2020 Market Reports

Devizes Ceres Hall - 12th December

Where were all of the customers?

Devizes has become one of our most popular markets due to the good spending and the wonderful atmosphere within this spacious hall. We believed that this market would be a wonderful way to complete the season in Wiltshire, but sometimes things just don’t to plan.

It was a cool but quite sunny day at Devizes. Unfortunately we were met with problems as soon as we arrived. The automatic doors at the hall for some reason would not open and we were left out in the cold whilst the caretakers tried to open them. Unfortunately we did not manage to gain access until 8.45 which meant that both ourselves and our stall holders were under pressure from the start. We did manage to open for business at 10.00am but most stall holders did not feel ready to meet the customers having been very rushed around ….. it was just one of those unavoidable events unfortunately, but it did affect the rest of the day for many. The town was quiet, there didn’t seem to be many people around doing their Christmas shopping. Shops and an indoor market were quiet throughout the day ….. where were the people of Devizes? With a lack of potential customers, despite the sterling effort of our Mynt Team,  we only managed a footfall of 385, very disappointing in this our peak season.

With such a low footfall, due to a lack of people in Devizes, sales were bound not to be as good as recently or as we had expected. However some satisfactory sales were achieved. A stall selloing Eastern products made in excess of £250 and an artist achieved in excess of £300. A stall selling liquorice did quite well too, though not as well as they had hoped. We are aware of 2 other stalls which didn’t cover their costs. It is hard to do much more when the footfall was so poor.

This is not what we had expected at Devizes and was a disappointing end to the year.

Marlborough Town Hall - 12th December

Winter sun led to a good market in Marlborough for most

Marlborough has been one of the surprise successes for 2020, unsure of how it would fare in the current climate it seems to have seen the expected dop in footfall but spending has remained good. We have been using the 2 halls this year to allow for social distancing and the one way system works well to ensure all stalls are passed and seen properly (especially once we rearranged the downstaris hall to maximise oppurtunity). With the sun shining and people heading out into the highstreet the promise of a good day loomed. The first couple of hours were relatively slow but the afternnon picked up with a late flurry as is often the case here. It was hard work but with a total footfall of 603 we were not disappointed at all.

Sales ranged throughout the day, some with better morning and some with better afternoons. Artists and photographers seemed to do well taking several hundred but it was hand creams and moisturisers that was the order of the day, our lady selling organics took around £500. We saw good sales from a number of others too, many £200+ with only one or two stall holders that were less than £100 in the end. Overall a lovely way to end this years market in this historic market town. Roll on 2021 here.

Romsey Town Hall - 12th December

A good end to the year for our Romsey market .

This market proved yet again just how good this venue can be at all times of the year. The hall was beautifully prepared for us as usual by the town council and we were glad to be able to work here once again before Christmas as we knew that our Christmas events have always been good here in the past. With some of the outdoor market now moved to the end of the town opposite the town hall, there were plenty of potential customers around. The day was also cool and sunny with little chance of rain, a real change from most of our other December markets. The COVID rate in Romsey is very low compared to surrounding area and the public seemed to be very happy to enter the craft fair. At times we had short queues as we strictly monitored the number who came into the event to keep it as safe as possible. By the end of the day we managed a very good footfall of 641.

As usual the people of Romsey spent well at most of the stalls, though there were a few exceptions. The best seller was an artist with her cards, bags and pictures who sold in excess of £500. A lot of other stall holders achieved in excess of £300 including a stall selling miniatures and clocks, a card seller and 3 different jewellers. One jeweller had her best ever day at any event, achieving £300 for the first ever time ….she was extremely pleased. Many other stall holders achieved in excess of £200 including an artist, a photographer, a gentleman selling woodwork and 2 different  book sellers. We were delighted to see that 2 new stall holders who were trading at their first ever markets achieved in excess of £150. There were a few disappointed stall holders but these were in the minority as Romsey proved once more what a good location it is for one of our Craft and Gift markets.

We look forward to continuing to work at this venue in 2021.

Guidlford Guildhall - 11th-13th December

Friday - A market distinctly in 2 halves.

We have run Friday markets before at Guildford so knew that they would be successful. This was the start of a 3 day event at Guildford where we had booked Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Some stall holders had booked for all 3 days and others just for an individual day. We were helped today by Guildford Council allowing some stall holders to leave their stalls in place from the previous Sunday. This made ‘set up’ so much easier as we had not so many new stall holders to unload into the building at the beginning of the day.

The weather was damp at first , though with a lack of wind throughout the day, it didn’t seemed to penetrate much. The streets were busy from the start and customers were certainly willing to come into the market right from the start. We averaged around 80 customers an hour throughout the 7 hours of the market with a final footfall of 576. There were certainly people shopping in Guildford today, though there did seem to be a lack of more mature couples until later in the day. Customers were drawn into the event throughout the day and we were assisted by an excellent group of buskers whose music added to the interest in the Guildhall area of the High street.

However spending in the morning was not good with several stall holders reporting very minimal sales before 12.00. Thankfully the stall holders didn’t give up and continued trying to be positive. As the afternoon wore on, sales picked up remarkably with one stall who had only sold £15 by 12.00 managing sales in excess of £400 by the end of the day …. And he didn’t sell the most! Our breadknife man made sales in excess of £500 as did a lady selling jewellery and scarves. They were joined with sales of over £500 by a lady selling fabric items and an artist who sold in excess of £400 for the 2^nd time in 2 weeks.. Another couple selling wooden items had a good day with some very good sales as did a candle seller achieving sales of £300. At the end of the day, there were o0nly 2 stall holders who had not sold over £100 with most selling between £150 and £200. On e new stall holder at her first ever market sold over £250. We have no idea why spending was so much better in the afternoon except to say that the age of the customers seemed to be increasing throughout the day. Although sales were not as good as they had been in previous years, considering the difficulties COVID has caused, these were impressive figures and far above most stall holders expectations.

We look forward to the Saturday and Sunday events!   

Saturday - The 2^nd day of our 3 day event brings great results for some.

This was the 2^nd day of our long weekend in Guildford and we were looking forward to building on the success of Friday afternoon. Thankfully there was no rain forecast today, an unusual event this December and there were from the start plenty of people on the High Street, clearly Christmas shopping. However customers seemed reluctant to enter the Craft and Gift market in the morning, intent instead on visiting the shops they had already planned to buy from. However just as on Friday, the afternoon was a totally different event and customers started to flood into the market. We kept strict controls in place allowing a maximum of 30 customers into the building at any one time. There was a queue of interested customers at times reaching down the hill. By the end of the day we had managed a good footfall of 885.

Spending was not good in the morning , just as on Friday with most sales being made in the afternoon. Several stall holders made their best sales ever including one of our artists who sold in excess of £900, something he had never dreamed of achieving. One of our jewellers also achieved sales in excess of £500, far above her sales on Friday. A lady selling ceramics achieved sales of £459. One lady selling honey based products had such a good day that she sold out of many of her products. 2 stall holders reported having their best days ever including one selling dream catchers and jewellery and one selling fabric products. Our bread knife man, once more achieved very good sales as did our scarf seller. Most stall holders reported doing well, though several had better sales on the Friday afternoon. Overall this was a pleasing market and put us in anticipation of our final Sunday event.

Sunday - Wet and windy but a good day for a few 

Salisbury Guildhall - 6th December (sun)

A little taste of what Christmas is supposed to be like in Salisbury

What a day! Salisbury is truly magical at christmas so this year we were always worried what would happen, fortunately we needn't have! Unloading for this market is usually a little hectic, getting close to the Guidhall is a little more awkward but with help from the Mynt team we get there without too much trouble. Set up was great, such an ecclectic mix of stalls including old stallholders and new. The use of space was inspiring and could not have been more inviting while still allowing safe social distancing. The only difference to this particular market due to being tier 2 restrictions was a slighlty ammended one way system. 

As the day got underway it was clear that we'd be in for a good one. By about 10:15 people started queuing to get in and probably didnt stop until at least 15:00. The queue ranged from a handful at the door checking in and sanitising to a lenghty snake of people down the stairs and halfway across the market square. Realistically we couldn't have physically let more in the door than we did. The great thing about such a queue meant that the hall was never too crowded to not only be covid compliant but also to give stallholders a better oppurtunity to engage. In past christmas events we've seen so many people through the door that the business can make it harder to sell sometimes. Overall we achieved 1120 customers over the 6 hours which is truly staggering for this year, perhaps we could have seen more with relaxed restrcitions but we think that may have had a negative impact on spending, who knows, either way we're certainly not complaining!

Now remember this is a Sunday market when we talk about the impressive sales figures. At least 3 stallholders made sales north of £1000, 2 of which were teasing £1500. We saw our card seller take her best of the year with a £600 day. Another handful took £400-500 and as far as we are aware only 1 stall holder didnt take £100 but then wildlife trust is there for signups and not sales. 

To put it simply, this was our best market of the pandemic stricken year.

Thame Town Hall - 5th December

Our best Thame market of the year

Thame is always a good market with good sales from a limited footfall. With the 2^nd Lockdown ending just 3 days before this market we were a little concerned that the people of Thame would not support this event ….. but we were wrong because they loved it!!!! With our COVID Tier 2 regulations in place, we were only allowed 10 customers inside the hall at any one time, and this we monitored throughout the day and had a queue at times. We were also only allowed 1 stall holder behind each stall, something we have adjusted to at this location since July and which some stall holders find challenging despite being able to have help during set up and loading. Thankfully it was a bright sunny day, though rather cold to be working outside all day as our Mynt Image team were.  Right from the start we knew that we were in for a good day and we thank Thame Town Council for helping us to advertise this event.  By the end of the day we had managed a footfall of 581, very respectable for Thame, and we knew that sales would be good.

The hall looked excellent today with several very experienced stall holders as well as several quite new to us. There was an excellent mix of stall types and customers remarked on the quality and diversity of the products on sale. The height of some of the stalls was also very impressive and there was a really good atmosphere in the hall throughout the day. One stall selling Eastern products managed sales of over £600, whilst another lady selling fabric products and cards achieved in excess of  £500. Most jewellers present sold in excess of £250 with one doing considerably more. A regular stall holder selling slat lamps reported having a very good day. At least half of our stall holders today achieved sales above £200, not a bad return from a £30 stall fee.

