2019 Market Reports

Lymington Masonic Hall 30th November

Very good sales for many

 

This was our final market at Lymington in 2019. It was a cold dry morning with low grey cloud and a really icy wind blowing down Lymington High Street. There were however, with just 4 weekend to Christmas, plenty of people on the High street Christmas shopping. Even before we had officially opened there were more than 20 customers who had wandered into the building. Our Mynt staff, wearing elf outfits to stand out a little in this season, worked tirelessly throughout the day, braving the cold conditions and making sure that there were plenty of customers in the hall. Although there were lulls at times, by the end of the day a good footfall of 1187 had been achieved at this venue. For many of our stall holders the last hour was the best selling time of the day with several returning customers from the morning having finally decided to purchase items.

 

Many stall holders reported poor spending, however when we obtained figures at the end of the day we only managed to find 2 stall holders who had not recouped their stall fees. It was however true that it had been hard to sell larger items and that the public really were mostly looking for cheap affordable items under £10.00. It was also true that the customers were not spending readily and really had to be enticed out of their money. Spending was also down on the final 2018 market at Lymington, However we are aware of one jeweller who made in excess of £400.00 and a stall selling miniatures and another selling beaded scarves who made in excess of £300. A lady selling decorated bottles with lights made in excess of £250 as did an author. Our regular bag seller sold in excess of £200 as did a newcomer to our market (their first ever market anywhere) selling bath bombs and skin care products. Many other stall holders achieved around the £150, including a jeweller and an artist, and most others just under £100. Although these figures may be down on 2018 figures, they are certainly not bad for a market costing only £35 for a table space with free parking.

 

This was a successful market for most. However it needs to be noted that the public do not seem to be buying large presents this year, but mostly small tokens. Larger amounts were certainly spent in August and September, with possibly larger Christmas present buying  now occurring throughout the year rather than just in November and December.

Witney Corn Exchange 30th November

Very good sales despite the cold weather.

 

It was a bitterly cold start in Witney today with frost on the ground. It was however nice to have dry conditions throughout the day, something which has become a rarity in this drive up to Christmas in 2019. Witney is thankfully one of those venues with ease of access to it, and once again stall holders set up their stalls smoothly in the morning. We had use of the foyer area once more and this creates an excellent additional selling area for a group of fortunate stall holders. There was a lovely atmosphere in the market, often  noted by customers to us. What we noted was the warmer environment within the building compared to the freezing consiti0ons in which we were working. George reported having an icicle from his nose on one occasion. An ‘extinction rebellion’ protest at one stage in the day made it very hard to attract new customers for ½ an hour, but thankfully when the 100+ people had moved on, customers started to flood back into the market. By the end of the day we had beaten Lymington with a footfall of 1260.

 

Spending was good at Witney today, though as is often the case, it is better in the afternoon than the morning. One lady selling fabric products reported selling over £450 and has already emailed mto0 thank George and Aaron for their hard work in the freezing conditions. There were many other very successful stalls with £200+ being a common figure. One artist trying the venue for the first time also did very well despite travelling over 100 miles to attend the market. As usual our jewellery were also successful. However it was mostly smaller products which sold today, just as at Lymington . However art was also in demand at Witney, as doers often seem to be the case at this market.

 

We still have one final market at Witney in 2019, again fully booked as most of our Witney markets have been throughout the year. Witney markets sell quickly due to the growing reputation of this excellent venue for good spending. We have rapidly become part of the community of Witney and we have many customers who return each time to this excellent location. With many of our 2020 markets at Witney already filling well, we look forward to a good 2020 at this excellent venue.

Banbury Town Hall 30th November

A pleasing end to the year at Banbury

 

We always seem to have heavy rain for our Banbury markets. Today was totally different and the market benefitted from a cold dry day with plenty of Christmas shoppers around. Banbury, unlike many of our markets is often a ‘morning’ market, and today was no exception with good numbers of customers entering the building and spending well. However as the afternoon drew on it became harder and harder to find customers to attract into the venue, with most seeming to flock to Pound land’ instead. There was a lovely atmosphere in the hall throughout the day despite the hot drinks machine breaking down! It also needs to be noted that this venue only provides 5’ tables now, one of the reasons why prices are reducing for this market in 2020. These smaller tables do give stall holders more room for racks and rails, but do limit table top space. By the end of the day and good footfall of 651 had been achieved.

 

Customers did spend well today however at Banbury with some very successful stall holders. We are aware of at least 5 stall holders who sold in excess of £200 including a stall selling Mexican crafts, a lady selling fabric and household items, a jeweller, a lady selling warming lavender products and a man selling decorated boxes. Several stall holders who sold less commented that this had been their best market so far despite the fact that they only achieved around the £100 mark. Other stall holders commented that they would be booking with us again as they had been very impressed with the market, especially compared with others they had traded at. Several stall holders reported having a ‘middling’ day or doing better than normal. With average sales of over £100, this was a good way to end the year at Banbury.

Henley Town Hall 23rd November

A really profitable market for most

 

Henley is always good at this time of year and this is the time that the people of Henley really do reach into their pockets to spend. Our November market usually coincides with the Henley Christmas events, but this year these were delayed until the following weekend, the latest they have ever been in Henley. Despite this however there were plenty of people out Christmas shopping in Henley and many looking for the sort of individual gift that we sell in out markets. Footfall is always slow in Henley at first and this week was no exception, however by late morning there was a steady flow of customers into the event and there was a real buzz inside the hall. Our thanks must go to Richard Williams and his wife who supported Dave so well throughout the day drawing customers into the market in what were not pleasant conditions. We are thankful   that the steady drizzle stopped at 1pm encouraging more people to shop in Henley and make the trip up the High street to the Town Hall. BY the end of the day a footfall of 1033 was achieved, an excellent total for Henley when there is no other outside market present.

 

Many stall holders did extremely well today with a lot of them achieving sales of £200+. A lady selling eco friendly products sold in excess of £400 as did a man selling board games. Our bread knife seller also did particularly well today making some excellent sales throughout the day. We are aware of at least 2 jewellers who sold in excess of £200. Most products seemed to sell very well today including cards and  knitwear and our lady selling Mexican products also achieved in excess of £350. A few stall holders reported not selling much but then told us that they had sold in excess of £200, figures we would consider quite healthy in todays climate. There were one or two stall holders who failed to reach their table fees, though these were very much the exception. This was a good Christmas market with good spending by the citizens of Henley and visitors to Henley. The last hour was especially good today with several stall holders reporting that the sales they made in the last hour almost doubled their sales for the day …… this is typical of our markets at Henley and Thame, and is often caused by people returning from an earlier visit to buy something they have seen in the morning.

 

We look forward with anticipation to our final market of the year at Henley in Mid December. 

Romsey Town Hall 23rd November

A cracker of a market despite poor conditions

 

Romsey has become one of our favourite venues and its reputation has grown very quickly. With 2 excellent markets already at this venue in 2019, we were looking forward to this event. We had to adjust the timing of the market due to the Christmas Light switch on event in Romsey which caused many roads to close at 4.00pm. A steady drizzle throughout the day didn’t help, but there were customers Christmas shopping in Romsey and it was clear that the citizens of Romsey were not to be put off by poor conditions. Stall holders seemed to have listened to our advice not to bring too much stock due to the 2 flights of stairs to the hall, where there is also no lift. The stairs do put off a few customers with buggies or who unable to climb stairs, but most customers make the ascent to the market and once in the hall spend a good long time, sometimes making several laps or circuits of the stalls. By the end of the day, a footfall of 726 had been achieved, which in these weather conditions was better than we had expected.

 

There was a real buzz in the market hall throughout the event. There was a really lovely festive atmosphere which almost all of the stall holders commented on. This tremendous atmosphere really added to the success of the market today, with customers commenting on how lovely the market was. The market was full for most of the day as customers really do spend time in the event after climbing the stairs. We had several new stall holders with us as well as  many of our more experienced ones, and only the minority did not succeed today. One stall holders selling at her first ever market so9ld in excess of £200, and excellent start to a new business. Another stall holders selling clocks and miniatures did so well that they an out of some products, making in excess of £300. One jeweller told us that she had had her best ever market, as did a card seller who simply could not believe how much she sold. A young man selling books he wrote and illustrated by his mother also sold in excess of £250. Several other stall holders reported taking over £200 including one selling gifts in tins and another selling knitted items. For some reason photography did not sell so well today, despite the excellent efforts of our stall holders. Personalised wooden items and a stall selling wooden pens also did extremely well. Although no stall holder reported sales of over £400, the average was certainly between £150 and £200 with only a few stall holders not having a good day.

 

Romsey certainly is a location to watch, with 4 booked for 2020 and many of these 50% booked already, we certainly foresee this new location for us rapidly becoming one of our most popular events.

Godalming Borough Hall 23rd November

Another weather affected market.

 

Godalming can be a very good market at this time of year which is why we still run it in October and November. However it is always a very weather affected location and unfortunately this year we have endured wet rainy grey days on both of our November markets in Godalming. At times today the streets were deserted and there seriously was no point in our event managers standing out in the rain calling out ….there was no one to attract into the markets. With a low footfall of less than 50 customers in the 1st hour, we can not blame our stall holders from being restless and not happy, but  thankfully most understood the situation we were facing. We are not allowed to stand under the Waitrose Canopy as this is private land and all we can do is try to attract the shoppers across the High street and down the High street . With 2 members of staff, one greeting customers at the door and the other working the High street, by the end of the day a footfall of 385 was achieved, a low footfall but not the lowest we have experienced in recent weeks due to the weather conditions. If we could have made it sunny and dry, I can assure you our team would have achieved a much higher figure and the market would have been successful.

 

Despite the conditions however we are glad to know that most stall holders did recover their costs, and although not achieving more may have been disappointing, at times even our Mynt Image staff can not do more. However we are also aware that some stall holders did do very well, including a lady selling bags who achieved in excess of £300. 2 jewellery sellers also reported reaslly good figures though one didn’t do as well as she has in recent weeks.. One man selling wooden achieved in excess of £150. Several other stall holders also reported to us that they had actually, despite the low footfall, had a good day, with many achieving around £100. At this time of year we would expect a lot better, but when there is no potential for customers because there is nobody in town due to the conditions, we are a little stuck. Thankfully though we are glad that spending did not fully reflect the low footfalls and those who did attend did spend quite well.

Guildford Guildhall 22nd/23rd/24th November

Friday - A cold wet day limits the footfall, but some good spending.

 

It rained at various levels in Guildford during the morning, including torrentially at times!! Thankfully by early afternoon, the weather improved slightly despite a very cold wind developing. The streets were very empty at 10am, though thankfully after 11am more people seemed to be out shopping. Despite there being a really festive atmosphere within the market hall, those on the street didn’t really seem to be in a festive mood, perhaps due to the awful weather conditions. By working hard throughout the day, the Mynt team managed to achieve a footfall of 703, quite respectable for a Guildford market on a Friday.

With nasty conditions outside, customers tended to stay within the market for longer than is sometimes the case. This caused some good spending. A lady selling fashion and jewellery sold in excess  of £500 whilst another selling scarves and jewellery sold in excess of £450. Bread knifes also sold well with sales of around £400 whilst another lady selling potted plants and terrariums also did extremely well. One of our resident artists sold over £250 of prints and cards from his upstairs pitch, beating his target.

 

We are at Guildford all weekend for our 1st ever 3 day event at any location. With the weather  looking better for the next 2 days, especially on Sunday, we are expecting some good results from Guildford at this time of year. Guildford remains one of our most popular locations with most spaces at our 2020 markets at Guildford either already sold out or nearly full.   

 

Saturday - Horrible weather conditions again but some good sales

 

Guildford in the rain again is not an inspiring prospect for our Mynt Image workers. There seems to have been nothing but rainy conditions to work in for week, with just a brief interlude last weekend. Today was dull and dismal once more, the sun not being seen all day. A steady drizzle throughout the morning kept shoppers away from the town until late morning and kept footfalls down. With a dry interlude in the afternoon , families and shoppers came out onto the streets, only to be hit once again by heavy rain at just after 3pm. With a damp dull day. There seemed to be little Christmas spirit around. Thankfully with many of our stall holders here for the weekend there was little unloading to be done at the beginning of the day or loading up again at the end of the day in preparation for Sunday. Thankfully we also had a good number fo very experienced stall holders with us who didn’t moan and knew that we were doing all that we could to drum up trade. The morning was slow, though spending good. Thankfully footfall increased in the afternoon, though spending didn’t improve until later in the day when ironically it started raining again. We were however very well satisfied with a final footfall of  1137.

 

A lot of stall holders did very well today including 2 jewellers making in excess of £350 and a lady selling scarves and jewellery who made in excess of £450. These were rivalled by our man selling breadknives and one of our artists who sold in excess of £300. Home made textile products also seemed to sell very well today, with many people buying these for Christmas presents and the stall holders selling them making some excellent profits both upstairs and downstairs. Hand made soaps also sold very well. What was particularly nice to hear was how well our upstairs stall holders had done today. 2 of our upstairs stall holders have confirmed that they have had their best ever markets with Mynt Image in the stunning firt floor hall here.

 

We hope now for a slightly drier day on Sunday as those who weren’t shopping on Saturday due to the conditions should be out spending money.

 

Sunday - Probably the best of our 3 days at Guildford

 

With no rain forecast for once it was a delight to be working at this market. With many of the stall holders leaving their stalls up overnight from the Saturday there was also a very easy smooth start to the day. Sunday at Guildford always starts slowly and today was no exception. We were however optimistic that with a lack of rain, there would soon be shoppers out on the streets, many of whom had not ventured out in the rain of the previous 2 days. We were right and by lunchtimes, customers were streaming into the market. With out team working throughout the day, a good footfall of 1148 was achieved by the end of the day, beating the figure achieved in the 7 hour market on the Saturday. Spending was especially good at the start of the day, despite a slower footfall, but after s aslump just after mid-day picked up well again in the afternoon.

 

Fashion clothing sold especially well in the morning, whilst jewellery seemed to sell well throughout the day. One of our regular scarves and  jewellery sellers sold in excess of £600. An artist and a lady selling fabric and bags did especially well upstairs, both with sales in excess of £250. Upstairs received at least 3/4 of the customers who entered the building though spending upstairs was not as good as it had been on the Saturday …is there a reason? Our lady selling terrariums continued to do well as did our bread knife seller, making some excellent sales. Art and cards also sold really well today as did homewares. Spending was good today and customers really seemed to be in the festive spirit at last and buying for Christmas. We are aware of some stall holders who did not do as well as others, the stall holders who seemed to sell the most being ones who have worked with us throughout the year and developed a good customer base. We would like to encourage stall holders to join the core group who trade with us regularly and take advantage of the good performance of markets like Guildford, Romsey and Witney throughout the entire year, not just at Christmas.

 

It should be noted that several stall holders who traded on all 3 days this weekend managed to sell at least £1500 of stock with at least 2 selling around £2000. Not a bad return for 3 days hard work.  

Salisbury Guildhall 22nd/24th November

Friday - A disappointing footfall for the time of year

 

With just a few weekend to go before Christmas, we expect a good footfall at this time of year, especially since the Salisbury Christmas lights were turned on on the 21st. But with the Salisbury Christmas fair still a long way from opening and once again, very poor weather, there were unfortunately very few people in Salisbury shopping on the Friday. The weather was damp and it rained steadily throughout much of the day, only easing off in mid afternoon (so much for the occasional shower!!) It was cold and grey and most sensible people seriously would not be out shopping on such a day. The Mynt team survived the weather and despite an incredibly slow first hour, managed a footfall of 609, very poor for the time of year.

 

Spending however did not reflect the footfall. The spend per person entering the building was far in excess of what was expected, and what we would have expected at this time of year when people are really starting to buy for Christmas. The best seller today was bread knives, selling a good number and achieving around £400. Glass also sold well, as did photographic equipment, both stall holders making in excess of £200. Most stall holders seemed to make either just under or just over the £100 mark with several near £150. We are aware of 2 stall holders who failed to make their table fees.

This was not an easy market for beginners, and it was noticeably, those who have worked with us throughout the year who did the best and not those who have simply booked for the Christmas season. Selling in markets today is not as simple as it used to be  and Mynt Image will be offering all stall holders for 2020 a help sheet to enable them to maximise their selling with tips from our most successful stall holders.

 

Sunday - A good footfall leads to good sales for some   ….. but not all.

 

This was the first dry day of the weekend and it made a tremendous difference to the amount of people in Salisbury today. When we were graced by some blue sky, the streets suddenly became crowded with potential customers. With the Salisbury Christmas market still not up and running and the ice rink still not built, there were a good number of disappointed members of the public looking for somewhere to go to buy Christmas gifts and spend some time. We were glad to offer the  wonderfully presented stalls within our market as an alternative. By the end of the day we had achieved a good footfall of 1076 customers.

 

Customers were relatively tight with their money today and some stall holders had a difficult day. However we are not aware of any stall holders who did not achieve their table fees. Excelling today was an artist selling in excess of £1000 of art and having an excellent day with the good footfall. Our breadknife man and one of our glass sellers also sold in excess of £500 each. We are aware of at least 3 other stall holders selling just below £200, whilst several others achieved  between £80 and £100. A large footfall like this at this time of year should have created much better sales for the majority of people and we can only out it down to the market being at the end of the month and people being short of money as to the main reason better sales were not achieved . Once people have been paid, we look for better sales at our Salisbury markets in early December especially when the street market

will also be up and running.

Salisbury Guildhall 16th November

A huge Pre-Christmas footfall and some excellent sales despite the lack of Salisbury Christmas Fair yet.

