this is now our most popular venue. The day was a delightful warm day after a week of rain and winds. The first hour here was slow today, but then the crwods descended on Guildford. At times the street was as packed as we have seen it at Chyristmas, with the event workers having little space to work in. By continually working hard and combining a loud approach with a personal approach we managed to attract a footfall of 1696 into the market, our best of the year so far at any venue. In one hour period, we managed to atract over 400 people into the hall, with an exception 100 in less than 10 minutes. The hall was heaving at times with a queue to get in.  

A very large footfall clearly created some very good sales. we are aware of many stall holders achieving sales of £300+, many beating their previous best sales at any event. One stall holder however almost achieved £600, a truly remarkable sum for a September market. People were certainly buying for Christmas with many Christmas cards and Christmas decorations being sold. Glass products and jewellery did especially well, though art work and woo work was not far behind, with really good sales from one of our regular artists who even sold after the market closed. It must be said however that the stalls did look particularly good today, with some really really impressive displays drawing in the customers. It is now wonder that Guildford Satrudays markets are fully booked for 2015 with many 2016 markets also close to being sold out.
 


Marlborough Town Hall September 12th

A good day once the sun came out

Marlborough started off really slowly with damp grey conditions. However after a short while the sun came out and with it came the customers. By working hard throughout the day our team of staff managed to attract a footfall of 572 customers into the market. 

The market looked espcially good today and this possibly helped the customers to spend well. Knitted clothes and cot blankets seemed to sell very well as did one of the artists. They customers also seemed to like a new stall holder doing animal paintings. Cards performed well too and like Dorchester it was Christmas cards especially that seemed to be selling well.

Overall this was a good market at Marlborough. This is  market which attracts customers who will spend good sums of money on the right products, buit as at all markets, you can never guarantee what is going to sell on the day. 


Dorchester Corn Exchange September 12th

A good day for all at this delightful market

This was probably one of  the best markets at this location for the year. Despite a distinct lack of stall holders, something we don't understand, we managed to make this market look really full and gave everybody a double table. The stalls looked excellent, colourful and really full of excellent products. A cafe at the market  helped a lot and this not only enticed customers into the venue but enticed them to stay a lot longer and enjoy the stalls more.
 
The day started off dull and drizzly outside, though there plenty of people around the top of the High Street. After half an hour, the weather started to clear and there were a lot of people on the streets. The public seemed easier than they have been for a while to get into the hall and by working hard, the team ,amaged to attract a good total of 629 into the market, the best footfall at a Mynt Image market on this date. All stall holders more than doubled their stall costs with some hitting almost  £200. One stall holder who had only had 2 stalls before with other organisers and not sold a single item, sold almost £100 on her first attempt with us.

This was a good day and demonstrated the potential of Dorchester. It is such a pity that we can't this year attract more stall holders to what is a good venue.    


 
Henley Townhall September 12th

Despite competing with the Henley Show we had a good day all round.
Although the weather forecast for this events was not ideal we were optimistic that the sun would grace our presence and ultimately draw more customers out to the highstreet and into the market. After a little drizzle before 9 the day slowly brightened up and the set up was dry, quick and as easy as it could possibly be considering the several flights of stairs.
Once set up the hall looked great, admittedly we had a little too much jewellery booked in but otherwise the range of products were very eye catching and attractive.
As the afternoon progressed, the footfall did slow, many passers by were enjoying the sunshine and making their way to the Show just outside of town! Although it was great to be working on such a beautiful day we almost hoped the rain would come and send the show goers back into town and past the town hall. Unfortunately we can't have it all
Working the High street as hard as possible we drove 567 customers into the stunning town to look around. unfortunately many did seem to just look but those who were sold to spent very well. This market proved that selling your product is vital to generating any sort of profit. Customers will simply not buy from a stallholder who doesn't make them feel at ease with something as simple as hello. We're certainly looking forward to the next couple of occasions in this great venue as Christmas was already on peoples minds.
 