Thame really is one of those locations where you do not need a large footfall to achieve good sales. When you do get a large footfall then we know sales will be good, which they were today. This really was Thame at its best at Christmas. We look forward to continuing to work at this delightful location once more in 2021.

Guildford Guildhall - 5th December

An excellent day for most with some very good spending.

Guildford has been a little tricky this year, the people of Guildford certainly worried by the COVID 19 pandemic and reluctant to shop in Guildford High Street, preferring instead to stay local. Many Guildford customers have also not wanted to use the NHS Track and Trace app which we have in place at our markets and this has been very detrimental to our footfall as we need contact numbers for thew safety  of both our customers and stall holders at our events. However we have gradually managed to increase the footfall in October and this has continued subsequent to the 2^nd Lockdown as people seem to have become used to living in a very different world. Despite the cold conditions, footfall was up once again today at Guildford with a footfall of 738, the largest for a long time at this fantastic location.

Christmas spending was definitely present today at Guildford with some excellent sales from many of our  stall holders, though unfortunately not all. We had a good many very experienced stall holders with us today as well as a few were quite new to us. Our artist sold almost £800 by the end of the day, (a record for the incredibly talented artist!) and our bread knife man reported having a record day for 2020. Jewellery also sold well with sales of between £200 and £300 mostly. Many stall holders had sales of around the £150-£200. We were also pleased that one of our new stall holders reported having a really good day and being very happy indeed. A man selling Jams, teas and hand woven items also reported  beating his sales record. 

These were much improved figures from Guildford and although not up to some of the previous Christmas figures from previous years, show a good improvement and certainly point towards increased sales and better markets in 2021.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 5th December

A cold Miserable day but some good sales

This was our penultimate market at Lymington for 2020 and we didn’t know just how busy it would be, being just a few days after the 2^nd Lockdown finished. We were glad to find out that there was a large street market in place as this always draws people into the town. However the day started and finished wet and there was a cold wind throughout the day, conditions not favourable to being people out onto the streets. The stalls did look really good and were enhanced by the excellent decorations that had been put out by the hall owners and that were really appreciated by all. The balance of stalls was excellent and the quality of the stalls remarked upon by many of the customers. The Mynt team worked hard throughout the day in at times rather adverse conditions and were glad when the High Street livened up after 11am, the High street remaining crowded and active until at least 3pm, quite unusual for Lymington. BY the e3nd of the day we had achieved a footfall of 746, very similar to pre-covid figures.

Spending was fine today, though typical of Lymington with some good sales but nothing exceptional that stood out. For most stall holders, the afternoon was much better than the morning and for many, the last hour, as usual at our markets, provided the best sales. Several stall holders sold between £250 and £300 including a young man selling self published books,  a jeweller, and one of our artists. Most stall holders achieved £100+ and we are not aware of any who did not cover their costs. Customers always spend better in good weather and when the sun is shining, unfortunately these were not the conditions today at Lymington.

Salisbury Guildhall - 4th December (fri)

The 1st Friday event of the season brings rewards for many

This was our first Friday event of the season and also the 1^st market that we have been able to run since the 2^ndLockdown ended on Wednesday 2^nd December. Expectations were not high amongst stall holders due to the cold wet rainy start and the closeness to the Lockdown. There was also no Christmas outside fair on in Salisbury due to COVID 19 as we had expected there to be when we had arranged the event. It has to be said that the streets were very quiet throughout the day, many people being put off by the cold wet conditions. However by working hard throughout the day our team manged to achieve a creditable footfall of 436 customers.

What really pleased us was the fact that these were the right customers!!! The spending per customer was really very high. Most stall holders made in excess of £200 with at least 2 achieving £300+ including an artist. Jewellery sold well as did one stall selling wooden turned products. Glass also sold well  and both photographers did well as did another of our artists. As stall holders told us, they had expected very little but been pleasantly surprised by the sales they had made in the poor conditions. Sales were not as high as they usually are at Salisbury at this time of year, for the reasons I have already explained, but there were very respectable sales for the footfall. It was typically larger products that were being sold, this being historically one of the best weekends for Christmas shopping at our markets. We are not aware of any stall holders who did not at least achieve their stall costs and make some money.

Considering the number of adverse factors affecting this event we were very pleased with the results and look forward to our Sunday event on the 6^th December at this venue.

Marlborough Town Hall - 31st October

Another rain affected day …but some great sales

As another named storm (storm Eamon) swept across the UK, our markets were once again heavily affected through no fault of our own. There is not much you can do in 40mph winds and heavy persistent rain. These awful lasted until 1pm, and the Mynt staff worked hard in full weather gear to conquer the elements. The sun came out in the afternoon and it was impossible to believe it was the same day. When people came shopping in the afternoon after their extended lunches, there was a rapid surge of footfall with even a short queue at times. At the end of the day we had achieved a satisfactory footfall of 345 customers.

The customers did spend well mostly today with some great sales figures for all but a few of the stalls. The customers were certainly buying for Christmas and once news of a possible new ‘Lockdown’ spread, spending increased further. One stall selling Gin made over £500 whilst another young couple selling candles sold in excess of £400. 2 other stall holders reported sales of £300 including a cookery book seller and a woodworker. Most stallholders seemed to sell between £100 and £180. When spending is matched with footfall, this is quite remarkable spending per customer. Unfortunately there were several stall holders who despite the success of others, did not achieve such good sales. However the atmosphere in the market was excellend for most of the day.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 31st October

Storm Eamon impacts footfall and sales

The Mynt Image team today were stretched to their limit due to 4 markets being run in this run up to the peak season. We therefore called upon Jonathan from out admin team to step in and assist in the leadership of the markets ably assisted by Sue, Paul’s wife.

The weather as with the other markets was very poor up until 1pm but we were quite surprised that the footfall in the morning was so good, even though only half the outdoor street market was present, but then the mornings are always better at Lymington. By the end of the day we achieved a footfall of 476.

The market was a mix of our more experienced regulars and new stallholders and the stalls looked professional enhancing sales. There was some good spending during the day with most stallholders being very happy with their sales. Of particular note was a pottery lady who sold far more than usual due to the approach of Christmas. Photography and glassware also sold well. Flamingo cards also sold well as did one of our stallholders selling art related gift sets.

Henley Town Hall - 31st October

Our most rain affected market of the day

Henley was hit for most of the day by torrential rain, so much so that we thought it would never stop. It poured down for most of the day so the streets of Henley were almost empty. Despite our best efforts of an experienced Mynt Image team working the High street and trying everything they could whilst getting totally soaked, we only managed a footfall of 260. There simply was nothing we could have done to increase this footfall.

With such a low rain affected footfall, we did not expect sales to be high. We were pleased however to hear that several stall holders had managed to achieve sales of £200+ including a candle seller and Neals Yard sellers as well as ‘Leafology’. Other stalls did not do so well, though most reported at least covering their costs.

We do NOT expect to have many Saturdays like this in a year

Guidlford Guildhall - 24th/25th October

Huge improvements at Guildford during our first doule market of the year

Set up is a bit easier now the high street is open for a little longer in the mornings, this was only helped by the fact that on saturday we ran the market with 3 team members led by George. There was a real buzz in the morning, a buzz that has been lacking a little in Guildford recently, we were certainly excited to see how the day progressed. Packing away was just as easy too, being able to leave the stallholders booked for both days set up overnight it couldnt have got much simpler. Guidlford really are supportive with this kind of thing so we're very happy with how smooth it all runs.

On the Saturday we had a few showers throughout which made it a little tougher but managed to acheive a total 627 through the door, tripling the last Saturday footfall we had here. Sunday improved also, crisp cold and dry meant we managed 475, a nice improvment on the previous Sundays in one of our favourite venues.

Now for the important bit, spending!

Satuday - Spending wasnt bad overall, a significant increase which is fantastic! One of our regualr artists beat his record and sold £500 with a new artist to this venue managing £350+. It seemed the upstairs stall holders all did well with most reporting good days. Our breadknife man sold very well indeed. Jewellery wasn't a particualrly big seller which we feel is a bit of a one off here but glasswork seemed to do well. Very few complatins on the Saturday with only one stallholder not selling well at all.

Sunday - Bit of a tougher spending day on the sunday. Our record breaking artist managed to repeat the previous days feat taking around £560! Jewellery went much better on the Sunday, no incredibly high figures to report but good takings for the most part. Another good day for our breadknife man means at least 2 stallholders took £1000+ combining both days. 

The huge improvements here over a matter of weeks is showing some really promising things to come, as we enter the Christmas season we're expecting some great things for this superb venue. Guidlford is coming back!

Hungerford Town Hall - 24th October

Another rain soaked day does its best to dampen sales.

We had already suffered Hungerford in the rain on October 3^rd, now the wettest day in British records. Today was supposed to be dull and grey with a heavy band of rain going over after 2pm …. It wasn’t. The rain started falling just after 10am and was still falling at 4pm when the market closed. This time there was the added fun of a very strong blustery wind to keep customers off from the streets. To be honest, as we demonstrated to one stall holder, there were at times no potential customers on the streets, it was simply that quiet. With only 37 customers into the market in the 1^st hour we were not optimistic, but thankfully the British public were not as put off by the horrible conditions as expected and we soon had a steady stream of customers coming into the hall. By the end of the day we had achieved a footfall of 448 customers, quite respectable in the conditions.

Hungerford has ease of access for unloading and loading with a car park just to the rear of its back door. This makes this market so easy to set up at the beginning of the day. This was an additional market for us, arranged to take the place of a cancelled venue, and because of this we had a different group of stall holders from usual, with a mix from both the south and the north of our region. The stalls really did look professional today with some real vibrancy to them. What was completely obvious was the Christmas theme with several stalls now totally into the Christmas selling mode. Despite the awful conditions, it was clear that customers were very much spending for Christmas now.