 

It was a beautiful clear cold day at Salisbury with cloud not rolling in until after 2pm. This was totally different from what we have endured throughout October and November and we were glad to be able to leave our rain clothes off!! The streets of Salisbury were busy right from the start with ahuge number of both locals and visitors clearly in Salisbury for Christmas shopping. We were asked several times during the day where Salisbury Christmas market was and after informing them that it wasn’t on yet, many disappointed customers were cheered up by being able to come into our Craft and Gift market. The square outside the Guildhall was really busy today and a real focal point in Salisbury. SAAFA (army charity) were present with a good umber of ‘rally cars’ raining money for Saafa. They cars were joined during the late morning by some ‘star war’ actors and later in the afternoon by an excellent live singing duo. With all of this activity in the square and the Mynt team calling people into the market, this square really was vibrant and attracting passers by. At 4pm, the Mynt team achieved a very impressive footfall of 2003, especially impressive considering the Christmas market was not yet present.

 

With such a huge footfall, spending had to be good, and for many it really was excellent. One lady selling glass sold in excess of £700, whilst another stall selling glass ware and cards so9ld around the £500 mark. A man selling wooden pens sold in excess of £250 , whilst 2 jewellery sellers made in excess of £300. One regular artist also sold in excess of £300 as did 2 ladies selling teddies and fabric gifts and a photographer selling cards and prints. What was impressive today however was that there was very little ‘bottom end’ regarding sales, most stall holders achieving over the £100 and as far as we are aware only 1 failing to achieve the table costs. Of particular note was a young family selling their own children’s books where the son writes the text and the mother illustrates them. Between them they sold in excess of £250 of books, which for an 11 year old boy is quite spectacular!!! Spending seemed to be best around lunchtime which is also unusual for Salisbury, though as is often the case the last hour was best for many.

 

We have many more markets booked this year still at Salisbury throughout the Christmas period. If we can achieve such a large footfall this length of time before Christmas, just what will our footfall and spending be like as the Christmas season continues? 

Witney Corn Exchange 16th November

The best footfall at Witney this year (so far!) leads to some very good sales

 

To work in dry conditions has been an exception this autumn/winter, as every Saturday we have been plagued by torrential rain which has affected sales greatly. Today thankfully was different. Setting up the event was a little more hectic than usual due to the hall owners not having informed us that the stage was up and we would be using the large lobby/foyer area as well as the main hall. Once we had adjusted the plans however, the use of the lobby/foyer area worked very well and this is an area we would look to use again if at all possible as it creates such a welcoming atmosphere for customers. The Mynt team enjoyed working in the dry but cold conditions and there were certainly plenty of people on the streets actively shopping for Christmas who enjoyed visiting the Craft market. By the end of the day we had achieved an impressive footfall of 1303.

 

Spending was relatively good by the customers who were clearly starting to take Christmas seriously now. At times the hall was packed with customers, especially around the stalls where the stallholders were actively selling their products. Some good figures were achieved with our bread knife man making around the £1000 mark. One jewellery and clothes seller achieved almost £500 whilst another regular jeweller achieved in excess of £500 …. Jewellery was certainly in demand today!! Another couple selling South African products also sold in excess of £300. Most stall holders achieved at least £100 but as usual there was a minority who did not recoup their table costs. Money was there to be taken however, as many stall holders demonstrated, showing just how good a location Witney is.

 

With 2 more markets, both fully booked, to run in 2019 at Witney, we look forward to some excellent footfalls and sales figures in the next 4 weeks. Before Christmas.

Cranleigh Village Hall 16th November

Cranleigh competes with Whitney and Salisbury for sales despite a much lower footfall

 

This was the first non-rainy day we have worked for almost a month. This was also our last market at Cranleigh for 2019. We had booked the market to coincide with the switching on of Cranleigh Christmas lights, just as we have done in the past with some success. There were today noticeably fewer people than normal shopping in Cranleigh, though at around 3pm the numbers suddenly swelled as people turned up for the lighting event. This caused a late brief escalation of numbers of customers. By the end of the day a footfall of 457 was achieved. The site of a Christmas Elf getting customers into the market is one many customers and stall holders will remember …. Thanks Dave for your early Christmas spirit.

 

Cranleigh yet again proved that despite lower footfalls, it can easily compete with Salisbury and Witney when it comes to spending. This was true especially at the top end of the spending where a jeweller  achieved over £600 and a man selling garden items, over £700. Another lady selling bags and scarves in the lobby area achieved over £450 whilst a lady selling Mexican goods achieved over £300. We are also aware of an artist selling in excess of £300 and a bookseller selling £250 as well as several other stall holders achieving over £200. Most stall holders achieved between £80 and £120, though unfortunately we are aware of one or two who did not achieve their table costs. These figures compare very favourably with the top end spending at both Salisbury and Witney on the same day.

 

We look forward to working at Cranleigh once more in 2019 for our 7th year at this location.

Winchester Guildhall 9th November

A really good footfall despite awful conditions

 

Just as at Marlborough, the rain started late morning and didn’t ease off at all during the day. Winchester markets are often badly affected by rain as we rely on shoppers using both the car parks and the Park and Rides who have to walk past The Guild Hall. But today, our 2 staff members worked outside tirelessly, getting soaked to the skin in the process and achieved a good footfall of 1036 customers.

 

This was our 1st market this year in the larger Bapsy Hall at the Guildhall. We move into tis larger hall in November and December to allow more customers into the market safely and to allow more stall holders to exhibit their products in what is always a busy part of the year. The venue was fully booked for several months with many of our regulars being joined by several stall holders who just join us at Christmas …which is a pity as they miss out on the very good summer markets. With a 1000+ footfall, the hall had a continual stream of customers, and some of the stall holders did very well indeed. One lady selling brightly coloured Mexican products sold in excess of £400 whilst one of our regular artists also managed to achieve £350+. We are aware of 3 other stall holders who achieved over £250 and another who achieved £300+ with yet more achieving £200. As at every market there were those who did not do so well, and it is always those who stand all day and actively work to sell their products who do the best, as our regular stall holders know.

Customers were buying for Christmas, that is for sure. But as is often the case when it is raining and dark and gloomy, spending is never as good as when the sun is out and people are in a more positive mood. With just 2 markets remaining at Winchester this year in the peak Christmas season, we expect even better from this market ….but what a good start despite the awful weather and thanks to the team who are still drying out their socks!

Thame Town Hall 9th November

Wet conditions, but still some good sales

 

The wet weather hit Thame later in the day than at Marlborough and Winchester as the wet weather swung in from the west.  With a bright start to the day, there were many people out shopping early in Thame, possibly trying to get home before the wet weather hit. Thame usually has a slow start, but today achieved almost 100 customers in the 1st hour. However once the rain hit at 12.30 day, the footfall slowed dramatically and by the end of the day, despite Dave and George’s efforts in the terrible conditions, a footfall of  362 was achieved. Thanks fully unloading and unloading are so close to the building at Thame, stall holders were not as affected by the wet conditions as they might have been at other venues.

 

As with all of our markets from October to December, this event had been fully booked for many months. The hall is not a large one and simply looked excellent with many innovative displays and stall holders really using their spaces to the maximum. It was a little cramped in places but we managed to  give most stall holders the room they needed to effectively sell their products. One stall holder wrote to us within hours of the market finishing ‘My heart went out to them (Mynt Staff) as they got so cold and very wet. I sold £333 today which was more than I anticipated so I am very pleased.’ Spending was not at all poor considering the awful conditions and the lower than anticipated footfall. One lady selling lavender based ‘warming’ products did very well throughout the day, possibly aided by the cold wet conditions. Most stall holders reported selling around the £100 mark with most covering their costs despite atrocious conditions. As at all of our events this year, those who proactively sold their products did far better than those who sat behind their stalls. It really is necessary to learn and practice sales skills in these times when money does seem to be shorter in supply and less freely spent.

Marlborough Town Hall 9th November

Terrible conditions but some good sales

 

This was our third week of wet conditions. With very little wind to move the clouds, the rain lingered from 11am right through to the end of the day, with torrential downpours at times. It became so dark and gloomy that the street lights came on at 11.15am. However our Mynt team worked out in the awful conditions throughout the day, Sue taking walks down the High Street to attract people from the other end of Marlborough and Paul proclaiming about the market from the top of the steps throughout the day. Despite the worst conditions yet this year, we managed to attract a footfall of 398 customers, low, but acceptable. There was however never a time when there were no customers in the event because the customers who did come in spent as long as they possibly could in the event, not wanting to leave the warm dry environment of the hall. This did affect the spending in a positive manner.

 

The hall did look very good today with plenty of height to the stalls. There was also a good Christmas atmosphere to the event with several stalls selling Christmas items or going ‘all out’ for Christmas. We had several cancellations before the event and on the day itself 2 stall holders failed to show up. This gave additional room for some stalls and meant that we had only one jeweller at the event who clearly did very well making over £150.00. Top sales went to one artist who attended with sales of £450+. Woodwork also sold well with sales in excess of £200. Most stalls sold between £100 and £150 and we are not aware of any who did not achieve the table fees. There was an excellent positive atmosphere in the market at all times and we have already had not only thanks for the effort we put in despite the terrible conditions, but also 2 stall holders asking for any other markets that are available this season.

 

Christmas spending was certainly happening, and despite a lower than average footfall most stall holders were delighted with what they achieved considering the conditions.

Banbury Town Hall 2nd November

Wet, windy conditions make this a tough market

 

We always look forward to the start of November as this is when markets often start to have excellent footfalls with customers buying for Christmas. With August and September bringing such excellent sales to our markets we were hoping for a lot this year. Unfortunately with the latest storm sweeping in from the Atlantic, the Banbury market was hit hard this weekend. Stall holders had to unload in pouring rain and with grey heavy skies overhead, the rain didn’t look like it was going to stop. However a strong wind helped move the cloud quicker than expected and the weather improved greatly around midday. The other factor which hit us today was the England rugby final. With over 12 million people watching it in the UK, I can assure you that many of them were regular customers at this market and regular shoppers to Banbury. The streets were deserted until the final was over, but thankfully the situation improved a little in the afternoon with customers starting to appear. BY working hard we managed to achieve a footfall of  247, not high by any means, but enough to create some sales.

 

Spending didn’t seem to be as poor as we feared with many stall holders taking around the £100 mark. This is lower than we would expect at this time of year, but in our eyes acceptable.. Unfortunately not all stall holders managed to cover costs . Despite this there was a really positive atmosphere within the market and we have already had one stall holder asking for cancellations at our final Banbury market later this month. Other stall holders commented on really looking forward to the next market in November.

With better weather conditions and without the competition from the World Cup Rugby, we believe that the market at the end of November could be very successful

Godalming Borough Hall 2nd November

Circumstances affect the market.

 

This was the 2nd weekend in a row when the weat5her was awful. Heavy rain and very strong gusts of wind until midday caused there to be very few people on the streets. Then there was the Rugby Cup final of England against Souith Africa with everyone suddenly becoming an avid rugby supporter. Due to the rugby game the streets were really deserted until 11.30am. However we knew that as at our markets last week, once the rugby game was over, then families would start to appear on the streets once more. Despite working hard in the torrential rain with a river running down the High Street we only managed to attract a total of 7 customers into the market before 10.30am …this was a disaster. However we persevered and just as the previous weekend, customers started to appear in the afternoon. At the end of the market we had managed to achieve a footfall of 444 customers, down on October, but thankfully still reasonable when considering the conditions

 

We had many new stallholders with us this month at Godalming, many who had never been with us before.  There were several stalls who had purely Christmas stock and unfortunately it seemed too early for Christmas for many of our customers…….. this is possibly why we run markets throughout the year and NOT just at this season as having purely Christmas stock is very risky. The stalls looked good and there was a good festive atmosphere in the hall, though as earlier comment, perhaps this was a little too early still. Stall holders did seem to understand that we were doing all that we could and we received few adverse comments regarding the smaller footfall. We got several thankyous from stall holders who had seen us working outside in the horrible conditions and couldn’t believe the efforts we were making. Sales were lower than last year at this time, mostly due to the conditions and the rugby match. One artist did manage to achieve sales of £250+ and the RSPB managed to sign up 3 new members to draw in a substantial sum. Several jewellers made over the £100 and 2 young ladies selling fabric based products sold around the £150 mark. Most stall holders reported making their table fees and making a small profit.

In such difficult conditions we were pleased that only a few stall holders had not achieved their table fees. All stall holders seemed to understand that we had done pour absolute best in the circumstances and there were few moans due to the good atmosphere in the market at all times. 

Lymington Masonic Hall 26th October

A wet and windy day from the start, but still successful for most

 

The weather today was awful from the start. Thankfully most stall holders managed to get their possessions and equipment into the hall before the weather fully broke. Relentless driven rain for most of the day meant that there were few people in the town right from the start. The England rugby game also kept numbers down especially in a ‘British’ town such as Henley, whilst a ukulele band playing to start the town’s poppy appeal also did not help unfortunately. At the end of the 1st hour we had only managed 37 customers. We were concerned, but needn’t have been. With one of our team working at the crossroads at the bottom of the high street where there was absolutely no shelter, and the rugby game finishing, customers started slowly appearing. The weather got worse during the day, but the team kept working despite the awful conditions and managed to achieve a very creditable footfall of 562 customers, as well as very wet feet and legs!

 

The good thing about the conditions was that many customers spent a long time inside the building, enjoying the warm dry environment before escaping once more into the wind driven rain. Spending was good, especially after midday with some really good totals being created. In demand today was jewellery with one silver jeweller making in excess of £500 and another selling beaded jewellery making £350+. Another stall selling bags, scarves and socks achieved around the £300 as did a stall selling ‘cut books’ scarves and fabric homewares. Indian cookery books sold quite well, whilst our card seller (Flamingo Paperie) sold around the £200 mark. One stall holder selling ‘giant knitting’ sold nothing until the last hour when she sold one of her largest items for £175, proving as we often say that the best sales often come at the end. Several customers who had visited in the morning returned in the afternoon , after lunch, to buy items they had seen in the morning and one customer returned 3 times as they simply had to buy more. Most stall holders sold in excess of £100 and there were no moans with a delightfully supportive atmosphere throughout the day for both each other and towards the soaked Mynt team. Most reported being rather worried by the poor footfall in the 1st hour, but grateful that spending and customer numbers had improved throughout the day.

 

Mynt Image can not do anything about the weather, but we demonstrated at this market and at Lymington that  we don’t give up no matter what. Our marketing method, with a good presence on the day, works in most conditions. Yet again it was the end of the day which produced the best results and those stall holders who remained actively selling until the stroke of 4pm sold the most.

We look forward to our final 2 markets of the year at Henley.

Lymington Masonic Hall 26th October

Rain and wind make this a difficult but prosperous  market for most.

 

The forecast today was not good, but despite this we had no cancellations, stall holders wanting to make use of the start of the real Christmas season. This market had been fully booked for  several months as most of our Lymington markets always are. Set up was easy for stall holders as they all managed to park in the grounds of the masonic Hall giving them level access to excellent location. Once set up, the hall looked fantastic today with a great deal of height to many of the stalls. Our stall holders really do create some excellent stalls, which would  easily out compete those of many I larger shows. The first hour was relatively quiet, clearly due to the England rugby game against  New Zealand. As soon as the rugby finished, families and shoppers came out onto the streets …. However this was also the time that the rain started. It was n’t pleasant working in wet and windy conditions for most of the day but we did manage a good footfall of 786 by the end of the day, with a constant stream of customers throughout the day.

 

Spending today was good. There may have been less customers than sometimes, but this did not reflect in the spending. One lady selling glass sold nearly £500, whilst a lady selling bags achieved over £250. A couple selling candles and lamps also did very well reaching over £300. Most jewellery sellers did very well and jewellery was in demand far more than it has been recently at Lymington. Art also seemed to be selling well. Although this sort of weather clearly adversely affects footfall, this market showed that Christmas is certainly here, with most customers buying presents for people other than themselves. Once again though it has to be said that those who stood and actively sold their products, did far better than those who waited for business. 

Cranleigh Village Hall 19th October

This event showed just why we continue to run events at Cranleigh …a real success.

 

The sky was bright blue for most of the day with no sign of rain. This was the first dry day for several weeks and the public was making the most of the dry weather, many spending several hours shopping in Cranleigh. Cranleigh is most successful when the more mature ‘grey haired’ ladies and men are out shopping, and today they were out in force. The Mynt Image staff worked tirelessly throughout the day, but were aided by the display of garden objects outside the hall designed by one stall holder, which really were eye catching and attracted the public. Cranleigh is one of those markets where footfall is greatest in the morning but really dies in the afternoon …. Not so today, with a continuous stream of customers throughout the day. What many stall holders did notice however was the many customers who browsed in the morning and then came back in the afternoon to spend. This market also proved that you don’t need a huge footfall to create good sales, what is important is quality …and quality buyers were out in force today. By the end of the day a Cranleigh record footfall for the year had been achieved of 670 customers.

 

Spending was slow in the morning, especially in the first hour when there were so many browsers around. We needn’t have worried however as spending improved amazingly during the day. We had many new stall holders with us as well as several newcomers, many of whom have stated that they want to book with us again due to the sales they made. This market certainly increased the Mynt Image fan club.  We are aware of one jeweller who sold over £500 whilst another alternative jewellery maker on her 2nd ever market sold in excess of £140. Jewellery goes down well at Cranleigh. One of our glass sellers also made in excess of £400, whilst the other glass seller on her first market with us, made around the £200 mark. A lady in the foyer selling bags achieved around the £300 level whilst  another lady on the stage selling ‘cut books’ and clothing soled in excess of £250. Our gentleman selling garden objects sold between £300 and £400 as well as helping us achieve this excellent footfall …thanks Bill. These are excellent figures considering the footfall, which although good for Cranleigh was still smaller than many of our venues. Most stall holders seemed to have made around the £100 level, though we are aware of one who didn’t cover their table costs. As we continually say, those who actively stand and engage with customers sell the most and today this was without doubt the case. One stall holder came to thank us for suggesting she change tactics when we saw her at lunchtime …. She did all of her sales in the afternoon!!!!

Winchester Guildhall 19th October

The best market at Winchester this year ….so far!!!!

