2021 Market Reports

Witney Corn Exchange - 18th December

A very good day for the Saturday before Christmas
 
It was a cold grey day but with little wind and no rain. The streets of Witney were bustling from the start. Customers started coming in at 9.30 and never stopped throughout the day.. At times we stopped encouraging people into the event because it was getting too busy to be safe and we care for our stallholders and customers. By the end of the day our footfall was an impressive 1250.
 
Spending was generally good today, though with such a large footfall we may have expected more. Customers were buying smaller items and last minute gifts, although several large paintings and photographs did sell. Best stall today was a photographer with sales of over £500. There were several stalls hitting £400 including 2 artists, a metal sculpter and a liquorice seller. Jewellery also seemed to sell well as did ceramic coasters. Generally stallholders were very pleased with this market so close to Christmas.

Guildford Guildhall - 17th/18th/19th December 

Friday - A good start to the weekend
 
This is the last weekend before Christmas and Friday saw the first of 3 days in the stunning Guildford Guildhall. Set up was busy but smooth, many of our stallholders were preparing themselves for all three days so there was a lot of thought and consideration going into how they deisplayed resulting in a fantastic looking hall. 
 
Once the doors were open we saw a relatively slow start, which is of course to be expected on a friday morning but as the day progressed customers started to flow through nicely. We saw a steady footfall with a better afternoon than the morning for sure before quietening down in the last half hour or so. Overall a good midweek total of 832 was achieved.
 
Spending was pretty good for the most part, several stallholders doing exceptionally well with only one or two struggling to break a profit. We'll go into more detail of spending for those booked into all 3 days at the end.
 
Saturday - A pre pandemic quality Christmas market
 
Day 2 in Guidlford and set up was even easier, with only a few stallholders to unload and set up it really could not have been easier. The halls looked amazing yet again but of course slightly different which works nicely for any returning customers.
 
Footfall started similar to the Friday and started to pick up in the afternoon. We saw a couple of hours where customers could not have been more keen to enter the market and it seems this real buzz was excellent for selling. The team worked incredibly hard and it seemed to pay off reaching the highest footfall we've seen here since before the pandemic hit. We certainly couldnt complain about having 1450 through the door and it seemed the stallholders were not complaining either.
 
Saturday saw the best sales for most over the weekend as we'd expect, a few stallholders cleared 4 figures too. We had one stallholder take exactly the same figure both Friday and Saturday, a bizarre coincidence! Sales were not far off previous years here so it seems Guildford is slowly returning to its well deserved podium.
 
Sunday - A good end to the weekend and Christmas season
 
Again set up was a breeze. The final day of the weekend and the final event of 108 this year. To say we were ready for a break is an understatement. It seems that goes for stallholders as much as it did the Mynt team. Being a sunday the first and last hour of this event were slower than the rest but the middle section was pretty good. We had most of the team working to draw a crowd in the afternoon too which was a nice way to end the year. Collectively we saw 975 enter the market (3250+ for the whole weekend)
 
Spending was again pretty good, slighlty lower than the Saturday for those booked into both but still very good overall. We saw some high figures rounding the weekend off nicely for several stallholders whose sales were in excess of a couple of thousand for the 3 days. One or 2 struggled a bit more on this final day, but it seems that is the nature of Guildford sometimes. It was clear that the stallholders booked in for the full weekend benefitted the most each day, most of which having the perfect end ot the season. Roll on 2022.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 17th December (Fri)

A Quiet Day in Lymington
 
This was quite a disappointing day. It was relatively mild and grey. The streets of Lymington were quiet from the start and there was little improvement during the day. The recent Omicron surge seems to have dented shoppers confidence once more. We tried hard to get custmers in all day and trudged numerous times around the town. Our final footfall was a disappointing 302 
 
Spending, considerring the footfall, was not bad, with most stalls selling £100 - £150. Jewellery seemed to go down well today as did fabric work and Christmas decorations. Several stallholders unfortunately did not make their stall fees. Lymington seems this year to have performed a lot better in the summer months when tourists are around.

Salisbury Guildhall - 12th December (Sun)

An excellent way to end the year in Salisbury

 

Christmas in Salisbury is always magical and this year it has taken a little longer to arrive but it certainly felt festive here today. The set up was quite hectic, the added complication of usual unloading protocol being adapted for the Santas grotto and beer hall make things a little trickier and this year maybe more so than in previous festive periods. (Something we'll be looking at improving for next year) Once set up however the hall looked good. We had an excellent mix of stalls booked in and they created an exceptionally welcoming atmosphere throughout the day. Perfect for a christmas market. 

 

Being a Sunday the high street and square start a little quiet but as soon as the floodgates open, boy do they open! We had a good constant stream of people throughout the day, we were close to enforcing queues at stages where a few short showers outside sent people dshing in. Without too much hardwork from the team an excellent footfall of 1836 was achieved.

 

Spending was very good overall, there was no particular standout seller but we had a lot above £600. It seemed all product types were popular for the most part and we're only aware of one stallholder below £200. Such a great way to end the year in this market. A real high for those who joined us in Salisbury on this excellent sunday!