 
 
Salisbury Guildhall September 5th

Salisbury performs well for many

The weather at Salisbury was not that brilliant, though we avopided the rain most of the day. Scaffolding on the Guildhall did not cause any problems as the renovation work begins on this amazing historical building. The outside market was relatively quiet today and it was a slow start to the day. As usual the market gradually picked up with a footfall of 859 being achived by 4.00pm with our team of Mynt Image helpers working hard throughout the day to attract customers.

Many of the customers spent very well and it is clear that the Christmas season has started. One card seller reported selling large numbers of Christmas cards....Christmas has come easrly to Salisbury this year (Though saying that, Calendars sold well at Swindon last week too!). One jeweller had her best day at Salisbury this year selling over £500 of stock. One new stall holder remarked that it was the best market that they had ever attended as a stall holder. Unfortunately there were still some stall holders who did not do so well. Customers still seem to be very faddy and choosy as to what they want to buy. we do wish that everyone had had such a good day as some did at this very good market.




Lymington Masonic Hall September 5th

A good footfall leads to some good sales


September can be a tricky month both to attract stall holders and to attract customers. However we certainly did not suffer from a lack of customers at this market today. Despite grey skies and even some rain at the start of the event, we managed to attrach  a footfall of 1069. This was our highest footfall of the day, beating even Salisbury. Because we were not fully booked we managed to giev stall holders a little additional space, something we will always try to do to make the markets look full. Due to the weather conditions, customers came in slowly at first but by lunchtime were coming in , in a steady stream which continued throughout the whole day.  Even at 4.00pm customers were still entering the building so it was disappointing to see that some stall holders were already packing up and missed some good last minute sales...it's strange but the best buyers often are in the last 15 minutes!

There was a delightful mixture of products and the stalls looked really good, especially with the little additional space. Onj askinga round, most stall holders seemed to have sold between £120 and £230 though there were a few who didn't do so well which was unfortunate. It was however disappointing to note that one stall holder had 2 necklaces stolen at some point during the day. we will be taking action to stop anything like this happening again and keeping a sharp eye out for customers who are handling products. A good market and we look forward to the last remaining markets at Lymington this year.



Cranleigh Village Hall September 5th

A lack of customers but still some good sales.

Cranleigh really is a delightful location and we were delighted today when customers started coming into the hall even before we were officially open....we never turn away customers! The forecast was bright sunny spells, perfect for our markets and for a good number of people on the streets so we were very optimistic today. Unfortunately by 10.30 the sky had completely cloiuded over and there was a strong Northerly wind making it quite cold. These poor conditions and the fact that it was the first weekend that children had been back to school, really affected the market. From and excellent footfall for the 1st two hours, by 12.00 the streets were almost deserted, and continued to be so for the rest of the day. The villagers themselves as well as those stall holders who ventured olutside remarked on just how quiet it was. However the Mynt staff never gave up and by the end of the day a respectable footfall of 424 had been produced. 

One needs to remember that it is quality buyers that you need into a market, not just quantity. We were to be honest amazed at how much some people were spending. Although smoe stall holders did not have a good day, others had their best ever day at Cranleigha dn several sold over £200 of stock. Upcycled furniture and shutters seemed to sell particulalry well for a stall holder who was new to us. Several jewellers also reported doing well, whilst others had a poor day. Quirky embroiderd items also seemed to sell very well, when they had not done so well previously. It was an interesting market and certainly showed that you can never predict what will sell at any location. Several stall holders have already rebooked for the October and November markets..   



Guildford Guildhall Midweek September 3rd

The summer/christmas shopping gap is here.
Guildford has a tendency to be a little awkward with regards to setting up. The one way systems and traffic in the week can be a little hectic in general let alone when its the first day back at school for all of Surrey, however on this occasion everyone found their way easily enough and was set up ready to go just in time. We only used the ground floor of this venue and the results were great, as per usual the hall looked superb and had a great atmosphere throughout. After a very sunny week it was a shame to have a cloudier day with the odd spots of rain. The highstreet was relatively quiet with the most part of the footfall running around town purposefully. With every passerby on one mission or another it was difficult to persuade them in, overall a footfall of 446 was achieved.
Spending wasn't great unfortunately, most stallholders covered cost and took home a small profit with a few taking home a slightly healthier 3 figure sum. We feel the timing of the year was against us on this occasion, however there did seem a lot of interest for future purchases for christmas presents. So if these customers return in the coming months we will certainly have a lot of very happy stall holders in our midsts.
 