 

It was a bright sunny day at Winchester, though perhaps a little cold at times. The public were clearly glad to be free of the wet windy weather that has besieged us for the last 2 weeks and were out in force to shop in the dryer conditions. The hall we use was fully booked as were our other 2 events this weekend, and looked terrific with a mixture of our regular Winchester stall holders and some new faces wanting to join us for the Pre-Christmas and Christmas season. The Mynt team worked really hard throughout the day, one member of the team working with us for the 1st time and at the end of the day had managed to attract more than 950 customers into the building. However we have heard from stall holders that they believe the footfall to be far higher due to customers who came into the craft market from other events that were taking place in the building and from the café. Overall though, this was certainly our best footfall this year and showed a promise of things to come.

 

Sales were good for most today and we are only aware of 2 stall holders who failed to meet their table costs, most making some really good money. One jeweller and scarf seller made in excess of £500 as did one of the artists. One of our other regular artists sold work in excess of £300 as well, making art possibly the best seller of the day, something which seems to be a trend at Winchester. We are also aware of another jeweller who did extremely well today. Average sales were over the £100 mark and most stall holders seemed to be very happy with the event indeed. This was the last event of ours this year in the smaller hall of the Guildhall, all future events in 2019 being in the larger Bapsy Hall as Christmas approaches. Our events here are fully booked for the rest of the year due to the successful reputation of our Christmas Winchester events.

Witney Corn Exchange 19th October

Good sales for pro-active stallholders.

 

It was a lovely dry day, though a little cold especially when the breeze increased. We had use of the entrance foyer on this occasion as the owners of the building wanted to use the ‘stage area’ in the main hall. This additional area proved very beneficial for some. The stalls did look really good with a great deal of height. This was the first market that George has run by himself since his major broken leg, but the level ground of the venue proved an excellent venue for him to get back into event running.. Footfall started well, with good numbers in the morning. When the sun came out in the afternoon, there was a bit of a mad rush with the final total of stall holders being 926, a really good footfall for Witney.

 

Spending today, was mixed, though those who were the most proactive actually sold the most just as they do at most of our markets. Spending before lunch was slow but improved greatly in the afternoon. There was money to be taken, but stall holders really had to work for it. It was also interesting to see that no particular category of items sold better than another. We are aware that one jeweller took £500+, an excellent figure. A stall holder selling candles and lamps made in excess of £300. However pride of place must go to a card seller who made more than £100 in a 20 minutes spell in the afternoon, ending up with nearly £300 in sales.. We are also aware of a lady selling brightly coloured bags who sold in excess of £300 and spent the whole day standing up, actively selling her products.

 

This was a good Witney market for most stall holders, though we are aware of some who didn’t do too well. It seems that stall holders either did excellently or very poorly, with few in between. As continues to be demonstrated at this autumns pre-Christmas markets, if you are active and can sell, then you can do very well at our markets.

Thame Town Hall 12th October

A tough day, though persistence pays off.

 

The day was grey and wet and there were few potential customers on the streets of Thame at the start of the day. There was a yearly fun fair in the town which later on in the day had the affect of bringing families into the town for a while. The fair, being in a car park also caused congestion at the Town hall end of the town which helped our footfall. In the morning the people of Thame had their heads down and were scurrying between shops making it hard to get their attention. Thankfully the drizzle and rain cleared after 1pm and there was a good influx of customers to the market, several being visitors to Thame itself. A respectable footfall of 546 was achieved despite the conditions.

 

We did have our regulars at Thame today and it is always good to see familiar faces. There is always such a good atmosphere in this hall, despite the hall being a little more cramped in this early Christmas season. We are told that our free tea and coffee throughout the day help the atmosphere a lot. Spending was odd today and not as good as usual. Stall holders really did have to sell hard and be active in the selling today. It was noticeable that many customers were spending almost an hour in the event partly due to long conversations with stall holders. As usual we had our new stall holders at Thame, one of them, from Usborne books, achieving the best sales today and exceeding £200. One woodworker also did very well and sold a good number of chopping boards. Most stall holders however seemed to achieve between £80 and £150. One artist also did well today with some good sales of both prints and cards.  The spending today seemed to be  strangely  distributed far more evenly than usual between stall holders with no extremely high figures and all but two stall holders achieving their table fees.

 

With just 2 more markets here this year, in the Christmas season we are looking forward to our November and December Thame events.

Godalming Borough Hall 12th October

A great start to our short season in Godalming.

 

We only run our Godalming markets in October and November as we have found these months to be by far the best in this Surrey Town location. This was our first event of 3 that we are running here this year, all fully booked. The weather was grey to start the day and it started to ‘drip’ with rain soon into the market. However there were a lot of customers looking for Christmas presents and gifts for people around, and many made use of the market with almost 500 customers being achieved by 2.00pm. We thought that we were on for a really great total, possibly the highest ever in Godalming. However then, as in other venues , the rain started and the streets emptied. BY the end of the day we achieved a footfall of around 580 customers, a very respectable figure at any market.

 

  As at most of our events we had a good mix of regular stall holders and stall holders who were new to us. Several stall holders had been with us for other events but were trying Godalming for the 1st time, and some of these were not disappointed with their choice of events. Spending today by customers at Godalming was good, especially in the first 4 hours  We are aware of one jeweller who almost achieved sales of £700 including several very large sales. One artist exceeded his target and sold over £350 of cards and prints. A couple selling candles and lanterns did in excess of £350 whilst  a lady selling terrariums also achieved in excess of £300. We are aware of several other stall holders who achieved between £150 and £200, which with the footfall we achieved made the spending per customer at the event, very good indeed. As usual there were those who did not do so well at the event despite the success of others. At events such as Godalming it really is important to actively sell products and generally today we can say that those who stood and engaged with customers achieved the greatest success.  We look forward to our markets at Godalming in November when Christmas spending should be even better and hopefully it may be a little dryer.

Salisbury Guildhall 12th October

‘Rain Stops Play’

 

A miserable grey start to the day, though rain was forecast for much of the day. We had picked the same day as one of the regular teenage markets which are held in the square, but with a row of gazebos just a few meters away from the hall, and facing away from the hall, we were not  expecting this market to greatly assist us. Unfortunately, the weather really killed both the teenage market, the regular large street market and our own event. Once the rain started, it rarely relented throughout the day and despite the efforts of the Mynt Image team, who got totally soaked, a poor footfall of 646 customers was achieved.

 

Despite a poor footfall, the Mynt team actually found it easy to get the customers who were around into the event …the pouring rain outside could have been an assistance here. With the street market closing early and the teenage market only being busy when there were dance acts displaying and being watched by reluctant soaked parents, we were not the only events to be weather affected ….. but at least we had dry stall holders!

The banqueting hall looked stunning today, the quality of our stalls continues to improve every year. There was loads of height to the stalls as well as lots of innovative ideas. We had a good mix of  stall holders who are with us each month and stall holders who were totally new to our events. Spending today was not good, the wet weather and gloomy conditions always seem to adversely affect spending. The highest figures stall holders seemed to reach today were between £150 and £200, far below our markets in recent months. It really was a tough day for spending, the customers seemed to have forgotten about Christmas especially when spending had been so good in August and September. Thankfully stall holders did seem to understand why we could have done no more than we did, the weather was just so poor. With Christmas markets starting in November at all of our venues, we look forward to spending equal to or better than that of August and September which have so far been our best months this year in Salisbury.

Lymington Masonic Hall 28th September

An incredible footfall to start the Christmas season

 

Last year it had been late August which provided a bumper footfall here in Lymington, but this year it was late September. The day was relatively warm, thou8gh cloudy and grey for most part with the sun breaking through at times. The event was totally sold out and had been for several months, stall holders keen to book their place at the start of our Christmas season events at Lymington. Aaron ran the event with the help of ‘Dave’ who proved to be an excellent addition to the team. The visitors to Lymington seemed very keen to come into the event today and needed little persuasion. After a relatively slow start at 10.00 the flood gates soon opened with small queues at ti9me to get into the venue. And the flow of customers didn’t stop all day with a massive total of 1302 being achieved by 4pm when the event closed.

 

The stalls were a real mix of those who had worked with us all year and those who were either simply new to Mynt Image or who had joined us for the start of the Christmas season. The Lymington events are now fully booked for the year and have been since June, so it is important to book early now for what is becoming a very popular venue. The customers bought well throughout the day. One glass seller achieved a very impressive £600+ whilst one of o0ur candle sellers also achieved impressive sales. Most stall holders achieved over £100 with many achieving closer to the £200 . Almost all stall holders reported doing really very well, with some good Christmas spending. One stall holder commented that it was so busy at one point that they thought we’d directed a bus/coach into the event. Our regular bag seller also reported doing very well.

 

Lymington is rapidly becoming one of our most regular markets with good sales throughout the year. Spring in Lymington brings in the local trade, whilst summer brings in huge numbers of tourists and autumn the Christmas shoppers. Being such a good all year round venue, it is no wonder that spaces for these events are now in such high demand.

Salisbury Guildhall 21st September

An excellent footfall delivers good sales for many

 

It was a really sunny day in Salisbury and the streets were busy with people making use of the late summer sun. There was a large event run by Wiltshire Wildlife in the square adjacent to the GuildHall and this drew  far more people into the area adjacent to the Guildhall. With such a large attraction running there were plenty of potential customers around. It was especially good to see many more mature couples enjoying the Wildlife event as these tend to be prime customers for our markets. By working outside the entrance to the main marquee just at the bottom of the Guildhall steps throughout the day, Paul managed to attract an impressive footfall of 1356 customers into the Craft and Gift market. There were at times small queues trying to get into the hall, and this gave us time to talk to stall holders and make sure things were going well. Paul wants to thank those who provided him with tea during the day so that he could keep going for the 6 hours.

 

Spending was quite slow in the morning and there seemed to be a lot of browsers around. We had a good mix of stall holders with our core group of Salisbury stall holders as well as several who had not worked with Mynt Image before. This is a spacious hall and the stalls did look extremely attractive today with some excellent displays. In the afternoon, spending picked up a lot and some impressive figures were achieved. Our 2 fused glass sellers did extremely well today with one achieving £750+ and another around £400 (aided by a sale of cards). Ceramics did well and cards sold almost £300, Advent Calendars and Christmas cards being the core part of the sales. Customers really were looking for Christmas presents today and it is clear that many people will be giving art inspired gi9fts as our artists seemed to do well, one achieving £300 . Crochet items and sewn items also seemed to go down very well and it was interesting to note that warm wooley hats sold well … A sign of colder days ahead no doubt. For a change, jewellery was not the best seller today, although several did well. All in all this was a very good market for many with an excellent atmosphere.

Banbury Town Hall 21st September

Our 1st of the season for Banbury works well form many

 

Banbury is one of those locations with an enormous amount of potential. It is located in an amazing position overlooking the entrance to the modern well used shopping centre and adjacent to the ancient heart of Banbury town. This Saturday was a brilliant almost cloudless day in Banbury with not a chance of rain. For September the temperature was  very high making this an excellent day for those seeking late summer sun. Banbury was busy at times and by utilising both entrances well, as well as roaming into the old town, out brilliant team of Dave and Dave managed to  create a really good Banbury footfall of 549 customers

 

We had many Banbury regulars with us today as well as several new stall holders trying it for the 1st time. One new stall holder has already commented how much they enjoyed the market and appreciated the efforts of the Dave and Dave in assisting them into the hall and getting in so many customers. Our lady selling Mexican goods managed to achieve £200+ whilst a lady selling aromatic lavender pillows managed to achieve over £189. A lady selling painted ‘seaglass’ managed ro sell over £200 whilst  one of our jewellers achieved £170 too. Most stall holders seemed to be very6t happy with the market and we have already been thanked for  the lovely atmosphere within the hall.

 

We are as usual aware that some stall holders did not do so well, though most covered their table costs. People seemed to be looking for smaller items today rather than larger expensive items. 

Marlborough Town Hall 21st September

A slow start but due to some assistance from a stall holder, a really good finish

 

Marlborough was bathed in glorious sun shine. For late September this was a glorious day. There were relatively few people on the High Street despite the warm temperatures. Marlborough is often a slow start but 150 in 2 hours is exceptionally poor. With Aaron trying his hardest to cover the area, he was joined by one of our stall holders who worked hard outside for the rest of the day. At 4.00pm a very good footfall of 840 had been achieved, our highest for Marlborough this year

 

Spending was  good especially in the afternoon. One artist managed to achieve in excess of £850 whilst another artist with colourful art also did very well. Marlborough does this year seem to be a very good place for art (Alongside Hungerford). A stall holder selling fashion also did well. Those people who actively sold their products  and stood and engaged with customers seemed to do the best as is often the case at our markets. Candles and lamps also sold very well today, a sign of the looming darker nights and Christmas season perhaps. This was an average Marlborough market and we have clearly seen better spending at this location

A slow start developed into a cracking day!

 

Hardly a cloud in the sky to start the day, gorgeous sun and only a light breeze made for perfect September weather, Winchester always seems to have a much greater atmosphere when the weather is good so we were looking forward to a good day, Set up was simple, we were a few tables shorter than usual this weekend due to various last minute cancellations so unloading was smooth and the extra space for everyone was utilised superbly creating a perfect vibe for custoemr walking into. 

 

Unfortunately the day started slow in terms of footfall, by about midday the team were worried for a disappointing result but dug deep, kept pushing and then sat back over the afternoon as out of no where custoemrs seemed to flow freely. Many customer who walked by came back later on and the afternoon was nice and busy. We managed a total 962 through the door, the highest of the eyar here and the spending was good to follow. Only one or two did not have a great day with most selling incredibly well. Overwhelemed with thanks at the end of the event we didnt actually get a good overview of sales figures but the happy faces said enough. 

 

Winchester showed what its capable of after a handful of more difficult events here proving the is good money to be made outside of the christmas period. All in all a great day in the sun.

Winchester Guildhall 14th September

A slow start developed into a cracking day!

 

Hardly a cloud in the sky to start the day, gorgeous sun and only a light breeze made for perfect September weather, Winchester always seems to have a much greater atmosphere when the weather is good so we were looking forward to a good day, Set up was simple, we were a few tables shorter than usual this weekend due to various last minute cancellations so unloading was smooth and the extra space for everyone was utilised superbly creating a perfect vibe for custoemr walking into. 

 

Unfortunately the day started slow in terms of footfall, by about midday the team were worried for a disappointing result but dug deep, kept pushing and then sat back over the afternoon as out of no where custoemrs seemed to flow freely. Many customer who walked by came back later on and the afternoon was nice and busy. We managed a total 962 through the door, the highest of the eyar here and the spending was good to follow. Only one or two did not have a great day with most selling incredibly well. Overwhelemed with thanks at the end of the event we didnt actually get a good overview of sales figures but the happy faces said enough. 

 

Winchester showed what its capable of after a handful of more difficult events here proving the is good money to be made outside of the christmas period. All in all a great day in the sun.

Cranleigh Village Hall 14th September

Cranleigh proves once more that large footfalls are not needed for good sales.

 

Cranleigh is a delightful market, and although footfall can be slow and relatively low, the results from this market are often very good for many. Todays market was a typical Cranleigh market.

It was a beautiful sunny day at Cranleigh and the more mature people of Cranleigh were certainly out shopping. The morning was relatively busy with almost 250 achieved by 1.00. By the end of the day a footfall of 368 was achieved. As is often the case, the last hour proved especially profitable.

 

Spending however was very good and did not reflect the footfall with almost £3000 being spent in the market today. One lady selling gardening equipment achieved £300+ whilst another man selling recycled and wooden garden items sold £400+. It proves certainly that if you have the right products for a semi-rural community you can do very well at Cranleigh. A couple selling Mexican goods sold £250+ and Indian handcrafts also sold £150+. Woodwork, as in Henley today sold well with a woodworker achieving between £175 and £200. Jewellery was disappointing today, which is unusual for Cranleigh. Books sold relatively well throughout the day.

 

There was an excellent atmosphere in the market at all times and most stall holders reported being very happy with the day despite not hitting the £100 mark. We are also aware of 2 stall holders who did not achieve their table costs. We have already received requests from stall holders from this event for future bookings both at Cranleigh as well as other events.

Henley Town Hall 14th September

A good Pre-Christmas market for most

 

The weather was sunny throughout the day. There were plenty of potential customers around, but mostly at the cross roads further down the Highstreet, so we sent a Mynt Image staff member to work there throughout the day. The tactics were successful and it wasn’t long before customers were coming up the hill to the market. There was a steady 100 customers each hour until 3.00pm when we had a sudden rush of over 100 customers in 20 minutes. At the end of the day, despite quiet streets throughout the day, a creditable total of 670 customers were recorded

 

The market looked particularly impressive today with a mixture of seasoned Mynt Image regulars and several stall holders trying us for the 1st time. We love having new stall holders with us, especially when most of them do as well as many of them did today. Spending was good, considering the footfall with one jeweller achieving 400+ and another almost £200. A lady selling skincare products also achieved £300+. Wooden items went down very well today too, with a good sized wooden clock selling for one woodworker who was with us for the 1st time. Another woodworker sold several pens, whilst another who had imported some wooden toys also did very well. Art was disappointing today. Cards and especially advent Calendars sold very well in the afternoon after a disappointingly slow morning. We are aware of 2 stall holders who did not make their table costs, but average was between £100 and £150.

 

Christmas was definitely on people’s minds and there was a lot of buying of early Christmas presents as well as Advent calendars and Christmas cards. People are certainly buying earlier for Christmas this year, possible spreading the cost throughout the autumn. This is catching some stall holders by surprise, despite our emails out to stall holders letting them know tat this is happening just as it did in 2018. 