The best seller today was jewellery with one jeweller making almost £400. More regular today were sales of £250, with a man selling wooden items, a man selling salt lamps, a lady selling cookery books and a card seller all achieving around this amount. Most stalls made between £90 and £150 which in these conditions and with the rain affected foot6fall was quite respectable. We are only aware of 2 stall holders who did not make their table fees. It was good to see that our charity stall selling knitted items, once again made sales of almost £200. Spending was overall much better in the afternoon than the morning, something which is a feature of many of our markets, even though footfall can be lower in the late afternoon. Hungerford is certainly a venue which proves that you need the right sort of customer and not just a huge footfall. 

Witney Corn Exchange - 18th October

Our 1^st ever Sunday market in Witney wasnt quite as good as hoped

We've looked forward to trying some Sunday markets in Witney for a while now, Saturdays are always a smash hit here and we felt Sundays could have some great potential too. Despite the lack of outside market there is often a good number of local shoppers (rather than tourists) in the area ready to spend. We're not entirley sure however if it was the time of the year, somewhere between late summer and the Christmas season, or people being venturing out less due to COVID but Witney on this occasion was quieter than we hoped. 

Set up ran as smooth as usual, the hall looked fantastic with a good mix of regular and a handful of new stallholders. Everyone seemed eager for the day ahead and the team made a start drawing customers in. The first hour was quite slow, which of course is to be expected on a Sunday but we worked hard to get everyone last person we could into the hall, as the day progressed we had a handful of flurries but it was tough. It seemed that only few had gone out for the day and even those were browsers. We managed a total of 392 through the door, a number not far off the last Saturdays market here however it seemed a lot quieter where customers weren't as interactive.

We had every faith that spending would be good, the first customers came out with bags so there was every potential we'd acheive and excellent day. Unfortunately, as mentioned, they were browsers. A few stallholders took around £250 and most covered costs but there were not a huge amount of succes stories throughout the day. That said however a number of cards were dished out with some interest for future purchases so all is certainly not lost.

We think that Sundays in Witney are potentially best suited for Christmas or even the height of Summer but not quite right in Autumn.

Abingdon Guidhall - 17th October

Our 1^st ever market at this location is successful for most.

We are always concerned when we run our first event at a new location. Earlier events at Abingdon Guildhall had been cancelled due to the COVID 19 Lockdown, and this was therefore our first visit to this delightful new venue. The Guildhall is a small suite of ground floor rooms, just at the end of the High Street in Abingdon, and although not in a perfect position, we were confident that by using our active marketing we could attract customers into this new venue. It was a cool grey day, but there were certainly a lot of people out shopping in Abingdon, just as we had expected there to be. Many were sitting out in the central square, wrapped up warm, but enjoying coffees and musical entertainment. Others were rushing around , trying to get their shopping done fast and then return to the car parks behind the Guild Hall. We had any idea of what methods would work to attract people, but had to adjust these slightly to enable us to attract customers, and by lunchtime we had found a way that really worked, with one of our workers looking like the Pied Piper at times as she returned from her walk around town with her board, followed by a procession of stall holders. By the end of the day we had achieved a footfall of 520, which we were very satisfied with considering that this was our first time at Abingdon and we are in the middle of the COVID 19 pandemic.

The Mynt team were very well aided today by the team who work for the Guildhall. The Guildhall staff worked so supportively, taking the temperature of all customers when they came into the building and directing them as to how the one way system worked. This market would NOT have gone so smoothly without them. The market felt very safe and certainly had more COVID measures in place than most shops and supermarkets. We had no idea as to how spending would be as we have not run this event before, but were very pleased with the results with good spending throughout most stalls. Most stall holders achieved between £100 and £150, not bad for the price of the tables. However some stall holders did much better, with a stall holder selling photography making in excess of £400. A card seller also sold in excess of £300, which with such low priced items is very good. A lady selling candles made in excess of £200 as did one of our stall holders selling lamps, a stall holder selling liquorice and our charity stall selling knitted items. We are only aware of 2 stall holders who did not cover costs

Abingdon has great potential and now we are aware of the best techniques to use in attracting customers we look forward to even greater success at this venue. This is also yet another example of how a large footfall is NOT needed to create good sales. You just have to have the right buyers at a market, and Abingdon, liker many of our venues, just seems to have the right demographic. This is also a great example of hall staff and Mynt Image working together to create a successful market.

Cranleigh Village Hall - 17th October

Another successful event at Cranleigh for most

It was a  grey day in Cranleigh, but we had high hopes for this market after the success of our September event. Thankfully, with the lack of wind, it was relatively warm, especially when the sun broke through at times, and this seemed to encourage shoppers onto the streets. Cranleigh is such an easy event to unload and load up due to the wonderfully level access to the hall. The hall is also spacious which assists us a lot in this COVID 19 world and allows us to create a One Way system that is really safe for both stall holders and customers. Cranleigh started off relatively slowly, but then picked up as it usually does mid-morning. We expect Cranleigh to  have a big ‘lull’ in numbers after 1.30ish, but today this was simply not the case, with between 2pm and 3pm being the busiest time of day. At  the end of this event we had achieved another good footfall at Cranleigh of 503 customers. Cranleigh footfall has increased a lot in the Lockdown world  due to people no longer going to the cities to shop and instead shopping locally.

Spending was again good at Cranleigh with most stall holders making sales of around £150. There were however exceptions and our gentleman selling garden objects achieving sales once more, in excess of 4 figures. One of our artists sold £250 and a lady selling ceramics almost £200. There was a good atmosphere in the hall at all times, and most stall holders reported having a really good day, some not selling as well as others, but still thoroughly enjoying the event.

Cranleigh is one of our unexpected success stories in 2020 and benefitting greatly  from people shopping locally in the COVID 19 world. We look forward to our November market in this beautiful location

Salisbury Guidhall - 17th October

The best footfall of the day with some good sales.

Salisbury is renowned for its good footfall and once again this market kept the stall holders busy throughout the day. With the additional advertising on BBC Wiltshire before the event, we had this market covered from many angles as well as from our usual onsite active marketing. It was a bit of a grey day in Salisbury, but there were plenty of people on the streets, many shopping in the outside market which attracts so many to Salisbury. Salisbury always performs better, numbers wise, in the morning and drops off in the afternoon, and this was exactly the case today with a good footfall in the morning giving us good expectations. By working hard through the day, the Mynt Image team managed to secure a footfall of 672 

Most stall holders reported doing better than they had in September, and it is clear that Christmas purchasing is now well underway. One artist managed sales of over £650, whilst another artist who converts her designs to other products sold in excess of £300. A woodworker managed to achieve sales of around £150 as did a lady selling ceramics and a jeweller. One jeweller, who also sells scarves managed sales of around £200 as did a galls maker. Most stall holders did however not have such a good day with several recording that they had only just covered costs. Although this is an improvement on September, the lower than average figures are not what we like to see at Salisbury. We do however know that with Christmas approaching, Salisbury sales will soar, it really is such a good Christmas location

Please note that permits will be required for all future Salisbury markets. Please see our web site for details of how these can be achieved for FREE.

Guildford Guidhall - 11th October

A few changes to the market bring some success

Guildford has not performed well for the past month, struggling in the post COVID 19 world a little. To make it worse, the weather last week was atrocious, so we were glad of the improvement today. We also made the right move to change the times of the market to 11am – 5pm which seemed to hit busier times in the HIgh Street more. As part of the COVID regulations at Guildford Guildhall we do however have to make sure that everyone who comes in scans a council QR code to show their attendance. This is one of Guildford’s stipulations, and although it has a negative influence on footfall, it also has the effect of turning way the pure browsers. Today, the footfall was much improved on the previous week, and we expect it to continue rising as the Pre-Christmas season gets into swing. By the end of the market a footfall of 402 had been achieved.

There had been some concern the previous few markets that customers no longer went into the downstairs hall. We made some alterations today to the signage and almost every customer made the correct decision to follow the COVID 19 One Way system and attend both halls. One artist achieved sales in excess of £400 (they had achieved £300 in Devizes the previous day too!!!) One jeweller almost reached the £300 mark. Lots of stall holders seem to have made between £90 and £150, which although pleasing, is not up the figures often achieved at Guildford. Sundays have also never performed as well as Saturdays, but we were pleased today to see an upward turn in sales. We are next at Guildford on 24th and 25th October, just 8 weeks before Christmas when we expect much more buying for Christmas.

Witney Corn Exchange - 10th October

A low footfall made up for by some good sales

It was a cool blustery day in Witney with a good deal of sun in the morning. By lunchtime, a fresh breeze had developed and there were masses of grey clouds around which lead to a few showers. The cool mid Autumn weather was a surprise for many and the streets were not as crowded as we had seen them previously , especially at the start of the morning. We had a new member of the Mynt team with us today, who has run stalls with us for several years and knows just what we expect to attract the customers. He was a good asset to the team. To make the event even safer we asked customers to use the NHS APP for the event which we now display at each of our locations, if they had downloaded the App and those who didn’t have this were asked to leave their names and phone numbers. We do find that measures like this do negatively affect footfall, but those who are serious spenders will still come into the markets, and this was the case today. The total footfall was 434 customers.

Spending per customer was really good. We did have a lot of well established stall holders with us  as well as several who were new to us. One jeweller made in excess of £400 whist another selling scarves and jewellery also achieved over £300. Witney always seems to be a good jewellery location. Our established candle sellers sold in excess of £250 with many other stall holders reporting sales of £100+. We were also glad to see our liquorice seller achieve the £200 mark. Some stall holders reported being disappointed compared with last October, but thankfully most stall holders seemed to have covered costs.

Witney is a delightful venue and continues to serve us and our stall holders well. We have already received this comment from one of our new stall holders:

‘By the way, today was our first fair with you and I’d just like to say we were really impressed with the way it was run, the COVID precautions and your helpful staff’

Devizes Corn Exchange - 10th October

The people of Devizes spent well

This was only our 2^nd event at Devizes Corn Exchange and this venue continues to impress us. The hall itself is very spacious and allows us to have really very wide aisles, making it really safe in this COVID age. The spaciousness gives stall holders a lot of room and creates an excellent atmosphere to work within. With ease of access to wheelchairs and others who are less mobile, this really is a delightful venue to use and one that we believe really does have a great deal of potential.