Swindon Pilgrim Centre August 29th

A really good day at Swindon.

For those who continue to believe that August is a poor month for sales, we have proved time and time again this month, how wrong these people are. With the best figures for the year at Guildford and Winchester in August, we now continue the trend at Swindon. There were plenty of people about at Swindon today and they were ready to spend. The added enticement of a small cafe in the market was an added attraction and by working hard we managed a really good footfall of  472 . Jewellery, as tends to be the case at Swindon, sold particularly well, with our 2 jewellers selling more than £800 between them! In the afternoon, card sales and photographic sales also increased with most stalls making a good profit. It was interesting to note that photographic calenders particulalry sold well, people are already buying Christmas gifts!

Finding stall holders for this market continues to be a problem. We have no idea why, when the stall holders who attend, do well most months. We have been asked by present stall holders to continue running these markets in 2016 as they work so well, but without additional stall holders we will be unable to do so. Just why potential stall holders would drive to other locations when there is such a good one on their doorstep we have no idea....but they do. With just 2 more markets at Swindon in 2015, it will be sad to see it not continue in 2016.


 
Winchester Guildhall August 22nd

A great day in Winchester on many counts!
With the promise of gorgeous sunshine throughout the day we had every faith in the fact this would be a good market and boy were we right! Contrary to stallholders belief, the highstreet was actually relatively quiet! However every passer by seemed to enter so we achieved a superb footfall despite the amount of locals and tourist in the area! Coaches from all over Europe were stopping just along the highstreet and were very keen to enter the market, the demographic could not have been broader on this particular occasion. From working hard in the sun we managed to draw in a higher than usual total of 1022 customers into the hall. Stallholders were very please with increase in footfall and could hardly believe reports of a quieter highstreet!
 
The was turning out to be a great success, the only question remains was how did spending go? In a word, excellent!! Most stallholders cleared 3 figures no problem at all with many taking £200 and above! At least one made significantly more so we could not complain whatsoever! There was no product that could be deemed unsuccessful, even those who don't look to sell on the day itself but primarily promote their business generated great interest. Jewellery was popular as always and art work sold particularly well! We feel this is a sign of things to come in Winchester! As we all know, Christmas here is quite simply astonishing and some of the footfalls are unbelievable. Roll on the next few months!
 
 
 
Dorchester Corn Exchange August 22nd

Where were the public? But still some good sales by many.
In 2 years of running this Dorchester market, we have never seen the town of Dorchester so deserted. It was like a ghost town at times. The weekly outside market stall holders had an awaful day and many closed before 2.00pm...a really unusual event. It was a hot and sunny day and apparently Weymouth, just 10 miles away on the coast, was heaving with tourists. Nearby Bournemouth Airshow was also drawing in the crowds. At times, there simply was no one in earshot to advertise the market to. The main road outside the hall was ridiculously busy in the morning yet by 1.00pm was deathly quiet. However by really working hard we did still manage to attract a crowd of 497into the market. Many of this maller than usual crowd were thankfully spending well which did help the situation a little.

Several stall holders had a really good day, making £100+ and one almost hitting £200. Others barely broke even for the day unfortunately. Those requiring future leasd however reported a very good day with great prospects of good future on-line business being generated by this market. The stalls, it has to be said, looked the best they have this year at Dorchester and the publ.ic who commented, which was many, were really impressed by the quality and range of products on offer. Bags and woodwork seemed to sell the best at Dorchester this market, with photography also doing well for some.  
 


Petworth Leconfield HallAugust 15th

The first market at Petworth for 2015 shows promise.