Guilford Guildhall 7th September

Guildford continues to deliver in all seasons

 

The first week in September has usually resulted in a huge footfall and Guildford, but today was very different, as was the case at all of our markets this weekend. There were simply few people out shopping in the morning, but footfall increased as the day progressed. This was George’s first time running Guildford since his major broken leg and he enjoyed meeting many of his regular stall holders at Guildford once more along with several new ones. Set up before 9am went very smoothly with stall holders all seeming to arrive at convenient times, making this a smooth process. Both the upstairs hall and the larger downstairs hall looked really gorgeous with some excellent new stalls from some stall holders who have not worked here with us before. What was particularly noticeable was the height of the stalls, something which really goes down well at Guildford. The day started slowly at Guildford, where were the people? The streets were especially quiet as at our other 2 venues this Saturday. At about 1pm, customers suddenly started to arrive in town, possibly drawn in by a ‘hard rock’ busker who seemed to lift the atmosphere in the town. By the end of the day a footfall of 719 had been achieved with certainly over 80% of customers visiting both the upstairs and downstairs halls.

 

Spending was good at Guildford considering how quiet the streets were. The grey weather outside seemed to create a lot of glum faces … or was it that the new school term had just started! Our resident artist upstairs took over £350. A lady selling terrariums made over £550 on her 2nd show with us at Guildford, and provided a unique product for these events. Some science kits/toys also did very well, appealing well to the Christmas present market (Yes people are buying for Christmas already) One jeweller did well, and a stall holder selling her fashion items also did well. Spending was good considering the lower than usual footfall. Of note here is the amount that was being bought for Christmas. This builds on our August markets where Christmas sales had already started and advent calendars and Christmas cards were selling well. 

 

Hungerford Town Hall 7th September

A quieter than usual market but some  very happy stall holders.

 

Another market that proved you don’t need a huge footfall to create good sales. This was our 3rd visit to Hungerford and certainly demonstrated why we have booked more markets at this rapidly developing venue in 2020. The set up here is always very easy, the back door providing easy level access and there is free parking just a short walk away. The market was unfortunately not fully booked and we had some cancellations just prior to the event. But with skilful use of the hall, our representative, Dave, managed to create a really good looking event which gave the appearance of being full. Hungerford was very quiet today, it does often seem to be, but the footfall does not reflect this, a large number of the community and visitors entering the hall. The morning was a lot quieter than the afternoon and Dave was glad, but surprised that the afternoon was so much busier. Hungerford is a venue where customers suddenly seem to appear. At the end of the day, a footfall of 4019 had been achieved.

 

Spending was good for many at Hungerford today, though unfortunately not everyone fared so well. One artist sold almost £400 of her art whilst a jeweller also sold in excess of £300. Other stall holders did not do so well, some with fewer than expected sales. However there was a positive attitude in the market throughout the day and stall holders commented on enjoying the event. Dave worked by himself today and thanks must go to him for his excellent continuous effort. 

Thame Town Hall 7th September

Circumstances create a poor footfall, but still good spending

 

This first weekend in September has always been a good weekend for our Mynt markets. However this year, the climate seems to be different. The day was grey with a few light showers and the occasional glimpse of the sun. A charity had been given permission to have a gazebo right next to the Town Hall entrance and this created problems. They were selling cakes and had a group of up to 40 supporters with them. Unfortunately they blocked the pavement totally and any brave potential customers who tried to enter the hall, were often grabbed, sometimes almost physically, at the last minute. This clearly affected our footfall greatly before they left at 12.40. The team really had to work hard to catch up in the afternoon, but as is often the case at Thame, the best buyers were in the last hour. Eventually a footfall of 430 customers was achieved.

 

The spending did not thankfully reflect the poor number of customers with mostly good sales throughout. The stalls did look excellent today, with some innovative displays. Customers often commented on the quality of the good on sale. We had a mixture of established stall holders and new ones, some of whom were trading for the 1st time. All stall holders commented on the friendliness of the market and the good atmosphere. The willingness of established stall holders to guide and teach the newer ones was also commented on. The tope seller today was a photographer, achieving just under £300. Our Flamingo Paperie stall holder also did very well with excellent sales of advent calendars and Christmas cards. Christmas cards also sold very well on other stalls. Average takings seem to have been between £100 and £150 with some others achieving more. It was noticeable that some customers were coming out with large bags of presents and one commented that they had spend more than £300 in the market!

Marlborough Town Hall 31st August

Really good spending to end our tourist markets.

 

There was a real feel of early autumn in the air today with lots of mist and fog to drive through to reach Marlborough. It was a day of sunny intervals and clouds with a sudden hefty downpour at about 2.00. There were plenty of tourists in town and a tourist coach dropped off visitors late morning to add to the shoppers. There were also plenty of families around, doing some last shopping before children return to school. We weren’t fully booked (and some stall holders have missed out today!) but the market looked full for visitors with 20 stalls. The stalls were all of very good quality, with several very experienced stall holders and some who were new to us, all producing excellent displays. With 2 very loud members of the Mynt team working the area outside the hall and further down the High Street, we achieved a good footfall of 606 customers, but our 2 team members did have to work really hard to achieve this.

 

Spending in the morning was poor until around lunchtime. At mid-day customers suddenly seemed to buy a lot better with many going across to the cashpoint machine of coming back later in the day to buy items they had seen earlier. With only 3 stall holders not selling more than £125 of products, it was a good day for most. Art sold especially well with 2 artists selling £700+ and £300+ of colourful artwork. Jewellers also did especially well today with 2 selling £500+ and £400+. Home made cakes also did extremely well, selling out of some ranges and photography sold almost £200. We calculate that the public spent in excess of £3000 in the market today, making this a very profitable market for many.

 

This market yet again proves that the summer months can be extremely good if you have a product to sell to tourists. The products that sold well had a distinctly British flavour to them, perfect for gifts and souvenirs. It is also clear from many of our markets in August that footfalls of 500+ can produce excellent sales and that large 1000+ footfalls are not necessary if the right buyers are attracted.

Henley Town Hall 24th August

Hard work brings good results.

 

This was our first time back at Henley this year, though we have already booked it for 2020. Henley Council welcomed us back and did all that they could to assist us. We are glad to be back.

 

It was a very hot day with hardly a cloud in sight. The temperature soared into the high 28/29 degrees. The lower end of the town was crowded, as many people were going down to the river, so we made use of this by sending one of our team down the High street to attract people up to the hall with their large arrow. Being bank holiday weekend, the town was also full of tourists, and even before we started at 10am an group of 15 tourists had enjoyed the market …. We never turn people away. Although the streets were relatively quiet and there were no restaurants or street cafes in the vicinity of the Town Hall anymore we managed to attract a footfall of 716 customers by 4pm. It took a lot of work in the hot conditions, but it was worthwhile as we later found out from the stall holders.

 

As is often the case at Henley and other markets that we run, it was the last hour of the market that brought the results for many. Footfall slowed down during the final hour as tourists left for the day and customers had to contend with a wedding being held in another part of the hall complex, but it was the few who ventured in who bought. Many of our stall holders remarked how hard it had been to sell today, despite the sunny conditions. They had really had to stand, engage with customers and deliver a ‘close’ to secure the sales. Those who were most active and good at sales did the best today.  Jewellery was in demand with 2 jewellery stalls selling £300+ and another making around the £200. Silver jewellery went especially well. Fabric items and bags also sold well as did one artist who was offering a new range of art work. Knitted items also featured well, somewhat surprising in the steamy conditions perhaps. Today it was mostly tourists as would be expected on a August Bank Holiday weekend, however there was also a lot of Christmas related sales with more than 10 advent calendars being sold and several Christmas cards. Several customers also told us that they had bought Christmas presents

 

We had several new stall holders with us, some who were new to Mynt Image and some who were new to selling. All remarked how hard we worked and thanked us for our efforts in the hot sun. Several have already decided to book again as they have seen the difference between our well organised markets and those of many other organisers.  

Lymington Masonic Hall 24th August

High expectations and excellent results.

 

Lymington really is a summer location where stall holders can expect to sell well. This Bank Holiday weekend market in 2018 was the best performing at Lymington for 2018, so we had high expectations for this market. The weather was hot and sunny throughout the day and the streets of Lymington were filled with tourists both enjoying this amazing New Forest town and those holidaying on the Isle of Wight. The hot weather didn’t seem to be putting people off at all.

 

Lymington Masonic Hall is a nice easy venue for setting up the market being on one level and with very easy access as well as FREE parking right outside the hall. George and his friend worked really hard all day attracting customers into the market and we have within 24 hours already received one note of thanks from a stall holder for their excellent efforts.  Todays market was all about tourists, just as our markets throughout June, July and August have been. If you choose the right summer locations, stall holders can’t fail to do well. By working hard in the hot sun, the Mynt team managed to attract 1132 customers in to the market.

 

The hall looked fantastic today. There really was an excellent mix of stalls and many stall holders created really imaginative stalls and displays. We had many of our regulars present, though it was also good to have many new faces and stall types at this market, new stall holders soon learning the tricks of selling from our regulars. There were many comments throughout the day from customers regarding the quality of the stalls and products on offer. Jewellery sold especially well as did glass products, making £400+. Sewn items were also very popular today as were wooden items. Tourists were looking for souveneirs and if you have the right products for tourists our summer markets prove to be excellent. One of our regular artists also sold well today, though it was a high volume of small touristy items that helped her total. It was good to see that the tourists were in a good mood form spending and there were very few disappointed stall holders today.

This was a good tourist based market and once again demonstrated how good Lymington is in the summer 

Witney Corn Exchange 17th August

Quality customers create good sales

 

It was a warm sunny day with some clouds, much better conditions than we had expected earlier in the week. With George still recuperating from his broken leg, Dave took control of the event, working closely with George throughout the day. This is a ground floor hall, and as usual, unloading was easy  for stall holders. It was made really easy by the fact that stall holders were once more allowed to park behind the hall once more in the spaces behind Lakeland. The streets were not busy today with many people still on holiday, however by working hard, our Mynt team managed to create a footfall of  560 by the end of the day at 4pm. This was not a huge footfall, but this was not reflected in the good spending. This was a case of quality rather than quantity as has been the case at other recent markets such as Hungerford and Romsey. The ‘browsers’ were not in town today, but the good buyers were.

 

Christmas presents were being bought by many customers as were Christmas cards and Advent Calendars. Our  Flamingo Paperie representative sold in excess of £200, a really good figure for this time of year (and was so impressed that she wrote to thank us that very evening!). Jewellers did especially well with one selling the most jewellery  at a market she had ever sold. Another jeweller achieved her best sales figures of the year. Art sold well, as it seems to be at many of our markets at the moment. Candles and soaps continued  to sell well as gifts for people with one stall holder taking several hundred pounds.

 

Witney certainly lived up to its promise today. Witney does not attract a great many tourists, but has a great Pre-Christmas season which is why we book this venue at this time of year. This was one of our best Witney markets and demonstrates just how much potential the Corn Exchange at Witney has throughout the year. We already have very limited spaces at this venue for the rest of the year as our core stall holders already know how good this venue can be.

Salisbury Guildhall 17th August

Largest footfall of the year brings success to most.

 

The day was a mix of sunshine and cloud, to be honest a perfect one for people to come shopping in Salisbury, too cold and risky for the beach or a BBQ. The town was relatively quiet when we opened at 10am, though there was upon opening already a stream of customers visiting the market. By the end of the 1st hour we had achieved a footfall of 150 customers and we could see that this was going to be a rather special footfall as the 1st hour at Salisbury is often the slowest. We were right. By continued use of active marketing techniques we managed to create a footfall of 1309 customers by the end of the day. 1309 is the highest footfall at any of our venues in 2019 so far this year.Most of the customers today were tourists, many from across Europe and the USA whilst others were on coach parties from other parts of the UK. Salisbury really is a good tourist location and the perfect place to sell products geared for tourists.

 

With many of our regular stall holders at Salisbury absent/on holiday today, there was plenty of room for new stall holders, several of whom were with Mynt Image for the 1st time and one who had never sold at any markets before. This was the perfect market for newcomers due to the good spending by the large number of customers. The tourists spent well today in our market, a continual stream of customers in the hall all of the day. Several stall holders did better in the 1st hour than the rest of the day, something unusual in our markets. Most however did very well throughout the day with one artist, who had featured on ‘Gardeners World’ the previous evening, selling in excess of £1300 of art. A lady selling South African products in the foyer achieved in excess of £400 with several other stall holders achieving £200+. Most stall holders achieved between £100 and £150., One jeweller reported having the best market she had had all year. With such a large footfall, stall holders were bound to do well as long as they could sell their products in an active manner. Christmas cards were once more a good seller with one stall holder wishing they had brought more.

 

This market demonstrates just how good  markets in August are. Tourists are looking for products to buy as souveneirs and those having already had their holidays are already looking for Christmas based products. August is a good month so long as you pick tourist locations, something we at Mynt Image have tried to do in 2019 and 2020. With the Pre-Christmas season now well underway at Salisbury we look forward to some excellent markets at this great tried and tested location.

Winchester Guildhall 10th August

Winchester performs well for many despite circumstances.

 

Winchester really is a very weather affected event location. With poor weather throughout the morning  the streets of Winchester were deserted. Very few people were using the Park and Ride service which drops off potential customers to our markets. There was also a lack of tourist coaches, many having been cancelled due to the severe weather warnings At mid-day the Guild Hall’s fire bell rang, the entire building had to be evacuated, a first for any of our markets at any location in 6 years of trading. Unfortunately it was 30 minutes before wthe building was declared safe. It was hard to get the market started again after such an interruption, but thankfully with improving weather conditions, the footfall improved a lot during the afternoon. By the close of the market a footfall of 750 customers had been achieved.

 

The customers were thankfully in a spending mood. It was also noticeable that there were a good number of tourists present in Winchester in the afternoon. Those who had good tourist based products did well today with spending vastly improving in the afternoon. One stall holder selling fashion and jewellery sold over £300. Also of note were our artists, 2 of whom sold in excess of £200. Not all stall holders did so well, but this unfortunately is the case at most markets we run. It is clear that customers need to be engaged with and active selling does really need to occur to bring results even at our more popular locations such as Winchester. Those who actively sold their products did well.

 

This was George’s first market back since breaking his leg badly. He was welcomed into the market by  many of the regular stall holders. Although unable to drive  at present and in some pain still, he worked well with Aaron throughout the day to draw in customers. It was good to have him back.

Hungerford Town Hall 10th August

Despite unfavourable weather Hungerford continues to perform well.

 

With 40 – 60 mph winds and rain forecast throughout the day we were not optimistic as to the success of our 2nd market at Hungerford. The winds were gusty throughout the day and Mynt advertising had to be secured down well. For an August day, this was not like summer at all. As at our first market at Hungerford in July, the streets seemed to be quiet, however it was clear that there were also quite a lot of visitors to Hungerford looking for something to do in the cooler weather. By working from 2 different locations on the High street in the morning and from one in the afternoon, we still managed to attract a footfall of 619 people into the town hall.

 

Hungerford is a very easy ‘set up’ being on the ground floor and with unloading right outside the back door. This makes this location so easy to use, especially for those with mobility difficulties. We had several of our regular stall holders trying out Hungerford for the first time, as well as several newcomers to both Mynt Image and to Craft and Gift markets. All of our stall holders were in attendance, and the hall looked nicely full and very colourful. The new stall holders all enjoyed the day, many taking the opportunity to learn from those with more experience.

 

The public were in a spending mood today. Hungerford doesn’t seem to attract huge numbers, but it attracts the right type of customers. As we know, in August people start shopping for Christmas, so we shouldn’t have been surprised by one customer who proudly announced that they had bought their 1st Christmas presents today. Christmas cards were also a good seller today. One artist sold over £300 of art, cards and related products featuring her designs. Another 4 stall holders achieved over £200 including jewellers and a lady selling South African products. We are only aware of one stall holder who did not achieve her table fees

 

To demonstrate how successful this market was, within 12 hours of it closing we have already received 4 rebookings from stall holders for future markets. We have booked 4 markets at Hungerford for 2020 and look forward to seeing these events continue to develop and grow.

Romsey Town Hall 3rd August

Our Romsey markets start with a ‘BANG’

 

Having researched this new location well and visiting several times before booking it, we were confident that we had made a good decision and had located a market that would be good both in the summer and later in the year. However, despite this one always has doubts, but we certainly needn’t have done. This market was a scorching success for many stall holders.

 

The day was warm and cloudy, almost throughout. The streets did not seem that busy, but there were people around. The hall we chose to use is at one end of the High Street and the area in front of it has recently been redeveloped to create an attractive seating and entertainment area around the prestigious statue. By making use of 3 flags and banners as well as Paul’s voice, we started to attract locals into the market immediately. The tourists arrived later from various European countries as well as the US and Australia. Various tours also dropped tourists off to spend several hours in Romsey with the Abbey, the entrance being close to The Town Hall, a major attraction. BY the end of the day we had attracted 643 customers into the market, many of whom spent really very well.

 

Most stalls did really well today, with some doing better in the morning, selling to locals, and others doing better when the tourists and families arrived. One jeweller sold £400+ with trade steady throughout the day. Two other jewellery based stalls also achieved around the £200 mark. One card seller achieved almost £250, selling 20 Advent Calendars as well to boost her sales. (Please note that Christmas spending has indeed started just as we predicted)  Average sales were certainly between £100 and  the £150 mark. It was good to have several new stall holders working with us, and it has to be noted that all of these did well too, all covering their table costs and making good profits.

 

Within 24 hours of the market, 4 stall holders have already asked for additional bookings with Mynt Image, the market was such a success. The atmosphere within the hall was excellent. The only draw back to this market is the fact that it is on the 2nd floor and there is no lift. This does make this location unsuitable for disabled stall holders. Thankfully Mynt Image staff were on hand to assist both stall holders and customers up the stairs. This market was certainly welcomed by the people of Romsey and we look forward to or September event at what is now a very promising location.

Guildford Guildhall 3rd August

Guildford delivers some excellent sales for many, especially those selling to tourists.