Thame Town Hall - 11th December

A really good day in Thame, as per usual

 

A few spots of rain on the way into Thame made us a little weary of the day ahead but as we unloaded and started to set up this was soon no longer a worry and we were excited to get underway. The hall looked really good, an inviting mix of regulars and relative newbies made for a superb atmosphere. We were ready to sell to the people of Thame!

 

They came in slow initially but as the day unfolded it became busier around town and we pushed them in. Although the footfall is never massive here the hall seemed to have a good atmosphere through the day, even in the closing hours while we worked in the rain to push  customers inside. We saw 646 through the door but it felt busier. The reason it felt busier was because customers spent longer in the hall. And of course the reason they spent longer in the hall was because they were spending!

 

Overall people did well, from art to woodwork and knitted items to Jewellery people sold well. We had a good handful of stallholders taking over £400 with a further half a dozen £300+. The majority of the rest sat between £100 and £300 so very little complaints. One new stallholder thrilled to bits that this event was her best ever. A perfect way to end the season for many.

Marlborough Town Hall - 11th December

A busy day with some good sales, but not like Christmas 

 

It was a grey start to the day, but thankfully with little wind. There were initially plenty of potential customers on the streets and these were added to by the arrival of several tourist coaches. After a relatively slow start, customers seemed to flow in large waves into the event and it was clear that were in for a good footfall. Paul from the Mynt team worked by himself from the steps, attracting customers with his voice, whilst several other stallholders assisted him by taking it in turns to walk around the High Street. Things were really looking good until 2pm when the rain and drizzle started and the streets became empty and our footfall dropped substantially. However between 3pm and 4pm the number of customers, despite deteriorating conditions, picked up as customers made their way back to their cars at the end of their shopping. At the end of the day we attracted a good footfall of 804

 

There was an excellent range of stalls today in the hall. We are now that COVID restrictions have eased, only using the ground floor hall and this really did look excellent today with a really good vibe to it throughout the day. Many stallholders had a really good first hour, then as numbers of customers picked up, so the sales seemed to fall. Most st6allholders however stated that their best sales were in the last 2 hours of the day especially within the last 30 minutes. Customers were not into buying large Christmas presents today, but mostly topping up things they had already bought with smaller gifts and stocking fillers. The majority of stallholders made between £150 and £200 with at least 2 hitting £E300, 1 reaching £400 and 2 further stallholders including a lady selling jewellery and a lady selling fabric items exceeding £500. We are not aware of any stallholders who failed to reach around £100 and all stallholders certainly surpassed their stall and petrol fees. 

 

It is clear this year that Christmas shopping was done earlier in the year with August and September seeing some really larger Christmas present being bought. By this time of year, most customers appear to have almost completed their shopping or to be buying online. It will be interesting to see if this pattern repeats itself in 2022.

Hungerford Town Hall - 11th December

Is Christmas over at Hungerford? 

 

It was a grey cold day at Hungerford and the venue was recovering from the evening before which was the Hungerford Victorian Extravaganza. There were a few issues with set up including lack of heating and Christmas music which was eventually resolved. Footfall was slow and the streets seemed empty for most of day, however the Mynt team tracked up and down the high street to generate interest and managed a final footfall of 507

 

Sales were disappointing and unusually low for this time of year, however 3 artists, a terrarium seller, a quality soap and candle seller and a charity knitwear stall all sold in the region of £200. A photographer who hadn’t sold much throughout the day, sold 4 pictures after 5pm which resulted in sales of around £350. A further late sale was made by the soap and candle seller proving that it’s never to late in the day to make sales. One other stallholder remarked that they had had an extremely good day as well as making some very good contacts. Unfortunately, we were aware that some stallholders did not cover their costs.

Salisbury Guildhall - 10th December (Fri)

A Good Friday event ….. but not for the Christmas season 

 

It was a beautiful blue day with a brisk wind coming straight from the arctic. There were few potential customers in the square outside the Guildhall for most of the day, and those that were present were certainly well wrapped up for the cold conditions. At times the square seemed deserted and many potential customers were attracted into the building by advertising its warmth. We did however by working in shifts throughout the day, allowing us to recover from the temperature and biting wind, manage to attract a very good Friday footfall of 818. This is far lower than we would have expected in past years when Salisbury has run its own Christmas markets in the square, which many members of the public were still trying to locate throughout the day 

 

Spending was strange, with the early morning and late afternoon being the best for many. Most stall holders sold between £200 and £300 with one selling in excess of £500 of jewellery. Customers seemed to be mostly after small items now, stocking fillers, to add to the products they had already bought. We know of only one stallholder who failed to cover their stall fees.

Romsey Town Hall - 4th December

A classic Romsey Christmas market
 
A beautiful blue sky throughout the day, but with a bitter northerly wind making it feel very cold. The streets looked empty. but actually there were people around, but just enjoying the warmth of the many cafes and shops. Setting up was easy today, with the benefit of the lift installed earlier in the year. We had a good range of stalls today and they really did look professional, in fact one of our customers returned after several minutes just to tell us how much she had appreciated the market and just how much amazing quality there was inside. We managed to attract a steady stream of customers into the event throughout the day, though where they all came from at times we are not sure. By the end of the day we managed to achieve a very pleasing footfall for Romsey of 770 , our best Romsey footfall of the year.
 
