2016 Market Reports

Salisbury Guildhall - Tuesday 20th December

A good end to the year at Salisbury!

The Christmas market had closed down early on December 18th so we were left with the market square in front of us to work it as we normally do on a weekend. We anticipated picking up customers from the usual Tuesday market, but we also picked up customers who had arrived expecting to visit the Christmas market, found it closed and therefore coming in to buy presents at our market instead. It was a cold day, but there were plenty of people looking for last minute presents or stocking fillers. By the end of the day we had managed an impressive weekday footfall of 1260.

We had a lot of our regular stallholders with us as well as a few newer ones to the market. The hall did look bright and very Christmassy throughout the day. Some stallholders did extremely well, making more than they had the previous weekend. Others sold less than they had done on the Sunday, which was to be expected due to the huge Sunday footfall. In the morning it was small items as additional gifts which sold well such as chocolate. In the afternoon there was a sudden change and large products started to sell, including some large jewellery and mineral items. The last hour, was as has been the case the whole year, the most productive for most stallholders.

As this was our last market for 2016, the Mynt Team were grateful to complete the market. As one member of the team remarked, the last year had seemed like a marathon.

Salisbury Guildhall - Sunday 18th December

An excellent footfall creates some good sales for most.

An excellent footfall creates some good sales for most.

With the Christmas market outside, we knew that this would be a good market where footfall was concerned. We weren’t disappointed, and the Mynt Image team, restricted to working from the steps, managed to create a footfall of 2888 customers with some ease. Some customers reported a market on the previous day that they had not attended due to an entry charge, but were delighted to enter one of our FREE markets and spent well. The Mynt Image team did not have to push hard for customers, but with a friendly greeting, some arrow spinning and some banter found that they could turn a lot of  customers into the market. There was a continuous flow at all stages of the day with 500+ each hour after 11.00am.

Many stallholders did very well today with many reporting sales of £250+. One glass seller did manage to sell over £700, a record for herself at Salisbury. An artist also did extremely well, which was quite surprising when art had not gone down well at our markets on the Saturday. Most stallholders, as is often the case this year, reported far better sales in the afternoon. The public were spending, but seemed to have so much choice with the Christmas market outside and our 28 stalls, so their money was being spread out. All of our stall holders however were very pleased with the day and the positive ‘buzz’ within the market, making this a day to remember for many. 

Lymington Masonic Hall - 17th December

A very nice end to the year in our New Forest location

Arrival and set up was smooth and speedy which is usually the case at Lymington with there being a free car park on the doorstep.  The hall looked fantastic, the best I have ever seen it, with a lovely mix of products.  It was a pleasure to stand outside all day (the mild weather helped) chatting to all the friendly shoppers going up and down the High Street.  Lymington was it's usual friendly self with locals knowing there was an event on and quite happy to pop in without the need for us to work on them. The market in the High Street started to pack away early because they were so quiet and they were surprised with our footfall of over 700 at 2.30pm!  Footfall ended at a very respectable 994, with a steady stream going in all day which was good for stallholders.  They were kept busy all day but it didn't get too packed/unmanageable.   We had lots of our four legged friends pop in as well - the lucky things were being given free samples of treats from one of our stallholder selling dog products.... My dog Beau was very happy!  One stallholder made £400 sales, a couple of stallholders broke even but the majority made sales of £200+.  Two didn't make any money sadly (it was not a good day for our artists!)   Who knew Lymington liked lavender frogs so much!   It was a pleasure spending time with such lovely stallholders.

Thame Town Hall - 17th December

A good market to end the year at Thame on

A cold damp day didn’t stop people from being on the streets of Thame. It was clear from the start that people were looking for last minute small presents and that most of the customers had already bought their big present. It was fathers with children looking for a present for mum, or mums looking to buy a few stocking fillers. There were plenty of people around, but many seemed reluctant to go into the market or had their own agenda, to get home as quickly as possible to escape the cold and damp. However by working hard the Mynt team managed to get 653 customers into the town hall.

The spending for an average amount of customers was very good, with most stall holders making £100 - £200. Several stallholders made considerably more with homeware, soap and some jewellery being in demand. The top seller was our Jono Bread knife man who sold an astounding £700 of products. Unfortunately we are aware of 3 stall holders who did not recoup their table fees which is strange when the public were buying really well. It was certainly important for stallholders to stand and engage with the customers, and those who did, on the whole, had a much better day. But it has to be noted that art was not in demand at this market for some strange reason. This was a good market to end our season at one of our most popular and reliable venues.

Salisbury Guildhall - Sunday 11th December

Our first ever Sunday market was certainly a success

As this was the first time Mynt have run an event on a sunday we were unsure exactly what to expect.We of course had high hopes for the day as we're so close to Christmas now and being accompanied by the the market in the Guildhall Square we knew it should be busy. Unloading seemed to run smoothly, we had an extra hall for this event which meant an extra 10 stallholders to unload but this certainly didn't phase us. As always the hall looked great with such a fantastic range of products on display. The only potential draw back of being a Sunday is that the shops opening slightly later meaning footfall could have been very slow to begin with. Fortunately this didn't seem to be the case, of course it started relatively slowly and gained momentum but before long we were very busy indeed. Any potential worries were very quickly forgotten about!

Encouraging customers into the hall and even helping some up the stairs we managed a superb 3020 through the doors and boy did they spend! We had some very happy stallholders by 4pm, sales were great for most and a handful actually put the market down as being one of their best! What a way to end the week, a very busy and succesful market, we couldn't ask for more!

Henley Town Hall - 10th December

Excellent for most

With heavy rain forecast for most of the day, we honestly weren’t expecting much. We knew this market would seem relatively quiet after the footfall of the November market, but we were determined to make it as successful as we could. The streets were deserted, and continued like this for most of the day. There was a greyness and murk to the day as if the sun didn’t rise all day and the Christmas lights twinkled and shone all day on the trees and buildings. Thankfully the heavy rain never materialised, though it drizzled throughout the day. By continually working the team managed to get a footfall of 751, quite remarkable when the streets were just so empty.

The spending however was really very good. We are aware of one stallholder making £800+ and two more making almost £600. Most stall holders seemed to achieve between £150 and £200 with several reaching £300+. We are also aware that 3 stallholders, for some reason, did not make their table money which was disappointing when most stallholders had done so well. Homeware seemed to be particularly popular at this market, presumably Christmas presents. Most stallholders left very happy with the day indeed, considering the weather conditions outside. 

Guildford Guildhall - 9th/10th December

Friday - A busy day with some good spending

The set up in Guildford on a friday is always nice, the High Street being open slightly later allows all stallholders to unload on the doorstep making the morning far easier! With many regular stallholders and a handful of new it was a very simple start to the day and almost seemed well rehearsed as most set up seemlessly. Once set up the halls looked stunning, those entering the market received a warm Christmas atmosphere they could explore to their hearts content, perfect for enticing them to start spending!

It was a tough start after having opened our doors with only about 100 or so customers in the first hour, we always start quiet here so we weren't too disheartened however. Working hard with constant pushing and shouting throughout the day the footfall picked up nicely and we had a good flow of traffic into the building. Overall 1085 customers made their way around the market and most seemed to part with cash, one stallhodler had covered both Fridays and Saturdays table fees within the first 2 hours of the day and many soon followed suit. By the end of play Friday afternoon we had several taking around £500, a great way to end the week and set up those booked in on Saturday for the following day.

Saturday - The highest footfall and highest spending of the year 

With the majority of stallholders booked into both Friday and Saturdays events in the Guildford Guildhall set up could not have been easier. We had a slight hiccup with entering the building due to an issue with the alarm system so we couldn't get in until gone 830 but this didn't seem to cause an issue as the team could focus on the few who had just booked the Saturday to help them unload and set up in no time. As they did on Friday, the halls looked amazing again ahead of what looked to be a good day!

As 10am approached, the High Street was slowly getting busier, customers were in a keen shopping mode and definitely had the right frame of mind to start spending. The footfall started to flow nicely and we could've made easy work of drawing a good number through the door. However determined to reach milestone figures we worked incredibly hard to push the customers into the market and acheived a whopping 2041 (not including the 5o+ that nipped in after 4 to make last minute purchases). Spending was good throughout, a couple of stallholders eclipsed £1000 and a very good number broke record sales figures. One stallholder who had smashed their greatest sales in Winchester the previous week had actually managed to better themselves here much to their delight! This really was a stunning way to end the year in one of our favourite venues. Roll on 2017.

Salisbury Guildhall - Tuesday 6th December

A great start to the first of 5 Christmas markets in Salisbury

As is to be expected at this time of year in Salisbury, the unloading was a little trickier than usual! With Queen Street closed at one end we only have a small space in which cars can pull up to drop their products before going to one of the car parks. Fortunatley most stallholders arrived at nicely timed intervals so there was only one or two moments when we had to juggle cars around to let people in and out. Once unloaded however, we had a particularly easy day! Stalls look superb and there was a real Christmas vibe in the hall and the city centre was slowly starting to get busy! As we run these events to coincide with market days, there are always a number of coach trips arriving throughout the day which of course means we've got a great potential footfall.