 

This was our market at Guildford for 2019 to have spaces, and unusually for Guildford it had not been booked up many months in advance. We advertised this market as a tourist market as we knew that Guildford is flooded with tourists in the Summer months,  but few stall holders seemed to respond top the challenge of selling to tourists. This was a pity, because for several stall holders, this was an excellent market.

 

Guildford is always slow to start, and with many locals away on holiday, the town was sleepy for the 1st few hours until the tourists and visitors started to arrive or be dropped off on their tours. Once the tourists were in town, the market took off with a final footfall of 964 being achieved. We have been concerned in recent months with comments that the upstairs stall holders were not getting as many customers as they should be. To ensure that customers went upstairs, one member of the Mynt I(mage teach stayed in the lobby area throughout the day and managed to get in excess of 90% of the customers to go upstairs. We do have additional plans to get customers upstairs, but until these are put in place we will continue to deploy staff into the entrance lobby to ‘push’ customers up the stairs.

 

One artist did particularly well today with sales in excess of £1500, a record for this venue. Our resident disabled artist on the landing also achieved sales in excess of £300. Art was certainly in demand today. One stall selling summer fashion clothes and jewellery also did exceptionally well, making in excess of £700. Our resident jeweller in the downstairs lobby also did well as usual, selling to both her regular customers as well as tourists and achieved over £300. We are also aware of one stall holder upstairs, who didn’t sell much in the event but gained interest in at least 5 commissions, which if they are converted would make a very successful day. As usual, those who sold proactively and engaged with the customers did extremely well, whilst  those who sat down and were not as active, didn’t do so well.    

 

Guildford really is a tourist venue at this time of year. If you have products to sell in the tourist market and are proactive then you will do well at Guildford. Oh and I almost forgot, customers were actively buying for Christmas too just as we predicted.

Salisbury Guildhall 20th July

Selling to tourists brings dividends.

 

Salisbury is one of our classic tourist based markets at this time of year and we were as usual sold out, with stall holders looking forward to a bumper day. With cloudy, but mostly dry weather with some sunny intervals, these were ideal conditions to attract tourists to Salisbury. An hour before the market opened there was some rain, which made some stall holders a little reticent about the day, but the rain was short lived and bright and breezy day ensued.  Sara and Andy worked hard all day to get both locals and tourists into the market and some spent very well indeed. By the end of the day we managed a footfall of 962, a good summer tourist market footfall.

 

The hall looked very welcoming today with some very attractive professional looking displays. We had many of our regular summer stall holders as well as several new stall holders to us. Most stall holders managed good sales with only a couple of stall holders  not selling a huge amount. One artists sold nearly £800 and others selling glass and wooden products also did really well. There was a lovely atmosphere amongst stall holders and many were very6 happy with their sales in this tourist based summer location.

We have already received 2 thank you notes (by Sunday morning on 21st) for this vibrant market. Salisbury is a hive of tourist acti9vity in the Summer months and sales in the summer can be just as good as winter/Christmas season sales.  We look forward to our August market here when there will not only be tourist spending but also many customers starting to focus on Christmas now they are back from holiday.

Guildford Guildhall 6th July

Guildford does well for many despite  ‘outside competition’

 

Guildford is certainly our most popular market and we manage to sell out most stall spaces many months in advance. However today was a little different as many of our regular stallholders were not present due to holidays or other commitments. This left spaces for many new stall holders, many of whom we had not worked with before. With the university students missing, the streets were instead full of foreign tourists enjoying the sites and sounds of Guildford. The ‘sounds of Guildford’ are unfortunately not always conducive to good sales and this Saturday we were unfortunately subject to some ‘heavy rock’ style buskers who it was clear the public were doing their best to avoid. The footfall was not promising at first with a slow start. However once this unappealing group of musicians had moved on, the footfall did increase steadily throughout the day to a  satisfactory 860 downstairs and approx. 650 upstairs.

 

Spending at Guildford is traditionally good and those who sold summer orientated products and catered for the tourist trade did especially well today. Our regular jewellers did well as did one of our regular stall holders who sells fashion items, achieving well over her target figure. …  perfect for the warm sunny weather we experienced. One artist has already asked if she can book again as she did so well. Unfortunately we  are aware, as is the case at most markets, of a few stall holders who did not achieve their stall fees, these being newcomers to trading and to ourselves. As usual, it was again those stall holders who actively sold their products and spent the whole day on their feet, who sold the most, as well as those who catered for the tourist market, a feature of our markets in the summer season.

Hungerford Corn Exchange 6th July

An excellent start to our markets at Hungerford.

 

This was our first ever market in Hungerford. Although this venue has been used for craft markets in the past, we were new to this hall and slightly concerned when we saw how quiet the High Street was. The weather was warm and sunny for most of the day , despite weather forecasts to the opposite. The streets of Hungerford were very quiet, but despite this, customers seemed to appear from a multitude of directions and enter the building. Once in the building the customers spent very well, especially in the afternoon. A total footfall of 574 was achieved, roughly 100 each hour throughout the day with a lull in the last hour. It was noticeable how many foreign tourists were In Hungerford, many enjoying the reputation it has for antiques, though quite happy to spend on other quality products too.

 

We have never experienced so many ‘cancellations for personal reasons’ or for illness reasons for a market. In the 2 days prior to the market 8 stall holders cancelled. Thankfully, due to the low cost of the market, we managed to sell a good many 2nd tables to those who had already booked and the hall looked really full. There was an excellent positive attitude in the building throughout the day with there being a real buzz at times. Art was very much in demand and one stall holder so9ld in excess of £800. We are aware of at least 3 other stall holders who achieved sales of over  £200 and not aware of any stall holders who didn’t cover their table costs. A stall holder selling mosaic products had a good day with sales and a photographer did very well in the afternoon especially. We only had 2 jewellers at the event which was a pity because jewellery was in demand. For the footfall of 574, spending was really very good and proved  that you don’t need a huge footfall to create good sales. We are now aware of just how much potential this venue has, and look forward to our other markets at this location this year.  

Lymington Masonic Hall 29th June

Tourists by the dozen

 

This was the hottest day of the year, with temperatures forecast to reach almost 30C in Lymington. Lymington is a fantastic tourist town with hundreds if not thousands of people visiting it each weekend in the summer from the Isle of Wight or from various New Forest locations.

 

The M27 was closed in both directions due to renewal of a bridge. This caused tremendous and unexpected problems for some of our stall holders as many were coming via the M3 and it was closed where the M27 joined the M3. One stall holder arrived a little late having been unable to negotiate the strange diversions.

The first 2 hours of the market were manic, with over 500 customers within the first 2 hours. We thought we were in for huge numbers. These early visitors were almost all tourists and those who had small items for sale seemed to do well. But after 12 O’clock the numbers seemed to dry up as the tourists vanished into pubs or beaches to enjoy the balmy weather. Although there were some tourists in the afternoon, several from Australia the USA and Canada, the majority seemed to be local people. In the next 4 hours we managed to encourage a further 496 customers into the market giving us a total of 996 for the day as well as many dogs! For the majority of stall holders, the afternoon was better, and it was certainly larger more expensive items which were selling.

 

Jewellers seemed to do well in general with 3 jewellers achieving around £200 or more. Our stall selling Mexican products also did well, with some large items sold. One artist also achieved some good sales as did one table selling small craft items  of a varied nature. Another lady selling decorated bottles also seemed to do very well for the 2nd market in succession at Lymington. There were some stall holders who didn’t do so well, though most appreciated the efforts we were putting in to get customers i9nto the market despite the soaring temperatures and blistering sun. The atmosphere within the market was very good throughout the day and the stalls certainly looked very attractive and of really good quality.

 

It was especially good to have several newcomers to our markets with us today. Some of these newcomers were experienced whereas others were at their first ever markets. Our blend of experienced sellers were able to encourage those new to the business. Selling is certainly an art, and selling t the tourist trade demands a change in tactics for some. Overall, this market demonstrated how good a venue it can be in the summer months if you have the right tourist based products. Mynt Image now has several summer locations particularly aimed at the tourist trade.

Salisbury Guildhall 15th June

 A dreary grey day causes depressed sales for many

 

Poor weather really did seem to affect our events badly this weekend despite our events being inside. We find that sunny weather really does bring about many more sales and unfortunately Salisbury was not bathed in sun today. Dreary grey conditions and heavy rain showers were not conducive to customer’s spending unfortunately. The market was fully booked and  following on from the success of the May event, great things were expected. There were plenty of people in Salisbury and the outside market was crowded at times. There were plenty of tourists around and these were very happy to escape the damp conditions and come into our event. Tourists really are back in Salisbury in large numbers. By working hard the Mynt Image team, despite the conditions, managed to attract a footfall of 1031.

 

Art, as in May, was the best seller today with two of our artists doing especially well with some excellent sales figures. One of our authors also did very well with sales of £280+. Several other stall holders were also very happy with two jewellers achieving sales of over £200 and man selling ius special skin creams also doing very well. However we are also aware that not all of our stall holders did well today. As at Thame, it was hard work to get the potential customers to spend their money today. Many of our stall holders seemed to struggle today, with some being more philosophical about the day than others. Compared to May, spending was down, but compared to 2018, spending has improved considerably.

The weather really does seem to affect spending at this time of the year, if the weather had been as good as it had been in May or even 2018, who knows what the spending would have been like today!       

Thame Town Hall 15th June

A slow start but a better finish for most

 

The weather was cool and grey and there was rain in the air. For some reason there were few people in Thame in the early morning, something we discovered the reason for later (read on). Setting up the event was very easy today as there was little traffic, allowing people to unload close to the town hall. With only 4 places unsold, the market looked really full and there was a good atmosphere from the start. However in the 1st hour we only managed a footfall of 65 customers and these weren’t buying well, despite it being Father’s Day on Sunday. At 12.00 the roads around the building were unexpectedly closed to traffic and the streets started to fill with people. We were told that it was the annual Thame carnival procession which explained why there had been no-one in Thame earlier. We did manage a steady flow of customers into the building even during the procession which didn’t last lone. However what it did mean that there were plenty of people in Thame now. These families filtered back into the town within the next few hours despite the heavy rain which fell for a while. BY the end of the event we had managed a footfall of 567, a very respectable figure for Thame especially considering the slow start.

 

Thame did its normal trick of providing a poor morning but a profitable afternoon for many. The last 1 ½ hours as usual delivered the best results with customers coming into the building who our team had encouraged to come in during the morning or who returned from an earlier visit. Father’s day presents and gifts did sell well , just as we anticipated at Thame due to earlier years. One stall selling ‘stamping’ craft materials did very well, though they had to work very hard to achieve their excellent results. Most stall holders reported sales of between £80.00 and £150.00 with at least 3 stalls selling in excess of £200.  A minority of stall holders were disappointed with the results, though commented that it was not the Mynt Image team’s fault as they had worked very hard all day. One stall holder also commented that many of our regular customers weren’t in Thame today possibly due to the Carnival or holidays. It should also be noted that we had many new stall holders with us today, most of whom agreed that they had enjoyed the day as well as learning a lot from those more experienced.

 

As usual, at our markets, those who stood all day and actively sold their products did the best. In this current climate active selling is vital. One group of customers actually came out and remarked that they had not bought from those stall holders who were seated and not engaging with them. We can only reiterate how important it is to engage with our customers if you want to achieve the best sales possible.

Guildford Guildhall 1st June

Beautiful weather empties Guildford … but good sales

 

This was the most glorious day of the year so far with temperatures for one day into the mid 20’s. Many locals seemed to have taken advantage of the conditions and gone out for the day rather than shop in Guildford …. This caused a very slow start to the day. With this weekend also being the end of half term week, many locals were still away on holiday.

 

However the tourists and foreign visitors saved the day as they started to arrive in Guildford in the early afternoon. By the end of the day a footfall of 862 had entered the building with between 600 and 700 going upstairs. Footfall was also not helped this month by what can only be called a battle of the buskers taking place outside the Guildhall. Unfortunately we had to use the local authorities to move one of them on, something we have never had to do before, but are quite prepared to do if they are adversely affecting trade.

 

Guildford is a great place if you have products for the tourist or summer market and this was certainly the case today. We are aware of one stall holder selling summer clothing and jewellery who achieved sales in excess of  £700, but who had suffered in previous weeks at other markets due to the poor summer weather. Jewellery also seemed to go down very well. Our artists also seemed to do very well with some healthy sales. Another lady selling luxury children’s clothing reported giving out a huge number of business cards.

 

Although footfall was down this month, spending was certainly up, just as it had been at Salisbury last week. Summer visitors and tourists really do seem to buy at our markets as they want souveneirs and gifts to remind them of their visits to the wonderful towns we work in.

Salisbury Guildhall 25th May

An excellent Salisbury market with good spending.

 

This was the bank holiday weekend and there were sure to be lots of tourists around. Salisbury Art festival was also on, drawing many art fanatics into the city. With bright warm conditions and no chance of rain, we knew we were in for a good market and it certainly proved to be so for most stall holders. The footfall continued throughout the day with few peaks and troughs, attracting many tourists from the USA, Australia and Far Eastern countries who seemed to be in Salisbury. Even before the event opened there had been 23 customers into the market, many of whom were buying. Salisbury really is a Summer Location, many attracted by the historic nature of the city as well as the excellent shopping and large well established street market. By the end of the day we had attracted 1207 customers into the market, our largest footfall this year ….. and they bought well too.

 

The market did look especially good today with a good number of  stall holders with really impressive displays. We had several artists with really different styles on offer and this being the week of Salisbury Art Festival, their products were very much in demand. One artist managed sales of nearly £1000, including sales of an original. We are also aware of 2 other , very different artists selling around the £300, very impressive, though not unexpected. Jewellery also seemed to do well with 2 jewellers achieving sales of around the £400 mark. Glass as usual also sold well, as did wooden pens and candles. We are not aware of any stall holders who did not achieve their table costs or sell any products. This really was Salisbury at its best.

 

Salisbury is a wonderful summer location, drawing in many tourists looking for souveniers and gifts. Salisbury has certainly returned to being a popular tourist destination after the problems of 2018, with many tourist coaches arriving throughout the day. 

Witney Corn Exchange 25th May 2019

An average footfall but some good spending

 

Witney is rapidly becoming one of our top 3 markets, pushing others out of the ranking due to its reliability. If you are able to sell, then you will always do well at Witney. This being a bank holiday weekend and the start of half term, there were fewer people in town than at some other dates during the year. As usual, set up at Witney was smooth and easy, a ground floor hall with ease of access makes this such a wonderful location to use. The weather was also in our favour with sun throughout the day and a few clouds. Sunny weather always seems to encourage customers to spend well. However despite good conditions, the footfall only peaked at just under 700, though it was also noted by stall holders that it seemed a lot busier than this partly because the customers spent a long time in the market.

 

Spending did seem to be a little mixed today with some stallholders doing a lot better than others. Most reported that they had more than covered costs, but it was clear that smaller/cheaper items were selling a lot better here today. Jewellery, as is often the case  seemed to sell particularly well with sales in excess of £200.

 

We continue to be encouraged by Witney as it is proving itself to be a good year round market. The atmosphere within the hall is always excellent and stall holders seem to like the event and to continue booking well. We look to our Witney market to continue to improve as our markets are established here. 

Lymington Masonic Hall 18th May 2019

Some excellent sales from a good footfall

 

Lymington really is a good summer venue and todays market demonstrated this excellently. Another good fact about Lymington is the FREE parking which makes the set up for this event smooth and easy.

 

With cloudy skies and warm sunny intervals, these were perfect conditions to attract tourists with nothing better to do that shop in Lymington, into our event. And there were plenty of tourists about with money to spend. Thank fully the rain stayed away and the sun came out at times , Lymington High street filled up with potential customers nicely. By working hard with active marketing techniques, a feature at all of our events, the Mynt Image team managed to achieve a footfall of 1020, a good figure for this time of year at Lymington. There was a good constant flow of customers into the market throughout the day.

 

We are aware that a few stall holders did not do well, but these were the exception. One lady selling fused glass sold £600+ and one of our candle sellers also did very well. One of our artists was not doing well until 3.50pm when she suddenly sold 2 originals which clearly made her day!!! It’s strange, but at many of our locations the best sales occur within the last hour. We are also aware of some of our jewellers doing very well. There was a good atmosphere within the hall throughout the day and a real buzz of customers, making this a fantastic event for most.

Cranleigh Village Hall 11th May 2019

Poor weather but some good sales.

 

The day started sunny and warm in Cranleigh and as usually, there was an easy set up at Cranleigh. It is such an accessible hall and perfect for those with mobility difficulties. However almost as soon as the market opened, the weather changed and there were heavy showers and downpours for much of the day. This caused there to be fewer people on the streets than is sometimes the case in Cranleigh. However as is often the case at this venue, the last hour saw the best buyers. When the sun came out between showers there was a flurry of customers who stayed whilst it rained. The Mynt team managed a footfall of 365 by the end of the day, but please note that a lower footfall does not always corelate to lower spending especially at venues such as Cranleigh or Thame.

 

We had a good mix of regular experienced stall holders and newer stall holders trying our markets for the 1st time. The stalls looked lovely and there was a good positive atmosphere within the hall for most of the day. We are aware of several stall holders who did well, at least one achieving the £200+ mark. Most stall holders seemed to have enjoyed the event and several commented on how well it was organised and the hard work put in by the team despite the wet conditions

Winchester Guildhall 11th May 2019

Some big spenders make this market successful for most

 

The was a really successful market for most stall holders, though as usual there were some exceptions. The weather was cloudy throughout the day, though the sun did try to break through. There was a cold wind, making it a cool day unless you were in the sun. There were plenty of people in Winchester including a good number of tourists. Families were in good attendance due to the weather making this a perfect shopping day. The footfall as usual started relatively slowly in the morning though by the end of the afternoon, a footfall of 902 was recorded and stall holders remarked on how good the footfall had been compared with previous markets this year in Winchester. Winchester really is a good summer venue due to the tourists and shoppers.

