2017 Market Reports

Salisbury Guildhall -  17th December

Salisbury delivers!

With the Salisbury Christmas market outside, adjacent to the entrance to the Guildhall, we knew that this was going to be a good market. The weather from about 12.00pm was not however pleasant, with drizzle and then rain, which in the later afternoon eventually dried up. However the weather didn’t keep the customers away. At one stage when the rain turned heavy we recorded a figure of 106 customers entering the building within a 5 minute period, which led to a good queue. Customers flowed throughout the entire day and we were very happy with the final footfall of 2480, the largest at Salisbury this year.

The customers were also buying well throughout the day, some stallholders doing better in the morning and others in the afternoon. We are aware of 2 stallholders who almost reached the £1000 mark and another who made £750+. As at other markets this weekend, for some reason, jewellery did not sell quite as well, though even jewellery sellers made £200+. Homeware, knitted hats, and of course bread knives, all sold well throughout the day as did leather belts. Most stallholders reported figures between £150 and £200 with many £300 and many £500+. Spending was particularly good for this time of year, especially when it was mostly smaller items that were selling. This was our best Salisbury market of the year.

Witney Corn Exchange -  16th December

A successful event once the problematic road was sorted

Set up was slightly challenging due to an accident on a local road and late arrivals by stallholders but the hall looked very attractive once we were sorted.  By working hard in the very cold, sunny conditions we achieved a very high footfall with many stallholders reaping the rewards - puzzles and wooden items did well with jewellery and bags fairly well. There was a real buzz in the hall and lots of families.  A few stallholders with more spcialised items did not do so well and didn't cover costs. We had reports of sales by two stallholders at around £400, several were between £200-£300 and some made around the £100 mark.  The final footfall was 1405

 

Cranleigh Village Hall -  16th December

A posive event for stallholders

The day was a very cold one, being -2 when we arrived to set up at 8am.  The temperature went up fractionally around midday but dipped again after that which meant the people out in the street were not hanging about!  We worked hard and achieved a very respectable footfall at the end of the day of 542.  Only November was higher at Cranleigh this year, at 550. The hall wasn't crowded but this footfall is a pretty good one at Craneigh and people were buying.  We know of two stallholders who did not make any sales but everyone else seemed happy with sales, albeit not breaking records.  Wood seemed sell well as did toys and Christmas decordations although Art did not sell well today but we are hoping for commisions as many cards were handed out.

 

Marlborough Town Hall -  16th December

A Marlborough market to remember

The day was cold but bright and with little wind meant that when you were in the sun you could actually feel the warmth. There were quite a few people in Marlborough, many of them visitors and this meant that there could be a good footfall. As soon as we started 'working the streets' and shouting out, we realised that this was going to be a good day, despite there having been a craft market here the preceding weekend. In the 1st hour we achieved a footfall of 120, much higher than usual for Marlborough…..and the customers kept coming too with a final footfall of 868, the largest footfall at Marlborough for several years.

The customers were also buying well, with some stallholders doing better in the morning and others in the afternoon. Most stallholders we talked to managed to break the £100 barrier with many substantially more. We are aware of at least 2 stallholders selling in excess of £500 and several more at £300+, with the more average figure being between £150 and £200. Breadknives as usual sold really well, and decorative lamps also seemed to do well. Jewellery struggled during the day, something we have no explanation for. Overall though this was a really good Marlborough market with a very good footfall.

 

Chippenham Town Hall -  9th December

A successful event for many

Set up ran smoothly as usual although we had 3 stallholders who did not make it today due to the seasonal illnesses that are bounding about but other stallholders exhibited extra items so that the hall looked full, very welcoming and lovely and festive.  Cork bags and purses etc and lego homewares did well today although unusually customers were not so keen on buying jewellery and art.  It was a snny but extremely cold day and the shoppers were not out in force, and those that were didn't hang around on the streets for long at all.    We had a handfull of stallholders who reported being happy with their £200 to £300 sales, and one very happy with her £600.  We worked hard outside all day and achieve a respectable footfall of 720.

Guildford Guildhall -  9th December

A glorious Guildford market lives up to expectations

It was a cold sunny day at Guildford with thankfully a lack of wind. There were good crowds on the streets as well as many street entertainers and brass bands throughout the day. A good many stallholders had also been at Guildford on Friday when, for many, the day had been slower than anticipated. It certainly was now slower this Saturday and by lunchtime we knew that we were in for a record number of customers being attracted into the building. By the end of the day we can report that a huge 2434  customers had visited the Guildhall leading to what has been one of the most successful markets ever at this location.

We are not aware of any stallholders who did not cover their costs. The competition for the highest selling stallholder was keenly fought and by the end of the day one stallholder selling breadknives achieved over £1000 and another selling scarves and jewellery on the 1st floor, achieved just under the £1000 …. Though it was very close. We are aware of 3 other stallholders selling a range of items who achieved £700+ and many who sold £300+. Sales just kept coming throughout the day and we had to close the doors at the end of the event to keep out any more customers. Candles also sold well with the 2 stalls selling candles and wax melts doing very well indeed. Several stallholders commented that these were their record sales ever at Guildford and for some at any venue.

Will Salisbury, Winchester, or our new star venue at Witney beat these figures in the weeks left before Christmas?

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Henley Town Hall -  2nd December

Customers were in the mood for spending

Set up was a little hectic but the hall looked great once everyone was in ready for the day ahead.  Some stallholders spread out due to a couple of last minute cancellations which is always a shame but not entirely unheard of with all the winter illnesses around.  It was a good day for handbags, scarves and knives but not so much for jewellery which is very unusual indeed...in fact this is pretty unheard.  There simply weren't many customers looking for jewellery today although in general the people who came into the event were buying and not just browsing.  A handful of stallholders made between £400 and £500.  Through working hard in the drizzle we managed a footfall of 556.

Godalming Borough Hall -  2nd December

When will Christmas come to Godalming?

This weekend is often one of the best weekends of the year for Chrismas buying.  Although some stalls did very well today, there was a distinct lack of Christmas spending compared with what we would expect.  Godalming itself was extremely quiet with the streets strangely empty until almost midday.  In the 1st hour we only managed to get 48 customers into the market, though for some stallholders these were the best customers of the day.  Thankfully footfall did improve and by the end of the day we did manage to attract 567. A lot of stallholders were new to us and hadn't seen the way we work before.  They were impressed and several came out to congratulate us on our efforts.  We had a few regular stallholders with us as well, and not surprisingly it was some of our regulars who seemed to make the most money.  We are aware of 3 stallholders who managed £300+ and several others £200+.  Several did not do so well and several did not cover costs.  It was candles that sold the best today.  Some knitwear  stalls did quite well, but this was to be anticipated in the cold temperatures outside.  The whole town of Godalming lacked the spirit of Christmas. This was a good market for many stallholders, but disappointing for others, not what we expect in this Christmas season.

Guildford Guildhall -  25th November

A great day with fantastic footfall and spending

It was a bright but cold day, a delightful winter's day in fact.  Thankfully there was no wind, so it was possible to work outside without freezing.  ½ of the stalls on Saturday had already traded on the Friday, with some success, so this did make the set up for all of the other stallholders easier. Customers started to come into the Guildhall well before opening time, so we knew that this could be a good day with plenty of people around. We hit the 1000 footfall mark at 1.30pm and by the end of the day had managed to attract 1857 customers into the market, our 2nd ever highest footfall for Guildford.  The customers were buying, but were very choosy as to what they wanted to purchase.  During some periods they were buying glass objects well, whilst at other times it was scarves, and there was a sudden demand for woollen hats and gloves just after midday. Spending was however on the whole good for many stallholders, though despite the footfall, just average for others. We are aware of one stallholder selling jewellery and scarves achieving £800+ whilst another jeweller achieved nearer the £500 mark. Most stallholders made £200+ with one artist achieving £400+ and a glass seller £300+. These figures are very good, but are still less than last year at this time. Christmas was however very much in the air and we look forward to our future markets.

Thame Town Hall - 25th November

A great day at Thame with happy stallholders

Set up was as smooth as usual and the hall looked lovely with all of our stallholders products set up.  It was a very cold but sunny day with one of our Mynt team getting skiers sunburn!   They worked hard as usual and achieved a footfall of 507 by the end of the day.  Jewellery did well today as did wooden furniture and some retro/vintage items, although having said that one jeweller did not do so well along with books and photo frames.  The atmoshpere felt very Christamassy but sales were a mixed bag with some stallholders doing well and some not so.  Quite a few sales were around the £150 to £250 mark.