Spending was odd today. Many stall holders had a very good first hour and then a sparce patch until about 2pm when sales picked up a lot. As is often the case at our events, the last hour proved to be the most profitable for many. What was good to see today was the fact that several stallholders had to rearrange their stalls several times throughout the day as they were selling a good deal of stock. Several stallholders did extremely well today including a lady selling terrariums and a lady selling pictures made from pebbles, one selling £600+ and the other £500+. Several other stallholders sold in excess of £300 including a jeweller, a woodworker and  a stallholders selling products made from bees. There were also many stallholders making between £150 and £200. Throughout the day there was a positive atmosphere in the room, in fact one of our organisers said that it looked like a party was happening at one time as stallholders were getting on so well together. All stall holders covered their costs, in fact we are not aware of a single stallholder who didn't double their money at least!
This was a good way to end our year at Romsey, and certainly the best spending at a Romsey event in 2021

Devizes Corn Exchange - 4th December 

A strange day in Devizes but still a good one
 
It was a gorgeous start to the day, bright blue sky and no real wind made for excellent conditions. Set up here is pretty straightfoward and it wasnt long before the hall looked really good. A bit of christmas music for festive cheer and we were away. Footfall started well with one of the busiest morning we have seen here. There were a few market food stalls in the sqaure opposite the hall and carpark helping draw a crowd with ease in the morning. It quietened down at lunch time as it often does and unfortunatley it didnt really seem to pick back later in the afternoon. The team worked hard and really struggled to attract attention until maybe the last half an hour or so. We saw a rally good last minute rush and just scraped our goal for the day and hit 702 through the door.
 
The morning was good for spending, the buzzing atmosphere was perfect. The afternoon was less good, well until the influx before we closed anyway! The last half an hour definitely made a big impact for sales turning okay days into good days for most. No real standout sales but a lot of stall holders were between £200 and £300. We're only aware of one below £100 for the day so not a bad day overall but we think November is potentially better here for Christams spending. Either way we look forward to next year here at this venue. We anticipate the summer being a good one for sure.

Guildford Guildhall - 3rd/4th/5th December 

Friday - a good start to the weekend
 
Our 3 day events in Guildford are always good fun, the set up seems a little hectic on the Friday morning but is ever so worth. Especially for those booked into each day.   Packing down with so few leaving for the day is always easy too which is definitely a benefit for this time of the year when everything else is so busy.
 
Footfall started well with a fairly busy morning, the afternoon was steady and we slowed down into the evening. The extra hour here is usually relatively quiet but quite often we see shoppers return and spend so is certainly one of the more lucrative parts of the day for most. We managed 789 throughout the day, not bad at all for a Friday.
 
Spending was pretty good for a midweek event too, many taking over £300 with a few standout sales over £500. There wasn't really a product type that stood out at all, it seemed a successful day for all.
 
Saturday - Exactly what we'd expect to see in Guidlford
 
 
Set up was very straight forward with many stallholders all ready to go from the day before. There is always a magic in Guildford this time of the year and attracting a good range of stallholders we see such a stunning display inside for customers to enjoy. It was relatively busy on this day and fortunately they were out shopping. the team drew in 1245 people over the day which is the top end of footfalls we've had here for a long while.
 
Spending was pretty good with most, one or two struggled a little but we feel the nature of this venue and its customers makes it very tough to engage and make sales when you have little experience here. That said however, those that have cracked the code here always do well, once a custoemr has bitten they dont often worry about pricetag or the quantity of items when buying which is always good.
 
Sunday - The weekend ended well in Guildford
 

This was the 3rd day of our ling weekend in Guildford. It was a cold grey day with sleety drizzle at times. There were plenty of people on the streets and many wanted to come into the market before 11am. There was  a steady flow of customers throughout the day until 3.30 when the streets emptied. The last hour there was only a trickle  of customers but for many these were the best buyers. By the end of the day the footfall was 1104.

 

Many stallholders had been at the event for 3 days, others for 2 and this made the set up in the morning easy. Best sellers today were candles and lamps, closely followed by outside garden ornaments and vintage items as well as clothing and scarves. At least 4 stallholders sold £600+. Most stallholders sold between £150  and £300 with a breadboard maker at his 1st ever market making £250+.. it was a satisfactory Sunday at Guildford.

Salisbury Guildhall - 28th November (Sun)

Christmas has arrived in Salisbury
 
This was our 7th market of the weekend but the first that didnt suffer at the hands of storm Arvin. We had only just thawed out from Saturdays events when we headed into Salisbury and we were looking forward to driving in a crowd without the wind, rain or even snow. Set up was a little difficult, Christmas unloading restrictions are in play at this time of the year and a few stallholders used the instructions for the rest of the year. We had no issues thankfully but have since had our wrists slapped so must ensure we follow restrictions properly for the remaining events here to avoid any fines.
 