 

The hall looked amazing today with some very attractive stalls and impressive displays. The customers constantly gave good comments on the wide variety of stalls and quality of the products on offer. There were some really good spenders today as well, as there often are in the Summer months at Winchester. Several customers reported spending a substantial sum of money and proudly showed their purchases. One artist was asked for the original of one of his prints, which made him particularly successful. Jewellery sold especially well today for 2 stall holders who achieved £300+ and £400+. Wooden chopping boards sold particularly well too and were the top seller, the public really enjoying their design and finish. We are aware of at least 3 stall holders making £400+ and several more £300+. However the majority made between £100 and £200 with a few not covering their table costs.

 

This was the start of our Summer markets at Winchester and with sales like these we are looking forward to a profitable Summer at this location

Guildford Guildhall 4th May

A slow start but some good sales with the upstairs performing better than downstairs!

 

The streets of Guildford were not busy at all today. There were noticeably few local people in town, though there were a good number of tourists. It was certainly cold in the shade, but when the sun did break through it was warm. People were totally confused whether it was spring or summer! The morning was interrupted by a May day parade of several groups of Morris Men. There was also loud music from a religious group throughout the morning which unfortunately had the effect of making the public put their heads down and scurry past the Guildhall doors. However as soon as the music stopped at 12.45, footfall increased rapidly. BY 12pm we had only managed to attract 250 people into the market, but thankfully by the end of the day we recorded a footfall of 1039, very creditable for this time of year.

 

Spending was very strange today, with stall holders either doing very well or poorly …there seemed to be little middle ground . It was however good to see that all of the upstairs stall holders did better than many of the downstairs stall holders, with upstairs receiving ¾ of the customers. Top sales were from our breadknife man (upstairs) selling over £500 of breadknives. A jeweller also performed well with over £500. Stall holders selling scientific children’s toys and one selling gardening equipment also  topped the £300 mark as did a stall holder selling Mexican products. However we are also aware that downstairs several stall holders had a poor day and did little more than cover their tables fees. The public really were extremely choosy today with some jewellers doing well and others not. One artist did well whilst 2 others struggled. Spending was strange. The lack of people on the streets in the cold weather didn’t help except at clearing up time when stall holders managed to get away very quickly as the roads were so quiet.

Banbury Town Hall 4th May

Cold conditions but a satisfactory market

 

The day started sunny with the promise of warm sunshine. However this did not occur as the day clouded over and we were subjected to showers and freezing cold winds throughout the day. Because of this, the streets of Banbury were very quiet. The fact that it was a bank holiday also didn’t seem to help at this location.

Thankfully set up today was easy as this is a hall with easy access. Despite having a low number of stall holders, the hall looked really good and we were able to give most stall holders additional space for no additional cost.

 

Despite working both doors continually throughout the day, the footfall was slow. With such bizarre weather for early May and considering the heat of the  Easter weekend, we still managed to create a footfall of 335 customers. There was an excellent atmosphere in the market throughout the day and  all stall holders seemed to have done well. We have already received lots of compliments from the stall holders and most made their table fees early on in the day. By the end of the day several stall holders had made £100, which considering the conditions we are pleased with.

Marlborough Town Hall 27th April

A cold windy day proves profitable for some

 

The outside street market at Marlborough had cancelled today due to storm Hannah sweeping across the British Isles. Over night there had been torrential rain locally and today gusts of 60 – 70 mph were expected throughout the day. With the outside market cancelled and strong blustery winds, there were few people in town throughout the day. There were plenty of free parking spaces available  which is extremely unusual for Marlborough on a Saturday. The only busy show throughout the day appears to have been Waitrose. By projecting his voice down the High Street all day, Paul managed to attract a footfall of 411 customers, (helped by Sue in the afternoon). There were few families out shopping today, and who could blame them, despite the lack of rain. There were tourists around and it was mainly these who visited the market today.

 

The hall was vibrant throughout the day with a very positive and happy feel to it at all times. Stall holders could hear that the Mynt Image staff were doi9ng their best, and those who ventured out soon understood why the footfall was lower than in March. Despite a lower footfall than expected, due to the conditions, there were still some very good sales during the day. One artist sold almost £300 of her work whilst 2 other stall holders selling candles and glass sold around the £200 mark. A few stall holders struggled to achieve their stall fees, though the afternoon spending was as usual much better than the morning. Cakes also soild well and were a real draw for the market and are certainly a type of stall we would like to have at more events.

Witney Corn Exchange 27th April

A satisfactory market considering the conditions

 

Witney was hit by storm Hannah. Strong winds  most of the day kept potential customers scurrying between shops. A few spots of rain at times did also not help the usual browsers. By covering both entrances and working hard despite the conditions, a satisfactory footfall of 843 was achieved.

 

The stalls looked especially good today and there were some really attractive stalls and very beautiful displays, making this market really stand out from some we have already run this year. Displays at our markets seem to be getting continually better and the less experienced are certainly learning from those who have done our markets for a while. There was an excellent atmosphere within the hall, making this a really good market to be at and  helping stall holders to remain positive whilst our staff battled the conditions outside.

 

Spending was not as impressive as it usually is at Witney. Witney normally has the spending of Guildford and the footfall of Salisbury. Unfortunately grey days and poor weather do seem to adversely affect spending. However most stall holders enjoyed the day and recouped their table fees at least. Others made substantially more, one of the best being our stall holder selling Mexican items who had a particularly impressive day.

Salisbury Guildhall 20th April

A glorious sunny day aids spending

 

Salisbury really is a great venue on a sunny warm day with a wonderfully relaxed and chilled atmosphere surrounding the Guildhall. People visit the outside market in droves in good weather and sit outside the many cafes simply chatting and whiling away the time. This venue really is a good summer venue with tourists from across the globe visiting its historic landmarks and looking for souveniers. The start of today’s market was easy and the set up very smooth, this being an easily accessible venue. There was a good mix of different stall holders, making the venue look excellent with bright paintings and wonderful crafts on display. For some reason, footfall was lower than expected in the first hour, but this soon went up as tourists started to arrive and locals visited the market. Having been here for 6 years, many Salisbury locals now visit our markets regularly. At the end of the day a footfall of 1003 customers had been achieved.

 

There was a lovely atmosphere within the market with a real buzz and a sense of optimism, always conducive to good sales. Art sold well and there were several promised commissions which will further enhance the takings. Most stall holders achieved over £100 with several achieving between £200 and £300. Sunny weather always seems to positively affect buying and today was no exception.

 

Salisbury is looking very good for 2019 markets and has certainly recovered from the trials of 2019.

Winchester Guildhall 13th April

A slow start, but a better afternoon

 

The day was dry ad bright throughout, though especially sunny at the start of the day. Where on earth were the potential customers though? Some park and ride busses were arriving almost empty. A strong gust wind that was bitterly cold blew at the start of the day and this may have been a factor in the low number of customers around.

This did however improve after about 11.30am with a sudden influx of customers and then the customers kept coming throughout the day. Winchester is often slow start, but this was exceptional. By the end of the day a footfall of 850 had been achieved, a typical Winchester footfall at this time of year and quite respectable.

 

There was a good mix of stall holders today and the market looked especially attractive , especially in the larger Bapsy Hall which we were using today. Art seeme3d to sell especially well today, though it was noticeable that the more active stall holders sold the most. Gone are the days of customers spending without being sold to. By the end of the day several stall holders reported sales of £300+ but we are also aware of some stall holders who sold very little which is always unpleasant. Winchester can be a good market , especially as the season progresses, summer (tourists) and October onwards being the best.

Thame Town Hall 13th April

A better afternoon as usual at Thame

 

The day started dry and bright with a cloudless sky, though it has to be said that it was cold. There were plenty of people in Thame including a coachparty here to see where Midsummer murders was filmed (yes they use the town hall too). The tourist trade has really helped Thame as a small town and there was a very good footfall in the morning. However the clouds rolled in and there were several showers in the afternoon, making the afternoon much quieter due to a lack of local people on the streets. A footfall of 536 was achieved, a good footfall for this venue especially in spring.

 

Spending was very quiet in the morning even though there were more visitors to the market than the afternoon. AS usual t was the last hour at Thame which saved the day, some customer returning from an earlier visit and some ending their shopping at the Town hall. There were plenty of excellent comments from customers about the quality of the market and many thank yous from the customers. A lady selling bags seemed to do the best with sales just under £300. Another stall holder achieved £200+ though the average amount sold was closer to the £100 for most stall holders …still not bad for a £30.00 stall fee. It took a lot to get the customers to spend today, but if they found the right products they would spend their well earned cash. We had a lot of new stall holders with us today. Most made their stall fees and all thanked us for our efforts with most deciding to book more. It was a good learning experience for many, and experienced stall holders were more than happy to share advice.

Lymington Masonic Hall 6th April 2019

A good spring footfall leads to some good sales.

 

This was the first weekend of the Easter school holidays and as usual in the holidays. Lymington performed really well. Lymington attracts both local shoppers and tourists enjoying the delights of the New Forest or the Isle of Wight. The day was chilly, though stayed mostly dry with a few delightfully warm sunny spells. The Mynt Image team worked hard throughout the day and managed to attract a very good footfall of 1070, the morning being especially busy and Lymington as usual having a slow last hour, the reverse of most of our markets.

 

There were no stalls selling exceptionally better than the others at this event, though with such a good footfall, there was a buzz in the market all day. The atmosphere within the building was also excellent and stall holders reported having a really enjoyable day. Many stall holders managed to achieve sales in excess of £200 whilst the majority took over £100. When the price of a table is £35, still one of our cheapest events, this made this a very good day for most of the stall holders. By 6.30 pm we have already received 1 thank you note from a stall holder saying how much they enjoyed the event and how successful it had been

Guilford Guildhall 6th April 2019

A tough day but some good sales

 

The people at Guildford today were ‘on a mission’ all day and were subsequently really hard to get into the market. The weather was damp and at times cold, far cooler than forecast and the public didn’t seem to know whether it was still winter or late spring/summer. The public were quite literally scurrying along the high street not even looking into any shop windows and not being receptive to our calls. However by the end of the day we had managed to achieve a respectable footfall of 930.

 

Mostly the customers were buying small items today, though some jewellers did manage to make some larger sales. Jewellery was definitely wanted today and was certainly the top seller, one stall holder selling both jewellery and ladies fashion making in excess of £700. We are aware of several other stall holders who made in excess of £300, though most stall holders seem to have achieved between £100 and £150. Art was tough today, thou8gh one artist did manage to sell over £200 of cards and small prints. It was good to see a good many customers going upstairs today and by placing a member of staff in the downstairs lobby, the percentage who visited the upstairs stalls greatly increased …. We will do this again when needed. The atmosphere throughout the market both upstairs and downstairs today was excellent and stall holders were extremely supportive of each other throughout the entire day.

Marlborough Town Hall 30th March 2019

A busy market for Marlborough.

 

It was a warm and sunny day in Marlborough, very different from the weather we have run markets in so far this year. The High street at Marlborough was busy from the start of the day until just before we closed. There were plenty of local people shopping as well as tourists visiting Marlborough by coach or just out on day trips. People seemed to be coming into the building from all angles and many we spoke to in the morning returned again in the afternoon. By working continually from the steps of the town hall, e managed to achieve a footfall of 643, one of our best here for several years. The town seemed to be very lively today and to have a lot more life in it than it has for the past 2 – 3 years ……. Very promising for the year.

 

There was a good atmosphere in the market throughout the day, with the hall being quite full at times with the steady stream of customers. The stall holders were a mixture of very experienced and new, though the new ones quickly seemed to learn from the more experienced stall holders that interacting with customers and selling pro-actively was the best way to achieve good sales. We are not aware of any stall holders who did not break even. Most stall holders achieved sales of £100+, although several performed far better. We are aware of a photographer achieving £150+ and a clothes designer and jeweller selling £200+. Best sales however go to an artist who managed phenomenal sales of £1000+, quite astonishing for a market in March, but really demonstrating the potential of Marlborough.

Cranleigh Village Hall 30th March 2019

An average footfall leads to good sales for some

 

This was our 1st Cranleigh event for 2018. There were a good number of new stall holders working with us as well as several of our regulars. Unfortunately we had several cancellations in the week prior to the event which left us shorter than usual for this event. The weather was bright and sunny all day, leading to some good temperatures and the need to keep 3 doors of the hall open at all times. We managed to count the customers through 2 of the doors and recorded a footfall of 343. However we are aware of customers who used the 3rd door, so the footfall was potentially 400+, an average figure for Cranleigh.

There was a really great range of products on offer throughout the day, making this a really interesting market for the customers. At times the market seemed really bustling and vibrant, whist at other times there were quieter moments. We are aware of at least 2 stall holders who achieved sales of £200+, those being from a jeweller and from a man selling garden related products and upcycled pots. Those who were used to selling and stood for most of the day to engage with customers did very well, whilst those who were more reticent regarding selling or possibly new to selling, found the market tougher. As is usual, best sales were in the latter stages of the market when there were fewer people around …. Just why this happens at several of our markets is not known, but it certainly pays to sell right up to the last moment at venues such as Cranleigh and Thame.

Witney Corn Exchange 16th March 2019

Witney continues to impress

 

Just as in 2018, Witney is a great market to attend in the spring. Witney, due to its reputation was fully booked for this 1st market of the year several weeks before the market. Witney has impressed us for the last 2 years and today was no exception. The weather was not conducive to providing a good footfall, with strong cold winds and drizzle at times. The morning started really well with over 200 customers in the 1st hour. At lunch the customers dried up, only for there to be a late afternoon surge and some great sales. Total footfall, despite terrible conditions was 1073.

 

There was a good positive atmosphere in the Corn exchange at all times. We had a good mixture of more experienced stall holders working alongside many stall holders who were new to us. At the end of the day there were some very good sales figures achieved with one artist achieving over £700. A stall selling fashion and jewellery also achieved over £400. On average most stall holders however achieved £100+, a great figure considering the horrible weather conditions. We look forward to continuing to work at what is becoming one of our favourite and most popular venues.

Salisbury Guildhall March 16th 2019

Awful conditions can lead to good sales

 

The winds howled throughout the day with gusts of 60-65 mph. A heavy wind blown drizzle started the day, though thankfully this stopped before 11am. A good 2/3 of the Saturday outside market had not turned up due to the heavy winds and it is this market which attracts people to the Guildhall square. The market that did turn up, was packed up by 2pm leaving a deserted square. However the Mynt Image team worked well throughout the day and managed to attract a surprisingly good footfall for the conditions of 857 customers.

 

A lot of these customers were however ‘prime’ customers, being from the age and social group who buy very well. As one stall holder noted, every customer was buying.

A jeweller achieved the best sales with sales of over £400. This was closely followed by an author and a couple selling framed prints and cards who sold over £300. Most stall holders sold between £100 and £150 with knitted hats and gloves also doing very well in these wintry conditions. One charity also reported doing very well, signing up more than double the expected number of new charity members. We are aware of 3 stalls who did not make their table money however though one of these was extremely grateful for the efforts put in by Mynt Image staff and obtained some really good leads. Despite awful weather conditions, Salisbury performed well for most stall holders.

Lymington Masonic Hall 9th March 2019

A cold windy day keeps customer numbers down.

 

It was a cold, mostly grey day in Lymington. The wind at times was a real struggle to work with and was keeping the public scurrying along the pavements. The streets, as at other venues today, were quiet. The outside market helps bring customers into Lymington and was vibrant today. Ny working hard, the Mynt team managed to attract 617 customers into the hall, a typical figure for Lymington at this time of year.

 

Spending was ok, but nothing to write home about. Over 50% of the stall holders achieved sales of over £100 with most of the rest covering their costs. We are also aware, as at most markets of a few stall holders who didn’t make their stall fees. However there was a good atmosphere within the hall and stall holders, as usual at Lymington, reported having an enjoyable day. The public were however very faddy in their spending, with one woodworker selling £100+ whilst the other hardly selling a single thing all day. We wish there was a formula to success for all of our stall holders

Winchester Guildhall 9th March 2019

A typical start to the Winchester season

 

The weather was quite cold and grey for most of the day, though the sun did break through at times. The streets were very quiet, shopper numbers badly affected by the cold biting wind. With a limited amount of possible customers around the team worked hard to attract a footfall of 738, a typical figure for Winchester Guildhall in the early season.

 

Candles and lamps seemed to sell well as did one of our regular artists selling his cards and prints. Several other stall holders did well, but it must be said that spending was not as good as it should have been …. There seemed to be other things on people’s minds. It’s hard to do better than we did when there are simply not the customers around.

Guildford Guildhall - March 2nd 2019

Our 1st market of the year proves a success for most.

 

This was our first market of 2019, but whereas in 2018 we were coping with freezing temperatures and possible snow, to day the weather was grey and relatively warm until a cold wind started biting late in the afternoon. There streets of Guildford were not full of shoppers, but there were some about, though it took a lot of effort to get them into the Guildhall, especially in the morning. However by the end of the day a footfall of 1013 was achieved which is very respectable for the 1st market of the year.

 

Spending was fine for the time of year. A stall selling candles and lamps achieved £400+ whilst at least 3 other stalls managed sales between £300 and £400. One artist selling cards upstairs achieved a figure of over £200. However we did encounter a major difficulty in getting stall holders upstairs, far more than usual. We normally manage to get ½ to 2/3 of customers upstairs, but today they simply didn’t want to know and the figure was far lower than usual ….. we will keep a close eye on this during the April market and put additional measures in place.

 

This was a good start to the year at Guildford and it was especially good to see a good number of younger people enter the Guildhall than usual.

2018 Market Reports

Thame Town Hall - 15th September

A typical Thame market

Thame is a lovely market that always performs for most of the stall holders who attend at any season of the year. Today was no different. It remained sunny throughout the day with some clouds and a cool breeze. There were plenty of local people in Thame, the tourists having moved on. There were lots of families around and many of these ventured into our event. Thame was busy for most of the day, with plenty of shoppers around even at lunchtime. By working hard, we managed to attract 480 customers into the market, many of whom spent well.