It was the first dry day in Petworth for several days with some delightful sunshineThe town however seemed very quiet indeed with fewer tourists and locals than usual. The large amount of road works and road closures around this delightful town seems to have put  many tourists off from visiting the sights of Petworth which was disappointing. By working hard the Mynt Image staff managed to attract 276 customers into the market, mostly couples in the 40s to 60s.
We had several new stall holders with us this year and the good mix of stall types was commented upon by the customers. Most stall holders reported easily covering their costs with some good profits made by some. A good promising first market for the year at this location which will continue to improve as the autumn and Christmas season get under way. 



Guildford Guildhall August 15th

Our best Guildford market so far this year

Rain for the previous 2 days had meant that many people had not gone shopping in Guildford, but this Saturday being the 1st dry day....the customers were out in force. Not only were there lots of people in Guildford today but they were also spending well and the stall holders enjoyed the benefits of a very good market. Not only were there plenty of local people on the street this Saturday but their numbers were swelled by tourists from a multitude of different nations, many of whom were spending well. By working hard and efficiently, the Mynt Image team managed toi create a footfall of 1446 our highest footfall at any location so far this year. 

The stalls looked incredibly impressive at this market and this was commented upon by the representative from the council who had never seen the stalls look so good. There really was an excellent mix of stall types with some really good new additions to our regular stall holders. Most stall holders made £100+ with many making £200+ and several £300+ being topped by one who made substantially more. This certainly was a very profitable day for the stall holders. Jewellery as usual sold well at Guildford as did scarves and bags. Soft furnishings, wooden pens and candles also seemed to do well today with some impressive sales, and businesses who rely on the markets to provide leads for future business also went away very pleased.  This was a Guildford market to remember and another sign of just how good this sought after market will perform in the Christmas season both at weekends and during the week.


Marlborough Town Hall August 8th

A better footfall than of late but still not quite the best spending
As the morning unfolded there was only one way the day would go and that was scorching! The weather was superb and helped by putting stallholders and customers alike in a great mood. Set up ran smoothly and the promise of a good day seemed imminent. Footfall started slowly and progressed to a constant stream of customers. Despite being so hot outside many who entered the hall actually spent some time in there browsing rather than a quick lap and exit. We feel the coolness of the hall certainly benefit this as it was particularly refreshing to walk inside from the highstreet. Overall, by tirelessly working in the beating sun to drive the customers in we achieved a footfall of 584.

Unfortunately sales were not amazing in Marlborough, the almost lackadaisical customers didn't do much more than browse for the best part of the day. Everyone covered costs with most making a good profit still but only a few had a particularly good day! Artwork and chutneys seemed most popular with jewellery selling well as usual too. 
 
Henley Town Hall August 8th

A good footfall and some good sales
It was a beautiful sunny day at Henley and the town was certainly in holiday spirits. The cafe areas in the square were full for much of the day and there were plenty of tourists visiting this picturesque town. Although the market started off slowly, the footfall grew throughout the day, with customers coming into the market in waves and many staying for a considerable time, although there were as usual many who were simply browsing. By working hard in quite hot conditions a very good footfall of 787 was achieved by 4.00pm.

2 stall holders reported selling more in the 1st hour at Henley in August than they had done in the whole of the July market. Today for a change, jewellery stalls were not the top sellers, though several jewellers reported doing very well. Cushions and cushion covers sold very well for a stall holder new to our markets with some customers buying large numbers. The last half hour, as is often the case, was the best time of the day for some stall holders with several customers who had visitred earlier in the day returning to buy an item they had been thinking about allday. It certainly proves the point that you should never pack up early!. 
 
Guildford Guildhall August 6th

An improved footfall with sales to match

Scepticism loomed as the day began here in Guildford, clouds and drizzle showed the promise of miserable day! Fortunately this could not be further from the truth as by 1030 the sun was shining and teasing customers out onto the highstreet. The set up was wonderfully simple as we only used the ground floor on this occasion even though a couple of stallholders were later than hoped. 
The drizzly start to the day meant the first hour of the market attracted very few customers but as soon as the sun came out we saw a stark contrast in formal. Customers began to  flow through the doors nicely and they even spent some money! Working hard to push as many people through the door as possible we achieved a footfall of 543 which is a lot higher than recent months. We are very pleased to hear spanned matched the increased footfall with most stallholders easily exceeding 3 figure sales.
 