Once set up however, the hall looked superb. Predominantly experienced stallholders graced the Guildhall with a couple of newbies in between. Christmas music in full swing and the festive atmosphere was rich in the air. The first half an hour was relatively slow, as to be expected on a Sunday, but as the morning progressed the customers came flying in. The team didnt have to work too hard to encourage people inside, much of the day was spent helping elderly customers and families with buggies up the stairs. We had a good constant flow right up until the end of the day mananging a staggering 1869 in total. The highest footfall we have seen since the pandemic began. Christmas has arrived!
 
Spending, put simply, was very good. A couple of stallholders sat in the £700-800 with half a dozen at least £500+. Many more cleared £250 with only one stallholder we are aware of less than £100. Art sold well, as did Jewellery and our young Author actually sold out of 3 of 6 of his books. It was great to see one stallholder whose first event was here take nearly £300 commenting how much she had learnt throughout the day and was buzzing with the results. Christmas really has arrived here in Salisbury. Perfect

Witney Corn Exchange - 27th November

We beat the blizzard and had a good day
 
Driving up to Oxfordshire through what can only be descirbe as a blizzard did not fill us with much confidence for the day ahead. Set up remains pretty easy here, thankfully the snow had stopped while unloading too. We had a good mix of stalls booked in, a handful of new stalls and even some we hadnt seen since before the pandemic. Christmas certainly felt imminent, especially with some festive music and snowfall beginning again as we opened up.
 
The day started slowly, the heavy snow meant people stayed inside a little longer than we'd have usually seen here but once the skies began to clear people began to venture out. It seemed the weather had put a lot of people off coming out entirely though as the streets were quiet throughout the day. We weren't surprised to see less people than usual this time of the year out shopping but we were surprised at the percentage of people that decided to come in. With exceptional efforts from the team in the howling wind it semmed that almost everyone who was out in Witney entered the event whether it was on their first passing of the hall or the second and we managed a total of 864.
 
Spending was pretty good for the most part, we had one stallholder taking over £900 and another close behind them. A further 3/4 were over the £500 mark and it seemed a good number more exceeding £200. Even those that sold less seemed happy. Everyone achieved better results than aniticipated here today, expectation was relatively low due to the weather so we're more than happy with how the event went.

Henley Town Hall - 27th November

A tough day aginst the weather in Henley
 
Henley had the worst weather out of our 4 events today, a tough event sometimes anyway but always a lot tougher if the weather is poor. The odds were stacked against the team here and a few changes form the hall in how they have decided we need to set up made the morning a little more hectic than usual.
 
The morning was slow here and the streets were deserted. Getting battered by the elements the team worked hard and thanks to a late flurry of customers managed to scrape a footfall of 385.
 
Thankfully the spending here is often very good. Of course we didnt expect too much as the weather wiped out much chance of drawing a good crowd but we had at least 3 stallholders taking about £400 and a handful more taking £200. We had a couple reporting a loss but everyone else were over the £100 mark. Not a great day admittedly but much better than it could've been. The few customers that we did drag in definitely spent well. Its just shame that it was dry and bright, what a day it could've been.

Abingdon Guildhall - 27th November

Despite atrocious conditions Abingdon brings results.
 
We drove through snow and rain to reach Abingdon. The wind was gusting at 50mph+  almost blowing one team member off of their feet. The temperature never exceeded 3 degress. Despite the wet bitterly cold biting wind and sleet until midday there were shoppers on the streets. The cafes had no one sitting outside, our normal target audience, but we persisted in walking persistantly around the town advertising the event.  At 4pm we had miraculously achieved a footfall of 571
 
Once into the halls, most customers spent a considerable time enjoying the stalls and the warmth. There was a wonderful atmosphere in both halls with stallholders really supporting each other. With the terrible conditions, most stallholders were not expecting much and were greatly surprised with the success. One stallholder selling African products and mohair sold around £950. 3 other stallholders sold in excess of £450 including a local artist  a photographer and an Indian cookery book writer. One couple in their 1st ever event sold £200+. 2 soap sellers achieved sales around £300.
 
 We wonder what would have been achieved if the weather had been better 

Lymington Masonic Hall - 26th/27th November

Friday - Horrendous weather makes for a tough day in the forest

 

Set up was blissfully easy as usual, the hall looked really good with a handful of newbies booked in. The weather however was not looking so good. The wind picked up early on just as the customers started to venture out into town the heavens opened and we saw a torrential downpour like we havent seen for a long time. It even hailed at one stage! A few floods and what can only be described as a river flowing down the highstreet throughout the day meant that we were up against it in turns of getting customers in. The few that were actually out and about were keen to escape the horrid weather but becasue the conditions were so bad it meant footfall was low. Even when the sun tried to creep through, the stormy atmosphere had made it very difficult. Overall we managed 280 through the door, its a shame too as our Friday markets here have been such a success this year so we feel we were hard done by due to the elements. Fingers are corssed for a bright er Saturday

 

Saturday - A much better day even though the weather didn't improve too much

 