 

The stalls really did look good today. We had several newcomers to our events and several who had never tried a craft market before. What was lovely to see was the welcome many of our regulars gave to these new stall holders and the willingness to give help and advice. There was a lovely atmosphere at the market . We are aware of one stall holder today who almost achieved £300. Several others including skin care, jewellers and wood workers achieved around the £150 mark. Most stall holders made between £90 and £150, with just a few not achieving their stall fees. Customers were looking for early Christmas presents with many asking stall holders when the market would be back next.

Henley Town Hall - 15th September

A peculiarly quiet day in Henley

At the crack of dawn it was cold, miserable and foggy. It looked as though it was going to be a chilly and long day but as stallholders arrived it slowly started to brighten up. Before we opened in fact hardly a cloud could be seen, a stark contrast of what I felt the weather would entail. With a handful of new stallholders and several regulars the hall looked great and there was a nice atmosphere for customers to walk into. Unfortunately there weren't as many customers as we'd like to enjoy this event as the town was very quiet. One local cyclist commented on how empty the roads were (he was quite happy being a cyclist) but of course it meant there were less people in the market place. Working tirelessly however a respectable 463 footfall was achieved. It could've been higher but a wedding being held by the town hall scuppered the flow for about half an hour later in the afternoon. It always seems the difference between good and great days in Henley are whether or not the council are running conflicting events in the building, one of the many reasons we are not too disappointed with lsoing Henley next year. 

Spending was mixed here today, there was definitely money to be made as the people of henley know how to splash the cash when a salesperson entices them well enough.

Guildford Guildhall - 8th September

Good spending as usual at this time of year

Guildford in early September has always proved to be a very productive market. It didn’t disappoint this year, though it was tough to get the customers into the hall. The streets were quieter than usual at Guildford, perhaps because this was the end of the 1st week of the school term. When the public did arrive, they were far harder to coax into the market than usual, most simply ignoring our signs and active marketing. This is unusual for Guildford. However we did persevere and managed to attract 943 into the market.

It was good today to have 3 stallholders in the market who were totally new to the business. They both agreed that they had learnt a lot at the end of the day and had a good time. We also had several stallholders who had never worked with Mynt Image before. They were amazed at the effort our staff make to get people into the building, something we pride ourselves in doing. Most stallholders did really well today, most achieving £150+. We are aware of 2 further stallholders making £300+ and 2 making £400+. Jewellery was the top seller today with candles also selling very well. It was clear that the public were already buying for Christmas as is often the case at this time of year. This was a good market for many and it has to be said, had an excellent atmosphere, both downstairs and upstairs which both the stallholders and the customers commented upon. 

Witney Corn Exchange - 1st September

Witney provides a lovely day as is expected from this great venue

Witney seems to be fast becoming one of our top venues, a good consistent footfall, friendly faces and some money to be made. Set up ran very smoothly, being able to unload so close works nicely. The hall looked great with a huge range of quality crafts, each stallholder so diverse in how they displayed their products made for a very attractive looking market. This year seems to have flown so incredibly fast you'd be forgiven for thinking we were still in May rather than September with the great atmosphere around town. The gorgeous but not too hot weather certainly helping here. We had a good flow of customers throughout the day without really slowing over lunch which was great. Working hard we managed to draw 890 through the door.

Spending was relatively mixed, one or two just about covered costs but there were many who did very well. Art seemed popular on this occasion, one stallholder who had her first ever event here today comfortably cleared £100 showing that theres definitely money in Witney. We had a number fo stallholders take several hundred which is always good, this market is certainly going to be fantastic at Christmas!

Lymington Masonic Hall - 25th August

Lymington produces a huge footfall

Lymington is a perfect summer location just as we proved in July. Today was Bank Holiday weekend and the town was heaving with tourists and especially with families. The weather was sunny and warm. At times there were so many people going into the hall that we had to stop attracting people for a while. By 1.00pm we achieved a footfall of 1050 and after a slightly quieter afternoon we managed to achieve a total of  1759 customers, a record for this venue.

Of interest was also the fact that customers brought 76 dogs into the market, making this a good venue for pet products if we had had these stallholders present.

Many stallholders achieved between £100 and £150, a good amount but maybe not as high as we would expect with such a huge footfall  BUT we are aware of at least 5 stallholders who achieved £200+ and one artist who sold more than £400. There was an excellent atmosphere in the hall throughout the day and this has to have been one of the most supportive and friendly events that I personally have run. There were several stallholders new to Mynt Image and several who were selling at their 1st ever market. The support and encouragement from the more experienced stallholders was excellent throughout the day. The customers were mostly buying holiday souveneirs, however there were also several customers who admitted they were already buying Christmas gifts.

Lymington has yet again proved to be an excellent summer location. We are already aware of just how well it performs in the pre Christmas season.

Salisbury Guildhall - 18th August

Extremely good sales for some!

The weather today was cloudy with the occasional light shower. It did try to brighten up but for the most part it stayed grey overhead.  This did not stop the potential customers though being out and about in the Guildhall Square and by working hard in our usual way we got many potential customers in.  The atmosphere was good and fun outside in the square.  We experienced some excellent spending - 5 stallholders took £300+ with one over £800, art sold best but everything sold well if stallholders actively sold! The best sales of the day were had by those who were proactive!  Set up was smooth and easy, as was was pack up and it was a pleasure to see some lovely stallholders. A final footfall of  962 was achieved.

Winchester Guildhall - 18th August

A good summer venues produces some good results

A typical British August day … grey and muggy. Perfect weather though for tourists to visit a city such as Winchester …. And that is exactly what they did. The town was quiet when the market opened though but we still managed to attract in 100 customers in the 1st hour, but they really were just browsers. Then at just after 11am the tourists started to arrive on the park and ride busses to the bus stop near to the Guildhall and the footfall increased dramatically. A final footfall of  1139 was achieved.

With such an impressive summer footfall, sales were bound to be good. Stallholders reported a much stronger afternoon for sales than morning, with some really good purchases being made especially in the last hour … a common feature of our markets. Candles sold impressively well today for one stallholder who achieved over £300 of sales. Several other stallholders including an artist and a jeweller achieved sales of £200+. Many stallholders sold between £150 and £200 though it must be pointed out that a few stallholders did not cover their costs. All stallholders did report enjoying the day and enjoying the excellent atmosphere within the hall created by the continual stream of customers.

Winchester, along with Salisbury, Lymington and Guildford is an excellent summer venue as shown by the good footfalls and sales achieved during this summer.

Guildford Guildhall - 11th August

A good day for some

The weather was dull but once the hall was set up it was bright and welcoming with a mix of new stallholders and plenty of regulars.  The Hight Street was relatively quiet for this usually bustling city but the buskers and street musicians did help to bring people out and to stand and enjoy them or to chat which we used to our full advantage as usual.  We worked extremely hard and managed a final footfall of  839 by the end of the day.  It seemed that many people were tourists rather than serious shoppers today.  We noticed that those stallholders who pro-actively sold their products had a much better day in terms of sales than those who were witnessed sitting behind their tables quietly or spending a long time on their phones.  Candles being sold by one stallholder sold well but candles being sold by another did not.  Some art sold very well with one artist being extremely happy with a high sales figure and noting that 'being upstairs is much better than down.'  Some jewellery sold extremely well.

Thame Town Hall - 11th August

A day of two halves

The morning was sunny and warm. Thame was crowded with people and oozed promise. Thame is a good tourist destination and there were many tourists around in the morning including some guided tours. By 1.10pm a footfall of 300 had been achieved and many stallholders reported doing well. And then the damp cold grey weather started and the mood within Thame Town dramatically changed. During the afternoon there were few visitors and the Mynt staff only managed to improve the footfall to 478 by the end of the day. Spending was also far poorer in the afternoon and many stallholders said that the market may as well have ended at 1pm.

Several stallholders managed to achieve £100+ during the day with at least 2 reporting £150+. However the best selling stallholder today was a wood turner who achieved £300+, there really was a terrific demand for his well produced products. We are also aware that some stallholders only just broke even today and some failed to achieve even the cost of their stalls which was disappointing. Even the usual great final 30 minutes failed to occur today which is not typical.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 28th July

Highest footfall at Lymington

The weather had been hot and humid for several weeks and this was the 1st day since the break of this weather. The schools had been on holiday a week and the New Forest Show was over …perfect conditions for this market. Lymington really is, along with Salisbury, a great venue in the summer months and today really proved this. By working hard throughout the day, the Mynt Image team managed to attract a footfall of 1460 customers into the hall. This was a record for Lymington and the highest footfall at any Mynt Image event so far this year. 

We had a lot of experienced stallholders with us today as well as several who had never worked with us before. The quality of the stalls was excellent and the public continually commented on the high quality of the stalls and their excellent presentation.

We are aware of 7 stallholders who achieved £150+ and one who achieved £400+. Most of the other stallholders seemed to have achieved around the £100 mark with just a few not covering costs. Jewellery seemed to sell very well, and art, as at last week at Salisbury, proved very popular. Bags of various types also seemed to be in demand. Several customers we spoke to were already buying Christmas presents for friends, being attracted to the high quality of the products at our market. Generally today though customers were looking for small low priced items as holiday momentos …. Lymington, like Salisbury really attracts the tourists which is what makes it especially good in the summer.

Salisbury Guildhall - 21st July

The market that proved Salisbury is a great summer venue

Despite a couple of stallholders dropping out of this market in the week leading up to it we found it to be a really good event that showed the potential of Salisbury as a summer venue. It was also a very surreal market, starting with a ‘Gay Pride’ march at 10.30 am which we had not been made aware of and ending at 3.45pm with a gathering of ‘Steam Punks.’  It made us wonder sometimes which universe we were actually living in. Despite the recent low numbers of shoppers and visitors in the city there were plenty of people out and about today in Salisbury. There was an absence of coach parties, but this didn’t seem to make a great deal of difference as the local residents were certainly out to prove that Salisbury is a great city. By working hard throughout the day the team managed to attract a footfall of 1049.

Although this was a smaller market in terms of the amount of stallholders than we normally have, due to cancellations, the stallholders who did attend were in for a good day. The stalls looked excellent and there was some really impressive selling going on throughout the day. Customers particularly wanted art today, with some local collectors and home owners making some excellent purchases. One artist made over £600 whilst the other over £300. Jewellery sold well for many jewellers with most jewellers taking £150+. Lavender products and glass continued to sell well with sales of £300+. With figures like these it is easy to see why most stallholders were really pleased with the day. Two stalholders did not do quite as well as the others, though even they reported having a really enjoyable day and some excellent conversations which could easily result in internet based sales.

This was a really good market and demonstrated our belief that certain venues which are tourist centres, such as Salisbury can perform excellently in the summer months.

Guildford Guildhall - 14th July

By working hard some very good sales achieved

The public were particularly difficult today to get into the market. There were plenty of potential customers on the streets, but turning them into the market was far more difficult than usual. It could have been the bright sunny weather, Wimbledon tennis, the England world cup play off match ….. but whatever it was, this was not an easy day. There were plenty of tourists in Guildford but they seemed unwilling to enter the building. However by working very hard throughout the day, we attracted a total footfall of 857.

We were a couple short of stallholders today for the 1st time ever in Guildford. We had had several cancellations for various reasons during the week and 2 stallholders just didn’t turn up on the day. However we managed to give everyone a little extra room and this proved beneficial for many. Clothing seemed to sell particularly well today and jewellery as usual went well. We are aware of one stallholder selling £500+ and another £400+. The average sales were between £150 and £250, making Guildford a profitable venue all year round. Guildford is one of our tourist venues which is why it can be particularly good in the summer months when other venues used by other organisers would struggle.

Marlborough Town Hall - 7th July

World Cup and weather affects event

This market was not a typical Marlborough market, but a result of conditions around it which could not be avoided. The temperatures soared to 31 degrees, with most local people not coming into town but enjoying a BBQ at home. England were playing in the World Cup Quarterfinals from 3pm …. The streets were deserted. If you add to this Wimbledon tennis and a county show and steam rally, perhaps it is easier to understand why for many this market was not the success it usually is, though several stallholders did do well. We had 4 cancellations in the week before the event, so we were pleased to be able to give many stallholders a little extra room. By working in the searing heat all day, the Mynt Image team managed to attract a total footfall of 254.

At 3.45 stallholders came out to get the team in as they had decided to stop the market a little early and at the same time clapped and thanked the team for their hard work in the blistering heat.

Customers were not spending brilliantly having their minds on other things and other events. There were some groups of more mature ladies who did spend well (I wonder where the husbands were?) and it is not surprising that jewellery was the best seller. We are aware of 1 jeweller who sold £200+ and another who sold £150+. We had a lot of new stallholders today and the positive remarks about their products was good to witness. Despite the slow footfall, there remained a positive atmosphere within the market and all stallholders enjoyed the day, despite not doing so well.

We wish to emphasise that this was not a typical Marlborough summer market but the result of circumstances beyond our control such as the England team winning a football match and extreme heat.

Thame Town Hall - 7th July

A busy day for sport and outings in the sun

Set up at our Thame Town Hall Craft and Gift Market was a pleasure as it always is.  After a couple of last minute cancellations the Mynt Image team spread out our remaining stallholdes and their tables and the hall looked very welcoming with stalls arranged very attractively.  Some jewellery and handbags sold well today - maybe the fact England were playing in the world cup at 3pm meant our femail customers shopped on their own away from sport.  It was a glorious day with respect to weather topping 30 degrees so many potential customers would have been making the most of this.  Glass and flower products did not seem to sell well today.  Thame footfall was a relatively low 210 and the streets went very quiet from around 2pm.  We had reports of sales at £200 and also £150, with most stallholders but not every single one, covering costs.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 23rd June

An excellent footfall with average spending

The hall was set up in a very speedy fashion with stallholders parked in the on-site car park.  We had a couple of last minute cancellations due to sickness so others used their spaces to spread out and have a larger display of products. Today really was part of the tourist season in Lymington. Tourists were out in force, many visiting from the Isle of Wight and many visiting a New Forest town. Cameron and Sara started the market and by the time Paul arrived at 12 noon a footfall of almost 500 had already been achieved. By the end of the day, and with the typically slower Lymington afternoon, a total footfall of 1268 was achieved.

We had a good range of different stallholders today including many of our regulars. The stalls were all of good quality as is normal at our Mynt Image markets and customers made many remarks about the excellent quality of the products on offer. We are aware of 2 stallholders who had a poor day and didn’t cover their table fees for some reason or another. The customers were not that free with their money today despite many being tourists. However by the end of the day we are aware of 3 stallholders making between £200 and £250. Most stallholders seemed to have achieved a figure of between £100 and £150, which for the price of the market was a good profit for many.

Lymington really is a great summer market, attracting both tourists and local people. Today was a classic Lymington market, though footfall was the best for the year so far.

Guildford Guildhall - 9th June

Guildford demonstrates just what a great venue it is in summer

A lovely warm day with light cloud and plenty of sun throughout the day…. perfect for people to go shopping in Guildford. The streets were busy throughout the day, although everybody seemed to be on a mission making it harder than normal to turn them and get them into the market. Several customers returned several times to enjoy the market, many with friends. By constant hard work the Mynt Team managed to attract 1134 customers in, the best this year for Guildford, proving it to be a good summer venue. 

We had a good number of experienced stallholders in the Guildhall today with a smattering of new stallholders. The stalls all looked amazing with some excellent uses of the spaces and some attractive displays. Some stallholders had a better morning than afternoon although for at least two this was reversed. There were some impressive sales during the day with a lady selling hand bags and scarves selling £600+ and a jeweller making £400+. One stallholder selling stamp related art products also managed to achive £300 with the promise of further commissions. The average sales seemed to be around £230 although one or two stallholders sold less. All stallholders reported having a thoroughly enjoyable day and most went home very happy.

This market demonstrated just how good certain venues such as Guildford, Salisbury and Lymington can be in the summer months especially as they are tourist destinations.

Thame Town Hall - 26th May

A profitable market for most

This market once again proved that high footfalls are not needed to create good profits. Thame has never had a huge footfall, yet it remains one of our firm favourites as spending is often really good. Today was a classic case of low footfall and good spending. Despite all of our efforts we only managed to

attracted 353 customers, disappointingly low for Thame. It was really hard to get customers in when they were thinking of BBQs in the sunny afternoon, and the European cup final. There was also an entire demographic group missing …. there were few families around, most being on holiday with half term the following week.

Top sellers today were glass products with sales of £200+. The average sales were over £110 with several stallholders reaching £150. Art sales were disappointing today which is unusual for Thame. We are only aware of one stallholder who did not make their table fee back. Unfortunately one stallholder also chose to pack up early and leave (very unfair on fellow stallholders) without a word ….. thankfully her table was gratefully covered by those around her. As usual, the last hour was good at Thame, this is a feature of the Thame market for which we have not worked out the true reasons yet. Most of our stallholders said what a good day they had had and how much they had enjoyed the event. It should also be pointed out that most who had done Henley the week before had sold far more at Thame this week despite the lower footfall.

Marlborough Town Hall - 19th May

Affected by the Royal wedding

It was a gorgeous sunny day in Marlborough, but from the start of the day the streets were quiet. We knew that the Royal Wedding would affect the market but were not sure what sort of impact it would have. There were no Union Jacks or bunting in Marlborough High Street and to be honest there was nothing to show the wedding was even happening. However, it soon became clear that the people of Marlborough were more interested in the wedding than 1st appeared. At times during the day there was hardly a person in sight and the roads were very quiet. Some stalls from the outside market closed at 1pm due to a lack of demand. But we persevered and by the end of the day had managed to attract 302 customers into the market.