 
Salisbury Guildhall August 1st

A very good footfall and some good sales

August has the reputation of being a low month for sales with a low footfall. At Mynt Image we do not believe that this is the case, as stall holders in the past finding August to be a good month for sales. This market also proved that good footfalls can be achieved  in August with a footfall of 1209 being achieved throughout the day. There were plenty of tourists aroiund from many countries including Canada and the USA. Toursists often spend well and they did so today. The presence of a funfair just outside the doors to the Guildhall also helped draw in the crowds with parnts going into the market whilst children had a go on the rides. We also had our first ever cafe in the Salisbury market and this seemed to bring in some additional people.

Jewellery as usual went down very well with some excellent sales. many stalls sold £100+ with several £300+. There wwere as usual stalls that for some reason or other didn't do quite as well and there is never any rhyme or reason for this. We have already had 2 stall holders asking to book more at Salisbury this year due to their success at this market.
This was Salisbury as it should perform and we know that it will perform even better as soon as holidays are over and people start to think about Christmas.   


Thame Town Hall July 25th
A good day for most in Oxfordshire
Set up was nice and easy here in Thame, the hall always fills up particularly well despite being on the first floor. The timing of the stallholders arrival certainly helped the flow of the morning as there is always the potential that too many stall holders will turn up at once and we would have a bottle neck effect trying to get everyone in. Once set up, the hall looked great with a warm and inviting atmosphere lending perfectly to the passing customers throughout the day. We had a great start with a coach load of people wandering through in the morning boosting the footfall tremendously. Unfortunately the afternoon didn't quite follow suit and was slightly quieter. The final footfall was 365 so a steady one per minute is great. Spending was good overall and its reported the morning was slightly more profitable. One or two stall holders didn't do very well at all which is never great to hear but unfortunately not everyone can make a fortune week in week out. Surprisingly jewellery wasn't the best selling product of the day, in actual fact, cushions, wall hangings and rugs! We alway like to see a variety of products being successful so we're certainly pleased with the market overall.

Godalming Borough Hall July 25th

Our best footfall promises much in months to come

It has to be noted that weather conditions were perffect for this market. It had been pouring down the day before and there were showers forecast throughout Saturday. The weather was not hot and people were not descending on the coast or planningBBQs as they had been of late. Being the first Saturday of the school holidays we were unsure as to how holidays would affect this venue, but it certainly didn't rteduce the numbers. By working hard throughout the day and working alongside some delightful street musicians, we managed to obtain our best footfall at this event yet... 529 With the autumn and winters eason approaching we are now starting to see the true potential of this venue as far as numbers of customers are concerned.

We had a really interesting range of stalls at this market with some stall holders who hve worked for many months with us and others who were new to us. We also had a stall holder who had driven all the way from Essex to be at this market. Most stall holders had an 'average' day whilst some others had their best days yet at any markets. Candles seemed as is often the case, to be selling well at Godalming. Some art work and framed pictures also seemed to be selling well. This market has great potential and as numbers of customers rise, so will sales as the Christmas season approaches.
 

Guildford Guildhall July 18th

Steady footfall and some good spending

From running our craft and gift markets here in the Guildhall all too often we have certainly found a rhythm in setting up. Our flags and other advertising were ready to go and looking good with great ease and the stallholders seemed to arrive perfectly timed to make unloading as easy as it could possibly be. 10 o’clock soon approached and the hall looked superb as usual. Each stall working well within their space to create a visual masterpiece drawing customers into each one effortlessly.

The footfall was steady through out the day, the first hour was quiet as usual but other than that we had a nice flow of customers through the door. During our 6 hour period we achieved a footfall of 838 with even more customers entering after having closed!