 

The team worked tirelessly in the cold to draw customer into the building, helping many elderly shoppers up the stairs to enjoy the market. We acheived an astonishing 2103 customers through the door which couldn't be much better for a midweek market, especially at such a low table cost! Spending was pretty good for the most part, with an older demographic entering the event certain stallholders did particularly well as their products seem to cater for more traditional tastes. We had a great day overall and a superb footfall to match, what a great start to Christmas in Salisbury!

Winchester Guildhall - 3rd December

A record breaking day in Winchester

This was the big one, the event we'd been looking forward to most since booking both the King Charles and Bapsy Halls in the Winchester Guildhall! The first record of the day was the number of stalls we were able to offer, over 65 stunning displays filled both halls which is by far the largest event we've put together. Winchester has a tendency to be a pain for unloading and with over double the usual number of cars to get in and out of the small car park at the back there was always a possibility of things getting particularly hectic but with swift organistation and efficiency from the team we turned cars round almost as soon as they had arrived, most stallholders unloaded within 1 or 2 trips! Once set up the atmosphere began to build and the event was set to be a good one, with such a great range of quality products we couldnt help but be particularly optimistic for a great day ahead.

 

10am approached fast and with the assistance of a handful of local work experience students encouraging customers in, the market could not have been easier. The park and ride bus stop is moved to the Guildhalls doorstep for the Christmas period which of course we capitalise on, waves of 20/30 customers entering at once became the standard for the day. With the numbers arriving fast we looked good to hit our highest ever footfall breaking our previous record footfall of just over 3600 well before 3pm! Even with such a great mass of customers entering the market we kept pushing and have raised the bar particularly high, our target was to break the 4000 barrier but that was of course too easy and we actually managed to hit an unbelievable 5072 (not including the several hundred who entered after 4pm)!

 

Over 5000 customers in a 6 hour period at Christmas of course means only one thing, record sales! We had several stallhoders taking nearly £1500 and a very good pertion took over £500! While packing away it was noted by a handful that quite a few stallholders made post 4pm sales, some taking £100-200 after the market had closed! The atmosphere and buzz of the day was constant and it was no surprise that both event staff and stallholders were exhausted by the time we ended up leaving for home! To put it simply, this record breaking day in Winchester is without doubt the best event of the year! (so far anyway)

Chippenham Town Hall - 3rd December

A perfect end to the year at our newest venue!

It was a grey cold day in Chippenham, though the sun did come out for a short while in the afternoon. The streets were busy with Christmas shoppers, mostly on a mission to buy what they needed and leave as soon as possible, possibly to escape the cold. The Mynt Team worked hard throughout the day and at one stage we were given pairs of new gloves by a group of teenagers who took pity on us (why we didn’t have some with us anyway we are not sure!) By working continually, a record number of 1050 customers were attracted into the market, proving this to be a market that has continually grown since we started here in April 2016. One of the outside market stallholders remarked just how well our market was promoted compared with other ones that had been held here previously ….It’s good to get compliments from other professionals.

 

The stalls looked lovely today, all with a Christmas flavour. There were a good number of Chippenham regulars as well as many stallholders new to us. The hall is a really  attractive one, really classy and perfect for the festive season. We are only aware of one stallholder who didn’t cover their costs, with most stallholders achieving between £100 and £200, with  2 achieving more than £200. The customers really seemed to be buying those little ‘extra’ things rather than large gifts. Overall this was our most successful market at Chippenham yet and we are certainly glad that we took the decision to book this hall again in 2017. 

Thame Town Hall - 26th November

A cold but successful day.

It was a cold and somewhat grey day in Thame, but thankfully dry. There were plenty of people on the streets, many Christmas shopping and looking for bargains after ‘Black Friday’. The Mynt team worked outside all day, drinking plenty of hot cups of tea, enticing customers into the markets. At 4.00 a total of 737 customers had been into the market, many of them emerging with bags and boxes, so we knew that they were buying well. The customers also reported that the market was so much better than the one that another company had run the previous week, something which is always good to hear.

There was a real Christmas atmosphere in the hall, with stallholders all adding a Christmas touch to their stalls. Stallholders also asked for Christmas music, something we were quite happy to respond to.  With only one stallholder unable to attend, the market looked full and there was a real buzz to it throughout the day. Spending was good at many stalls with two stalls making £300+ and more than half making around the £200 mark. Only 3 stallholders reported poor sales, which was disappointing when most had done so well during the day. Some large items were bought for Christmas presents and it certainly was yet again the case that the best sales were in the last hour of the market.

Henley Town Hall - 19th November

Daniel and Julian hit a Henley record of 2,566 in terms of footfall at our lovely Town Hall Craft and Gift Market, in part due to our persuasive sign holding, but also due to the Christmas Market outside. This was certainly an anomalous result to be proud of!  Julian really enjoyed going round and seeing how everyone was doing and didn't find a single stallholder who was disheartened. Even those who hadn't sold as much as others were still happy with the atmosphere in the hall - in short, everyone he spoke to had something positive to say. As Christmas music played, people swarmed the market and spent well. Our knife seller had his best market of the year so far, selling over £1,000.  Outside, we were cold, but in very good spirits. We talked people in and had fun.  The first hour was the slowest as is the tradition here. We got 100 in the first half an hour and then about another 100 in the second half hour! Amazing! Things just got more incredible from there. Where normally a market will quieten down at around 3pm, this one, if anything, got busier! We were still showing hordes of people in at 10 to 4. We probably got over 2,600, but stopped counting people to start packing up.

Cranleigh Village Hall - 12th November

Possibly the wettest weather of the year…. But pleasing sales for many

It rained. It stopped for ½ hour at 1.pm then continued. There were few people on the streets and we had warned stallholders in our opening talk that numbers might be low because of the conditions. There were 3 Mynt Image staff working the streets and by strategic positioning we managed to attract a high percentage of the people walking past into the building. By the end of the day, despite getting drenched, we had managed to attract 493 customers into the market, many of whom spent very well.

This was our last market at Cranleigh for 2016 and it had a distinct Christmas atmosphere, the stallholders even voting for Christmas music to be played. The stalls did look good, with many lights and small Christmas trees. The customers were definitely looking for Christmas gifts and we are aware of 1 customer who spent over £150 in the market. Most stallholders made just under £100, with several at £200+ and 1 at over £300. Considering the weather conditions, this was a successful market.

Salisbury Guildhall - 12th November

A very busy market despite quiet highstreets and relentless rain!

Set up ran as smoothly as usual with all stallholders unloaded by 9.15 making it one of the most stress free starts to the day we've had for a while. The superb collection of stalls we had booked in created an incredibly warming and inviting atmosphere which emulated the festive season. 

It was quite the contrast outside however, it wasn't too cold but it was certainly wet, we experienced a fine mist from 9.30 until about 2.30 which lead to a quiet High Street for most of the day. The rain wasn't too heavy which made it a little easier to work in but from behind a window it definitely didn't take much persuading for people to be staying indoors. The vast majority of the few that were out and about entered with our encouragement! We drew a total of 1298 inside which was brilliant considering the conditions.

Spending was great for the most part, several stallholders selling £300+ fairly easily, a nice flow of customers and a great atmosphere seemed to work perfectly in favour for clinching those sales. Christmas is certainly on its way in Salisbury and with the lights being switched on between now and the next market here we're looking forward to it!

Marlborough Town Hall - 5th November

A cold and fairly tough day in Marlborough. 

It was a bitterly cold day on the Marlborough high street, and we felt it strongly. We did have to purchase some gloves so we could muster on, working hard to attain an acceptable score of 608. People trickled in throughout the day. Other than a lunchtime lull and right at the end, there really wasn't a time when people weren't coming in. As the streets weren't that busy, we couldn’t have drawn any greater numbers without actually picking up customers and carrying them in. At one point in the morning, I looked down the high street to see only a few people, yet they still came out of nowhere - very characteristic of Marlborough, I think!

 

Spending was mixed bag, a number of stallholders did particularly well and a few not quite so much unfortunately. There was no real pattern for customers spending habits, possibly the only noticeable thing the more successful stallholders shared in common was proactive sales techniques. The customers of Marlborough really can be a strange bunch to read. Fortunately spending was pretty good overall.

To best sum up the day, a direct quote from one of the stallholders;

   'I'm either having people come up and tell me "it's too early to be thinking of Christmas shopping now" or "I'm all done with my Christmas shopping, thanks"'.

Godalming Borough Hall - 5th November

A cold grey day with some good buyers around

The day was the coldest of the year, though being November 5th there were a lot of people around in Godalming. Waitrose Supermarket reported a real rush for food in the morning due to Guy Fawkes parties and fireworks. There were a lot of families around, though most had one thing on their minds…. Fireworks. The day started off slowly, though several stallholders did make sales before the market officially opened. By lunchtime though, as usual, Godalming came alive and by the end of the day a total of 507 customers had been into the sales hall, many staying for a long time to get out of the cold.