The day began well with all stall holders setting up happily in the hall making for a wonderful, welcoming display of amazing crafts! The tables really looked great.
Outside meanwhile there were a few wintry rain drops to set the scene for a very, very cold day ahead. Sara and Keith stood outside in the freezing weather all day like troopers only running for cover for a 5 minute break during the flash hail storm! And taking it in turns to pop back in for a wander round to warm up. The High Street wasn’t overly busy, which wasn’t a surprise considering the weather (although a few of the customers were out and about during their camping weekends!) But the hall was bustling all day long with plenty of people buying (or getting ready to) for Xmas. Footfall was a very healthy 834 which really was a fantastic and satisfying amount. Pretty much all stall holders covered costs or made average takings which they all seemed happy with, but quite a few people did well making into the few hundred bracket. Art sold well, as did pottery, and glass, bee products and bullet & shell casing bits & bobs to name a few. One stall holder even cleared £1000 by quite a margin. Customers seemed to be quite impressed with the offerings. It was a successful & enjoyable day, with many commenting on how great all of the Mynt team (family) are.

Salisbury Guildhall - 26th November (Fri)

A good market for some but not what you’d expect at Christmas 

 

Salisbury council made the decision not to have an outside Christmas market this year so our Guildhall craft and gift market had a very different feel. We experienced strong gusty winds throughout the day and these coupled with some very heavy rain showers made very unpleasant conditions indeed for both potential customers and our staff. Thankfully there is a degree of shelter at Salisbury and our staff were able to attract people into the market in a continual stream throughout the day. The awful conditions meant that footfall was far lower than normal at Christmas and our team were very pleased with the footfall of 693

 

The stalls looked really impressive today and the hall had a real spirit of Christmas. There was a positive atmosphere in the hall with all stallholders getting on well together. This is something that is becoming regular at our markets. For almost all stallholders spending was much better in the afternoon although footfall was less due to the unpleasant conditions outside. A stallholder selling vintage framed artwork managed to achieved £400+, a jeweller/scarf seller achieved £300+, 2 other artists & a lady selling breadboards sold in excess of £230. A lady selling fabric items and bags as well as a stallholder selling salt lamps and healing balm sold £200+. Unfortunately a few stallholders failed to cover their costs as this was a tough market. We hope the weather improves for this Sunday’s market.

Lyndhurst Community Centre - 21st November (Sunday)

A great end to year at Lyndhurst, roll on 2022 in this venue
 
Another great day in the New Forest at what is becoming our most consistent (and fantastic) venue. The set up here could not be simpler, the rear car park is perfect for setting up and being able to leave the car there all day makes life incredibly easy. We seem to always have an excellent mix of stalls here so the hall looked superb and the atmosphere could not have been friendlier.
 
Being a sunday, the high street was quiet to begin with. It took a while to get going but as soon as people ventured out on this cold brisk day the footfall started to flow well. We worked hard throughout the day and despite it being a slighlty quieter morning than usual for a Sunday, we actually manged to exceed our highest footfall here and achieved 857 thorugh the door. 
 
Sales were good too, many taking £300+ and at least 2 stallholders over £500. A couple of stallholders commented that this was their best day of the year so far, further cementing the reputatioin we're building in this venue. Christmas was on peoples minds and the spending was great. Such a great way to finish this venue for the year. We can't wait to return here next year.

Trowbridge Town Hall - 20th November

A remarkable footfall leads to some good sales
 
This was our first ever Christmas market at Trowbridge and we had no idea what to expect. The day was a damp grey November day and not very appealing. At the start of the day the streets were quiet but by 11am it seemed that most of the population of Trowbridge and surrounding villages were in Trowbridge. The streets and shopping centres were at times heaving with people. Customers continued to enter the building in a steady stream throughout the day. By 4pm the amazing footfall was 1028, far surpassing our previous good footfalls.
 
Set up was easy with the lift working. There was a good variety of stalls in each room. What was especially lovely today was how well the stall holders got on together and the really positive vibe this created. Every stallholder enjoyed the day. A lot of stallholders both upstairs and downstairs achieved between £200 and £300 with the  top stallholder, a lady selling small pretty glass creations selling in excess of £400 upstairs. 2 stallholders unfortunately failed to recoup their costs but still remained very positive and learnt a lot from the day.
 
This was an enjoyable day at Trowbridge.

Guidlford Guildhall - 20th November

Our biggest footfall since the beginning of the pandemic
 
Due to renovations we only had the one hall available for this market so just 12 stalls was our maximum capacity for this event. Set up was smooth, it was easier for the team to assist with less to carry into the hall and once set up everything looked fantastic. We had a couple of newbies to Guildford and mixed with the regulars it made for an exciting atmospehre. Christmas music playing and the warmth of the hall perfect for enticing customers in throughout the day.
 
The team worked hard to draw a crowd, it has been very tough here in recent months so we were keen to improve on footfalls and see some good spending. After the first hour had passed we picked up some momentum, the highstreet had a good feel and accompanied but a bass guitarists playing some jazz and christmas songs outside the team were seeing good results. We saw handfuls of customers entering with little to no encouragment, just simply following one another into the event, somehting we havent seen for a while here. The afternoon grew busier too and before long we knew we'd pass the 1000 mark. Overall we achieved the highest footfall of the last 2 years with a total of 1264.
 