Cranleigh Village Hall - 18th November

A classic Cranleigh with some good last minute sales

A damp day throughout with drizzle almost all afternoon.  It was cold and there was a lack of people on the streets after 1pm.  It was the day of the Christmas Lights switch on and we anticpated more people in the streets in late afternoon.....They didn't appear until 3:45 and then wondered why we weren't open until late like other shops.  At 12 we had attracted 300 customers into the event which was exceptionally high.  Unfortunately this didn't continue and by the end of the day a footfall of 550 was achieved, a classic Cranleigh number.  Several stallholders did very well, achieving £200+, though the majority were between £100 and £150 and a few didn't cover table costs.  Customers were looking for that special Christmas prosent and being very choosy as to what they bought.  One stallholder selling cork products made £300+.  Jewellery did not seem to be much in demand whilst art and cards seemed to do well.  This was a classic Cranleigh market, a fast, low spending start and a slow but high spending finish.

Henley Town Hall - 18th November

A few no shows but tables were filled...with a very high footfall

We had a couple of fairly late cancellations and a couple of no shows but stallholders took some extra room and made the hall look wonderful with an array of lovely products.  Raw chocolate was a sell out at this event and bags, aprons, homewares, knives, and artisan soaps all sold well along with some jewellery.  The outside Christmas market was on so we had a captive market of customers to draw into our event and we achieved a very high 2368 by the end of the day.  We worked hard outside even though it rained and we spent most of the day soaking wet.  Average sales were around £25o with reports of £400, £450, and at least a couple of stallholders making over £500!  A great event.

Salisbury Guildhall - 18th November

A good start to the Christmas period in Wiltshire

It's always exciting at this time of the year in Salisbury, the increase in shoppers and festive atmosphere is almost magical around this venue. The outside christmas market was under construction during this event which meant the vast majority of the square at the front of the Guildhall is blocked off leaving a narrow walkway past the front door. It looked as though the scenario would lend to a particularly difficult day but that was simply not the case. The barriers acted as a funnel allowing passers by to be encouraged in with great ease. The slightly busier than usual city centre was beneficial of course and helped lead us to a strong footfall of 1212.

Spending was good for most, several good sales and some excellent orders ready to be collected ahead of Christmas. Decorations proved popular and so did advent calendars and anything particularly gifty. Several stallholders taking well over £300 and the were many who finished up around the £200 mark. One stall holder even had their best day ever which was fantastic, especially as its not their first festive season! All is looking good in Salisbury for a brilliant December!

Winchester Guildhall - 11th November

Poor weather made for a tougher than expected day in Winchester

With our first event of the year in the slightly larger Bapsy Hall inside the Guildhall we were looking forward to the first real festive market in Winchester. The poor weather didn't help with the Christmas spirit for the most part, customers were torn between it feeling too early for present shopping or simply just looking for ideas. Those who were most pro actvie about their selling however had some good oppurtunity and their sales refelcted that, many achieving 200+. There was an odd feel throughout the day, the atmosphere wasn't quite as good as we'd usually expect this time of the year, the lower than hoped footfall of  752 has certainly left us wanting a little biut more from this fantastic venue. Fortunately our next visit will coincide with the outside christmas market by the cathedral so we shall expect to see a great increase in footfall! 

Chippenham Town Hall - 11th November

A wet miserable day outside but looking great inside

It was a wet miserable day outside but our wonderful regular and new stallholders made the Town Hall look fantastic with an array of products.  Cork items sold well along with glass, candles and skincare, but that can not be said for paintings and kids clothes.  Sales were a mixed bag with one stallholder making £400 and a handful making £200+ but there were some who did not do so well today.  Whilst the Armistace Day gathering outstide the Town Hall was lovely to see and to participate in, footfall was affected for at least half an hour but as usual we worked our socks off and managed a final count of 639.  Roll on December 16t -  we look forward to our last Chippenham event of this year and to a real Christmas feel to that event.

Dorchester Corn Exchange - 11th November

Dorchester surpasses expectations

A very damp, wet, dreary day was not looked forward to by the Mynt Image team. Dorchester takes a lot of effort to get customers into our event and these conditions would not make things any easier.

There were few members of public on the streets as could be expected on a day like this and most were hurrying from one shop to another. However we did start to get customers interested and those who did come inside stayed inside for a good length of time to avoid the horrible conditions outside. By continuously working hard we started to achieve success and by the end of the day a remarkable Dorchester footfall of 828 had been achieved.

The stalls did look brilliant today and the presentation of all stalls were excellent. Many customers were quick to tell us of the high quality calibre of the stalls and products being offered. Spending was certainly good, as usual, especially in the afternoon. We are aware of 2 stallholders who achieved £300+ and a further 7 at £200+. We are aware of one stallholder who failed to meet table costs for some reason or another. Jewellery as usual sold well as did some art, household homeware and wooden bird feeders. Cards and advent calendars were in good demand and knitted items also seemed to sell reasonably well.

We have only managed to obtain one market at Dorchester next year, but we now look forward to this one off event as the people of Dorchester seemed to respond really well to our market today.

Guildord Guildhall - 3rd/4th November

Friday 3/11 - A good start to the midweek market season

It was a very cold start in Guildford and fortunately the traffic into the centre of town wasn't too bad. With the High Street pedestrianised until slightly later during the week it makes for an easy start to the day. We had stallholders unloaded and setting up well before 9am which was perfect for allowing a more relaxed atmosphere than the potenially chaotic morning we occasionally see. The High Street was relatively busy throughout the day, much quieter than a weekend of course but the percentage of people passing who entered was very good! We saw 738 customers through the doors, most of whom seemed like serious shoppers. Christmas still seems a way off in Guildford so record sales weren't to be seen on this occasion but some excellent interest in products lends perfectly for some superb spending as we draw slightly closer to December. 

Many stallholders took a couple of hundred pounds throughout the day which was good but perhaps not excellent for most!

Saturday 4/11 - A busier day but not quite such good spending

It's always a pleasure to set up on the Saturday after having had an event the previous day in Guildford, with many stallholders booked into both days and leaving the stands overnight we managed to get everything ready and new stallholders in with very little effort. It was an absolute treat. Unfortunately the weather was quite miserable which wasn't ideal, and it seemed to put many off.  We had to work particularly hard to draw them in. We managed a total of 1017 through the course of the day which is not too bad considering the weather but we'd have certainly hoped for slightly more at this time of the year. Spending seemed mixed among most, althought a greater footfall, the spending wasn't quite as good as the Friday. Those who ventured out over the weekend weren't quite such serious shoppers and seemed to browse a little more. For the most part however, the promise of customers coming back to spend was very good all round. If half of these promises are kept we'll have a very good festive period.

Marlborough Town Hall - 4th November

Christmas arrives in Marlborough

This was a really good market for many of our stallholders and certainly demonstrated both the potential of this market and that people are starting to spend for Christmas.

The weather was cool and the day started off wet. This had the affect of delaying people’s visits to Marlborough, and the town was very quiet. Later in the morning the skies cleared a little and people were on the streets as usual. There were surprisingly also plenty of tourists. By working hard shouting out down the High Street all day and with obvious signage advertising, we managed to attract a footfall of 567, quite reasonable for Marlborough.

The public were buying well today and several stallholders sold some quite expensive items. Best sellers today seemed to be cork bags and related products as well as lamps and household items. It was also good to see tea light holders and photography also do well. We are aware of two stallholders who sold £350+ and one who sold £250+. The rest of the stallholders seemed to sell between £100 and £150 with only one not making their table charge. There was an excellent atmosphere in the market throughout the day, with all of the stallholders thoroughly enjoying the day.

We look forward to our final market of the year at Marlborough in December.

Witney Corn Exchange - 4th November

Fantastic event with very happy stallholders!

Set up was a little hectic with a stallholder not entering the car park correctly but once this issue was resolved all went smoothly and the hall look absolutely fantastic.  It was lovely to see many regulars and also meet some lovely new stallholders.  Jewellery and keepsakes did well along with cards, advent calendars etc.  Socks didn't seem to be popular today.  Although the weather was wet during set up once the event opened we enjoyed a dry day with a very high footfall of 1071 by 4pm.  Profits were good pretty much across the board with the highest (that we heard about) being almost £300 with a couple of others not too far behind.  We had many compliments on the event and some very happy stallholders who can't wait to come back next month or book in for 2018 with many disappointed that we are fully booked in December and that they can't get a space.