The day was cold and there was a brisk wind. Thankfully though, compared with the previous week, there was no rain and there were plenty of people shopping in Devizes. We stayed dry all day, unlike in any of our venues last week where we got soaked. Set up is so easy at this venue and really is not a great effort. Right from the start, customers came into the hall, and although many seemed to be just browsing, there were plenty of buyers around. For many stall holders however it was the slighter quieter afternoon where the real buying started, with many stall holders making their best sales in the last few minutes of the day. Afternoons perform best at most of our venues with often customers who have been inside in the morning, returning to make their purchases in the afternoon. By the end of the day, a footfall of 560 had been achieved, our best yet at this venue. Especially of note was the large number of more mature couples who visited this market today.

Several stall holders reported sales of around £300 including an artist, a couple selling South African goods and a couple selling chocolates. However £200 was much more common with another stall selling African products, a knit wear stall, a lady selling homewares/candles and a photographer achieving this amount. A lot of other stalls achieved the £150 mark with a woodworker and a couple selling products from shot gun cases and another homeware stall fitting into this bracket. We are only aware of one table who did not cover their costs, which was unfortunate. 

Devizes continues to impress us. We believe that as we get more know by the population and the community of Devizes, our markets will go from strength to strength. This is certainly avenue to watch. 

Guildford Guildhall - 4th October

Another terrible rainy day affects our market

It rained heavily for most of the day. At times between 10am and 11am there were literally no people on Guildford High street …. It was that bad. The rain continued all day without respite, but thankfully later in the day, it eased a little and there were some people out shopping. George and Aaron continued working hard out in the rain throughout the day and got totally soaked for a 2nd day. At the end of the day a footfall of £205 had been achieved, a realistic footfall considering the conditions, but far lower than we normally experience at Guildford.

Sales as might be expected were low, the best being sales of around £150. One stall, looking for leads managed to create 5 positive call backs which they considered could be lucrative. Overall however sales were disappointing and not what we would expect for Guildford.

With this in mind we have made changes to Guildford on a Sunday from 11th October and will be opening at 11am, closing at 5pm. This will allow a much better footfall and for easier loading at the end of the day. Details will be sent to future stall holders this week.

Godalming Borough Hall - 3rd October

Rain ruins our first Godalming event of the season

We were looking forward to this Godalming event due to the fantastic success of our recent Cranleigh event. If people were no longer shopping in the big cities then we were in for a great time in Godalming. We also are aware that Godalming really only performs well in October and November. But today just wasn’t fair!!!!

A cool wind and persistent rain for most of the morning caused there to be very few people shopping in Godalming. Those shopping in Waitrose, right opposite The Borough Hall were simply not interested in making the short walk from the car park to our event, despite it being so visible. When it rains at Godalming, there is always a river down the road at this end of Godalming, making crossing even wetter. Until the weather started to clear a little in late afternoon, we didn’t stand much of a hope. Despite all of our efforts we managed a footfall of 247, a low one for October, but not surprising in the circumstances.

With a lower than expected footfall, sales were clearly going to be down from what we had hoped, based upon our recent Cranleigh market. One of our artists achieved £170 and other stall holders reported being very happy with their sales. However unfortunately many stall holders were not so impressed and we are aware of some who did not cover their table costs, which is unusual at this time of year. Most stall holders did report covering their table fees, but not making much profit, some selling far fewer items than expected. We were however pleased to hear that most stall holders said that they had a good day and we were pleased with the atmosphere within the hall at all times.

Hungerford Town Hall - 3rd October

An atrocious day dampens footfall but NOT sales.

Most stall holders said that they did not expect much out of this day before they arrived. With gusty winds and heavy rain forecast for most of the day, most were not too optimistic. The rain here was forecast to last throughout the day, and it did just that. The Mynt Image team worked hard throughout the day, braving the awful weather conditions and attracting those people who were out in Hungerford into the market. Sue actually got through 3 different rain coats bust still managed to get really wet, that was how bad the weather was. The question was, when will the sun actually rise? It was so gloomy. However with the slight lifting of the weather in the afternoon, though the rain never fully stopped, there was a rush of people into the hall after 2pm. By the end of the day a respectable 317 customers had visited the market.

We expected poor spending, but for many, this simply was not the case. Although some customers simply walked around the hall with heads down, others lingered, engaged with stall holders and spend very well. Our charity stall ladies selling knitted goods actually had their best day every with Mynt, making sales in excess of £350. One jeweller selling jewellery made out of silver spoons sold in excess of £300. A lady selling Indian fabrics and another selling an Indian cookery book both exceeded the £250 mark. Several artists made in excess of £150 as did one of our gentlemen selling clocks made out of CDs and another jeweller. We are only aware of 1 stall holder who did not cover their costs. Hungerford yet again proved that you don’t have to have a high footfall to create good sales.

We look forward to our further markets in Hungerford this year. Customers were clearly buying for Christmas, with several customers showing us the Christmas presents they had bought. We still have spaces on 24th October at Hungerford, though after sales like this, we would expect these last remaining spaces to sell quickly now. Hungerford continues to impress us.

Thame Town Hall - 3rd October

Rain stops play at Thame but not sales!

It rained all day, torrentially at times, just as the weather forecast had predicted. The Mynt Image team, travelling from Basingstoke had to make several diversions to get to the venue in the morning due to flooded roads, it simply was that wet! Thame was deserted for much of the day as could have been expected, with very few potential customers around and those who were on the streets, rushing from one shop to another. With just 16 customers in the first hour , we knew that we were in for a tough day. The Mynt team worked hard, shouting out throughout the day and getting soaked in the process. By the end of the day, with consistent effort a footfall of 167 had been achieved, the lowest we have ever managed at any of our markets.

Thankfully, sales did not reflect the poor footfall. As we often note, when the weather is poor, customers spend longer in the markets, they just don’t want to go out in the rain again. We were however delighted with some of the sales figures considering the lack of customers. Our Neal’s yard stall holders sold in excess of £300, quite remarkable with such a low footfall. Another stall selling most African and Eastern products also sold in excess of £250. A beauty/aromatherapy stall also reported sales in excess of £150. Jewellery sold well, though not as well as it had the previous week, though this was clearly down to the awful weather conditions. Only 2 stall holders reported that they had not sold as much as they had hoped.

Thame is a good location and to achieve such good sales figures with such a low footfall is a real achievement. Customers were looking for Christmas presents, many buying sooner than later in anticipation of any problems that COVID 19 may bring. As we predicted last week, customers are buying arly for Christmas this year.

Thame Town Hall - 26th September

Proving once more that you don’t need a good footfall to get good sales.

There was a very chilled wind as soon as we got our of the car. The sudden turn in weather was forecast but still a bit of a surprise. Gloves and scarves would have been pleasant, which was strange when just last weekend we had been revelling in high temperatures. Thankfully it remained dry for most of the day with some autumn sunshine keeping the temperature up so long as you weren’t in the shadows. With the COVID 19 levels rising everywhere and the Government introducing new restrictions, the public were reticent to enter the building at times, even though the COVID 19 measures we have in all of our markets are far stricter than you will find in shops. Stall holders and the public have reported feeling safe in our events, with COVID 19  layouts, hygiene points, face masks etc as well as plenty of warning signage. The first hour was predictably quiet with just over 40 customers entering the market, though it needs to be said that they were buying from the very start. By continually working hard and having plenty of hot drinks, the Mynt team was able to encourage a footfall of 400 by the end of the day.

The stalls looked tremendous today and there were some very professional stalls giving the displays plenty of height. As usual we had a few new stall holders with us at Thame, joining our regular group who enjoy being at this delightful venue. The hall had a good atmosphere throughout the day and there was a real air of anticipation at times. Although the footfall was not large, it was an improvement on our August figure, when stall holders had again done so well. Both a photographer and a jeweller achieved sales of around £500, whilst a card seller achieved almost £250. A stall holder selling salt lamps also did very well as did a skin care stall, with sales of £200+. We are not aware of any stall holders who did not cover their costs, with the majority of stall holders selling between £60 and £120. The public were certainly in a buying mood and purchasing gifts for Christmas and other events. Sales, as usual at Thame were better in the afternoon than the morning.

Thame is a really good venue for many types of stall and we are delighted to continue to use this venue on a regular basis.

Cranliegh Village Hall - 19th September

Probably our best market ever at Cranleigh ………. despite lockdown

This was our first visit to Cranleigh during lockdown and we were slightly concerned how it would perform beforehand. Footfalls at all markets had declined and we were expecting a similar fall at Cranleigh.

We had been told that Cranleigh was far busier than usual because people were not shopping in the cities but instead shopping locally. This market proved this to us beyond doubt.

It was a warm sunny day and right from the start the streets were crowded. By lunchtime we’d already got over 300 into the event, far more than we had expected. Cranleigh has a slow but productive afternoon and this event was no different, however at the end of the day we reached a huge total of 514 which is about 30% higher than the average in 2019.

Cranleigh is always easy to set up with ease of access for those with mobility problems, our new Covid-19 one way system worked excellently with both customer and stallholders feeling safe.

We left the building having sanitised the building thoroughly in line with Cranleigh PCs requests. Our events are far safer than shops.

The spending for most stalls today was superb, one man selling garden ornaments sold in excess of four figures. One artist took hardly anything in the morning but as is often the case in Cranleigh took excellent money in the afternoon totalling about £375. A lady selling cookies, with us for the first time, (& complying with hygiene regulations) all but sold out of her products and was very happy. Jewellery also sold well exceeding expectations. One lady selling cards made a higher than anticipated £150. A lady with us for the first time selling ceramics sold in excess of £300.

In the evening after the market we received 2 requests from stallholders for more markets at Cranleigh. One stallholder saying “Today’s event was fab!”, we fully agree with her. Cranleigh astounded us today and will only get better as Christmas approaches.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 19th September

Another good footfall leads to some good sales.