Sales were on the rise too, 2 stallholders taking over £1000 and another over £900 including post market sales. One of our artists took £700 and a further 3 stallholders took over £400. A superb day in Guildford. It really does seem as though this venue is returning to its former glory. We're looking forward to some more success stories as we get closer to Christmas.

Godalming Borough Hall - 20th November

A good footfall but tough day

 

A really good mix of stalls booked in here today, perfect for customers to come and spend some money. The team worked tirelessly to achieve the biggest footfall of the year here. the highstreets seemed deserted unfortunately but somehow, through our very proactive marketing on the day, we managed 522 through the door.

 

Spending wasnt as good as usual despite and increased footfall which is a little bit of shame as this venue is often very good for sales. No real rhyme or reason to the lower spending today.

Abingdon Guildhall - 19th November (Fri)

An improvement on our September Friday.
 
A mild but bleak Friday with no sign of the sun all day. The regular farmers market was small but still attracted a crowd. There plenty of mature people sitting in coats outside cafes. The set up was tough due a new unexpected bollard which no one seemed to have the key to remove despite it being a health and safety risk. By working in the unpleasant grey conditions and not giving up, the Mynt team attracted a footfall of 429, much improved on our September Friday.
 
The stalls looked especially attractive today with a real Christmas theme to most. Christmas lights really added to the displays. Spending was not what is expected  at Christmas  though one stallholder sold in excess of £600.  Most stall holders sold around the £100 mark and everyone covered their table costs.  Both rooms had at least one stallholder selling £200+
 
We look forward to our final Saturday this year at Abingdon

Salisbury Guildhall - 19th November (Fri)

The strangest market we have ever run
 
Christmas is usually fantastic in Salisbury so we had very high expectations. The unloading at this time of the year is always difficult, this time round a little more so but we got there in the end. The hall looked fantastic, a really good mix of stallohlders booked in using their space well. The only downside to this venue is the lack of light so those using their own spotlights benefitted well.
 
The day was slower than we hoped, typically this Friday in November would be the first day of their traditional christmas market in the sqaure. We'd often see hoards of people in town and we'd attract a huge crowd without too much effort but this year things have been a little different. With a few changes to Salisburys christmas plan meant that the festivities didnt start until our market was due to close at 4pm. With this in mind we extended the day to 5pm and thankfully reaped the rewards. As mentioned the day started slow, we saw a constant flow of customers but had only managed 600 through the door by 4. The last hour however was incredibly busy, we ended up exceeeding 900, a little taste of what christmas season should be like. 
 
Sales weren't great throughout the day but in the last hour it was made up for by most. Many took over £100 between 4 and 5pm so it was definitely worth staying open for a little longer. We had a several stallholders around £300 with most taking over £150.

 

Now 'Christmas has started' at Salisbury we cant wait for the remainder of event shere this year.

Devizes Corn Exchange - 13th November

The  best Devizes market this year
 
It was a chilly overcaste grey day. Customers were begging to come into the event long before it opened. Unfortunately 5 stallholders decided not to turn up or let us know they couldnt turn up. Our stallholders thankfully covered the gaps beautifully. Those who failed to attend missed  a very good event. There plenty of people in Devizes today and the more mature generation were certainly out shopping for Christmas. By the end of the day a record footfall of 801 had been achieved demonstrating how good Devizes can be.
 
The public were out spending for Christmas today but looking for specific profucts. Those selling locally themed products seemed to do especially well. One local photographer had already sold £200+ by 10.10am!. This photographer continued to do well and sold almost £1200 of local pictures and picture jigsaws. One silver jeweller sold in excess of £500, much of it coming from one sale just after 4pm. An artist and a glass worker both sold more than £400. Almost all stallholders made around the £200 mark.
 
Overall this was a very good market with signs of improving Christmas spending. We look forward to December in Devizes.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 13th November

Lymington successful as usual
 
It was cold and cloudy in the new forest, the charm of Lymington remains strong though even if its not sunny and being in such fantastic location we often do well here. The hall looked good, old and new stallholders mixed well to create a warm inviting atmosphere for the public who seemed keen to enter. 
 
The day started smoothly, a good flow of customers throughout the day with no real passages of quiet until perhaps the last hour when it was tougher to draw them in. Lymington is usually quieter in this period so the numbers tend to slow a little however spending is often excellent. Overall we managed a footfall of 998, just 2 away from that thousand we worked so hard to achieve. For an early November day here we're very happy!
 
Spending was pretty good on the whole, 2 stall holders around £500 with a further half a dozen or so clearing £300 nicely. We had one or two struggling to cover costs and then rest comfortably sat between £100 and £200. Candles and glassware among the most popular items today with jewellery and bags selling well also. For the most part it seemed the most proactive stallholders took the most. Christmas is on its way here for sure!

Hungerford Town Hall - 13th November

A good day in Hungerford
 
Hungerford really is a fantastic market town, the hall is perfect for our events and we saw an excellent array of stallholders today. The variety was impressive and having such a lovely group of stallholders the atmosphere was very inviting. Hungerford is never always the busiest of markets so the team attacked the highstreet and clocked up the miles to draw a crowd. The streets seemed busier than usual which we capitalised on. A good steady flow of customers with the occasional flurry led to the highest footfall of the year here. It was hard work but we managed exactly 600 through the door.
 