We had a lot of new stallholders with us this weekend, supported by many of our regular Surrey based stallholders. It’s always good to work with new faces and many were impressed with the difference in standard between our markets and those of competitors. Unfortunately 6 stall holders decided without warning not to attend, which would have left empty places if it weren't for our stallholders who did attend spreading themselves out a little, something we were grateful for. We are aware of one stallholder reaching £300 and several £200, whilst most made nearer to the £100 mark. Has Christmas come to Godalming yet? …..to some members of the public certainly, but not all. Some customers still were intent on buying birthday presents rather than Christmas, and many simply had the events of the evening on their minds.

Overall a satisfactory market with room for improvement, but Christmas is certainly in the air. 

Chippenham Town Hall - 5th November

A good day in the freezing cold.

Our day started incredibly smoothly considering the slight hiccup we faced first thing. The caretakers didn't let us in until about 8.30 which could've made things a bit hectic with regards to unloading but fortunately stallholders seemed to arrive at nicely timed intervals. Once set up and ready to go the team had to face blistering cold to draw customers in, one passer by felt so sorry for us working in such low temperatures she bought us each a coffee! We managed to pull our highest footfall in Chippenham so far with a total of 940, these increased numbers show superb promise for an even busier Christams market too.

The first hour was slow but the following 3 had a good, constant, flow of customers before slowly winding up at the end of the day. The busier hours of the market were the best for spending with most stallholders. We did however also see some super last minute sales! The atmosphere in the hall was incredibly inviting so was a perfect escape for those on the high street. Overall a good market for most and showing great promise for Christmas and 2017 as we seem to be slowly building recognition within the locl community.

Guildford Guildhall - 28th/29th October

Friday - The first of our Christmas mid week markets is very successful

We have not done a Friday market at this time in October before so were unsure as to what the results would bring. This was the end of half term for the children so we anticipated that Guildford could be busy ……. we got it right once again. The weather was grey with some sunshine breaking through at times, though thankfully dry. Unfortunately, 4 stallholders had cancelled due to illness, but we had managed to replace 2 of these within 48 hours notice, so strong is the demand for Guildford markets. The streets were quiet at 10am with just 100 people coming into the market within the 1st hour. However, we needn’t have worried because after 11.00, the streets started filling with people. By the time the market ended at 4.00pm we had achieved a footfall of 1200 customers.

 

Christmas was certainly on customer’s minds, especially small items and decorations. Art however proved the most popular with one artist selling several hundred pounds of prints and smaller items. Many other stallholders also did well with glass selling well, not for Christmas but for Birthday presents. Handbags seemed to be selling at last too, with some excellent sales from bag sellers, something we haven’t seen for several months here. There was a real buzz to the market, a great start to our Christmas 2016 season of mid-week markets.

Saturday - Slightly quieter but an equally succesful day

Setting up on the second of a two day event is always slightly easier, with a handful of stallholders booked into both days we have more time available to give those booked into the Saturday only more help unloading which of course they love and makes the morning very easy. The weather conditions were similar to that of the day before so we held high hopes for another succesful day. It was a difficult event to work the highstreet however as a local band had set themselves up a little way down from ourselves. Despite being great entertainers the band made it difficult for us to really drive customers in given that their volume was far superior to ours. We couldn't even hear one another shouting 10 feet apart so we cant imagine too many customers could hear us whilst the band played. We persevered though and still managed to attract a lot of customers in the last couple of hours giving a total of 1158, although it's a lower score than the Friday it's still a very good footfall considering we were less than 500 halfway through the day.

 

Sales were good here too, stallholders who attended both days either matched or exceeded their great sales from the day before. Only one or two just about covered costs which seemed bizarre considering how well most customers seemed to be spending. One couple walked in and more or less completed their entire Christmas shop in a single visit and another customer did something similar with a last minute multiple purchase of £170 with the same stallholder. A great couple of days all round at Guildford so we're certinly excited for the next one.

Henley Town Hall - 29th October

Henley lives up to expectations for most.

The day was grey and drizzly, the streets almost deserted at times. Not a promising start or promising conditions. The stalls inside the building looked really attractive and it was good to be joined by several new stallholders who had never worked with Mynt Image before. There was a good pre-Christmas feel to the stalls, which we just hoped would attract the customers. The team worked hard outside, though after 2 hours were disappointed to only have attracted 190 customers into the building. However, we always know that Henley is a slow starter and that the afternoons are much better. Where all of the customers came from we are not totally sure, but by the end of the day, just 4 hours later, we had attracted 927 customers into the building and most were buying well.

 

We were pleased with the purchasing of the customers today, especially In the afternoon. As often seems to be the case, the last hour provided the best sales. This was another market where art was selling well, with several artists making £250+. One stall selling shabby-chic household ornaments and clothes sold almost £400 once again. Clothes also sold well as did one of our jewellers. Skin care also seemed to be in demand, as were advent calendars, with our Phoenix trader almost running out of stock. Almost every stallholder was very pleased with the market with only 1 not meeting table costs, and the atmosphere was excellent throughout. Christmas was definitely starting in Henley.

Salisbury Guildhall - 22nd October

An amazing event for most ….. and what a footfall!!

Every so often you get one of those markets that is a real unexpected gem ….. this was one of them. We arrived to find that a ‘teenage market’ had been erected with a live music stage, across the square in front of the Guildhall. We altered our advertising and promotional marketing immediately to make use of this possible beneficial situation …… it was certainly a good move! People flocked into the event, with 200 in the 1st hour and then between 11am and 3pm over 400 each hour. The final footfall was an amazing 1975. At times there were queues to get into the building, and the chilly weather also helped here, with people staying in the building for lengthy periods. It was so busy for the peak time, that many stall holders found it hard to have refreshments, there simply wasn’t time.

 

Unfortunately 3 stallholders cancelled at the last minute, though this did allow many stallholders to have a little additional space. The hall and lobby looked wonderful, and for those who really engaged with the customers, there were great rewards. There were many stalls which sold over £200, and we are aware of 4 that sold £600+ with one stall just short of the £700 mark. Most stall holders were extremely happy as can be imagined.  There were a few stallholders who didn’t manage to sell much which is surprising with such a huge footfall. As usual this season, the last hour provided the best buyers for many stall holders, despite numbers of people coming into the market reducing.

Winchester Guildhall - 15th October

Slow to start but busy to finish in this superb venue

We enjoed what seemed like the easiest of set ups at the Guildhall here, the more regular stallholders arrived and unloaded pretty seemlessly and those who needed a bit more help timed their arrival to perfection. 9.30 and we were ready to go which is always a great way to start the event. Unfortunately as 10am approached the high street was very quiet! We only managed to encourage 37 customers into the hall in the first hour which is incredibly low for such a great venue, fortunately the day brightened up slightly and a number of park and ride buses seemed to increase the passing footfall nicely. Our numbers through the door seemed to increase exponentially with a very busy last hour or so leading us to a very respectable 940 overall footfall.

Stallholders noted the first hour was pretty low for sales but after that customers were ceratainly in the mood to spend! One or two people left the event to 'tell off' the team outside for encouraging them in and spending so much money, always a great thing to be told off for! There was no stand out product type as sales were pretty good across the board with only a very small handful of stallhoders who just about covered costs. With the weather changing and Christmas already in the back of everyones minds we're looking very good for the next few months here in Winchester.

Godalming Borough Hall - 15th October

A tale of 2 markets

This market was really interesting and provided a real dichotomy in stallholder experience. The day started off grey and chilly and then moved to a lovely sunny day. There was an alternative market on in the town in the afternoon, but this was described to us as a much more local affair. What was interesting was that several stallholders from the afternoon market visited our market in the morning and wanted to know more. The Mynt team worked hard, but by the end of the 1st hour had only managed a footfall of 57. This was disappointing, and the customers weren’t buying that well either. However things picked up as the weather improved. By the end of the day, a tired Mynt team had managed to attract 537 customers into the hall, a record at this location.

The stalls really looked lovely and so many customers came out of the market telling us of the amazing products and the terrific quality of products they had seen.  We had many new stallholders, as well as a several regular ones, which made the market interesting. We know of 6 stallholders who sold £200+ and two who sold £300+ during the day. However we also know of some stallholders who didn’t sell anything. There was a real split down the middle here, as  stallholders either did very well or not well at all. This really reinforces our belief that the public are faddy at the moment and that stallholders really need to actively sell their products now. One jeweller did particularly well as did one of our artists. The public were starting to buy for Christmas, but in general the Christmas season doesn’t seem to have started in Godalming yet. There was a really good atmosphere to the market.