This was the end of the summer season at Lymington, the Summer being the peak season at Lymington to sell. Although Lymington performs well throughout the year, it really is at its best when the tourists are around visiting the New Forest and the Isle of Wight. The High Street was not as crowded as it had been a few weeks ago during peak season, but there were still plenty of tourists around enjoying the early Autumn sunshine. Lymington is a morning market and this was classic Lymington, with an excellent footfall of almost 500 by 1pm lifting our spirits. At times there was a queue outside the Masonic Hall due to the fact that we were controlling the entry to allow social distancing. It is however good to see a queue as it means that the customers in the hall are spending time at the stalls and buying well. As usual Lymington slowed down in the afternoon and by 4pm a footfall of 784 had been produced. Special mention today must go to Keith, the husband of one of our artists at this venue, who stepped in at the last minute of Friday evening to help us run the event. Keith has helped us out before and his jovial manner and excellent way with customers really added to this event. 

With such a good footfall, spending was bound to be good, although some stall holders did seem a little disappointed. One stall, selling dog walking bags, which has been selling well all summer almost achieved sales of £400. The local photography group sold 33 calendars for 2021 at £5.00 each and had a great day. Flamingo cards sold in excess of £300, a good figure which included some Christmas cards. Our stall selling miniatures and clocks also sold in excess of £300. At the end of the day, most stall holders reported having an average day at Lymington with sales of around £150.. We are only aware of 1 stall holders who did not cover their costs.

Lymington markets are fully booked for the year and our 2021 markets at this venue are also selling fast. This is another good reliable venue which especially in the summer months can produce some especially good sales.

Marlborough Town Hall - 19th September

A very good morning let down by the afternoon.

This was another warm sunny day, with a few clouds spoiling an otherwise wonderful early autumn day. With the weather about to break after a good spell of sunny warm weather, people were making the most of the glorious weather. Marlborough was packed in the morning with really good numbers of both tourists and local people on the streets, shopping in the outside market and then many coming up to our Craft and Gift Market in the Town Hall. However at about 1.00pm, the High Street emptied out although there were plenty of people sitting outside cafes and restaurants enjoying the afternoon. It was clear that many people were having afternoon BBQs and family socials, making the most of the excellent weather. By the end of the afternoon a footfall of 463 had been achieved, very similar to the previous week, but spending , especially in the afternoon, seemed to be down. Customers were certainly not spending so long in the halls as they had the previous week, which was disappointing.

This was an additional event, organised to meet the needs of stall holders who had been let down by the lack of events between March and June 2020. We therefore only had a limited time to fill the event with stall holders as it had only been advertised for 8-10 weeks. We did manage to attract 27 stall holders, though it was disappointing that a few of these cancelled closer to the event. We still made use of both floors of Marlborough Town Hall, and both floors did look very good with an excellent array of professional looking stalls. We had a couple of stall holders with us for the 1^st time, one of whom, selling scarves and shawl type items, did very well indeed and sold in excess of £300.  These sales were exceeded by one of the jewellers present who also sold in excess of £300. It was good to see a wood worker also sell well, making £200+. Average sales today were lower however than last week at about £80 - £120, still not bad for a £40 pound stall investment. One stall holder did say that she had the best day at Marlborough today she had ever had at this location.

We are next back in Marlborough at the end of October when the Christmas season will be underway. The markets at this venue continue to do well and it is certainly true that this venue can be relied upon to produce some good sales

Salisbury Guildhall - 12th September

The best Salisbury market so far this year

This had been an interesting market to arrange with far more late cancellations than normal and far more late bookings than we usually get. Salisbury performs well in the Summer and we were sure that this market would go well, so were disappointed that several stall holders backed out in the final week before the event. It was a real pity for these stall holders, because they missed our best Salisbury market of the year with good numbers of customers and some good sales.

Salisbury was warm and dry, no rain expected. The streets were bustling from the start of the day and there were far more shoppers in the square and outside market than we have experienced lately. It was clear that we were going to get a good footfall because the public were far more willing than they have been lately, to come into the building and our event. Just as we thought would happen, the public are starting to relax more when it comes to entering buildings and with the obvious COVID 19 measures that we put into place, certainly seem to be feeling very much at ease and safe within our events. We had a good mix of regular stall holders and stall holders trying us for the first time. Unfortunately 2 further stall holders decided not to attend without informing us which always causes a last minute problem as we like  our markets to look full. The morning flowed very well, and our newest staff member Hollie, was in George’s words, ‘fantastic’.. It was a busy morning and customers flowed well into the building until at least 3pm. By the end of the day, our team had managed to entice 814 customers into the Guild hall

Spending was good and reflected the improved footfall. Top sellers were our artists, with one artist making in excess of £800 and another in excess of £350. A further regular artist in the foyer on her first visit back since Lockdown achieved over £200 and was very encouraged. A lady selling collectible teddy bears and other fabric items had her best day ever with us and achieved in excess of £200. A woodworker achieved in excess of £200 and a glass seller in excess of £250. One other artist who puts her designs on a multitude of different items did so well that she started running out of stock.

Overall this was a very good market and a sign of the confidence of customers continuing to improve. We are glad that so many stall holders did so well and look forward to continuing succerss in our Pre-Christmas season at Salisbury.

Witney Corn Exchange - 12th September

Some very good sales for most in this busy Autumnal market.

It was fine weather throughout the day at Witney, with some good crowds on the streets making the most of the Autumn sun. It was good to see the public adhering to the smaller groups however, clearly the recent COVID 19 message to restrict groups was heard by many before it become law next Monday. Set as usual was easy at Witney. This is such an easy hall to use and perfect for those with mobility difficulties. It was good to have Dave B back in the Mynt Image team today, he has been missed during Lockdown. Working hard together throughout the day and using the COVID 19 layout within the hall to create a safe environment, the team managed to attract a good number of people into the market. At the end of the day a respectable footfall of 662 had been achieved and the team deserve to be proud of their efforts.

Spending was relatively good for a September market at Witney and we calculate that the public spent almost £3000 at the event. A  jeweller in the foyer area achieved sales of almost £350 with many other stall holders making sales between £200 and  £300 including a stall selling African products and one selling more Eastern products, a man selling liquorice, a card seller, an artist and a stall selling Neals Yard products. There were also plenty of stalls selling around the £100 mark.  Most stall holders seemed to be very happy with the event, especially as this has been the first event many have attended since the ‘Lockdown’. As usual there were a few stall holders who did not do so well and did not achieve what they expected. For many there is no rhyme or reason why they did not succeed well today as people were clearly spending well.

We look forward to continuing to work a this excellent location throughout the Pre-Christmas season.

Marlborough Town Hall - 12th September

A less eventful day at Marlborough

It was a gorgeous sunny warm day in Marlborough today, totally different from August when it had been grey and very wet and then there had been a tragic accident.  The sun shone almost unchallenged throughout the day. There were many tourists in Marlborough today and it was mostly these who came into our event, many willing to spend their money. Although we had strict COVID 19 structures in place which we rigorously upheld, there did seem to be fewer older people visiting our event today. As is often the case at Marlborough, there is a slow start to the day, but we know not to be worried about this now and we are also aware that the best sales often come in the latter part of the day. There was a great last minute influx of people to this market after 3pm and we managed to achieve a final footfall of 481 customers, very respectable in these ‘Lockdown’ days.

We had several new stall holders with us today, several of whom had not exhibited at any markets before. There were also many of our regular Marlborough experts who have worked with us for several years. With the use of 2 halls at present at Marlborough allowing us to spread out the stalls a lot more than usual, this venue seems very COVID 19 safe (Thanks to Marlborough Council for this). Spending was better for most stall holders in the afternoon than in the morning. As usual there are always a few stall holders who do not do as well as others and there were a few stall holders today who did not meet their stall fees. However I t must also be pointed out that several stall holders did very well indeed. Top of our sales today was a jeweller who sold in excess of £300 , closely followed bya gentleman who had made gifts our of recycled gun cartridges. This was his first market and to sell in excess of £300 was exceptional. Another photographer also sold in excess of £250 whist a lady selling African themed items also did very well. Many stall holders achieved between £90 and £150, making this a good market for many.

We are looking forward to being back in Marlborough again next week and are just hoping that this glorious weather holds. Good weather always seems to encourage sales.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 5th September

Another good footfall for Lymington produces good sales.

This is the 2^nd weekend in a row when we have held a market at Lymington. With school holidays now over, we would expect there to be fewer people around in Lymington, but this was hardly noticeable today. It was a gorgeous day in Lymington with a mostly blue sky and some slight cloud cover. A gentle breeze and a warm temperature made this a very pleasant day. Lymington is always an easy set up, with parking adjacent to the hall and almost level ground into the venue. The stalls looked great, with plenty of colour and height. There were plenty of tourists on the streets enjoying the street market and the good weather. Although we had a slightly slower start than last week, by late morning footfall really picked up as the streets filled up. The good footfall continued throughout the day and there was less of an afternoon lull than normal. By the end of the day we had managed to produce a very good footfall of  784 customers, not far from the previous week.

We had a good mix of regulars and newer stall holders with us today, including some who have only this year joined us at this excellent venue and now join us every time. This really can be a very good venue if you have the right products for the tourist season and are willing to adapt your products throughout the year. Spending was good today, perhaps better than it had been the previous week. One glass seller exceeded £300 as did one of our artists. A man selling wooden pens nearly exceeded £200 as did a stall holder selling painted tiles and mugs. Our child author as usual sold many books, making himself one of our best sellers and our regular lady selling bags also hit her target. A new stall holder to us, selling copies of his own  book, was extremely pleased to have sold 20 copies by the end of the event. Jewellers continued to do well, though it was mostly small sales.  Unfortunately we are always aware that some stall holders did not do as well as others and struggled to meet their table costs.

Overall this was a good market with a steady stream of customers throughout the day and small queues at times waiting to go into what is a well loved venue. With our markets at this venue now booked up for the year, many stall holders clearly understand just how good this venue can be and why it is rapidly becoming one of our most sought after venues.