Spending was good too, some sold steadily throughout the day, some had a better morning and some a better afternoons. There was no real reason behind when people sold but most importantly, they did sell and well too. We saw around a dozen stallholders £300+, a couple of which eclipsing the £400 mark. One or two stuggled to cover costs but for the most part everyone else seemed to hit at least £150. A couple of stallholders who took perhaps a little less than hoped seemed pretty confident in some of the aftermarket sales from customers buying for christmas which is always good. We love it when our markets help boost online/etsy sales so we're thrilled. December here will be magical.

Thame Town Hall - 6th November

Some good sales in Thame, quality over quantity
 
Winter is certainly on its way, a cold and brisk set up and the hall looked fantastic, the warmth of this fantastic venue was the perfect draw for customers throughout day.
The day started slow but steady. It was great to see such a high percentage of customers walking out having made purchases. The first 2 hours only saw around 80 customers but nearly all of them had spent some money. One customer had spent over £200 across a couple of stalls.
 
The afternoon picked up a little, we saw a few flurries of customers and the atmosphere in the hall was always really good. The cold crisp air definitely helped us send  as many people in as possible. We achieved a total of 373.
 
Some pretty good sales too, at least 2 stallholders over £600. A couple taking around £350/400 and quite a few selling £150+. There wasn't any particular product that sold well, it seemed the more proactive the seller the better they did. December here will be fantastic.

Marlborough Town Hall - 6th November

A really good day in Marlborough
 
Today Christmas was on people's minds. The High street at Marlborough was bustling right from the start, something we havent seen for many years. Marlborough High street seems to be living and thriving once more after several years. On a grey windy damp day, customers were keen to come into the event. There were several coach loads of tourists dropped off during the morning. The market today attracted both those mature in age, families, young people and a good smattering of dogs. By 4pm the final footfall was 768, a good footfall for Marlborough.
 
Spending for some stallholders started straight away whilst for most the quieter last 2 hours of the day were the best.  There was a real quality feel to the stalls today and this was constantly remarked upon by customers. There a real positive buzz to the market all day. Our stallholder selling cartidge creations sold £650+ and a candle seller sold £500. A stall holder selling knitwear for charity exceeded her previous record with sales in excess of £400, whilst a stallholder selling African themed practical artwork also sold £400+. Several other stallholder achieved £300 and we are pleased to say that every stall holder achieved £100! This was a very good early Christmas market.
 
We look forward to December in Marlborough with anticipation.

Salisbury Guildhall - 6th November

A classic Salisbury market
 
It was a grey start to the day with some brighter skies in the afternoon, it stayed pretty cold throughout though There were plenty of people on the streets and in the expanded street market now back in front of the Guild Hall. It was really good to have the team in their new hi vis jackets and hoodies, their enthusiasm resulted in a good footfall of 925. As is always the case at Salisbury, the morning was busier than the afternoon, though spending seemed to be consistant throughout.
 
Spending was good for many, though as with every market, there were some who did not have such a good day and sold a bit less. Terrariums seemed to be order of the day with sales around £500, the bubbly and enthusiastic young stallholder really showed how important it is to engage with customers. Several others sold £300+ including a jeweller and an artist. Most stall holders appear to have sold between £100 and £200. What was really pleasing today was to see some of our new stallholders do so well. 
 
A classic Salisbury market with a lot of promis for christmas. We can't wait for the next one here as the christmas lights will have switched on.

Godalming Borough Hall - 30th October

They either spent or they didnt look at all
 
With some dodgy weather to start the day, we were slightly concerned that we'd have another washout in Godalming. Thankfully the clouds passed as we set up so the rain was no longer worrying us. We had a good range of old and new stallholders with us. A handful of newbies and some seasoned regulars. All in all it set us up for a good warm atmosphere.
 
Footfall started slow but soon turned into a steady trickle. We pushed constantly and attempted to leave no stone unturned by canvassing the entire highstreet throughout the day. Footfall was pretty good with 417, the highest here for some time. It felt quiet though for some reason and seemed a struggle. Despite some afternoon sun the atmosphere on the high street was a little flat and people entered the market with no real acknowledgement of the team working their magic. It seemed that 50% of these people carried this vacant expression into the hall.
 
Spending was mixed, it was a strange how it went for most. As mentioned, it seemed half of the footfall entered with a vacancy and left without really stopping to look at all. The other half were similarly quiet but spent. No real conversation or engagement, not too many questions asked, just plain spending. It meant that a few stallholders had very good days. Terrariums seemed most popular and jewellery went well also. Art also sold here. We had several over £250 and one exceeding £500. We think Christmas will be great here, that 50% of footfall will spend next time for certain.

Guildford Guidhall - 30th October

Is Guildford on its way back to the top?

 

Guildford was fully booked today and with some very experienced stallholders mixed with some who were new to us, the halls looked tremendous. 

 
There was a slightly difficult set up with one stallholder receiving a parking ticket. Mynt Image have offered in this instance to pay the fine for the stallholder.
 