Henley Town Hall - 28th October

Slightly slower afternoon still saw some good sales

With the clock change looming, Christmas drawing ever nearer and a cold start to the day, Henley looked quite promising. Set up flowed smoothly with the hall looking stunning, a handful of new stallholders fitted in perfectly with our many regulars. The day began relatively slowly with the footfall increasing towards lunchtime. After lunch it seemed to pick up briefly but unfortunately it didn't quite get as busy as we'd usually expect. The spending however was still pretty good with several stallholders taking over £200 with a handful reaching £300+. It seemed artwork was most popular throughout the day and that the people of Henley certainly weren't afraid of slightly higher pricetags as they tend to be more than happy splashing the cash with a little encouragment if they like the product. Overall a good day with excellent promise for the Christmas market here.

Salisbury Guildhall - 28th October

Successful market with good sales and high footfall

The morning started off pretty chilly but set up was smooth and the hall looked amazing once all the stallholders were organised and had finished displaying their products.  It was a very professional looking event with a fantastic array of different products.  It only took just over half an hour to reach the 200 mark in terms of footfall and we felt hopeful for a good number of customers.  There was a poppy event in the Court Room the other side of the foyer and we seemed to help each other by attracting a very large footfall.  A 'teenager market' in the square outside looked relatively quiet but the stage and live music seemed to attract many locals out into town, which only helped us, we benefited from a larger footfall even though the music was too loud for us to be heard outside quite a lot of the time.  The sun was out and it was just warm enough for plenty of people to linger to listen to the music and pop in to see us.  We counted 1997 but this would have been higher had we counted the customers still coming through the door after 4pm.  All stallholders reported a good day with the average takings between £80 and £300 but many made more, our highest was over £800 so a very good day all round.  We had many happy customers coming out with full bags and smiles on their faces, and many are looking forward to our next event at Salisbury in November.

 

Thame Town Hall - 28th October

A good market for some, satisfactory for others

The weather was perfect, warm sun and a gentle breeze. There were plenty of local residents and tourists in Thame. A few builder’s lorries and vans doing work fitting out a shop didn’t help us as the view of our flags was obscured from one side, so it relied on Paul’s voice. There were plenty of families around too, this being the last weekend of the half term holidays. By continually working hard and chatting to people as well as shouting out throughout the day, we managed to attract a very satisfactory 550 people into the market. We are aware that some stallholders believe that it was quieter than this, but we can assure stallholders that we use a clicker to record numbers so we are confident that this was the correct number.

As we always say at Thame, it is not large numbers that you need, but good buyers and as usual Thame provided the good buyers, especially in the afternoon, as we confidently predict. We are only aware of 2 stallholders who did not make their table costs, whilst most stallholders made around the £100 mark. 2 stallholders at least made substantially more reaching £250 and one almost achieving £400. Christmas presents were being bought, even though it is not until November that our Christmas markets really start to occur. As usual, it was the last hour which was the best for most, something once again we can confidently predict at Thame

 

Marlborough Town Hall - 21st October

Storm Brian hits Marlborough, but market continues

Upon arriving at Marlborough we were astonished to find that the outside market which draws people into the town had cancelled due to the high winds which were forecast. With storm Brian on its way we knew that this could be one of our most difficult markets to run in 2017. With 50MPH winds forecast we had to adapt our flags and boards as we did not want to cause any damage to the public. There was an additional Mynt Image staff member on hand today to ensure that we attracted everyone possible into the market. The staff worked through the strong winds attracting the visitors to Marlborough into the market. It was made even more difficult for the staff in the afternoon when the winds became cold. However by working hard and as a team the Mynt team managed to attract 603 customers into the market.

Spending in the morning was really good for many stallholders. However for some strange reason it dropped off in the afternoon, before picking up again in the last hour as usual. We were relying on a lot of tourists to the town today as the locals had soon found out that their regular market wasn’t in town and left for home. Spending was not as good as it can be though we are aware of 2 stallholders achieving over £200 and many achieving around the £100 mark. Considering the conditions outside, we were pleased with the final results as we knew that with storm Brian around it could have been a total wash out.

 

Chippenham Town Hall - 14th October

Numbers picked up after a slow start

Set up was smooth and speedy, with everyone ready by 9.30am.  The hall looked great once we had spread out a couple of our tables which were not being used due to some unfortante no-shows.  The weather was lovely and warm, more like a summers day than mid October.  Footfall started slowly but picked up over the course of the day. Chippenham town centre was not as busy as we have seen it previously with the outdoor market traders being a little disappointed with the amount of customers around.  With this in mind we felt we had a relatively good footfall of 566 by the end of the day.  Profits were a mixed bag with some jewellery selling well with one stallholder in particular making £200+ with other jewellers not quite covering costs.  Clocks did well today.

 

Witney Corn Exchange - 14th October

An amazing start to a new venue

It was a warm day, feeling more like August than mid October. This was a our first ever visit to Witney Corn Exchange. Although we had received good reports of the venue from stallholders who had done the odd market here with other organisers, we were slightly anxious at opening a new venue, just as we would expect to be. The 1st good news was that we managed to fit all of the cars into the car park, so this reduced parking fees. Even before we had opened customers were coming into the market, and once we got out there onto the streets to encourage them, they flocked in. We had expected 7-800 footfall, but by 4.00pm managed a footfall of 1406, almost double our expectations!

The stallholders reported slow spending until about 12.30, but then, as is usual at most of our markets, spending increased a lot as the number of customers dropped slightly. The best sales were actually made just after 4.00pm with several customers rushing in at the last minute or returning from earlier in the day. At the end of the day, almost all stallholders reported really good spending. We are aware that 1 stall holder made over £500 and three more over £400. That is followed by a further 6 making between £200 and £300 and most others making almost £100. This really was remarkable for our 1st market at this event and the fact that Christmas shopping has still not hit markets. Jewellers as usual did well, but it was bag sellers who reported the best sales …. Apparently Witney ladies like quality bags. Woodwork also seemed to sell well as did some art. This was a really encouraging start to our Witney events and we can’t wait until the 2 Christmas events occur.

Godalming Borough Hall - 7th October

Distinctly better in the afternoon

The weather was grey with some light drizzle at times. There were plenty of people on the streets and Waitrose was packed at times. Footfall started off slow as usual at Godalming and although we only expected an October footfall of 400ish, by working hard and never stopping, we managed an impressive 592 customers into the hall. We were helped by one of our staff’s dogs, who was the centre of attention at times with her matching yellow dog coat. This is our highest ever footfall at Godalming and demonstrates the potential of this location.

Unfortunately 4 stallholders simply didn’t turn up at the market. This did give other stallholders some additional room, though finding enough table coverings was not easy. We had a good number of 1st time stallholders too at this event offering some interesting new products. We were glad to see that at least one of the new stallholders at her 1st ever market managed to sell over £100. We are only aware of one stallholder who failed to make her stall fees. Two stallholders made £200+, the best being a jeweller and several made £100+. But it really was a market of 2 halves, with poor spending until 1.30 when spending suddenly started to improve and customers in the last hour really spending well. Christmas presents were being bought, though it is a little early to really say Christmas has come at our Godalming market.

Salisbury Guildhall - 23rd September

A super day in sunny Salisbury

One of our favourite events in the calendar, our longest running market is always a pleasure to run. Set up ran as smooth as possible with the square out front free fo unloading. The morning started slow, taking well over an hour before we started to see some good numbers flowing in. The afternoon saw a good steady stream of customers leading to a very good total of 1038 customer across the whole day. 

Spending was good, a handful of stallholders surpassed the £400 mark with many over the £200. Jewellery was popular as always with candles and melts selling particularly well also. To top it off here, we had a lot of customers asking when stallholders will be back, many seem to have their shopping lists at the ready.

Cranleigh Village Hall - 23rd September

A classic Cranleigh market …. Just as expected

The weather was perfect for us, some blue sky, some clouds and warm. This was a perfect shopping day and not a day to go for a picnic or stay indoors. As usual, at Cranleigh, the day started quite busily with 100 customers each hour before 1pm, though some stallholders still unfortunately felt it was quiet when it certainly wasn’t. The classic Cranleigh afternoon meant that the Mynt Image team had to use various tactics to entice customers into the event. As usual though at Cranleigh, the best sales were in the last hour despite fewer customers. However the customers were of better quality in the afternoon despite there being fewer in number. A total of 506 customers visited the event, just as we had predicted prior to the event.

The customers who did come in spent well, though stallholders had to sell hard at times. Almost every stallholder made £100 with at least 8 achieving £150+, two achieving £250+ and one exceeding £300. Cards and some art tended to sell well and there was a good demand for leather products too. A new stallholder selling candles also did really well at her first ever market.

This might not be a market with a huge footfall, but spending is often really good at Cranleigh. With 2 more markets at this venue before Christmas we are looking forward to some more excellent sales.