Salisbury Guildhall - 8th October

A great footfall and a great day for most in Salisbury

The day started off with a slight hiccup, the Mynt team had a flat tyre on their way to Salisbury! With some quick thinking and help from one of our stallholders we managed to set the event up remotely from the side of the A30! Everything went surprisingly well with everyone unloaded and in their positions with very few hiccups. (Massive thank you to Tracey Davis for your hardwork helping out). Once the tyre situation had been resolved we were back on the road in time to set up our advertising and start dragging the customers in by 10am which felt like nothing short of a miracle!

From then onwards the day went according to plan, a busy city centre meant a good flow of customers through the door which seemed fairly consistent throughout the day. Overall we acheived a total footfall of 1167!

Christmas spending seemed to be top of the order with lots of personalised decorations being sold. Most stallholders seemed to sell particularly well except for jewellery as a whole which is something we very rarely witness. Despite the potentially awful start to the day we ended up having a very good one and lots of stallholders seem very excited for the coming months here!

Thame Town Hall - 8th October

Will the Christmas Season start yet?

It was a grey day throughout with some heavy drizzle and cold temperatures for a lot of the day. Despite there being a fair in Thame this did not seem to increase the number of people in Thame, in fact with the fairground being  on a car park, it may well have reduced it. Thame was quiet all day, most of the tourists having now left and the market was mostly reliant on locals. We experienced a slow start  but by the end of the day a footfall of 537 was achieved, which was quite respectable.

The stalls looked good and there was the start of a Christmas theme on many of them. The best sellers were Phoenix Trading, who had a brilliant day and almost ran out of advent calendars, one lady buying 7.   A stallholder selling coloured bags also did very well and topped the sales. What is especially pleasing here is that bags have not sold well this year so this was a real turn around. Many stall holders sold £100+ but several didn’t do well. It was good to see several customers queueing up at a nearby cashpoint before re-entering the market.

Has Christmas started yet? …………. Almost!

Cranliegh Village Hall - 24th September

Once again a sunny day in Cranliegh for everyone to enjoy!

The weather always seems to be on our side when we visit the large village of Cranleigh in the hesrt of Surrey! Despite being only a week from October it felt more like the middle of May or June, hardly a cloud in the sky and the warmth to match. It was a little breezy throughout the day however and slightly cloudy later on but we certainly couldnt complain with regards to the weather bearing in mind the time of year. Set up was nice and easy, the village hall has very easy access which makes the unloading of stallholders fast and effecient.

The village was fairly busy and the team worked hard to push as many through the door as we did, an overall footfall of 624 was acheived! It was notable that people were starting to spend for Christmas here, a number of stallholders were particularly pleased with sales several exceeding a couple of hundred pounds! There was no real pattern as to which type of stall was most succesful as everyone seemed to have a good day with only one or two not quite covering costs! Its strange to think Chrsitmas is 3 months away and so many people are starting to spend in comparison to this time last year. All in all, a good day in Cranliegh.

Winchester Guildhall - 17th September

A slow start but a great day once the ball was rolling!

It was a very overcast yet muggy start to the day as we began to set up for the day, helping stalholders unload seemed like very hot work considering the lower temperatures than of late. It certainly looked like a more autumnal day than we have expereinced recently and we feel this apparent change in weather caused a very quiet and slow start to the market. With very few using the park and ride the team work well to attract as many as they did in the first couple of hours even though the numbers were still low. Fortunately the weather brightened up a little and we saw a great improvement in passing footfall, all of a sudden the underwhleming atmosphere on the highstreet had turned up a good few notches and we enjoyed some flurries of customers entering the market. With a much busier afternoon we acheived a total of 849 through the door which we are very pleased with at this time of the year.

One or two stallholders unfortunately didnt make many sales but for the most part they were succesful. The jewellers seemed to sell best with figures well into 3 figures. Feedback from stallholders was superb as the day came to a close, it would appear that Christmas is already playing a big part in shoppers minds so we're setting oursleves up very nicely for the events to come.

Marlborough Town Hall - 10th September

A horrible rainy day but good sales

It rained from 8am until we left at 5.pm. Horrible conditions to work in outside, but the Mynt Team were still outside all day getting soaked. The horrible weather also meant that there were very few people on the streets and those who were, were rushing from one shop to another to keep dry. However by working hard we managed to achieve a footfall of 316.

Despite a very low footfall, sales were remarkably good. Those who did come in, stayed a long time to avoid going out in the rain again. There was also a lot of spending for Christmas. The stalls looked good and the stall holders remained very positive despite the slowness throughout the day. One stall holder selling shabby chic homeware sold £450+ whilst another sold almost £250 of wooden products. Many other stall holders sold around the £100 and from conversations, only 2 seemed to have not met their table costs, though even these had made some good contacts. There were also several commissions offered to stall holders which they needed to chase up still. From the low footfall, this was a remarkably successful market. 

Guildford Guildhall - 3rd September

September in Guildford lives up to expectations

September in 2015 had been an excellent market, so we were hoping that this year would be similar. It was!! Just why Guildford in September is so good we aren’t sure, but this was a very good market and certainly the start of the Christmas season. Christmas cards sold very well!

The town was quiet throughout the day. There were a lot of tourists still around from many different areas of the world. The weather remained relatively dry until 4.30pm when it poured, and by working hard we managed to attract a steady stream of customers, creating the best total of the year for Guildford so far of 1271 customers.

The market attracted a lot of our regular Guildford stalls, although we did have a few new stall holders who had filled 2 cancellations we received. Guildford always looks excellent, it is such a fantastic venue on the High Street, and the quality of the stalls is always high here. We do not know of any stall holders who failed to recoup their stall fees, with almost every stall holder hitting the £100, 8 hitting £200+, 3 hitting £300+ and one hitting £500+. Money spending was better in the afternoon at almost all stalls, with 2 exceptions, with the last hour, as is now getting predictable, being the best. Jewellery, wooden pens, art work and home decorations all sold well, as did our usual bread knife seller.

We look forward to the Christmas season continuing and developing now at Guildford.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 3rd September

We didn't let the weather rain on our parade and had a great day!

With gloomy clouds hanging over much of the New Forest we were beginning to expect the weather would be agaisnt us for the day! Lymington is always a good venue but is certainly enhanced quite considerably by good weather! Fortunately as stallholders started arriving the sun peaked out on a couple of occasions showing some promise for the hours ahead. Set up was quick, easy and all round very efficient lending perfectly to a lovely relaxed atmosphere in the hall. 

Once 10am was upon us we found it fairly easy to encourage customers up the drive into the event. From about 11am onwards we were incredibly busy until the rain hit just after mid day. Even with the conditons turning our best efforts kept the customers flowing in. Overall we acheived a very impressive footfall of 1105 and we had some great sales to match. Stallholders were very happy with the day, most taking over £100 and enjoying the atmosphere. Many customers seemed to be spensing or at least thinking about spending for Christmas showing superb promise for the next events here in October and December.

Henley Town Hall - 27th August

Despite the conditions, a good market for some

The forecast was heavy thundery showers, which thankfully we missed during the entire day. It was the grey skies and very humid conditions which made this market difficult to work. Henley was full of tourists on this bank holiday weekend and we had a higher proportion of families than usual into the event. Henley was however not particularly busy, and local people seemed to be missing or just driving around in an amazing array of spectacular cars (Porshe, Bentley, Rolls, Jaguar to name a few). However by the end of the first hour we had managed to get over 100 customers into the event and by 1.00pm almost 400. However they weren’t buying much and were clearly just browsing. The afternoons are always better at Henley and with a final footfall of 786 we were pleased to hear that as usual the last hour had easily been the best for many of our stall holders. This is a pattern this season, the last hour always seeming to bring the best sales.

We had several new stall holders with us this market, and several who were new to us and trying us out for the 1st time. The top seller was household items and clothes with one stall holder making £300+ . Several stall holders made £100+, though it was also a disappointing day for some who failed to cover their table costs. There was as usual a delightful atmosphere in this event, it really is a delightful venue. Considering that this was a bank holiday weekend, we were satisfied with the way that this market went.

Winchester Guildhall - 20th August

Lots of tourists saved a quiet rainy day!

With a rainy start to the day it easy to be sceptical of the day ahead! Fortunately unloading was pretty simple and we managed toget everyone in nice and efficiently. Stallholders were set up ready to go with plenty of time to socailise at the same time, it's always great to see everyone get along so nicely at an event and it creates a lovely inviting atmosphere! As 10am approached the streets seemed particularly quiet with a coach or two pulling up every now and again. We had to work hard to draw the customers in, the dutch tourists were very keen to enter! 

We only managed 782 through the door which may be slightly lower than we'd hope for this time of the year at Winchester but as there were so few people in the area we are very pleased!

Fortunateley the tourists seemed to spend well, jewellery being among the best selling items as per usual. A couple of stallholders took several hundred pounds and many tipped into 3 figures! The one thing that is really great to see is how many customers are thinking about and even spending money for christmas already! Lots of business cards were taken so we're set up nicely for the months to come!