Guildford Guidhall - 5th September

Slightly less impressive than anticipated return to Guildford

After missing what has become potentially our most popular venue the entire year so far, we were incredibly excited to be back. Those that know Guildford well were eager to return but a little concerned due to the awkward shape, size and layout of the Guildhall. The set up went well and the sun was shining, makings of a good sunny surrey day were upon us and the stallholders were keen to start selling. New Covid safe floorplan seemed to work well, a one way system with tables against the wall looked great and for the first time ever we had 100% of foot traffic visit the upstaris stalls first which is fantastic. With this all in mind we thought we were in for a tremendous day, unfortunately, on this occasion we were slightly wrong.

Now this wasnt a bad event by any stretch however for the first time since returning to markets post lockdown we feel we could have done better. Guildford council had enforced track and trace for this market, something we're more than happy to support, ultimately the safety of our stall holders and customers is of utmost importance. It is the only market this has been compulsory and it seems to have affected footfall. Albeit very difficult to gauge as of course footfalls are slightly lower acrross the board at the moment but a number of customers seemed put off by having to give details over. Admittedly it seemed more the inconvenience of stopping for 10 seconds was the real issue rather than the actual sharing of a contact number but nonetheless it seemed to slow things down a little bit. We achieved just 321 through the door which is particularly low for Guildford especially this time of the year but rest assured we have already had lengthy discussions on how to rectify this ahead of the next market.

Sales were still okay, it was tough to draw people in full stop so selling wasnt the easiest task but many stallholders still achieved sales in the region of £150-200 with at least one artist exceeding £300. You really had to work for your money but as always there is enough cash in Guildford to make it a very succesful day. Discussing with the hall and locals it also seems that the high street is only just making its comeback to its once busy and thriving nature. We're confident that come october we'll be able to reel them in with no trouble at all.

We're already looking at how to improve this venue to get it as close to its original stature as soon as possible and cant wait to visit again in October. Excited is an understatment.

Romsey Town Hall - 5th September

A sunny day brings smiles to many stallholders faces.

It was a gorgeous sunny day in Romsey, with clouds scudding across a beautiful blue sky. There were plenty of shoppers as well as tourists out in Romsey, many7 making the most of the early Autumn sunshine and warmth. At Romsey it is easy to unload straight outside the door, which makes up for the carrying of products up the stairs. All stall holders were present and set up with ease, and our COVID 19 measures were put into place well before the market started. The halls looked excellent with a great deal of professionalism to the displays. It was good to see some of our regular stall holders venturing out for their first markets this year and feeling at ease with our COVID 19 measures. It was also good to welcome 3 new stall holders to this market who had never traded with us or anywhere else before. With the help of our more experienced stall holders, these ‘newbies’ were soon learning the art of selling.

Footfall was a typical Romsey footfall with a relatively slow start, leading up to a constant stream of customers throughout the day. There were few lulls in footfall, with most customers making both the larger upper hall as well as the small ground floor space. At the end of the day a footfall of 510 was achieved. This was much higher than our early August figure and much more in line with the 2019 footfall.

Spending was however much higher than would be expected for the footfall. We are aware of at least 3 stall holders who achieved over £300. One photographer exceeded £300 as did a lady selling coloured bags who topped £400. One of our artists selling a variety of items with her artwork on them sold almost £300 whilst a couple selling miniatures sold in excess of £200. It was good to see one of our new stall holders, an author selling her own books make in excess of £150. Jewellery was not so much in demand today with average sales of around £100. We are not aware of any stall holder who didn’t at least make their table fees. It was also good to be asked by several stall holders if we still had availability at any of our markets this year.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 29th August

The Bank Holiday weekend brings in masses of tourists

This August Bank holiday has traditionally now become our highest footfall event at Lymington most years. This year was no exception as the streets were thronging with people right from the start of the event. As usual at Lymington, the set up was easy and with spaces for cars today, stall holders managed to get in easily.  Stall holders are getting used to the One Way system at our venues now, in line with COVID 19 guidance and this is now not seeming to have much impact on sales. The stalls looked amazing today at this fully booked event. There was a real professionalism to the stalls many with a great deal of height. One new stall holder remarked ‘oooh it’s a proper event’

The weather was cooler than it had been for several months, and this meant that it was not beach weather and tourists were looking for things to do. Welcome to the Mynt Image Lymington Craft and Gift Market!. Between 11.30 and 1.30 we had to introduce queuing outside the door to limit numbers within the hall, because we had reached our full capacity. At times the queue  extended half way down the drive, but this really did not seem to put people off.. We knew we were in for a good footfall, and by 4.00pm we had achieved our best Lockdown footfall of 912

Spending was good for many, though only average when you consider the footfall. Tourists tend to buy smaller items to take home, rather than large expensive pieces.  Many stall holders reported doing much better in the afternoon after the rush had gone. A large footfall is not always beneficial to sales, what is needed is a steady footfall so that customers can look at each stall. However at the end of the day, one of our photographers  achieved in excess of £400 and one of our artists, selling colourful paintings achieved over £250. Two jewellers also made £250, jewellery always going down well  at Lymington and being a tourist favourite.. A photography club were also pleased to sell more than 50 calendars for 2021.

It was good to see several customers return for a 2^nd time to purchase items they had previously seen and now decided to purchase. This is a common and increasing trend at our markets, especially because we have One Way systems in place. Overall this was a good market for most stall holders and demonstrates just how good picking the right venue can be on a Bank Holiday weekend. 

Thame Town Hall - 29th August

Excellent sales figures despite a low footfall

It was a cool, very breezy day at Thame. We hardly saw the sun all day, despite this being the end of August and at times during the day, there was rain in the air. There were quite a few people in Thame, and it certainly seems that many people are now using their local shopping facilities rather than going to larger towns and cities. Car parks in the town were full, and there were certainly plenty of people around. However, most members of the public appeared to be on a mission and families seemed to be buying shoes for their child’s imminent return to school. Footfall at the beginning of the day was especially slow with less than 40 customers within the first hour. Thankfully however by persevering, the footfall did soon increase and at the end of the day a respectable 345 customers

Spending was however quite exceptional, the people of Thame certainly being in the mood to spend money. With some large pieces of ceramics selling and a large painting selling, stall holders enjoyed some exceptional sales. One lady selling colourful bags, sold more bags today than she had in the previous 2 months combined, ending up in sales of over £500. One artist sold in excess of £300 as did one of our jewellers. Several other stall holders, including a lady selling ceramics,  also reported sales of £200+. We had several new stall holders with us , with this being their first ever event, and each of them sold in excess of £100, which was clearly met with enthusiasm. Most stall holders seemed to have sold between £90 and £150, which with the low footfall was very good.

There was a really lively and enthusiastic feeling within the market throughout the day. Stall holders coped well with the new COVID 19 layout at Thame which created different entrance and exit points. Several customers returned several times throughout the day to purchase more products. It was also good to see every stall holder wearing a face mask, thus causing much more relaxed customers and further increasing sales.

We look forward to our September market at Thame, where incidentally there are still a few spaces available.

Hungerford Town Hall - 22nd August

A really good footfall leads to some good sales for most

This was supposed to be a warm sunny day, but we were met with some very heavy showers throughout the day. There were plenty of people on the streets of Hungerford, especially in the afternoon, many being tourists coming from the nearby holiday parks and sites. On a day like this, the people on the streets were very willing to come into the market, especially with the presence of dark forbidding clouds looming overhead. Hungerford really is a good summer venue, just as the footfalls from 2019 demonstrate, its quaint charm and classy antique shops drawing in the crowds, many of whom are exactly the right sort of dream customers for our craft markets. Sue and Paul worked hard throughout the day attracting customers into the building and by the end of the day achieved an impressive 510 customers, not far short of our 2019 figure for this time of year. As the weeks of the eased ‘Lockdown’ continue, customers are certainly becoming a lot more relaxed about entering buildings and our markets.

Hungerford is a classic slow start market, though one stall holder did manage to make her table costs before the official opening of the market at 10.00am. We don’t refuse early customers, but do make them aware that stall holders may not all be ready. Most stall holders reported a slow morning with much improved sales throughout the afternoon. Hungerford is a strange market in this respect, during the lunch time period of 12 – 2pm, it often attracts the most customers. Most stall holders found the quality of customer to be much better in the afternoon and spending certainly increased throughout the day. At least 3 stall holders sold in excess of £300 with a woodworker achieving the top spot of over £350. Jewellery also went down well today with 2 jewellers selling in excess of £250 and the other 2 jewellers selling in excess of £100. 2 artists today sold around the £250 mark. Especially pleasing today was a stall selling knit wear for charity who had their best ever Mynt Image market and sold nearly £250 of knitwear and aprons. We are only aware of 1 stall holder who did not achieve a profit, demonstrating just how good the spending at this location can be.

This was a good market, once again demonstrating that you don’t need to have a huge footfall to achieve good sales. We look forward to our coming markets at Hungerford.

Devizes Corn Exchange - 22nd August

Positive first experience in a stunning market town

This was our first ever event at this venue and we did have more than the usual teething problems. For the first time in many years we had slight technical issue which caused a problem with the floorplan so essentially we had to wing it on the day. Unloading here is lovely and easy but the set up was a little more chaotic than we'd have liked. We muddled through and the hall looked good once set up. Next time we'll ensure these issues do not re occur and we'll have a fantasticallly smooth set up no problem at all.

The weather wasnt too bad at all, the sun shined and custoemrs slowly emerged, as Devizes holds a slightly older demographic and tends to attract tourists we were expecting a lower footfall than we would see on normal years but achieving 402 with a good flow throughout was more than respectable. The rain in the afternoon slowed things a little but otherwise we couldnt complain too much.

Spending at this event was good for the most part, several stallholders took £250+ across art, wood work and even jewellery. A number of new stllholders far exceeded expectations too which was great. One or two just about covered costs but it showed that the sales were there to be made should you go out and grab them.