 

Chippenham Town Hall - 16th September

A positive event apart from the no shows

Set up went very well as it usually does although the hall didn’t look as full as it should have done down to a few no shows!  The weather stayed dry all day but it was a little chilly...Autumn had arrived in Chippenham.  Jewellery and prints sold well today (the highest profits were around £300) but wooden bowls didn’t seem to be particularly popular.  Many of our stallholders made around the £100 mark and our footfall was 555.

Guildford Guildhall - 16th September

Guildford performs well for many

September has typically been a good month at Guildford for the last 3 years and this September was no exception. It was a sunny day at the start, though clouds drew in and we started having showery rain by midday. This didn’t stop the shoppers though and Guildford seemed to be full of young people especially. It was good to have Hanna back as part of our team for the first time after having her baby. By working hard the staff managed to achieve a footfall of 1167 by the end of the event. The event was however marred by the torrential rain which started just as stallholders were packing up and made the end of the day an event of its own. However stallholders helped each other in the pouring rain, which was great to see.

For many stallholders Christmas started early with some excellent figures. We are aware of 2 stallholders who achieved around the £500 mark and 5 others who achieved £300+. Most stallholders achieved the £100 level, though we are aware of several who did not have such a good day financially but did get a lot of contacts for future business. It is interesting to know that one of the top amounts was made by an upstairs stallholder who was doing their 1st ever market …. What an excellent start!

Winchester Guildhall - 16th September

A good day for most but could've been busier

Winchester always shows good promise this time of the year, a strong build up to Christmas is often apparent and today was no different. We had a quieter day than hoped but the spending was very good and there was a ton of interest in when stallholders next appearances may be. The weather was fine and quite warm, though some clouds broguht some drizzle in the afternoon. There weren't too many people on the streets, those that were out however were predominantly tourists. By working hard throughout the day we managed to attract a footfall of 623 customers into the hall.

Spending was good with most stall holders selling £100+, several hitting £200 and a handful over £300. Some jewellers did very well, whilst there was no real pattern overall. Customers were buying mostly smaller items, though some more expensive items were sold.

Christmas was definitely on customers minds. One stallholder sold 15+ Advent calendars whilst others reported customers talking about whether items would make suitable gifts.

Marlborough Town Hall - 9th September

A tough but rewarding day

With a truly dreadful weather forecast in the run up to this market it was a great pleasure to see a slightly brighter morning than anticipated. Set up ran smoothly, the hall looked very inviting with some gorgeous stalls ready to welcome the people of Marlborough. Once open, it was difficult to draw the numbers in, this once thriving Wiltshire town has seen a slight decline in tourism leaving mostly locals wandering the High Street. Fortunately it's these locals that have the money so although we've seen an overall drop in footfall here we still experience very good sales for those who work at it. The poor forecast and occasional threatening looking cloud didn't help with numbers, the market outside was quiet and so there were few oppurtunities to drive them in! We acheived a very respectable 419, which turned out to be higher than thought when the rain started. Sales were mixed but mostly good overall. One stallholder sold over 20 separate Christmas decorations proving that December is already on peoples minds. Jewellery seemed popular throughout and art sold well too.

Henley Town Hall - 9th September

Some great sales

Set up was as smooth as usual with the hall looking fabulous once everyone was in and ready.  The weather stayed fairly good all day, becoming greyer with only a rumble of thunder…until it was time to pack up when the heavens opened.  Jewellery sold well today but this was not the case for wooden bowls or poetry.  Everybody seemed to enjoy their day with us with almost all stallholders at least covering costs with some very good sales - the highest we heard about was £498! The average sales seemed to fit within the £110 to £150 bracket. Although footfall was steady all day it increased in the last half an hour but in general sales were best in the morning.  Footfall ended at 556.

Guildford Guildhall - 2nd September

A slow start to September but a good finish

With the ongoing roadworks in Tunsgate we had to make sure we were one step ahead of the game with regards to unloading. As the highstreet is only accessible before 9am encouraging stallholders to arrive prior to this seems to work well. Overall we can offer slightly less help than usual with unloading but allows for a more relaxed set up and an oppurtunity to get to know our stallholders a little better due to most being ready to go earlier than before. 

We started this September market with some glorious sunshine and it was very pleasant out on the high street, a good range of passing custom wandered the highstreet. The was a quieter feel on the highstreet however which we believe was not helped by the loud workmen on Tunsgate and subsequent lack of buskers. Fortunately the weather was on our side and as the afternoon progressed we saw some busy spells where the spending was good. It was mostly slow for sales during the first couple of hours with the exception of a few stallholders but after lunch we saw a couple of good spikes in sale. We feel the market could have been busier overall but are certainly not disheartened with the 921 customers we had through the door.

Once again it proved worth while staying open until 5 where we witnessed some more good sales. The beauty of this extra hour means loading at the end of the day from the doorstep of the Guildhall is a real treat. Certainly worth waiting until 6 for the highstreet to re open anyway.

Thame Town Hall - 2nd September

Great Weather - but footfall a little disappointing

The weather was perfect in Thame, not too hot or too cold!  Unfortunately the footfall didn’t live up to expectations at only 312.
Set up was nice and easy and complete before 9:30am, and it was great to see all of the quality products in all their glory and to speak to our very talented stallholders.
It was a slow start as it usually is in Thame but numbers started to pick up by 12pm.  The last hour in Thame is often good for sales but this didn’t happen today for some of our stallholders.  The majority of stallholders covered their costs and a few did make £150+ profit. Best sellers of the day were leather bags and jewellery!
It would seem that last minute back to school shopping had an impact on the day, many people were in and out of the local shoe store in Thame!!   Now let's look forward to the festivities!

Dorchester Corn Exchange - 2nd September

Not as good as we all hoped, for our return to Dorchester

The last Saturday of the summer holidays has often been a good one at markets. The day was sunny and warm and people seemed in good spirits. The Dorset county show was just outside Dorchester and there were a lot of people heading towards this event. Even though we have run events at Dorchester before on the same day as the county show, and been successful, it was clear on this sunny warm day that the people of Dorchester had one thing on their minds …. going to the County Show. By trying various techniques, including the charms of a child, we managed to get 462 customers into the market, less than we hoped but a reasonable amount.

Unfortunately the people of Dorchester were not spending that well today. We are aware of 2 stallholders who achieved almost £150 and many who reached just under the £100. The customers simply were not in a buying mood. We did however have some lovely comments about the market from both the stallholders and the public. For several of the stallholders this was their 1st ever market with us and they picked up a wealth of information and various tips of the trade from our more experienced traders.

Salisbury Guildhall - 26th August

A very busy Bank Holiday weekend market

Bank Holiday markets can go either way... With very warm sunny weather forecast we anticipated a quiet day in Salisbury with most people travelling to the beach for a weekend away. Thankfully we got it totally wrong!

The town was not particularly busy and the outside market closed early, but we managed to attract a lot of the available people into our market. By working hard and covering the square we managed to attract a staggering 1377 customers into the market, an excellent August figure!

The customers were spending, but had to be sold to. Most were foreign tourists with some coach trips from other parts of England mixed in. It was mostly small items which sold, though a few larger items also sold during the day. There was a lot of talk about Christmas presents, and people seem to be thinking about the next event after their holidays. Sales could have been higher considering the footfall, though we are aware of two stalls (one selling books the other cork bags and related products) which made around the £300 figure. Several stallholders also sold nearly £200, whilst the average seemed to be around the £100 mark. It was a market where you had to actively sell your products rather than let people come to you, and if you did sell, then many people did well.

Winchester Guildhall - 19th August

Plenty of customers but only average spending

This was a classic August market in Winchester. The weather was fine and quite warm, though some clouds produced some drizzle in early afternoon. There were plenty of people on the streets, though most of them were tourists and there was a lack of young families. By working hard throughout the day we managed to attract a footfall of 969 customers into the hall.

Spending was only average with most stall holders selling £100+, several hitting £200 and just 1 reaching £300. Some jewellers did very well, whilst others did poorly. There was a definite language barrier at times and stallholders found it hard to engage in conversations on occasions. Customers were buying mostly smaller items, though some more expensive items were sold.

Christmas was definitely on customers minds, just as it was last August. One stallholder sold 15+ Advent calendars whilst others reported customers talking about whether items would make suitable gifts.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 12th August

The gorgeous weather brought lots of customers to the heart of the new forest

As the clouds cleared and stallholders arrived the promise of a good day was imminent. Set up was smooth and the hall looked fantastic with a number of new stallholders to Lymington. The was a real relaxed atmosphere throughout the morning which was incredibly welcoming to the customers wandering the highstreet. THe weather was very good throughout most of the day which was perfect for drawing potential customers out into the centre of Lymington, the streets were heaving at times and working hard to push them towards the hall we achieved a total of 860 through the door.