Thame Town Hall - 20th August

A  noticeable upturn in sales in the final hour.

The week had been hot and sunny and this was the first cloudy damp and very windy day.  There were surprisingly very few tourists in Thame and the younger families who often support the event were missing, we can only presume on holiday still. However mature customers were not lacking and seemed to be very willing to come into the craft market. The lure of a hot drink and home made cake at our café also helped. The busiest period of the day was between 3.00pm and 3.15pm when 75 customers came into the market, an unusual occurrence, even for Thame. As we had already informed our stall holders, the best sales this year at almost every market are occurring in the last hour. A final footfall of 611 was achieved, quite impressive considering the quietness of the streets of Thame.

The customers were buying, Thame as usual providing some quality sales. All except one stall holder recouped their stall fees, with most stall holders taking around £100. One stall holder selling a variety of home based items sold £360+ whilst another selling concrete garden ornaments sold £240+. The café ran out of most of its cakes and had to go for additional milk for drinks at one stage, as well as there being a need for additional café seating, which was seen to with the help of a stall holder. Most jewellers also seemed to do well. It was however the last hour which made this market, again proving that stall holders need to trade until the final minutes to make maximum sales.

Guildford Guildhall - 6th August

A lovely afternoon in the heart of a sunny Surrey

With the roadworks so nearly finished we had a slight issue initially with the bottom of the highstreet being closed! Fortunately a diversion was in place so stallholders could still make it up and unload right on the door step. Everyone seemed to arrive at perfect intervals to allow the Mynt team to help carry as many bags and boxes as possible. Once set up the halls looked lovely as always with a very warm and inviting atmosphere! 

Once open, the team got to work on dragging the customers in and the footfall slowly started to creep up, accompanied by a brass band and gorgeous sunshine the highstreet was buzzing! We only acheived a total of 778 through the door but many stallhoders commented it felt as though we had more enter the market which shows that those who did enter must have spent longer browsing which is something we seem to have lacked a little this year! Soending was good for the most part with few larger sales occuring with many stallhoders, some singles transactions were north of £100! A couple of stall holders took £300+ so a very good day for some! Not bad at all for August!

Marlborough Town Hall - 6th August

A very good market for many people.

The weather was beautiful all day, with blue skies and light winds. There were plenty of tourists in Marlborough in the morning, which was the group the Mynt Image staff targeted. The local population seemed to be missing, presumably still on holiday in this peak season. By working hard throughout the day, a footfall of 599 was achieved which was impressive considering the quietness of Marlborough in the afternoon.

Despite a lack of people on the streets, the 599 customers seemed to sp-end well and many remained in the Craft and Gift market for a good length of time. Most stall holders seemed to sell between £80 and £150 of products during the day. Several stall holders did considerably  better, with our bread knife man selling £450+ and a Forever Living consultant £500+. The quality of the stalls was very good today. This market once again showed the need to stay right to the end, with one stall holder doing most of their sales in the last 5 minutes of the market. It was a pity that one stall holder was determined to leave early, but his space was taken by 3 adjacent stall holders who made the most of this free opportunity for 2 hours. There was a really good atmosphere in the market today and all stall holders reported thoroughly enjoying the day.

Lymington Masonic Hall -  30th July

Busy day in the heart of the new forest!

Lymington is always one of the easiest events to set up as the parking and unloading is incredibly useful being situated right on the door step! Stall holders arrived in a steady flow so we were able to get the flags and banners ready with ease and help many carry boxes and bags providing a nice flow to start the day! It was particularly noticeable at how much effort each and every stallholder puts in their display, the hall was very inviting and a lovely atmosphere filled the room! Once the clock struck 10 a slow but steady trickle of customers started to wander in, the high street was quiet to begin with but picked up after about an hour or so and the hall became heaving!

 

After a bustling couple of hours the market did quieten down slightly as many people seemed to be enjoying fish and chips on the seafront or an ice cream in one of the many parlours on the high street. Even with the slowerstart and finish to the day we managed to attract a stunning 1127 customers through the door! Spending was mixed throughout, we had number of stallholder who did extremeley well whereas others only seemed to make a small profit. Being situated in the new forest there were many tourists in the market throughout the day who seemed to be a little more reserved with spending than usual but took a lot of business cards so we are confident there will be lots of after market sales also! Overall, a lovely day in Lymington!

Henley Town Hall -  23rd July

Brilliant holiday weather creates an interesting market.

The streets of Henley were very close to deserted for most of the day. The people of Henley were clearly on holiday, many in their foreign residences. There were however visitors around , and these tourists were our main target for the day. It was tough work in the very sunny weather (which we’re not moaning about) and the 26 degrees heat with little breeze. By working hard all day we managed to attract a footfall of 588, just a few short of our anticipated numbers for this time of year. Quite where the good numbers came from, we are not totally sure as there were so few people in Henley on this day.

Henley town hall always has a lovely atmosphere, and today was no exception. The stall holders all seemed to get on really well and enjoy working together. As usual at this location it seems that many new friends were made between stall holders. This was again a mixture of experienced sellers and those new to the business. The market was buzzing for much of the day. Top sales were to one of our regular artists who managed to sell over £400 of  her delightful art work. This was followed by 2 jewellers one making £200+ and one making £300+. It was however disappointing to hear how poorly some other stall holders had done, some not selling much all day. To do well in these current conditions, you really have to stand and work hard all day. The days of sitting down and waiting for sales to occur has long gone unfortunately.

Thame Town Hall -  16th July

A good day in sunny Thame for most with some great sales!

This was the first spell of warm summer weather we have had for several weeks and it was clear that people had taken advantage of it. It was relatively quiet on the streets, though there were also several groups of tourists around, visiting this picturesque market town. It is always tough at this time of year, the gap before most people going on holiday, when their minds are focussed on their travel rather than buying gifts. However, by working hard throughout the day, a satisfactory footfall of 483 was achieved (80/hour).

There was a delightful range of different stalls in the market today and a real different range of experience too, from beginners to some of our regular stall holders. There was also a really good mix of different items which was commented on upon by customers. The café was also being run by ‘Ginger Cat Bakery’ and this drew people into the market and met with great approval by the public. Most specialist jewellers did really well today with one jeweller selling £350+, including some real quality pieces. Cement garden statues also went down very well, with several stall holders making £200+. Most stall holders covered their costs and many commented on the really lovely atmosphere and buzz of the market, something which seems to make Thame one of our really popular locations for those who display their regularly.   

Winchester Guildhall -  16th July

Too sunny for shoppers yet proactive stall holders were still succesful!

What a glorious day weather wise... the first really nice day of the year was welcomed by most but as the hall itself doesn't have air-con we had a rather warm event on our hands.  The stalls and range of crafts and gifts on display looked great as usual but due to the sudden improvement in weather the city centre didn't provide us with our usual amount of customers, however we did acheive a footfall of 662! Sainsbury's seemed to belling out of cider and burgers particualarly quickly so we're pretty sure we know where the customers were! Spending was a little lower than anticipated although we did have reports of many stall holders making between £100 to £200 which is great considering the lower numbers.  It was definitely apparent that the stall holders who worked hard rather than sat behind their tables were more successful, with maybe one or two exceptions to the rule! Next month should see an increase in tourists so we're certainly looking forward to the next event here.

Marlborough Town Hall -  9th July

A small market but good for some

The weather was grey, though the sun did poke its head out at times. There were plenty of people on the streets, though there was a distinct absence of local families. Instead there were plenty of more mature tourists, bringing a different dimension to the market. By working hard throughout the day we managed to attract a pleasing 581 customers into the market, including 1 man who stayed for almost 2 hours.

This was our poorest stall holder attended market at Marlborough for the year and with 2 more cancellations on the day, the market could have looked quite small. However by careful positioning of the stalls and giving everybody a little additional room, we managed to make the market look full and very attractive.  One stall holders sold almost £500 of products selling his bread knives, whilst another selling skin care products sold almost £300. Jewellers seemed to do quite well, though many of the sales came in the last hour, which seems to be a trend this year. However we are also aware that one stall holder failed to sell and others hardly covered their costs. This was a mixed market, but some stall holders were extremely happy and demonstrated the potential of our Marlborough markets.

Salisbury Guildhall - 9th July

A good day in sunny Salisbury

We achieved a footfall total of 765 in Salisbury on Saturday. The weather was hot and humid all day and Daniel managed to draw a crowd with his roller blades. Away from the sun in the Guildhall, many of the stallholders made a profit on the day and only a few just broke even. Almost every stallholder was happy, regardless, and there were some success stories of the day with some artists being happy with the exposure they were getting and sales of smaller items seeming to make the majority of sales.

The footfall during the first hour made me worry, but it did pick up. In the first hour we only had about 80, but the second we were at 200 and things picked up more and more. At the half way point it looked like we would hit the 800, but unfortunately things did slow down in the afternoon (as is usually the way with Salisbury) and we hit just under our target score. However I think 765 is a respectable footfall given the time of year.