Witney Corn Exchange - 15th August

Our 1^st Lock Down market at Witney is successful for many

This was our first event at this venue since the country went into Lockdown in March. Having already worked other venues for several weeks, we were aware that the environment would be different and that the footfall would be less. However, for us this was a pleasing return to Witney.

The event was fully booked, just as most of our Witney events are. This continues to be a very popular location due to its ease of access, the good footfall and the potential for good spending. It had been the hottest prolonged heatwave for over 50 years and we were somewhat glad that the weather had finally broken the previous day and that it was a little cooler. Set up was smooth and easy despite this being the first time we have had to set up all of our COVID 19 arrangements at this venue. It takes a while to set up the required equipment, posters and  table lay out to make our venues safe, and stall holders were keen to get in at 8.30. Our new ‘safer COVID 19 layout’ seemed to work well for our stall holders, many of whom were pleased to be back at what has been an excellent venue.

The drizzly weather meant that there was not a steady foot6fall during the day, but rather in fits and starts. At time there were queues to get in, and the Mynt Image staff handled these well and made sure that social distancing took place. Periods of light rain caused several lulls in footfall, which unfortunately did not help the atmosphere in the hall. The final footfall was 567, making this a very satisfactory return to Witney especially in the rather wet conditions. It is clear that the public are starting to get more relaxed about entering indoor venues, so long as they are seen to be safe.

Spending was more mixed than we would have liked. Historically, most stall holders do very well at Witney, but we are aware that this was not the case for everyone today. One lady selling clay polymer earrings made in excess of £300 whilst a wood worker exceeded this figure with mostly sales of wooden pens. Art seemed to go down well, with both a disabled artist and one who uses a very colourful style doing extremely well and exceeding targets. We are however aware that some stall holders barely made their tables which is disappointing for such a usually very profitable venue.

Although many of our stall holders would have preferred our existing  layout and not the COVID 19 One Way system, we have to take care of our stall holders. Safety to us is vital and a few less sales for some is a worthwhile cost. We continue to have great faith in this venue as it has proved to be excellent in recent years.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 8th August

A steaming hot Lymington

We knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy day in Lymington working in the extreme heat, but we are pleased to say that despite the conditions, many stall holders had a very good day. It was forecast to be hot and sunny, but the sun hardly emerged from cloud all day, making it grey and humid. There were many disappointed holiday makers on the streets, dressed for the sun and now looking for something to do with their families in the cloudier but excessively warm day. Many customers were struggling to make the walk up the hill of Lymington High street, with battles for seats and benches around lunchtime. The Mynt team worked in the heat all day, relying on liquid bought out to them by stall holders for some of the day. By the end of the day a respectable count of 605 customers had been achieved.

Customers today, were mostly of the more mature nature, though there were a few families attending the event. This led to some good spending  with one stall holder selling sewn dog bags and make up bags selling in excess of £350. Art was also quite popular with one artists selling in excess of £300. A young boy and his mother selling self published stories written by the boy sold in excess of £200. Jewellery also sold well, as it often does at Lymington will one jeweller selling in excess of £200. Several other stall holders of various natures sold between £100 and £150. Unfortunately we are aware of 2 stall holders who sold nothing all day, their products for some reason not being favoured. Considering the very hot and humid conditions we managed to keep the hall relatively cool, to the pleasure of the stall holders who really felt the true heat when they ventured out of the building.

This was a reasonable summer market, but demonstrated just how good Lymington can be at this time of year if you have the right products.

Henley Town Hall - 1st August

Our 1^st Market since Lockdown at Henley proves successful for many

It was a lovely sunny dry day in Henley with a few clouds scudding across the sky. Since this was our first use of this historic building since Lockdown we had no idea what to expect, except that we were working to a new layout which Henley Council had devised for us. Henley Council had put an awful lot of effort into getting the hall ready for us with not only the hall set up brilliantly so we could just start straight away, but WiFi codes provided for each stall holder. We take this opportunity to thank them for all they have done for us, it was wonderful.

The footfall was slower than usual at Henley, something we are finding at all venues. Perhaps  we need to get used to smaller footfalls, but greater spending by those who do make the effort to enter our markets. The news of ‘Local Lockdowns’ in the North of England and Government plans to slow down the reopening of communal events had not helped. Many potential customers seemed to have lost confidence a little. It was also a beautifully warm and sunny day with many potential customers simply enjoying café life and drinking outside in the sunny market area. By working hard, a footfall of 332 was achieved at the end of the day

Spending did not reflect the lower than usual footfall, in fact for some regular stall holders, the spending surpassed their expectations for the event.. Many stall holders told us that they had done much better than they expected and were pleased. Only 2 stall holders seemed to be dissatisfied with the event. We have already received a  thank you note from 1 stall holder who has asked to book all Henley events in 2021. One artist exceeded £250 and several of our jewellers including one with a slightly ethnic/alternative style did very well.

We were very pleased to see some sales through social media at this event too, one of stallholders simply tagged us in a post on Facebook and within half an hour of sharing it one of our followers made an £80 purchase. On top of the days takings the social media influenced sale proved an excellent day for the stall holder and proves how important networking online really can be. We are using social media a lot more this year since Lockdown and will soon be announcing our partnership with an exciting new virtual craft company via a phone App.

We were pleased with this event, despite lower customer figures than expected, but that is a sign of these difficult times. If customers keep buying this well, we look forward to markets when our footfalls rise to the levels they were previously  because spending will be amazing.

Romsey Town Hall - 1st August

Some satisfactory sales despite rather tentative customers

It was a bright day with just a few drops of rain at times. This was our first Romsey market of 2020 due to the lockdown and we didn’t know what to expect. The relocation of Romsey market to the area right in front of the Town Hall certainly was bringing more customers into this area of the town and things looked promising. However, potential customers were somewhat reticent to enter the building despite all of the COVID 19 measures which we had prominently put into place. The Prime Ministers speech regarding not lifting restrictions further at present seemed to have worried many members of the public.  We do believe that the public will settle again as we come to live with the reality of COVID 19 and all of the measures that we are putting in place are fully understood.

By working hard throughout the day we did manage to achieve a footfall of 360, much lower than at the same time last year, which was disappointing. We did this market, for the first time, have use of both the upstairs and ground floor halls. It is interesting to note that our top sales were achieved by a lady in the upper hall which achieved in excess of £250 selling her own art inspired homeware. Another lady on the ground floor achieved sales of over £200, selling her designer glass pieces . Many stall holders achieved around £100 with another jeweller achieving £150+ . There were unfortunately a few stall holders who failed to make their stall fees, several of whom were appearing at their 1^st ever Craft and Gift market. Some stall holders sold better in the morning, whilst a few late sales greatly helped others. This was a satisfactory market considering the difficult times we are presently living in with so many concerned customers.

As seems to be the trend lately, we were praised several times for all of the COVID measures we had put in place by both customers and stall holders. We had several stall holders with us for the first time since the lockdown, many who at the end of the day felt far more reassured by the safety measures that we had put into place for them. Here at Mynt Image we do take the health and safety of both our customers and our stall holders very seriously and will continue to do all that we can to keep everyone safe. It may be of interest to note that we did have to ask one customer to leave this market due to not complying by wearing a face mask.

Marlborough Town Hall - 25th July

Tragic accident in Marlborough ends a promising market

This was an event we won’t forget in a hurry, one that ended early due to tragic circumstances which had nothing to do with our event.

The weather was not the best in Marlborough today. After several days of warm sunshine and dry weather, we were faced with a dreary and damp day. This turned into a wet day shortly after midday with customers readily entering the market to escape the British summer conditions. Although it was hard to attract customers into the building until just after 11am, a traditionally slow start for Marlborough, by just after 1.30 pm we had achieved a footfall of 270 customers. There was also some good spending with the majority of stall holders expressing sales of £100+ and many in excess of £150. The 2 Mynt Image staff worked hard throughout the morning despite unpleasant conditions.

At about 1.45 pm a tragic accident halted the market, when a silver Mondeo driven by a 75 year old lady, drove into the side of Marlborough Town Hall, the building we were using. Most stall holders heard and felt the dramatic impact of the car at speed into the ancient building. The Mynt team liaised with the emergency services throughout the rest of the afternoon, but we did not feel it was appropriate to actively encourage further customers into the market. The Mynt team communicated with stall holders as much as possible throughout the event and arranged safe exit for stall holders without impacting the emergency situation. We are sad to hear that the lady driver later died, our thoughts are with her family.    

Lymington Masonic Hall - 25th July

A change in weather brings a change in fortunes.

This market just shows how much difference a change in weather can make. It was wet and windy for most of the day and both local people and tourists had their heads down. What a difference from the previous week when customers had so readily parted with their money. The one way system through the market did cause some difficulties at times with customers not wanting to follow it and the new ruling on masks  made things a little ‘difficult’ at times, many customers not wanting to wear them and wanting to remove them as soon as possible. However, we do believe in the safety of our stall holders and insisted that masks were worn by all customers. There were distinctly fewer people on the streets compared with the previous Saturday and to be honest who can blame them. By 10.45/11.00 however, the flow of customers increased to a steady stream and with just a few light showers, the number of people on the streets increased. By 2.00pm a total of 512 customers had been reached and things looked hopeful. However at 2.00pm the rain started in earnest and there was a relentless downpour. We have never seen rain this heavy in Lymington and just after 3.00pm the streets became deserted. Our workers were totally soaked, yet continued despite sometimes monsoon conditions ending with a final footfall of 562, just 50 additional customers in the last 2 hours.

Spending started poorly, but picked up, with between 11.00 and 12.30 being the most profitable time for most. One glass maker made in excess of £250 and an artist achieved almost £200. There were at least 4- 5 other stall holders including a jeweller who achieved in excess of £150, but compared with the previous week, spending was poor. Most stall holders were happy with the event and with the efforts of the Mynt team, though it has to be said that there were a few disappointed stall holders who failed to achieve their table costs for a variety of reasons. We do however believe that as soon as customers get used to wearing masks in shops, then this will positively impact spending once more.

We look forward to our August markets in Lymington as in the past they have always been very good and profitable for our stall holders.   