Spending tended to vary through out the day, some stallholders had better sales in the afternoon while others, the morning was more profitable. A few had a nice constant flow of sale so we certainly aren’t complaining. Jewellery was the order of the day as usual; one stallholder was £300+, while nothing could be deemed unpopular. A great day overall we feel and with the whispers of Christmas sale already we are very excited for upcoming events her in the Guildhall.

 

Swindon  Pilgrim Centre July 18th

Another successful day despite a lack of stall holders

We really can not understand why there is a lack of stall holders booking this venue. As in April and May, this market really did perform well and most of the stall holders who did book, had a good day with one making more than £250!!!
A lovely sunny day, plenty of people in central Swindon led to a successful market for most. Most of the customers come into this market before 2pm and the afternoons can be very slow, though for one stall holder, her best sales were in the final 15 minutes. People in Swindon are on a mission and it is not always easy to get them to come into the venue despite its excellent location. By working hard the Mynt Image team did manage toa chieve a footfall of 398 customers....but they spent well above their means!

Jewellery as usual did well at this market. cards and photography also did well with some very good sales. Home made cakes sold well too with mkany customers coming out with slices of delicious moist cake cake or cupcakes. This is also a market that seems to provide many leads for those stall holders looking for future business and as usual those stallholders looking for this sort of business were not to be disappointed. We really do not understand why we can't attract stall holders to this venue becaue it really has become a favourite venue for several stall holders and as Christmas looms its head this market really could become something special. 



Winchester Guiidhall July 18th

A successful day for most

Winchester Guildhall continues to be a very successful venue for many of our stall holders. We are coming into the season now where numbers of customers start to rise due to tourists visiting the city and the run up to Christmas (This affects our markets from August onwards). We were pleased with this market in July, especially since we managed to attract several coaches of toursists into the market who bought quite well. There was a good influx of customers at the beginning of the day, though this slowed down during the day. However despite the numbers, spendingw as actually better in the afternoon for most stall holders than it was in the morning. People seemed to be buying small items in the morning, whilst this changed to larger more extrvagent items in the afternoon. By working really hard the Mynt Image team managed to attract a footfall of 773 into the Guildhall 

At least 3/4 of the stall holders did either well or very well today, with most making around the £100. One artist had a much better afternoon after a poor morning, selling a large piece of work in the afternoon and very little in the morning. Other stalls which seemed to do well included a stall selling dog related items  and a lady selling music related items. This is always an interesting venue, and one which prospers as the years progresses.



Lymington Masonic Hall July 11th

What an incredible day in our superb New Forest venue
Lymington has always been a favourite, whether its the team running the event, the stall holders exhibiting at the event or the customers experiencing the event. This occasion followed suit and potentially even exceeded expectations. The set up, as always was very quick and easy requiring almost minimal effort from everyone involved, being able to park and unload on site really does help tremendously! Due to the vast array of School Summer fetes occurring at present we admittedly had slightly fewer stall holders booked in than usual but using the extra tables and space we had on offer the hall looked fantastic! Most stall holders had two tables which meant they could spread the products with greater creativity thus generating quite the spectacle. 

As the clock struck 10 the customers didn't hesitate to get into the market. We had over 200 walk in within the first hour, fortunately this superb start continued over the next few hours with nearly 700 through the door by 1 o'clock. The was one point during the afternoon where there seemed to be hundreds of people walking out through the door within 15/20 minutes, proving just how busy we were throughout much of the day! Lymington is always quieter during the afternoon, I think it'd probably be almost too exhausting if the footfall didn't slow down a little bit for the last hour or so. Were it is slightly quieter, the stallholders have more opportunity to chat to the customers and entice them into buying so the spending through out the day overall seems to be particularly good here in the heart of the new forest. As the Christmas season begins to approach the next time we're here we are only left with saying the only way is up and stallholders of any kind would be mad to miss out. Final Footfall 1059




Henley Town Hall July 11th

A very satisfactory market with some large sales

There was a really interesting start to this market with the steps at the front of the hall where we work, being used for speeches for a protest march in support of increased hospital beds at Henley hospital. Huge crowds gathered for one purpose only and stopped our work for 45 minutes. We do need to note however that Mynt Image are totally behind this campaign and that the finalk speaker did thank us for giving up the use of the steps for a while and promoted the market for us.