Sales were mostly good overall but those who most succesful were the ones who sold most actively. It would seem customers needed a lot of persuasion to part with their cash. It was a lovely day overall and the atmosphere refelceted well on the superb range of stallholders we had booked in. A number of customers were asking when we were next in Lymington so we're looking forward to a nice increse in sales on the run up to Christmas.

Thame Town Hall - 12th August

Perfect weather in Thame but an odd feel in the town

Set up went well and the hall looked wonderful.  Due to an incident in Thame during the week it was, unfortunately, like a ghost town with shops closing and the local petrol station on lock down.  We understand there had been problems with 'a large group of visitors' who had descended upon Thame.  Footfall was only 360 which is disappointing for us all but understandable due to this very strange situation.  Of course we put in a lot of hard work to achieve the best footfall possible.  Understandably the public weren’t hanging around for long or spending huge amounts but most stallholders covered costs.  We had a couple of high flyers with sales over £100.

We still had a fab day which is usual for Thame and the locals were great!

Guildford Guildhall - 5th August

A long but successful day in Surrey

With roadworks in Tunsgate we had to ammend our plan of attack with regards to unloading. Many stallholders use this area opposite the Guildhall as its easy to access despite being a little further to carry equipment. Using solely the highstreet to unload prior to 9am was good but a little hectic as it was different to the norm.

The was a quieter feel on the highstreet but fortunately the weather was on our side and as the afternoon progressed we saw some busy spells where the spending was good. It was mostly slow for sales during the first couple of hours with the exception of a few stallholders but after lunch we saw a couple of good spikes in sale. We feel the market could have been busier overall but are certainly not disheartened with the 919 customers we had through the door.

Keeping our doors open until 5 was tiring for the staff outside but it seemed to pay dividend with omst stallholders. Many acheiving some good sales post 4 o'clock proving the value of the extra hour.

Marlborough Town Hall - 29th July

A tough day but better than forecast

With a fairly seemless set up in Marlborough, the day looked set o be a good one! Although the forecast was miserable it actually seemed quite bright to begin with and the odd ray of sunshine broke through. The highstreet looked to be increasing with life as customers wander the market and up towards the town hall! We had a slow but steady start which seemed to continue throughout the day depsite the sudden drop in temperature and downpour. This didn't seem to slow the footfall fortunately but it certainly didn't allow the numbers to pick up in the afternoon where we'd usually see the busier part of the day.

It was tough driving them in so 540 was good overall score, it was apparent from the outside that you would need to be very proactive to generate the sales inside the hall on this occasion. As we had such a great bunch of stallholders booked into this event, very few did not make good sales, the inviting atmosphere and friendly sales approach paid off for most throughout the day! There was no outstanding product but one thing that was noted by few is the great potential for repeat and post market sales here! 

Henley Town Hall - 29th July

A steady day

The Town Hall looked great after a speedy set up and we had a lovely day outside working hard to generate a healthy footfall considering how many people were out and about, with some lovely locals to chat to.  The town seemed a little quieter than usual with a notable absense of families and youngsters - maybe many were away on holiday.  Footfall ended at 541.  We did have reports of some good sales. A few stallholders made over £200.

Cranleigh Village Hall - 22nd July

Rain stops play!!

Those who did well in the morning had a great day!  Although, 3 ½ hours of heavy/torrential rain made this an unsuccessful market for some.

The day started grey and showery and ended in a deluge. The Mynt Image team worked out in the rain despite getting soaked, endeavouring to get any hardy shoppers into the building. In the first 2 ½ hours we attracted 200 customers but by the end of the day we had only increased this to 286 due to the appalling conditions. It was however, as is often the case, the last ½ hour which was the best for many stallholders despite there being so few customers due to the conditions.

Most people had additional space for this market due to the fact that at least 3 stallholders did not show up …. Presumably they had seen the forecast!

However it must be said, that several stallholders had a really good day with a stallholder selling wooden items achieving £300+ along with another at £300+ and 2 other stalls £150+. We are aware that not all stall holders were successful, but most recouped their stall fees and some made considerably more.

With weather conditions like this we would welcome back the earlier heat of June 2017!

Salisbury Guildhall - 22nd July

Sales better in the afternoon even though footfall was better in the morning!

Our day started optimistically with regards to the weather,  it was bright and fairly warm.  Set up went very smoothly with stallholders using Queen Street instead of the Guilhall Square when arriving to unload due to a big wheel and other attractions being positioned here.  Coaches full of day trippers arrived and they still came by the Guildhall - we positioned ourselves to be seen and heard from both sides of the square so as to not miss out on passing trade. By lunch time, around half way through the event, the sky was grey and we had torrential rain.  The rain eased off slightly now and then but it was wet all afternoon with some very quiet periods with almost no-one out and about in the streets.  We, of course, made the most of groups of shoppers who decided to shelter in the Guildhall and have a look around at the same time. The market traders outside in their square did not have a very good day at all.  The Mynt Image team worked hard and attracted a healthy number of customers into the hall considering how rain can affect our event here.  Sales were relatively low in the morning but for many (at least half of our stallholders) the afternoon's sales were much better.   Sales of £100 to £200 were attained by many stallholders by the end of the day with a couple at over £200.  A handfull of stallholders made around or just over their table cost.  So by the end of the day most were happy or at least fairly happy.  Glass sold well as did cards and jewellery.  Our young pre-teen shopppers seemed to be particulary happy with the handmade cards they bought!  One shopper went off to get cash and came back for a single item priced at £130! And of course there were a couple of stallholders who are hoping for commissions or further business through handing out business cards.  Our eventual footfall was 835 which is a great number for Salisbury in the rain.  The hall itself looked amazing once set up and we were very proud to be running such a great event - many customers/browsers commented on this when leaving.  And what a great day for spending time with such lovely stallholhoders!  We look forward to some summery weather and seeing lots of tourists and youngsters on 26th August at this lovely venue.

Winchester Guildhall - 15th July

The best footfall at Winchester this year leads to some good sales

It was a cloudy day, with un-forecast drizzle at times, but a lovely warm temperature for most of the day. There were plenty of people on the streets of Winchester after 11.00am, though we had a slow start before this time which caused us to worry a little.  The town was full of tourists visiting the Cathedral and other sites such as the Great Hall. There were also hundreds of Spanish teenagers on language holidays around all day. By working well throughout the day and through being joined by the husband of one of the stallholders for several hours, for which we must thank him, we managed to attract a footfall of 1063, our best for the year at this venue.

Spending for most was poor before 12.30pm despite a good footfall, the crowds simply seemed to be browsing. However this changed, as usually happens, in the afternoon, with some very good sales occurring. As usual, the last hour was by far the best for many stallholders. We did have some really good quality stalls on display at the market today which was remarked upon by every customer we spoke to when they left the event. There was a real professionalism to most of the stalls and a willingness from the stallholders to sell their products rather than simply sit down and hope. We are not aware of any stallholders who did not make their money back this Saturday and received an email almost immediately from a stallholder who spoke of making £175. We are aware of several stallholders making £200+, with most saying they made between £100-£150. For this time of year, when we are relying on tourists, these are good figures ….. we look forward to the Autumn and Christmas season just around the corner.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 8th July

A brilliant day in the new forest

Lymington is always good at this time of the year, with some nice weather the New Forest attracts a great number of visitors ranging in ages from young families to older couples! On-site parking is a huge bonus here and setting up was a breeze, the hall looked superb with a great number of stalls building height into their displays! It was quite a spectacle for the customers walking into the market, such an inviting atmosphere had been created by some very welcoming stallholders! Before we'd even opened we had people wandering up the driveway setting us up nicely for a good day ahead!

As we encouraged them in, the customers flowed into the market with relative ease. The sunshine seemed to have put everyone in a great mood, perfect for selling! As is the case with most markets this year, you really need to sell your products and putting in that extra little bit of effort seemed to pay off massively. The most pro-active of stallholders had a very good day overall with some record sales for a number of stallhoders! A total of 830 customers and excellent sales meant this was one of our most satisfying events of the year so far. A great day.

Guildford Guildhall - 1st July

Footfall not as high as hoped but the sales were there to be had

A smooth set up as per usual in a sunny surrey venue, the promise of a good day ahead was imminent! The hall looked fantastic, a handful of new stallholders complimented the regulars making it a pleasure to walk in and browse the superb selection of products.

It was battle of the buskers out in the High Street throughout the day making it difficult to encourage customer inside. They did of course enhance the atmosphere outside the Guildhall but competed for the attention of the passing traffic. Usually we can work together and draw a crowd but a group of about 20 men singing on the doorstep was beyond our capability. We still acheived a total of 721 customers into the market and they certainly spent if you sold to them! Several stallholders made sales of £200+ if they worked for it. Guildford has some serious money but it almost needs to be taken from the customers as they aren't quite as frivilous as in previous years. 