Godalming Borough Hall - 25th June

Disappointing for many but good for a few.

The title for this market could be ‘Rain stops play’ as the most notable feature of this day was a tremendous downpour at 2pm which totally disrupted the footfall for over an hour. A boat hire service across the main road was needed as the amount of rain was tremendous. Godalming was performing much better than recently before the rain started with a good number of customers entering the hall. Paul worked the market by himself due to the overnight illness of his intended assistant, and did an excellent job in getting 417 people into the building. He would like to thank those who provided him with cups of tea throughout the day so that he didn’t have to stop …..even in the rain.

 

The market really did have some tremendous stalls, with some amazing displays. We had managed to give most stall holders a little additional room due to the cancellation due to illness of 3 stall holders in the previous week, and this really gave stall holders the scope to create some brilliant displays. The public need to be sold to, and it was not a market where you could sit and wait for sales. One stall holder selling art sold over £300, and another stall holder with a range of home related products sold £200+. Most stall holders did cover their costs, though there were those who unfortunately did not do so well. June is always a hard month, with customers saving for holidays, and we await the month of August when Christmas buying normally starts. 

Thame Town Hall - 18th June

Thame has some lucky ‘fathers’.

This was a cool day with grey cloud and spots of drizzle throughout the day. We were glad that there was only one heavy shower as we’re getting a little bit fed up with this British summer. The weather certainly kept the people off the streets, however we noticed by 11am that there were a lot of mothers and children on the street and suddenly realised that they were out shopping for Father Day the next day. By adjusting our promotion of the event to include fathers day we managed to attract a good many of these mothers and children into the event and many of them spent extremely well, with some good sales. By 4.00pm we had managed a classic Thame footfall of 636 customers, just the sort of number we expect from Thame.

The stalls really looked good today at Thame. Due to a couple of last minute cancellations due to illness we managed to give most stall holders a little bit of additional room which was much appreciated by stallholders. We had several new stall holders with us today as well as many of our Thame regulars. Thame has a reputation for not a huge footfall but for some good wealthy customers and this was proved again today. Several stall holders reported very good afternoon sales with some customers spending £100+ at a stall. Overall stall holders did well with most stall holders selling £100+, several at almost £200 and one jeweller making over £200. Jewellery did sell especially well today as did art. The atmosphere within the market was also excellent and we thank those stall holders who have already responded with very positive messages about how much they enjoyed the market.

Winchester Guildhall - 18th June

After market sales and commisions make for a great day!

Our day in Winchester started nicely, the set up ran smoothly with all of our stallholders arriving in good time to unload and get themeselves ready for the day ahead. It was warmer in Winchester than it has been over the last week and dry which gave a very posistive outlook for the day. Unfortuantely as 10am approached the highstreet felt very quiet,the only real atmosphere was created by a number of foreign excahnge students who seemed to liven up the area which was otherwise pretty empty. WIth a few flurries of customers coming in off of the coaches and park and ride the footfall picked up a little in the afternoon. We mamanged a total of 725 through the door which was of course lower than we'd have hoped for this time of the year here.

 

Spending was not superb for the most part with very very few sales occuring in the first half of the market. Most stallholders seemed to take the majoriy of their takings in the last hour. It would appear the real difference between morning and afternoon here was that customers entering earlier on would walk in and around the stalls without really stopping to look or take anything in . As the day progressed customer spent longer in the hall and thus starting spending  little more. Art and jewellery was fairly popular but there was no real stand out product on this occasion. We beleive more tourists throughout the summer here will make all the differnce in the next few markets.

Salisbury Guildhall - 11th June

After market sales and commisions make for a great day!

With  a very miserable and damp start to the day, the set up went well. With stallholders arriving at nice intervals for us to help with unloading and everyone having arrive by 920 it was particularly easy morning. The hall looked good, we had slighlty fewer than usual stalls booked into the event but the stall holders worked well with their space to create a very inviting atmosphere. The square in front of the Guildhall was very quiet to begin with, the grey skies didn't help in terms of footfall but as the morning progressed, the day got brighter and streets looked busier. The flow of customers fluctuated throughout most of the day with very busy but also very quiet moments in the afternoon, it would appear the ever changing weather was to blame on this occasion. Working hard however the team mamanged to draw a very respectable 923 customers into the event despite the conditions against us.

 

Spending seemed to vary throughout many of the stallholders, we had one or two several hundred pound sales with the majority acheiving just average takings. On the day sales however were not the prime concern for many, as customers seemed particualy interested in commisions and workshops. Lots of business cards were taken so the money taken after the event was finished has turned the day into a great one overall. This event goes to show how the market is constantly changing and highlights the importance of having a website or facebook page to close sales with customers need some time to think about purchasing.

Marlborough Town Hall - 11th June

A tough day for the Mynt Image team but some good sales.

The weather was drizzly and wet all day, very unpleasant conditions to work in indeed for the team. The conditions also added to the town itself being dead with stall holders remarking that they had never seen the streets look so quiet. Perhaps the Queen’s Birthday celebrations also added to the lack of people in town. With virtually no-one at times within sight, this made getting people into the town hall very difficult. However by continual calling and chatting to those who were around, the team managed to get a creditable 491 members of the public into the market by the close of business.

 

However the smaller number of customers did not reflect in poor sales for many stall holders. An artist and  ‘The bread knife man’ managed to make £450+ each, an exceptional total for a June market. Two other stall holders (jewellers) made £200+ as well, and it seems as if just the right members of the public were coming into the market. Several stall holders unfortunately had a poor day, though all but 2 had covered their stall fees. Several stall holders remarked on the buzz in the market and the friendliness of the market; this seems to be becoming a feature of Mynt Image markets in 2016. 

Guildford Guildhall - 4th June

A better day than anticipated with so few customers.

As many of you are all aware, the high street in Guildford is currently being dug up and relaid. This means that large sections of the of cobbled street have been blocked off of for a couple of weeks at a time. For the most part we havent been majorly affected, in fact the last event here was potentially enhanced by the way the positioning of the roadworks. On this occasion however we had a small 6-8foot passageway with the front door to the Guildhall in the middle. This wasn't too much of an issue for unloading but it seemed to really slow the footfall. It was difficult to work the highstreet in our usual method due to the trade passing the front door being very limited and many potential customers not wanting to venture down the passage way.

 

Fortuntalye the 578 custoemrs we did have enter were not the worst customers by any stretch of the imagination. Admittedly a handful of stallholders did not make a great deal of profit but a number had particularly good days. The jewellers we had booked in were very pleased with the days takings, some of which acheiving several hundred pounds worth of sales. Poetry seemed to be very popular too. Handbags and scarves were not overly popular for some reason as has been the case at many event this year. Overall we are pleased with the day depsite the very low footfall, it ceratinly shows how good a venue Guildford is even when everyhting is against us. Roll on July!

Henley Town Hall - 28th May

A really good day for most!

It was a beautiful day in Henley, the sun really bring the public out into the streets. A gardeners market also brought in additional people who would not normally have been in Henley. People seemed to be coming at the Town Hall from all angles, which was unusual as we can normally see customers approaching up the High Street. The day stayed dry throughout and delightfully warm and by the end of the market we had managed to attract 810 customers into the Town Hall. This was a good number for Henley and certainly the numbers we would hope for on a good day (Unlike our April 9th market which gave an exaggerated footfall for Henley due to the presence of the World market.)

There was a good selection of stalls in the building, with several new faces as well as many of our regulars. As is usual at Henley, the morning trade, although good in number, is often not good in quality and by 1.00pm many of the stall holders were still without sales. However just as we promised in our introductory talk to stall holders, the afternoon was far better than the morning. By the end of the day one stall holder had sold £500 and two had exceeded £300. The average amount sold was around £150-£170, although it has to be said that unfortunately 2 stall holders still did not make any sales. Home accessories and scarves seemed to sell particularly well as did bread knives, and jewellery. 

Cranleigh Village Hall - 28th May

A sunny day led to a footfall which was low in quality and quantity!

Our day in Cranligh started well with stall holders unloading with ease! It wasnt long before the hall looked very good with a great range of products on offer. As 10am approached we felt confident we'd have a positvie day, the sun was shining and the high street was slowly growing busier! With over 100 customers in the first hour we had our hopes held high for a great day but from 1130am onwards hardly a soul seemed to wander past the area let alone actaully enter the market! Working hard on the bare streets of the stunning village we pushed as many people insude as possible but with the lack of passers by it was not destined to be the best of events. Overall we acheived a relatively disapointing 373 customers into the market and we firmly beleive a combination of the beautiful weather, ank holiday weekend and half term had simply had too much of an affect on proceedings!