Our top stallholder today, selling scarves, jewellery and clothing sold over £300 and several other stallholders reported sales of £100. However we are also aware that 2 – 3 stallholders did not cover costs despite trying hard. The atmosphere in the hall was really good throughout the day and all stallholders reported enjoying the day and thanked the Mynt Team for their hard work. This market really was not a typical Marlborough market and was greatly affected by the circumstances of the day unfortunately.

 

 

Salisbury Guildhall - 12th May

A tough day working outside but with some good results

It was generally a miserable grey day in terms of weather. There were plenty of people in Salisbury but Mynt Image staff had to work very hard to get them into the market …. Most generally seemed to be not interested in anything. There seemed to be a confusion as to whether it was spring or summer in the way they dressed. However by constant work we did manage to attract 958 customers into the market, a very respectable figure for Salisbury. The tourist season has started in Salisbury and will peak in July and August which can lead to larger footfalls. Today it was French tourists who spent especially well at several stalls.

There was a good amount of spending, especially for a May market rather than a summer market (August can be a very good month for Salisbury with all of its tourists) or a market in the run up to Christmas (September to December). Several stallholders reported sales of around the £250 mark and most had surpassed the £100 level. Jewellery seemed to be in demand as did some art, lavender products and books. Some high end products were selling, though as usual at Salisbury it was the lower prices which sold better for most. It was a pity that 2 stallholders decided not to turn up and unfortunate that 2 had to cancel the night before for various reasons, they all missed a profitable market. We look forward to our summer season in Salisbury, which we know can be particularly good in such a tourist centre.

 

 

Cranleigh Village Hall - 5th May

A market that proved that a high footfall isn’t always needed.

This was a warm sunny bank holiday Saturday. The people of Cranleigh were enjoying the sun in beer gardens and at BBQs. In the morning, so many potential customers were carrying bags of BBQ fuel that we guessed the afternoon would be a quiet one. We weren’t disappointed and Cranleigh turned into a ghost town after 12.30pm. Add to this the fact that many residents had gone away for the bank holiday weekend and you will see why the Mynt image staff despite massive efforts only achieved a footfall of 320 customers during the day. This was disappointing for the Mynt Image staff, but not neccessarily for stallholders! This was for one reason and one reason alone, the spending!

Spending by many of the customers was very good and we knew by the many bags that were being brought out of the market, many sales were being made. One woodworker sold £250+ during the day, narrowly beating a jeweller and hand cream seller who almost reached the £200 mark. Most stall holders reported doing a lot better than in April and that the customers weren’t just rushing round, but were taking time to talk to each stall holder. There were only one or two stall holders who were disappointed, showing that Cranleigh unfortunately doesn’t work for everyone. However, it has to be said that there was a really good positive atmosphere amongst stall holders and most said that they had really enjoyed the day and appreciated the efforts of the hard working Mynt Image staff.

Witney Corn Exchange - 5th May

Almost too sunny but sales still good

Set up was mostly quite smooth, we've got some great stallholders booking into this venue and there was certainly a great mix. New and old stallholders alike made the hall look great and very inviting also. There's plenty of room in Witney where its a nice big hall so there was no danger of being too cramped. The glorious weather was as much as help as it was a hinderance, the sun seemed to bring hoards of people through Witney but it was as though it was too nice to be spending the day shopping. Customers seemed far more interested in enjoying the weather and a beer or two outside while the sunshine lasted.

Skincare and cards were among the notable sellers while artwork was less popular on this occasion. We had a couple of reports of sales around the £300 makr while most if not everyone covered costs and some good profit. Working hard in the heat the team achieved a footfall of 853 which is a great turnout considering how reluctant people were to be inside.

Winchester Guildhall -  28th April

A very good footfall in challenging circumstances leads to good sales for most.

This was perhaps the most challenging market we have run for some time. We were aware that Winchester Guild Hall and booked a Proseco Festival to take place in an adjoining room, though they told us it should not affect us ….they were wildly underestimating the size of the event and the disruption it would cause. 

It was a grey day and chilly and damp to say the least, but there were lots of people in Winchester. With the Proseco Festival due to start at 12.30 we worked hard to get early customers into the market. After 2 hours we had a footfall of 450, a very respectable total indeed….. and then the festival started. The entrance and hallways became clogged up with partygoers, many already tipsy. The hall we were using became empty as it was impossible to get customers into it through the party going crowds. By working with the Festival organisers and the staff at the Winchester Guildhall we managed to use and alternative route into the hall which was well signed and staffed by Winchester staff. By doing this, and in the shadow of the beat of the festival, we managed to get an impressive 1222 customers into the market. For the hour before closing many ‘tipsy’ ladies also decided to visit the market from the Proseco event. These ladies spent very well in their slightly inebriated state with a sudden surge in skin care and jewellery sales. The total number of customers may well have been 1400+ as we did not count these Proseco Festival ladies. 

Most stall holders did very well today. The stalls really did look impressive as we had many very experienced stall holders in the venue with us. We are aware of one artist who sold £500+ (including an original!!!) . Several jewellers also did very well with one achieving over £400 in sales. Many stall holders reported figures of £150 in sales with several more over £200. As in every market there are those stall holders who did not do so well, and clothes were not a good seller today. For an April market though this was a good set of results. As tourists start to come to Winchester we look forward to a good year …… as long as there are no more Proseco Festivals to contend with!

Henley Town Hall -  21st April

Henley was busy and successful for many

Set up at Henley Town Hall proved to be smooth and the hall looked great with a little seating area available to the public which was appreciated.  It was an absolutely beautiful day in terms of weather until around 3pm when we experienced some showers. Sales of clothing, skincare and jewellery were very healthy, although glassware wasn't in demand today.  We had a few reports of sales between £200 and £300, and a few more around the £100+ mark with only a couple of stallholders not making table costs.  There was a world market outside which helped with footfall numbers although the council run litter pick did hinder us.  The eventual footfall was 880.

Thame Town Hall -  21st April

Proving what a gem Thame can be...

We have always stated that a large footfall is not needed to create good sales.  What is needed are affluent customers who are willing to spend, and these are exactly the sort of people who visit our Thame markets.  The day was warm and sunny and the streets of Thame were busy from the start.  We are however aware that the people of Thame can vanish on a hot sunny afternoon to BBQ's and pubs, so it was important to get as many early morning customers into the market as possible.  Thame also has a reputation for last minute spending with some customers visiting several times during the day before buying well.  With this in mind, at the end of the day, we managed a footfall on this glorious day of 453.

It was the sales which were impressive and why Thame can be such a gem. Although a few stallholders did not do that well, the majority of stallholders had a very good day.  We are aware of an artist and a skincare provider who each managed sales of £200+.  Then there were small concrete statues, card sellers, an author and jewellers who also achieved £150+.  The atmosphere in the market was positive at all times and all stallholders reported having a good enjoyable day.  As usual, Thame's last hour was particularly good for many, something which we have now noticed occurs at most of our markets.

Cranleigh Village Hall -  14th April

A tough market in some ways but some good results!

This was the warmest and sunniest day of the year so far, with unbroken sunshine once the morning fog cleared.  It was good to actually run the market in decent conditions.  There was a distinct lack of people on the street for most of the day (presumably due to spending their day out in the sunshine and it being the end of the school holidays) however by working extremely hard the Mynt Image team did manage to attract 437 customers into the market (which is around the number expected considering 2017 footfall numbers) many of who spent really well.

The top seller today was jewellery, with three specialist jewellers doing very well indeed and one selling quality silver jewellery selling £400+.  Art work of the local villages and Surrey towns also did well as did skin care and wooden products.  Many stallholders surpassed the £100 barrier during the day though there were also those who hardly sold anything.  2 stallholders reported selling nothing at all and were very disappointed with the event. There were many experienced stallholders at the event, and all agreed that it really took a lot of hard selling to succeed today.  There were several new stallholders at the event, for whom this was their first market, and we were glad to see that these stallholders covered costs, were very positive about the event, saying that they they had learnt a lot and enjoyed the event a lot too.  Cranleigh has proved to be a good venue over the years, but today it was tougher than usual, but still showed that it can perfom well for many if you have the right approach and products.

Marlborough Town Hall -  14th April

Gorgeous weather made for a difficult market

Travelling to Marlborough in thick fog was not how we expected to start the day with the forecast having been so promising! It was almost eery in the early hours but as we started to set up the fog cleared and it steadily got brighter! Stallholders were unloaded and set up with ease and the hall looked lovely, we had some really great stalls booked in! By the time we opened up at 10am the fog was all but a distant memory and the sun started to shine. It was absolutely glorious for most of the day with hardly a cloud in sight. Unfortunately as this was the first sun we'd seen for what feels like a lifetime, everyone seemed to be anywhere but the town centre making the most of such a nice day. Being the last day of the school holidays it was as though parents were keen on enjoying the sun while it lasted before the kids went back.

We never like to use the weather as an excuse but it certainly made our life difficult, the High Street was very quiet indeed and footfall was slower than hoped. The few that had ventured into Marlborough however were certainly keen to enter which was great but still only meant a footfall of 490, but this was only slightly lower than the average for Marlborough. Spending was okay for the most part, some larger more expensive items sold nicely. Homeware being among the most popular. A few stallholders didn't do particularly well admittedly but customers did show a lot of interest so after market sales are looking very promising!

Salisbury Guildhall -  7th April

A good footfall but some customers hard to please

Parking was free today in Salisbury and what a difference this made to the number of potential customers in the City with a good number of tourists too.

Many of the council car parks were full by 10.30am and there were plenty of customers around despite the poor predicted weather, which simply didn't occur. By working hard thoughout the day the Mynt Image staff managed to secure a footfall of 1017, very respectable for this time of year.  However the customers were choosy and not spending brilliantly...having said that stallholders in the lobby area seemed to do especially well with one artist making over £250 and another not far behind. Fabric and lavender items also sold well. Jewellery was not in demand and glass products didn't do as well as they previously had (usually with very high sales indeed.)  Despite this there were several stallholders who made £200+ and most others making around £100 to £150.  Some, as usual, did far better in the morning than the afternoon.  It was also good to see several new stallholders do well.  The atmosphere in the hall was not buzzing as it usually is, though most stallholders reported really enjoying the event and many asked about future spaces. 

 

Guildford Guildhall -  7th April

A tough day with slightly disappointing sales

The forecast looked awful, driving in the rain wasn't too much fun but the downpour seemed to cease as we started to set up. With a quick and easy set up and stallholders arriving at nicely timed intervals the morning was pretty stress free. One or two stall holders arriving after 9:00am made unloading a little bit more difficult but otherwise it was a good start.

The highstreet seemed a little quiet for a Saturday, the first hour is usally the quietest so we remained hopeful. The lack of atmosphere outside made it very difficult to draw a crowd but we did have a handful of flurries as the day progressed. The best response we seeemd to get happened just as the sun broke out, unfortunately this was short lived as it soon clouded over. We didnt achieve a terrible footfall however, a total of 927 were ushered through the door. Of the 927 who entered it seemed most would either visit upstairs or downstairs but for some reason were reluctant to visit both. This was reflected in the spending, customers seemed vaguely interested in the products but didn't want to spend out! The stallholders who worked hard to sell made some good profits, several reaching around the £300. Jewellery and art were among the most popular this time around. 

Witney Corn Exchange -  31st March

The highest footfall of the year so far at any Mynt Image event

The forecast was not inspirng, yet more rain and drizzle throughout the day.  Mynt Image staff drove through heavy rain to the market, with the promise of continual rain throughout the day....but it didn't stop us!  The public of Witney were on the streets this Easter in force and didn't seem to care about the cold wind or drizzle of early morning.  When the sun even dared to come out, so did potential customers.  By the end of the day, Paul and George had attracted 1219 customers into the Corn Exchange.  At times the hall was almost 'heaving' and stallholders were impressed with the conintuous flow.   The Corn Exchange is a lovely hall to work in and there was such a positive atmosphere and buzz.  We had a good mix of regular stallholders (already recognising the huge potential of this venue) and newbies trying their first one.  Many stallholders did really well in terms of selling.  We are aware of one jeweller making over £300 and several more selling various items hitting the £200 mark.  The average seems to have been the £100 mark with some excellent conversations with customers about commissions/future business.  This was an extrememly good start to our season at Witney.

 

Winchester Guildhall -  24th March

'Rain affects play'

It rained all morning which slowed the flow of potential customers and the High Street was quiet although it did pick up a little around lunchtime.  We had a couple of stallholders make around the £200 mark (handmade fabric items, some jewellery and some art sold well) with a handful making around the £100 mark.  Some jewellery and art didn't sell well but many stallholders just about got into profit after costs.  Two of our best staff members worked hard all day to achieve a footfall of 784 by 4pm but Winchester was in general lacking in quality customers.  We weclomed a lot of new stallholders who's products fitted in well with our regulars and displays were eye catching.

 

Thame Town Hall -  24th March

A mixture of sales today, but we worked hard on a quiet High Street

Once tables were set up, after a couple of last minute cancellations, the hall looked lovely and everyone had plenty of space to spread out and make their displays look attractive and appealing.  Candles and cards/calendars sold quiet well today but it wasn't so good for art.  One stallholder selling handbags had a good day but another did not.  The last hour resulted in a flurry of sales for many stallholders as is the usual case at Thame, but in general the town was quiet and sales were on average not as high as we would usually expect.  Footfall for the day was 462 and we worked hard on the quiet High Street to reach this.  Thame footfall and sales no doubt will pick up at our next event here in April.

 

Lymington Masonic Hall -  17th March

Our 1st ever snow affected market … but still some do well!!

The forecast was snow. The temperature was 1 degree and the heavy winds made it feel much colder. Under grey snow leaden skies, what is normally an easy venue to get customers into proved very difficult. The offer of warmth and cups of tea in the Cafe helped attract people. Paul and George, wrapped up in numerous layers braved the elements and managed to attract a footfall of 509 customers into the market. At 1.00pm the snow got a lot heavier and for health and safety reasons, Mynt Image gave stallholders the option of leaving if they wanted to (normally we insist stallholders stay until the end). For those stallholders who decided to stay, trade continued and most agreed that they did much better whilst it was snowing harder. The snow did not lay, but despite this, stallholders agreed to end the market early due to the atrocious outside conditions. It’s amazing to note that it had been warm and sunny last year at this time!

Despite the conditions some stallholders did very well with one glass maker selling £300+ and 2 other stall holders reporting sales around £200 and another over £100. There was a very positive atmosphere in the market throughout and stallholders have already expressed their gratitude for making this market a success despite freezing conditions and for the above and beyond the call of duty work undertaken by Paul and George. Mynt Image never give up!!

 

Salisbury Guildhall -  10th March

Despite the circumstances and weather conditions Salisbury starts the year well for many!

The incident in the town a fews days ahead of the event and news coverage going on all week led to Salisbury being extremely quiet throughout the day, mainly due to negative press coverage.  The weather was also not what we would have wished for with rain on and off until 2.30pm which further deterred people shopping in Salisbury. These were not the conditions we would have hoped for on our first weekend of the Craft and Gift Market season. However our workers braved the poor weather conditions and by working continually throughout the day managed to attract a footfall of 920 customers into the venue, a very respectable footfall for Salisbury at this time of year.

Spending was for most stallholders better in the morning than the afternoon, though as usual at our markets, the last hour of trading was the best for most stallholders. Pop up cards and glassware seemed to sell very well and candles and diffusers also performed well. Small lavender products also did well, possibly with Mothers Day being the following day. We are aware of one stallholder making £300+ and 4 others selling just over or just below £200. We are only aware of 1 stallholder not making enough to cover their costs. The atmosphere in the market was excellent throughout the day and all of the stallholders thoroughly enjoyed the event, several trying to book future markets immediately after the close of the market.

At Mynt Image, we hope that we won’t have to battle such negative conditions again in a hurry as they did not make life easy for anyone.

Guildford Guildhall -  10th March

A difficult start to the year but some sold very well

With the promise of April showers throughout the day we started off a little tentatively with extra layers and waterproofs at the ready! Fortunately as we arrived in Guildford it was nothing more than a little overcast, the forecast seeming less and less reliable as the morning progressed. Set up ran as smoothly as ever, stallholders at this stunning venue seemed to set up and get on with selling seamlessly throughout the morning which is partially due to having such a lovely group of regulars. Having to use the high street to unload prior to 9am has made for a far more relaxed set up as everyone arrives with plenty of time ahead of opening hours.  With a few clouds looming it looked as though the weather was going to turn which of course wasnt so great for us working outside and definitely not so great for the footfall. It was hard work drawing the customers in, very hard work indeed leading to a slighlty lower than hoped footfall of 874.

Spending was fairly good overall, the morning slower for most. Jewellery sold well as per usualt and art seemed to fly off the shelves! We saw several stallholders exceed the £200 mark although there were no real notably high sales of the day. After a couple of months to recouperate after christmas it was good start to the year.

This was a tough market for most of our stall holders, though several of them also did very well. The day started warm but then a blue sky developed (miracles) and the temperature dropped.

We were subjected to several rain showers during the day, though most passed without much impact.

There were plenty of people in Winchester, though most seemed to be visiting the outdoor market and to have completed their Christmas shopping already.

At the end of the first hour the Mynt team had only managed to attract 80

people into the market, but things did improve and by the end of the day a respectable figure for a midweek market of 1048 had been achieved.

The public mostly seemed to be after smaller items today which is why pop up cards sold extremely well achieving £300+ Musical related items also achieved a similar figure by selling large volumes.

Some colourful art also proved extremely popular and achieved the best figures for the day, beating their figures from Salisbury the previous day. However most stall holders struggled and were disappointed with the spending.

There was thankfully a very positive atmosphere within the market throughout the day, possibly helped by the constant stream of customers into the hall. It seems to

be the trend that customers have spread out their Christmas shopping since August and not bought at all in December as used to be the case.

This was the last Mynt Image event of the season both at Winchester and throughout the South of England.

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