Thame Town Hall - 24th June

Overall a good market for most

Another lovely day, though a lot cooler than it has been. Some clouds in the sky at all times during the day and some gusty winds. The town was very busy when we opened at 10.00am and there were a lot of people around. It was also relatively easy to get them into the market in the early stages of the day.  Just as we experienced earlier in the year however, after 1.00pm the town emptied, we can only assume that garden parties and BBQs took over. There were also plenty of tourists around, mostly French and some coach loads of more mature people. By continually working hard throughout the day, we managed a healthy footfall of 482.

We always say that it’s not quantity that matters, but quality. We had some very good customers into the building throughout the day. The numbers emerging from the building with bags of various sorts during the day was exceptional and we are aware of some good sales despite an average footfall. The best figures on this day were achieved by a lady selling brightly coloured bags, who achieved £300+. We are aware of 2 other stallholders who sold £200+ including a wood turner. Other stallholders achieved £150+. As usual there were those who didn’t do so well and we are aware of one stallholder, new to the business who sold nothing. We are also aware of another stallholder, new to the markets who sold £100+ on her first ever market! Our team of Forever Living ladies also did well, although not selling a huge amount, they ended up with a very large amount of ‘leads’ which is what this sort of business can very often be all about.

Overall this was a very good market for most, with some high value pieces being sold.

Salisbury Guildhall - 24th June

A very difficult and disappointing day for some in Salisbury

There is no denying that this was a very difficult event to run. The market square had a huge ferris wheel taking up its entirety, leaving a narrow walkway in front of the hall. Last year, we coincided with the wheel on a gorgeous day in the school holidays and the footfall was great, the wheel was packed and the atmosphere resonated through Salisbury. On this occasion however we saw a very different response, the wheel was nearly empty throughout most of the day highlighting the lack of people in the city centre. With such a lack of footfall in the area it meant creating an atmosphere was almost impossible. 

The morning saw the slowest footfall of the day but stallholders said this was the busiest time inside the hall. It goes to show that the amount of time a customer spends inside is a huge factor in terms of atmosphere and sales. The afternoon saw greater numbers walk through the door but as most customers seemed to walk in and straight out it felt a lot quieter than the numbers suggested. Salisbury was quiet overall and the wheel made drawing customers in very difficult, we adopted a number of different tactics ranging from shouting to pushing them in to arrow spinning on roller blades and nothing seemed to work. Further investigation to the reasoning behind the low footfall of 640 we found that the many coach trips that tend to make up  at least 50% of our attendance don't start runing again until a week later than anticipated. The dozens of coaches bring several hundred tourists to the city and help bring a brilliant vibe with them into the hall and this was noticably absent. Unfortunately the half of the expected footfall that we were missing are the ones who usually spend the most cash which meant that sales were tough. Many still made the £100 mark but we did have quite a few stallholders struggle to cover costs. Despite such a difficult day we are confident that our next event here will see a dramatic increase in footfall and the sales to match!

To end on a positive note, one particular success story was the popularity of clocks, many customers seemed to buy them in multiples so each transaction was a good one! A great day for a great product.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 17th June

Beautiful weather for a beautiful market

With the recent weather being so nice we were certainly looking forward to visiting Lymington for the day, then sun always brings plenty of tourists to the centre of town! Set ran rather smotthly, even with one or tow stallholders running slightly late due to heavier traffic heading into the New Forset. With such a superb array of products the hall look brilliant and had such a warm inviting atmosphere, perfect conditions for generating sales.

Footfall was good, not incredible but good. It seemed that it was potentially too hot for the dogs as we saw fewer wandering the highstreet throughout the day. We had a good steady flow throughout the day and each customer seemed to spend a good period of time in the hall thus enhacning the atmosphere and giving the market a real busy feel. Overall we acheived 723 customers through the door but it felt like more! 

Spending was a lot better than anticipated, with the incredible weatehr outside a few stallholders were slightly worried about what the day would bring and they certainly finished the day pleasantly surprised. A handful of stallholders finished around £300 mark with a couple exceeding that. The majority easily passed 3 figures and as far as we are aware not a single stallholder didnt cover costs!

A great day overall in Lymington.

Henley Town Hall - 17th June

Temperatures soar, but sales don't

This was by far the hottest day of the year so far with temperatures soaring into the 30’s. Upon arrival at Henley we found that there was an outside market on in Henley, these have always produced good footfalls in the past. There was also a ladies regatta taking place on the Thames in Henley and this drew crowds towards the bottom of the High Street rather than towards ourselves. The outside market all reported very poor sales with figures way down on the day before. At times, despite the market there was hardly a person on the High Street. Garden parties, Bar B Qs, a regatta, all seemed to take the public away … and who can blame them on such a glorious day.. By working hard in the amazing heat, we did however manage to attract exactly 700 customers into the market.

Stallholders reported many customers seeming to be in a daze almost like zombies. Stallholders would try to engage in conversations and were simply being ignored.. Sales were certainly half what they should have been for such a footfall. However one stall holder managed to sell over £260 of stock and several others £150+. Most stallholders seemed to have covered table costs with the exception of a few. All stallholders however reported enjoying the day and there certainly was once again a good atmosphere in this delightful hall, which by the way, remained remarkably cool despite soaring temperatures.

Cranleigh Village Hall - 10th June

A gorgeous day with some great sales despite slighlty lower footfall.

With not a cloud in the sky the day started smoothly, set up was lovely and effecient and the hall looked really good! We had a number of regulars booked in but some new stallholders which is always great to see. As always in Cranleigh the morning is best for footfall, we drove them in despite the quiet high street and numbers were fairly average. As the day progresses we usually see the footfall slow down a little and unfortunately this happened slightyl earlier than expected. Overall we acheived 322 customers through the doors which is still a respectable score for this Surrey venue when the spending can be so good! The last half an hour saw the best sales as we tend to anticipate. A handful of stallholders broke the £200 threshold with more breaking past £100, proving that Cranleigh is all about quality over quantity when it comes to customers!

Marlborough Town Hall - 10th June

Sunny morning and busier afternoon

The day started really bright and sunny. The High Street was full of tourists from many parts of the UK stopping off at Marlborough as part of their tours. Unfortunately 2 removal vans parked on the double yellow lines in front of the building making access to the hall difficult for many potential customers, especially as they were blocking a dropped kerb. There were no traffic wardens around all day so we had to contend with their illegal parking.  At about 12.30pm, the skies clouded over and it became cold leaving many members of the public looking for somewhere warm to go ….. our market being an obvious place to visit. By the end of the day we had managed to entice 604 customers into the Town Hall, our best footfall at Marlborough so far this year.

We had many of our regular Marlborough stallholders with us and we only had one spare space left to fill. There were some really interesting stalls today with some fascinating products. Newer stallholders were made to feel very much at home by many of our regulars and said that they had learnt a lot. There was a great atmosphere in the market all day. However despite a good footfall, spending was poor for Marlborough, all but 2 stalls covered their costs. The maximum sales were only about £150, with average sales being around £80-£100….. disappointing considering the good footfall. All stallholders did however enjoy the day with some good new friendships and contacts being made.

Guildford Guildhall - 3rd June

Sunny start to summer in a below average day

The beginnning of the week showed a dismal forecast with grey skies and rain due to fall throughout the day. Fortunately this was far from the case, the sun was shining and really did feel like summer in our favourite Surrey venue. Set up was effecient and the halls looked good, we had a number of differnet stalls to those we'd usually see in Guildford and it was lovely to see how good each stall looked. The first hour was a fairly standard start to the market, slightly slow but showing good promise. Unfortauntely the gorgeous weather didn't seem to attract too many people into the heart of Guildford as the day didnt pick up as much as we would expect to see here, however continual hardwork manage to encourage 712 customers through the door.

Spending was below average on this occasion, the customers that did enter were more browsers than shoppers. This was very apparent on the high street, usually we'd see hoards of people laden with shopping bags but this was not case this time, perhaps the upcoming general election was keeping people a little more wary of their expenditure. One fo the highlights of the market was an item of jewellery being sold to a lady who attended the event with the intention of spending once she saw an advert we had placed on Facebook! AS we try to increase our online presence this small milestone was a great boost to know the effort we put in to social media pays off.

Salisbury Guildhall - 27th May

A very typical bank holiday market in a tourist filled town

Day started with thick and drizzle. It started slowly but by 11.30 every tourist in Southern England seemed to be shopping in Salisbury. The sudden  change in weather brought them all in to the town. The team had a large group of studentsworking with them and they proved a great benefit in helping in stall holders. By working hard a total of 1473 custmers came into the market.