 

Unfortunately several stallholders did not sell particulalry well! The few customers we did have through door were'nt great ones, the best spenders in Cranliegh seemed to have disapeared off the face of the earth so it was unsurpsing that low slaes were recorded! That said however a number of stallholders had succesful days with one or two last minute sales that turned their profit from mediocre to good. With the odds stacked against us on this occasion we had an okay market but have every faith we will return soon with a superb one!

Winchester Guildhall - 21st May

Despite the awful weather we had a pretty good day!

We had a great start to the day with  very efficeint set up due to the help of the Eastleigh College work experience students carrying many of our stallholders bags and boxes up the hall. It was certainly very useful to get unlaoded as quick as possible as the light drizzle was not particularly pleasant through out the morning. Once set up the hall look lovely, with many stallholders creating a lot of height with their stand space there is an incredibly inviting atmosphere within the hall! 

 

The first hour of the market upon opening was a very slow! With the poor weather there were not many people in and around the highstreet to begin with. It was only when it dried up for a few hours that we really start to see any life in the area. Fortunately the brief pause in weather was just long enough to draw people into the market and when the rain started to pour again (and it really did pour) the customers came flooding in! At one point I was worried we'd hit a total of 500 customers through the door but with a busier afternoon and a lot of hard work out in the rain we managed a very respectable footfall of 859!

 

Overall sales were relatively mixed, everyone seemed to cover costs and only handful didnt ahve a good day! Jewellers seemed to sell well and glass sold fantastically. Lots of leads and potential commissions for many stall holders too meant the day was a good one for most. Those who didn't sell well all commented on the the wrong kind of demographic entering the market which I feel was mainly due to the weather as Winchester is one of the most diverse veneus for age groups and classes. If the weather is any sort of inmprovement next time then we can't wait for the next event here!

Thame Town Hall - 21st May

A good day for the proactive sales people.

The weather forecast for Thame was horrific…. heavy rain from 11.00 until the evening. We had wet weather clothes with us and were determined to persevere and get as many people into the market as was possible. However, the rain just didn’t arrive until 3.30pm which was absolutely astonishing. However, people were scurrying round in town and not enjoying the cold wind, which meant that it was far harder than normal to get people into the market. By working very hard we managed to attract 536 people into the market.

 

The market was fully booked and we also had a café at the event for the 1st time. As usual Thame performed best in the afternoon with the customers in the morning seeming to have very deep pockets. The last hour was excellent for many stall holders and several stall holders did the majority of their sales in this last hour. As seems to be the case this year, bread knives sold the best with over £500 of sales. Several other stall holders made £200+ and many made £100. This was however a tough market for several stall holders who unfortunately did not sell many products. Overall though, this market demonstrated that if you can ‘sell’ your products, then it is quite possible to have a good day at our events at any time of the year. 

Guildford Guildhall - 14th May

Possibly our most productive market of the year!

The conditions it has to be said were perfect, a warm day but not hot, little wind and a few clouds. The perfect weather for people to be in Guildford shopping. The road works made things slightly difficult still, but these are due to be over within the next few months. By working hard, the Mynt Image team managed to get 600 members of the public into the hall by 1.00pm. However, stall holders did not report that they were buying much and spirits were slightly down as the customers were mostly simply browsing. However, in the afternoon, the whole atmosphere in the town changed and the streets were packed and customers flocking into the hall. By the time 4.00pm came we literally had to close the doors and turn people away as we reached a magnificent total of 1397 customers.

The afternoon customers were totally different from the morning and were buying really well. One stall holder sold almost £900 of products setting himself an all time record, even higher than he had achieved at the previous Christmas. An upstairs stall came in 2nd selling £400+ of wooden pens. Many stall holders sold £300+ and with the exception of 2 stall holders, the rest sold nearly £100 each. Jewellery as usual sold well at Guildford as did scarves, household items and clothing. One artist also sold near to his Christmas record, showing just how good this market was today. The last half hour, as often seems to be the case this year, was for many stall holders the most profitable.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 7th May

Great weather, great atmosphere but not particularly great spending!

We had our tables organized by 8.15 and then unlocked the doors to our stall holders who got to work setting up which all seemed to go very smoothly indeed.  The hall looked really lovely - colourful and interesting with some lovely products and lovely stall holders.  We enjoyed catching up with our 'old friends' because that is how it feels at Lymington. It was such a great atmosphere and a pleasure to be part of.  We met some wonderful new stall holders and had a lot of very positive feedback from a lot of the crowds who walked around the event.  The cafe reported their busiest day for a long time (mainly down to our hard work out the front getting them extra customers, a lot of whom had dogs...obviously they all had to walk past our lovely stalls and I do know that some stopped to buy!) 

 

The weather was lovely, warm and sunny and the mood was good outside on the street too with lots of visitors and day tripper’s/holiday makers and the usual, older generation having their weekly wander up and down the high street.  Footfall was a very respectable 864 even though almost a third of our stall holders just tipped over into making profits.  We did have a fair few stall holders who were very happy with their takings and everybody seemed pleased with the steady flow through the door.  Well done to Beau the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for being such a good boy and getting lots of attention.... a great opportunity for us to chat and encourage more customers!

Chippenham Town Hall - 7th May

A great starting block for our first ever event here.

This was the first event of the year for our new venue Chippenham! The town hall is a stunning building sat directly on top the bustling high street of Chippenham. Due to relatively old buildings and roads the unloading is not ideal here as we helped stall holders cart their products from the nearest car park which was a few moments walk away. Chippenham has another slightly larger hall that backs onto the one we use and although this has marginally better access we do not beleive it has the same character and charm of the town hall and it certainly does not have the footfall!

 

Once set up the hall had a splendid atmosphere and was particularly invtiting to the 675 customers we had through the door. It is diffucult to gauge how good a footfall this is as of course we do not have any other events here to compare to, however if Salsibury could only acheive 70% of the footfall it had last month due to the lovely weather then I wouldnt hesitate to say we could expect to see footfall of around 800/900 in the future and even over 1000 at christmas!

 

Spending was pretty good in general, several stallholders took £200+ with many adequateley covering costs and making a profit. Jewellery seemed popular which is not surprising when you consider the demographic of Chippenham. I have very high hopes for this market and can't wait to return and further its success.

Salisbury Guildhall - 7th May

The first warm weather of the season made life difficult.

We were expecting great things from Salisbury following the success of the April market. Unfortunately weather conditions made things very difficult for us this month. The first warm weather caused a lack certain groups of people in Salisbury. There were few couples with children and there was a lack of 30 – 50 year olds on the streets. People simply weren’t out shopping, they were at BBQs or in the countryside with the roads around Salisbury far quieter than usual. At times there was literally no one in the square outside the Guildhall, with anyone who was around sitting in chairs outside the numerous cafes. By working very hard, the Mynt team, enhanced by a group of 3 students and their tutor, managed to create a footfall of 811.
 

The event itself was a little bit of a rush 1st thing in the morning, with officials from Salisbury Guildhall not turning up to open the event at 8.00. However, at 8.55 the many stall holders were allowed in, and we need to thank them for their patience as well as the smooth calm way which they came into the Guildhall. We had several of our regular stall holders as well as some new to us, but there was a great atmosphere in the hall during the day. The public once again remarked on the quality of the stalls. The best selling was once again our breadknife man, with over £300 of sales. Several stall holders made £100, though spending on the whole was down on April. This was a tough day and both the Mynt team and stall holders had to work hard to create sales.  

Cranleigh Village Hall - 30th April

Good sales and good leads for most to end the month in Cranleigh

This was a really cold day, despite some sunshine and some showers. If you stood out of the sun, then the wind was really freezing and this kept many people in Cranleigh at home. There were 3 of the Mynt Image team working the venue at the beginning of the day and by 12.00 a footfall of 300+ had been achieved, but as is usual at Cranleigh numbers attending fall in the afternoon. By 4.00 a total of 605 customers had visited the event, with the smaller number of afternoon customers buying   better than those who attended in the morning.

The stalls looked really good at this event, with some really fantastic displays displaying a huge range of products. Those stall holders who stood and engaged with the customers as usual did far better than those who sat behind the stalls, this being particularly noticeable at this event. One stall holders sold almost £500, with another just over £400. Several stall holders sold £200 with many selling £100+. Jewellery sold well as did some clothing and bread knives. However, it must also be noted that several stall holders did not do well, the customers seeming to be particularly choosy about what they wanted to buy. The stall holders who were looking to not only sell products but make future contacts also reported some really good leads. There was a really lovely atmosphere in the market and some great rapport built up between stall holders, which was a delight to witness; this was certainly a very friendly event.

Salisbury Guildhall - 23rd April

A really good footfall and some very good sales for some.

It was a really cold day in Salisbury, but thankfully far brighter than had been forecast. The cold conditions kept the families at home, though thankfully not everybody. The streets and outside market next to the Guildhall were far quieter than usual, with sometimes very few people in sight as possible customers. The Mynt Image team worked hard throughout the day, with Daniel even using his spinning arrow skills to catch the attention of the public. By the end of the day we had managed to attract 1149 customers into the hall, a respectable number for this time of the year.