Lymington Masonic Hall - 18th July

Post Covid 19 Lockdown summer spending starts at Lymington

This was our first Post ‘Lockdown’ market at Lymington and it certainly exceeded all expectations. It was a gorgeous summer day and Lymington High Street was absolutely packed with tourists and holiday makers. At times the pavements were so busy that people were forced to walk in the road. We have never seen Lymington so busy, with queues for some shops stretching across vacant frontages. The footfall reflected the busyness of the town, being our largest post ‘Lockdown ‘ footfall to date, a tremendous 782. With limits on the numbers allowed inside the buildings we use , for safe social distancing measures, this was a very good total. At times we had to stop actively advertising the market to allow the numbers inside to decrease.

Spending was very good, and far exceeded expectations. Most of the customers were from the UK and most of these holiday makers. With money to spend, these customers thrilled the stall holders. One glass seller made in excess of £400 as did one of our jewellers. Another jeweller reported taking of £300 and one jeweller has already contacted us to try to book further markets. A man selling liquorice sold in excess of £300 as did a stall selling ceramic art. Many stalls including a jeweller, a sewn good stall and a woodworker sold in excess of £200. These are very good figures for Lymington but results could be even better as several art based stalls were asked for commissions. Stall holders went home very happy and we have already received emails thanking us for the event which finished less that 3 hours ago.

Stall holders have also commented on the excellent COVID 19 safety measures that we put in place. With the addition of masks being worn next weekend, we intend to make our markets safe for both stall holders and customers.

We look forward to being in Lymington again next Saturday

Salisbury Guildhall - 18th July

Our 2^nd Post Lockdown’ market at Salisbury wins us praise

Today was  a scorcher with the sun out all day, scorching the Mynt staff very nicely to a frazzle. There was a good buzz to the city of Salisbury with plenty of people on the streets, though many still a little wary of the COVID 19 situation. There were certainly more people wearing masks than there had been just a few weeks ago at our first event here. Our COVID 19  measures were well in place with stall holders reporting that they felt very protected  and safe by all that we had put in place. By7 the end of the day, just as a few weeks ago we managed a footfall of 450+.

The hall looked really lovely today with some really good displays. This was our last Salisbury market for the year where we still had some spaces, so managed to give our stall holders a little additional room. This was one of our last minute replacement markets that we had booked to help stall holders recover from the 3 months lack of trading due to the ‘Lockdown’ and customers seemed to appreciate this. Spending was good with most stall holders achieving between £100 and £200 and one substantially more. We had a lovely mix of stall holders with many experienced stall holders who continue to work with us and several new starters, who were greatly encouraged by other stall holders and the success they achieved.

As the public gradually become more confident, we are sure to see the footfall increase to 2019 levels. However it is worth noting that several stall holders are doing as well as or better than in 2019 already despite a reduced footfall.

Hungerford Town Hall - 11th July

Our 1^st Post Lockdown market at Hungerford surprises many with its success

This market had been fully booked for some weeks despite the pandemic and we were looking forward to our 1^st event at Hungerford in 2020. Stall holders did not know what to expect with regards to footfall or spending because this was quite simply, like starting again. Most had not come with high expectations but were actually extremely pleased by the end of the market.

Once again Mynt Image had done all that we could to create additional space and keep both our customers and Stallholders safe. Hungerford Town Hall had allowed us use of an additional room as well as having 2 stall holders out in the entrance way to the front of the building. This left lots of room for the other stall holders in the main hall and with a one way system in place, the building flowed really well. As at Salisbury, we also had hygiene measures in place and a toilet reserved for our stall holders.

There were few people on the streets during the day, though there was a steady flow of cars down Hungerford High Street. As usual our signage attracted attention and aided by a staff member arrow spinning and ‘calling out’ all day, we managed to attract a good number of the people who were in Hungerford into the Town Hall. By the end of the day we had achieved a footfall of 341, not a large one, but enough to keep most stall holders well occupied.  Most stall holders remarked that it certainly felt like a much busier market.

Hungerford really is the location that proves that you do NOT need a large footfall. What you need is the right customers, and these really were good customers today. Most customers spent very well with one artist making in excess of £400 and another over £200. Jewellery also did very well for most jewellers with two making over £200. In great demand today was photography with sales in excess of £300. Most other stall holders made over £100 with no stall holders having a totally blank day. Most stall holders admitted that Hungerford exceeded their expectations and provided a great start to their post Lockdown season.

Salisbury Guildhall - 4th July

Our 1^st Post ‘Lock Down’ market of the 2020 season

Proving that footfall and spending are NOT always linked!!!!

Our last market had been in March when COVID 19 stopped play, so we were looking forward to restarting our markets. As from June 15^th we had been allowed to run ‘Craft Fairs’ but we had decided to wait until July. We were glad that Salisbury Guild Hall was the start of our season as this had been the site of the 1^st markets that we had ever run.

Mynt Image had worked with Salisbury City Council to ensure that the market was safe. Hygiene measures had been introduced and a new COVID 19 Risk Assessment been produced to keep both customers and stall holders safe. These new measures were put into place and a member of the Mynt Image team worked inside the event throughout the day to ensure that the measures were  acted upon. This will be the same at all of our events during the coming months as we see safety as paramount in these difficult times.

The day was grey and somewhat dreary throughout. There were plenty of people on the streets of Salisbury but there was a slight reluctance on the behalf of many to come crowding into a Craft Fair. This is something we firmly believe will reduce with time, as the public get used to being able to enter shops and enjoy life to the full in the  ‘new normal’ again.  With 2 Mynt Image staff outside the building throughout the day a footfall of 459 was achieved, which is low for Salisbury.

Despite a poor footfall, stall holders had a really good day and it was a pity that several stall holders had decided to cancel at late notice. Spending was good and there was a huge interest in the products which were for sale. Average spending was between £150 and £180 per stall with some stall holders making in excess of £200, Considering the poor footfall, these are excellent figures and demonstrate just how much customers are willing to spend in 2020 when they have had to cancel their holidays. ‘Wooden pens, art, ‘Forever Living’ and glass all sold well at this event and many customers remarked how good it was to see us back in Salisbury as it made Salisbury seem normal again.

As a final word in this report I enclose below part of a text we have already received from one of the stall holders : ‘Hi. I just wanted to say how lovely that Craft Fair was and the amount of work that you put into hosting the event. So a special thank you to you from me and I am looking forward to the rest of my events with you.’

The Mynt Image team are looking forward to a good summer as our markets continue to reopen.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 14th March

A far higher footfall than expected leads to some good sales

With COVID 19 now being declared a pandemic and all of the scare created by the media, we were not sure how this market would go. Unfortunately we did have 3 stall holders pull out due to the virus, but this certainly didn’t dampen the atmosphere within the hall. The weather was fine and there was a lot of blue sky for much of the day, it actually feeling warm in the sun and potentially one fo the nicest days of the eyar so far. The streets of Lymington were bustling with people, something we had not expected. There was certainly no sign of worry or fear at all present in the town’s shoppers. Throughout the day there was a steady stream of visitors into the market, many tourists looking for somewhere to go and a good number of local people out shopping. There was a good mix of age groups too, and the COVID 19 pandemic does not seem to have stopped the older population from enjoying a day out. By the end of the market we achieved an impressive footfall of 1026.  This footfall is over 400 more than in the previous 2 years in March at Lymington!!!!

Some customers in the morning were simply browsing and not spending. Many were curious to find what was on offer. The spending improved throughout the day, with the afternoon being far more productive for most stall holders, as is common at our markets. Jewellery was in high demand today with 2 different jewellers selling around the £300 mark and another just less than £200. One lade selling bags, sold almost £200.00 as did a newcomer to our markets who was selling liquorice. Miniatures and clocks also sold well. We are only aware of 2 stall holders who did not achieve   their stall fees.

Most stall holders remarked that they had not known what to expect due to the pandemic, and were very surprised with the huge footfall we achieved. Such a large footfall made sure that sales were good for most. It appears that many of the public are simply choosing to ignore what is happening, and simply living their lives as normal. However, what was welcomed by many of our visitors was the hygiene wipes supplied by Mynt Image for both customers and stall holders.

Salisbury Guildhall - 7th March

Our 1^st market of the year is successful for many

It’s always strange to start again after nearly 3 months off, but we know that it simply isn’t worth trading in January and February as money is always so short. As usual we started our season in March, with on this occasion Salisbury Guildhall. We have used this historic venue for 8 years and despite various set backs affecting Salisbury such as the Salisbury poisonings, this venue has never failed to perform. We know by now that Salisbury is good throughout the year, with good footfalls and some excellent spending…. And for the most part it didn’t disappoint today.

 It was a beautifully clear cool day in Salisbury with a lovely sunny afternoon. Salisbury was a little quiet at the beginning of the day, possibly due to the Covid 19 virus scare  keeping the more mature people off of the streets. However numbers did pick up a lot as families and tourists emerged. With our new  signage and boards, the venue looked excellent and with staff, adorning new Mynt attire, working outside to draw people in to the event, a footfall of 901 was achieved by the end of the day. This is a quite respectable footfall for Salisbury at this time of year.

Our staff  had to deal with a group of ‘Extinction Rebellion’ teenagers at times throughout the day, being a nuisance and disrupting people wanting to enter the market. Finally we did manage to move them on, but these groups do need to learn to respect others who may have some similar views but are not so vocal!. We also had to deal with a preacher on a soap box after 2.30pm who  affected the footfall with his amplified singing and preaching. Again, although these groups have a right to express their views, it is not at the expense of others group’s rights. We were on the verge of making a legal complaint, but thankfully didn’t need to.

Unfortunately we had 2 jewellers cancel in the week preceding the market, so we were, for a change, low on jewellery sellers. We had some excellent  artists and photographers present, with at least 3 of them exceeding £300 and one selling substantially more. Our Indian Cook book seller also did well just as she had always done at our markets in 2019.

This was a good start to our 2020 season, out 8^th year of running events. It certainly showed that people are spending on the High street far better in 2020 than they were in 2019. We are very optimistic for 2020 and looking forward to a good 8^th year for both our stall holders and ourselves.