There was some good spending at points during the day. A lot of stallholders achieved the £200 and we are only aware of one who didnt achieve their stall fees. The best seller was a jeweller who achieved over £400. The public were very selective with many browsers. It took the huge footfall to achieve the reasonable sales. To be honest it was a classic Bank Holiday market.

Thame 13th May

It just proves that you don't need a large footfall to sell well

The weather was a little damp at first but this soon cleared to give a cloudy but dry day. There were people shopping in Thame but they simply had no interest in coming into the market. No matter what we did, we could not entice as many as usual into the building. The people of Thame are usually very friendly and welcoming, but unfortunately today they seemed to have other things on their mind. Unfortunately the situation was made more difficult by a group of political activists campaigning for the Conservative party in a very forceful manner right outside the door. Many potential customers, upon seeing them crossed the road. Thankfully with a little polite diplomacy they did move on to a spot further from the town hall entrance. By working hard we did manage to attract 441 customers into the market.

The stalls looked possibly the most professional we have ever seen and there was a really classy feel to the market. The displays were bright, attractive and really eye catching and it was possibly this excellent environment which led to some good sales despite the poor footfall. One stallholder sold almost £400, with several others making £150+. The average sales were about the £100 mark, which was good for the footfall. We met one set of customers who spent between them almost £300. As usual it was the last hour at Thame where most of the sales were made and most money spent. There were some disappointed stallholders, but we simply did our best and received several congratulations for our hard work all day.

Chippenham Town Hall - 6th May

A very good footfall but average spending

It was a cloudy day, though the sun did break through at times. The High Street was crowded all day, with a huge number of people in Chippenham throughout the day. This venue really does have great potential and is far superior to other venues used at Chippenham. With marketing flags outside the building and a lot of different forms of advertising inside the building to guide customers to the market, we managed to create a very good footfall for this time of year of 850 customers. We do realise that far more than 850 people went into the building to use its other facilities such as coach booking, so this figure is probably an under quoted number. 

The room we use is a really attractive room with a really high class atmosphere which sets off some of the quality products our traders had on sale. One stallholder remarked on the number of people aged 40 – 60 entering the building being greater than normal. The people of Chippenham were very friendly and many excellent contacts were made and lengthy conversations had, which is why stallholders who are looking for future events and parties, Chippenham worked so well. West Country Wildlife had a very good day as did a stall selling knitwear and babywear. One jeweller sold several large pieces which made her day very successful indeed. On the whole though, spending was not as good as expected, but it was certainly those stallholders who engaged fully with the public and got into good conversations which did the best. As usual, the afternoon performed far better than the morning, one stallholder making all of her sales after 1pm. 

A good start to the year at a venue with great potential.

Guildford Guildhall - 6th May

Deserted high street made for a tough day for all!

As per usual the set up ran very smoothly, everyone had arrived and unloaded by 9:05 meaning we could relax into what looked like a promising day ahead. We had a number of regular stallholders with us for this event plus a handful of new ones giving a friendly and inviting atmosphere. The first open hour of this event always starts fairly slow, almost as though  Guildford doesn't wake up until 1030/11am. Today was much the same except perhaps slightly quieter and much to our disappointment the day didn't pick up too much. Even with glorious sunshine the high street lacked its usual bustle and the abscence of any buskers throughout the day certainly did the atosphere no favours.

We had to work particularly hard to draw the crowd that we did and overall were quite pleased to acheive the final footfall considering how low our expectations were after such a slow morning. We managed a lower than average 791 through the door which we are almost certain is a bit of a one off! It would seem a lot of  stallholders had to work equally hard to generate sales as customers were reluctant to reach into their pockets. There was no real pattern for spending, one of the artists manged £200+ but another struggled to cover table costs! We heard a similar story with some of the jewellers which was unusual to say the least! Mostly stallholders didnt have a bad day, upstairs seemed slightly better off on this occasion too. We are confident however that Guildford will be back to top form next month as we head swiftly towards the summer.

Salisbury Guildhall - 29th April

A slow start makes us worried....but we needn't have been

What was meant to be a warm dry day started off wet and we were worried. There is nothing like rain to both reduce the number of customers and stop the spending. What made it worse was that this rain was not forecast anywhere, yet it still occurred. Footfall in the 1st hour was possibly the worst we had ever known at Salisbury, just breaking the 100 customer barrier. At times the square was empty. Stallholders were blaming it on the Cuckoo fair nearby or on the bank holiday weekend, but we believe it was the weather. By 11.30 however the public seemed to swarm into Salisbury once again and the delayed start gave way to an excellent footfall. By 4.00pm we had managed to attract 1207 customers into the market, a good total at this time of the year. Although there locals may have been away for the weekend, there were still plenty of tourists to make the day a good one.

Many of our stallholders were regulars, though it was also good to welcome a few newcomers to our markets and indeed to the whole business. New stallholders are always welcomed and it was good to hear several being given excellent tips by our more experienced sellers. It was certainly a very friendly market and there was a good atmosphere throughout the day. We are aware of 5+ stallholders making £200+, 2 making more than £300 and one achieving £400 (a jeweller), a good total at this stage of the season. The average made by stallholders seems to have been around the £100 mark, though we are aware of 2 who didn’t make their table money. The public were very faddy today and there were some very near misses with large sales which our stallholders simply couldn’t close unfortunately. Overall though this was a good market for the time of year and showed the potential of this very good location.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 22nd April

A great footfall in the heart of the New Forest

We were thoroughly looking forward to the first event of the year in Lymington, with the promise of sunshine we knew we'd be in for a food day. As always the set up ran incredinly smoothly, unloading and parking on the doorstep makes this event one of the easiest to run by some margin. Everyone was in and set up in no time allowing us to chat and get to know our stallholders a little better. The hall looked superb, a great range of stalls and products combined with some excellent display techniques those who entered the market were in for a real treat.

As the sun slowly started to come out so did the customers. We had no trouble encouraging them to enter and achieved a good constant flow throughout the day. Overall a total of 1115 customers entered the market which is an excellent start to the year in this fantastic venue. The afternoon brought some good spenders and a lot of interest in products which will have hopefully led to some follow up sales. A very good day overall.

Cranleigh Village Hall - 22nd April

A moderate footfall but some good spending in the afternoon before

This was a classic Cranleigh market in many ways. The weather started off cool and breezy but in the afternoon turned to warm sunny intervals. There were as usual plenty of people around in Cranleigh in the morning, but not all wanted to come into the market. Those who did had some great things to say about the quality of the products but as is often the case, simply did not spend. By 1pm we had managed to attract 250 customers into the market. The afternoon at Cranleigh is notoriously slow though spending increases a lot. However by working very hard and usual some interesting tactics, the Mynt team continued to attract customers into the market all afternoon, leading to some really good sales. By 4.00pm we had managed a footfall of 439 customers, very satisfactory for Cranleigh where the spending per person is usually good.

The stalls at Cranleigh looked really high quality today and this was reflected in the comments from customers. At the end of the day we are aware of 6 stallholders with sales of £150+ and 2 with sales of £200+. There were also very good quality leads for many of the stallholders who did not sell a great deal. Skin care products and art work seemed to go down especially well today though children’s clothes and shabby chic items also seemed to sell well. For a change, jewellery did not feature well, but this may be due to this market being the end of the Easter season. It was also good to see several stallholders offering amazing free samples including chocolate (delicious), wine, and Turkish delight.

Winchester Guildhall - 15th April

A good footfall for a quiet day with mixed spending

Winchester always seems to run particularly smoothly, stallholders arrived at nicely timed intervals meaning we could offer a lot of help with unloading. Once set up the hall had a warm inviting atmosphere which was perfect in contrast to the lower temperatures outside. Unfortunately the high streets were quiet, it seemed fewer than usual coach parties arrived throughout the day and the park and ride wasn't quite so packed. Perhaps the Easter weekend was drawing everyone to the local DIY stores for a more productive few days? Despite such low passing trade we manage to draw 941 customers through the door. Those who entered in the morning could only be described as browsers at a push, sales for the first couple of hours were not great! The afternoon brought a better quality of customer however, with a handful of people returning from earlier in the day! Sales increased dramatically in the last couple of hours which turned bad days into good ones and good days into great ones. Most stallholders finished slightly lower than they'd have liked overall but no one was too dissatisified. 