We had a good range of stalls in the hall, though 3 last minute cancellations left us a few gaps which other stall holders readily filled for us. Spending was really variable with one stall holder making almost £500 and 2 others making £200+. Most stall holders made around the £100 mark though there were some who had a bad day and hardly sold anything. Those stalls who were there to mostly make contacts they could follow up elsewhere reported a really fruitful day. In line with all other markets we are hearing about so far this year, not run by ourselves, the public seem to be very tight with their money in 2016. What is also quite strange is that as soon as the sun comes out, spending improves, and this is very noticeable this season. 

Lymington Masonic Hall - 16th April

Great for footfall but not so great weather or spending.

The day starting cold and slightly damp, rain was teasing as we arrived first thing in the morning. Fortunately this passed pretty swiftly and the sun started to make an appearance whilst we unloaded almost seemlessly with the help of our fantastic work experience students. 

Once open the highstreet slowly started to fill with people, as they came out we managed to send the vast majority up towards the hall. It was very cold through most of the morning especially out of the sun which didnt help in terms of atmosphere but there was a noticeable difference when it came out. Overall we acheived a fantastic 1010 customers through the door which is superb considering the weather was mediocre at best!

Unfortunately the customers we had in the hall didnt seem to spend too well, we had several stallholder take £100/£200 and a few struggled to cover the table cost which was a shame considering how many customers had passed. With the weather improving each and every week we hve very high hopes for an incredible event in a few weeks time when we're back!

Thame Town Hall - 16th April

A saitsfactory start to the year in Thame when the weather improved.

A sudden change in weather overnight brought rain, coldness and even some snow to Thame. Showers were forecast, but instead we got continually dripping rain until almost 2.00pm. However, the Mynt Image team braved the conditions with coats and umbrellas and by working hard managed to produce 350 customers by 2.00pm. However, it was at this time that the sun came out and the mood of the market suddenly lifted. Suddenly there were lots of people around again and many were heading for the event. By 4.00 the final footfall was 638 customers.

The hall looked amazing. The stalls have become more and more professional looking each year and today was no exception. Stall holders had put so much time into preparing the stalls that they really were eye-catching. There was a tremendous atmosphere in the hall all day with stall holders all seeming to get on really well with each other and some good friendships developing. For some reason jewellery and bags did not sell well today. This seemed to be a day for the photographers, artists and crafters with some good sales being made including some larger items. However overall spending was satisfactory with a few exceptions in either direction.

Henley Town Hall - 9th April

The day started bright and warm. Henley was crowded due to the World market and a farmers market in the the highstreet, drawing people into the centre of Town. Unfortunately it started raining in the afternoon and the crowds headed for cover, many of them into our market. By working hard throughout the day, the Mynt Image team managed to create a footfall of 1185 customers, almost beating our record for this event.

The hall looked amazing today and the public remarked on the consistent high quality of the stalls. There was a real buzz in the market and there was a huge range of differnet products on sale. Many stall holders sold £100+ with at least five making £200+! One of which reaching £300+. Bags did not seem to sell well today, which was unusual for Henley. Skin care, and perfumed items seemed to sell very well and some artists and photographers selling above average too.

A great start to the year at Henley

Guildford Guildhall - 2nd April

A very tough day despite the gorgeous sunshine.

With the ongoing roadworks taking over a relatviely large portion of the highstreet we had our work cut out! Before 8am there was one or two large grab lorries blocking the road entirely and we couldn't help but feel sceptical that the unloading would be an absolute nightmare! Fortunately stallholders seemed to arrive at nice intervls meaning we could get the cars off to a car park before the highstreet beame too congested, it may have been a mixture of luck and efficiency but we managed it!

 

As 10am approached the Guildhall looked brilliant! We seem to have collected an incredible mix of stalls who have very unique displays, the customers certainly enjoyed what we had to offer. Unfortunately all they did was enjoy looking at the stalls and not purchasing as many stallholders sold less than they would have hope or even expected at this prestigeous venue. Two stall holders made almost the same comment, both of which cleared 3 figures by a comfrotable margin but stated this was one of their lowest incomes for Guildford. Now thats not to say the didnt do well because no one was displeased but the expectation here is particularly high. It was noted that the same turnover but at another venue perhaps would have felt more like a succes in comparison. It was jsut a strange day all round.

 

Our total footfall was 821, one of the lower scores we have acheived here recently and the biggest issue we found was the roadworks. Prior to the event we felt that the works would help funnel customers onto the doorstep and make it easier to 'pus' them into the building, unfortunately this wasnt the case. They were indeed funneled but didnt even slow to look at what was going on, maybe the lack of room to amble up and down the highstreet meant they were more focused on were they needed to be.

 

The roadworks should only be present for one last event before allowing us to carry on as normal but with any lucjk by 14th May they will have moved on from directly opposite the Guildhall. We are looking forward to it either way!

Marlborough Town Hall - 2nd April

A beautiful day but where were the customers?

This has to have been the best weather day of the year so far. There was a beautiful blue sky and a breeze most of the day. At times however Marlborough looked like a ghost town, there were simply very few shoppers. A few coaches dropped off more mature people into Marlborough, many of whom made a beeline for our market. Many of the public simply didn’t want to know about the market and it was disheartening for the Mynt Image team at times. However by being persistent, we did manage to attract 662 customers into the market. 

We had many new stall holders to this event, with several this being their 1st ever craft and gift market anywhere. Many of our new stall holders had visited the events before and worked out some really interesting displays that really made the market come to life. Displays which build up from the table and draw the customers in do so much better. It was also good to see several stall holders refuse chairs and work from the front all day, which we have proved to work. One new stall holder sold £200+ during the day which was very satisfying to see. However the public were not in a spending mood at all. 3 stall holders made £100+ and almost all covered their costs, but on the whole, and unusually for Marlborough, spending was poor. 

It was after the event that we realised that a whole section of the usual cliental were missing. These were the Marlborough school parents who usually meet their children in the town. School holidays meant that the school was closed and we found out that many parents were in skiing holidays. This accounted for the lower number of people on the streets that normal.

Marlborough Town Hall - 12th March

Our 1st time at Marlborough this year and with the amazing success of Guildford last week we were expecting good things.

The weather was sunny, slightly hazy but warm in the sun, The streets were not very busy but the people of Marlborough seemed to be in a really happy mood. …… it’s amazing what difference the sun makes. The local residents of Marlborough seemed very willing to come into the market and at this time of year there also seem to be coachloads of tourists dropped off for a few hours in Marlborough which gave us some additional customers. By working hard outside in the lovely weather we managed to attract 896 customers into the market in the 6 hours ….but did they spend?

The stalls today looked amazing. It’s great to see how many stalls have evolved over the last few years and there really were some incredibly professional stalls, making use of metal work and shelving to really give them height and depth. There were also some very colourful stalls which added to the quality of what was offered. Many of the public who came out remarked on the amazing quality of what was on offer. Several stall holders did very well making  £200+ whilst one stall holder had an amazing day and sold £600+. Unfortunately several other stall holders only just made their stall money, though most did far better than this. As usual it seemed to be the stall holders who stood and engaged in conversations who had the most successful days…the days of sitting down at craft markets really is over…..stall holders need to be able to sell.

We felt that for several stall holders , this was a great start to the year at one of our regular venues. There is great potential at this venue and with less organisers now using it, the public seem to be far more willing to attend and buy.

Guildford Guildhall - 5th March

Our first market of the 2016 season and what a great start it was!

Throughout the day, it rained, sleeted and hailed and we occasionally saw the sun. Scraping ice off the car at 6.30am was not the best way to start a Saturday and we look forward to warmer weather. The town itself was not that busy and people seemed to be hurrying to get out of the horrible damp cold conditions, so were not that easily attracted into the market. However by working hard throughout the day, the Mynt Image team managed to attract a staggering 1231 customers into the market....an amazing number for a March event. Despite it being Mothers day on Sunday, most customers seemed to be buying for themselves, though we did manage to save several teenager's lives!

 

The market itself was an amazing array of different stalls. We had many regulars as well as seveal stall holders new to us. we had had several cancellations at the last minute due to illness, but managed to fill 3 of these with ease. Upstairs especially looked amazing, with brightly coloured wooden producst, bowls and coloured bags, mixed in with some delightful art work and candles. Downstairs featured some fantastic jewellery as well as a mixture of 'fairy dresses', (with 1 customer asking a stall holder to make them ana dult one!). Spending for most was better in the afternoon, though there were exceptions. 2 stall holders managed to sell £450+ with a further 3 over £300 and most £150+. There were however exceptions as there always are, with bags not seeming to sell well, despite mothers day the next day. There was a real buzz at the market and the team were thanked for all of their very hard work throughout the day. If Guildford was not already fully booked for the year, many of these stall holders today would have rebooked straight away!

 

A great start to the year. 

If you would like to take a look at last years market reports then click here!

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