By 10.45 we managed to start again and start to get the many customers in the market square into the market. There were a lot of tourists and visitors in Henley today and this really helped. we have found in previous weeks that the hot weather has reduced our customers, but this was not to be the case today. By working hard we managed to achieve a footfall of 683 a very respectable figure for Henley.

For many stall holders today the customers were also buying very well, and the addition of one famous 'Lady' as a customer may also have helped. The customers certainly seemed to have money to spend for the right sort of products. As seems to be the case at Henley, jewellery went down very well indeed with most jewellers making £200+ and one substantially more. Candles also went down well today as did several delightful hand crafted products. This was more of the Henley market that we expect at this time of year and certainly showed its potential and why we will continue to run a market here in 2016.

Marlborough Town Hall July 11th

A Disappointing market  considerring how well Marlborough started the year.


This was in our opinion, another hot weather affected market, with people rushing their shopping in the morning and going out to events or the countryside in the afternoon.  A horse event on the common also drew people out of the town and away from the Town Hall. We have not realised until this year, just how much other factors can limit and affect Craft and Gift markets. It is true that there were people in Marlborough today, but they simply did not want to come into the market in the way that they had earlier in the year. Despite efforts from the team, a footfall of 333 was achieved, a low number for a Saturday market at Marlborough in 2015.

Despite the low nhumbers some stall holders still reported doing well, whilst others did not have a good day at all. Lifestyle products and some artists seemed to do well, whist others did very poorly. We have already made sure that in August these low numbers will not occur again if the weather is still how and sunny and have already decided on measures that can be used to enhance the footfall and spending at this market.


Cranleigh Village Hall July 4th

Hot weather causes a lack of people, but still some good sales

We have all enjoyed this period of quite settled hot weather, something many people long for every year in a British summer. However the hotter than usual weather has caused chos with our Craft and Gift markets. At CRanleigh today there was no lack of potential customers mid morning, but getting them into the village hall was very difficult. All these people wanted to do was to go home, have a BBQ or go out into the countryside or to the beach. By late morning the streets were really empty and they stayed like this throughout the day especially with Wimbledon tennis on in the afternoon. However the Mynt Image team worked relentlessly and really enticed customers into the hall. People tell us that what is needed is not large numbers of customers, but customers who spend money, and this was exactly the type of customer at Cranleigh today. Despite working hard, the team only managed a footfall of 313, but this was not reflected in the spending. 

 Many of these customers spent well, many spending over £100 each. Many stall holders had a very good day, far better than they ahd anticipated. Others failed to do very well at all, though recognised that the Mynt Image team could have done no more. One jeweller did particularly well, whilst candles and some some textile stalls also seemed to do well. Despite low numbers, this market was not a failure. 



Salisbury Guildhall July 4th

This market was affected by the hot weather.

As seems to be the case this year, the hot weather is having an adverse affect on the number of people wanting to attend our markets. The number of people in Salisbury as a whole was far less than usual with the whole family demographic missing. There was also a high number of men on the streets with a lack of the usual women browsing the shops and poutside market. And people also seemed to be on a mission, there for one thing only and then get out of Salisbury and down to the coast or into the countryside. The Mynt Image team resorted to some interesting tactics to entice customers into the markets, using 2 dogs they had brought with them to start up conversations and entice people into the market....we're now thinking of getting one of them their own event organiser dog coat because it really seemed to work. The team used a one to one approach, using humour and whitty comments to attract people and this really did seem to have an affect today. Inbstead of shouting out, the team chatted anbd charmed the customers into the hall with some really good results. By working hard, a footfall of 670 was achieved

We are aware that 4 stall holders didn't make much money, whilst others really had an excellent day with several making £300+ and one over £500! Jewellery seemed to be the order of the day with several jewellers selling very well. Fabric creations also went down well especially in the morning. Stall holders really had to sell their products, but this is the case at many markets this year, with those who stand and engage their customers  doing far better.
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