Henley Town Hall - 15th April

The day before Easter brings a good footfall

You never know what will happen with the Easter weekend, stallholders always hope it will be a good one, but it doesn’t always deliver. We were concerned when the town centre appeared so quiet and empty of people. It was obvious that many locals had taken the chance to go away for Easter, possibly based on the warmth of the previous weekend. The team worked very hard but after an hour had only managed a footfall of 67. We were worried, but needn’t have been as the footfall picked up dramatically after this initial hour. Despite quiet streets we managed to achieve a footfall of 936, a good footfall for Henley and far more than we anticipated. In the last hour we still managed to attract 200+ customers into the market…. They just kept coming.

What was noticeable today was the quality of the stalls. The stalls looked very professional and many had really gained an impressive height. We had many regular Henley stallholders as well as at least 3 new stallholders trying us for the first time, and it was actually one of the new stallholders who achieved the best sales. Customers really were browsing today and spending was not good for the footfall achieved. However we know of only 2 stallholders who did not surpass their stall fees. 5 stall holders made £150+ with one stall holder hitting the £300 mark on her first event with us. Most stallholders seemed to take £100+, which was encouraging. As usual, the last hour was the best and spending seemed to be more fluid. Many stallholders however remarked on the friendliness of the event and the positive atmosphere throughout. There was a real buzz at all times. A good start to our year of events at Henley.

Thame Town Hall - 8th April

We longed for warm weather, but it created an interesting market

The first of our truly warm days for 2017. Not a cloud in the sky all day. The town was thronging with people in the morning all out shopping early. We achieved over 130 customers in the 1st hour, a record for Thame. And they kept coming until 1.00pm at which point it died. We have never seen vacant parking spaces in front of the hall until this point. It was clear that there were BBQs everywhere and the pub gardens were full. As for the High Street, it was almost empty at times. However by continually working we did manage to achieve a footfall of 563, quite respectable for Thame. 

We had many of our established traders at Thame today as well as quite a few new traders who had not used Mynt Image before. There was a great atmosphere in the hall throughout the day and every stall holder we spoke to admitted to have thoroughly enjoyed the day. We are only aware of one stallholder who didn’t make their stall fee. 5 stall holders made around £150 whilst the most successful stall holder did £500+ selling household items. The last ½ hour, as has often been the case, was the least well attended though the time most people spent the best.

Marlborough Town Hall - 8th April

Glorious sunshine made for a hard days work in Marlborough

The drive into Marlborough certainly had a feel of a summers day ahead, a cool start but clear skies looked incredibly promising for gorgeous weather. Despite the slightly awkward parking to unload set up was very fast and efficient, most having arrived and ready to go well ahead of time! Unfortunately we had one or two no shows which is always a shame but we of course made good use of the space with neighbouring stalls spreading beautifully. The hall, as always, looked lovely with a brilliant array of stalls on offer, a real treat for the customers who were to come in.

With the sun beating down on the High Street it seemed customers were few and far between, many of the little passing traffic however did enter the event which we couldn't be happier with. As there were so few people in Marlborugh though we only acheived a total footfall of 460, lower than expected at this time of the year but still a good acheivement based on how quiet the town was. Not only was it difficult to draw in the crowds it was also difficult for stallholders too, many customers seemed to walk round without spending. Unlike most events, spending seemed better in the morning than the afternoon, very seldom do we see this happen across the board! Overall it was a bit of a mixed bag, some stallholders did well and some only just covered costs. We obvioulsy don't like to complain about such beautiful weather but the glorious sunshine certainly did trade no favours at this event.

Guildford Guildhall - 1st April

Slightly quieter day in a sunnier than anticipated surrey event

With the promise of April showers throughout the day we started off a little tentatively with extra layers and waterproofs at the ready! Fortunately as we arrived in Guildford the sun was shining and the skies were blue. Set up ran as smoothly as ever, stallholders at this stunning venue seemed to set up and get on with selling seamlessly throughout the morning which is partially due to having such a lovely group of regulars. With a few clouds looming it looked as though the weather was going to turn but that couldn't have been further from the truth! The sunnier than anticipated morning was great for us working outside but not so great for the footfall. It was hard work drawing the customers in, very hard work indeed leading to a slighlty lower than hoped footfall of 927.

Spending was fairly good overall, the morning slower for most. A number of stallholders enjoyed repeat business with one lady having come back for her 5th time to purchase another present! We saw several stallholders exceed the £200 mark but there were no real notably high sales of the day. A good start to April.

Salisbury Guildhall - 25th March

The first of the year produces results for many

Not only was this our first market at Salisbury for 2017, but it was also the sunniest day we have had for several weeks. There was a real positive buzz to the city, though it was certainly not crowded. There were plenty of coach parties around, which is always good to see, though a lack of foreign tourists as yet. People did seem very willing to come into the market, and there was a steady stream of customers all day, which is unusual for Salisbury as it can become slow in the late afternoon …. But not today. By constantly working hard, as well as having fun, the Mynt Image team managed to attract 1302 customers into the event, a very respectable figure indeed and far above anticipated at this time of year.

Many of the customers were spending well too, though spending didn’t seem to start until 11.00am. As usual the last hour was the best for most stallholders, this is something of a pattern for our 2016/2017 markets. We are aware of 7 stallholders who made £200+ and 5 who exceeded £300. Some jewellery sold well, as did some glassware. One of our artists also did particularly well, though others didn’t do so well. We are only aware of 3 stallholders who didn’t make their stall money. Although there were several large items sold, the items which sold best were the cheaper items, many stallholders selling a multitude of £5.00 - £10.00 items.

This was a good start to the year for Salisbury and surpassed what normally occurs at this time in the season. There was also an excellent atmosphere in the hall, possibly because there simply wasn’t a lull in customers at any time during the day.

Thame Town Hall - 18th March

A classic early season market at Thame

The weather was cold and there was a strong wind all day, making it very unpleasant for any potential customers on the streets. People were in a hurry to get anywhere to escape the conditions. We also found that such conditions do not encourage spending, a day with blue skies being much better as everyone seems to be happier. It was tough working outside, but by the end of the day, the Mynt Image team had managed to attract a very respectable 574 customers into the market, just a few short of the expected number.

There were periods of good spending, yet again the afternoon, especially the last hour, being the best period of sales for most stallholders. We are aware of at least one stallholder selling more than £200 with many selling £100+ . We are only aware of 2 stallholders who did not make their money back from their investment. There is always a lovely atmosphere in this market and this was true once again at Thame in March, with a real buzz throughout the entire duration of the market. No one seemed unhappy at the end of the market. A Stallholder selling statues and another selling his own books, seemed to do the best, though there were some other good sales from many stallholders.

Marlborough Town Hall - 11th March

A disappointingly quiet day but certainly not a bad one

With the promise of sunshine we were looking forward to our first event of the season in Marlborough as generally speaking this venue performs really well at this time of the year. Set up ran smoothly and the hall looked lovely with some very attractive stalls! As we opened our doors the high street was very quiet, the first hour saw only a handful of customers. Fortunately is started to pick up as the day progressed but never seemed to fully take off, one or two busier flurries were great but happened few and far between. A disappointing final footfall of only 432 was far lower than we'd have hoped but given how quiet the town was we definitely can't complain!

Spending was mixed for most, the majority of sales were really good with only  few stallholders just about breaking even. There was no real pattern or particular product that was more succesful, those who were selling most actively of course performed the best.

Guildford Guildhall - 4th March

An amazing start to 2017 with great footfall and great sales!

With the forecast looking very wet in the days building up to our first event of the year we were very cautious that it may be a washout! Fortunately the weathermen were far from correct when we enjoyed a nice and dry start to the day, the sun even showed its face a few times. The set up ran very smoothly, stallholders arrived with plenty of time for a simple and effecient set up. Many of those with us hadn't exhibited since Christmas so we were very pleased with how easily everyone seemed to manage despite being a little rusty! As 10am approached the high street was fairly quiet as per usual for this time of the year however we couldnt be more pleased with how consistent the flow of customers was that entered the market. We had a number of flurries throughout the day but never really a slow period which was of course a very satisfying way to start the year after a couple of months off! Working hard to drive the customers through the door the team managed to set the bar high with a footfall of 1261!

In terms of spending, the morning was slower than than the afternoon. A handful of stallholders commented that much of the initial traffic were just browsing whereas they seemed to spend in the afternoon. Whether it was coincidence or not it was noted that the average age of those entering the event seemed to drop as the hours passed, perhaps it was younger people spending for mothers day? Several stallholders broke the £500 barrier with a handful more breaking £300. Overall spending was very good, certainly better than anticipated for most! Jewellers stole the spotlight as usual with spending but artists followed close behind. We couldn't have really had a better start to the year, maybe we've got a great few months ahead of us with people loosening the belts a little and spending more!

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