The day was overcaste until 11am with some drizzlr. The public didnt want to know about the market and went around with heads down. By 11.30 only 60 customers had visited the event. The Mynt staff were very active on the streets using active advertising techniques. When the crowds did desend on the streets after 11.30, a steady stream of customers started to atyend the event. At 2pm a footfall of 400 had been achieved and at 5pm at the close of business we had achieved a good footfall of 1008 .... our best post covid footfall. By using our tested active marketing methods and giving people a good reason to come into the event, the footfall achieved felt a little closer to that achieved at our markets in this bustling town pre-covid.
 
Guildfotd is certainly a market for the experienced seller and it is this group of stallholders who did the best today. One jeweller sold in excess of £500 whilst another sold more than £250. Our stallholder selling ,cartridge creations sold £400+ and a lady selling Indian cookery books sold £250+. Art was in demand today with two artists selling £350+.
There were however several stallholders who did not sell enough to recoup their stall fees, most of these being relatively inexperienced unfortunately.  
 
With the recovering footfall we look forward to improved spending as Christmas comes ever closer.

Trowbridge Town Hall - 30th October

An average Trowbridge market
 
We hoped that Christmas would have come to Trowbridge, but unfortunately there was little Christmas spending today. Thankfully the awful weather and heavy rain showers hardly materialised though most stallholders and ourselves drove through heavy rain and flooded roads to get there. The younger generation were on the streets today and unfortunately many of our target audience were missing. By working hard we achieved a footfall of 637.
 
There was a great atmosphere in the 2 halls today, a real buzz at times. Stallholders really got on well together and this created a real positive friendly atmosphere. For many stallholders, sales at the end of the day were better than the morning. One jeweller managed sales of over £300 and a photographer and artist both exceeded £200. Most stallholders achieved around £100. We are aware of only one stallholder who didnt achieve their stall fees.
 
Hopefully Christmas will have arrived for our final market of the year in November.

Lyndhurst Community Centre - 24th October (Sunday)

What a great day in the heart of the new forest
 
Lyndhurst is fast becoming a favourite venue of ours and this market is good proof. We  we were keen to see how this one performed as the first sunday we ran here was a great success but occured at the end of the summer holidays while it was a lot warmer. In short, this market was actually even better. With a private car park at the rear, set up is very easy and the hall soon looked exceptional. We have a great bunch of stallholders and there is always something special about our markets in the new forest.
 
The day ran smoothly and footfall was good through the day. The first half an hour or so was of course quite slow but remember this is a sunday market so we'd anticiapte a slightly later surge of customers. Once we got flowing the hall was constantly busy, perfect for keeping the atmosphere bubbly and exciting. We were expecting to see a dip in footfall after about 3pm were Sunday opening hours may have affected how busy the town was but instead with a few rain showers we actually seemed to get busier. Overall, we beat our Saturday record by nearly 100 customers totalling 832. Not bad at all for a Sunday.
 
Spending was pretty good all round too, 2 stallholders cleared the £500 and a good handful more around the £400 mark. There were a few people who struggled a little but there was no evident reason as to why, it just seemed the that people happened to what something different on this occasion. Jewellery sold well overall, we did have one or two too many jewellers booked in to this event which may have made it little tougher but we've acknowledged the issue and sorted it for next time. This market has lead to some lovely comments too which is always good to hear.

Marlborough Town Hall - 23rd October

A great day in Wiltshire, is Christmas coming?
 
As one of our original venues, we always look forward to Marlborugh. This time we had both halls in use and each looked fantastic. With an increase in stallholders we sent 3 of the Mynt team to ensure we could help as much as possible with loading and unloading and before long there was a great buzz in the air. A good day was upon us.
 
Footfall started slow but steady with almost evey person in Marlborough it seemed being swayed by the team to have a look through. Customers enjoyed an excellent mix of stalls, some seasoned regulars and some newbies that collectively created a really warming and attractive atmosphere. The afternoon grew busier and we managed a very high for Marlborough footfall of 708.
 
Spending is of course the important bit, and it will be difficult to do justice of quite how well people spent. We had 2 stallholders take around £500, a further 4 exceeded £400 and at least another 8 £250+. We had 2 that didn't cover costs and then the majority of rest were between £150 and £200. There was no particular reason for what sold and what didnt, we saw excellent spending across all product types and simply cannot wait for the next market here. It seems people are starting to buy for Christamas. Excellent market.

Henley Town Hall - 16th October

A very good market for most, classic Henley
 
A wet and windy drive into Henley filled us with a little doubt of the day ahead but as we set the hall up and stallholders started to arrive the day seemed to slowly brighten. Thankfully the rain soon passed and by the time we had set up the day ahead looked good. The hall itself looked fantastic, I don't think we have ever had so many comments from customers and even stallholders saying how good the variety and quality of stalls were.
 
We had a slow start in terms of footfall, late morning improved slightly but nothing special at all. We were aiming to hit 500 through the door and that seemed just about achievable until early afternoon when the floodgates opened. It was as though several buses had arrived it once and slowly the flow of traffic into the hall increased. With several good flurries and a constant influx of customers we managed a total of 835much higher than initially anticipated.
 
With good numbers came good spending, we had 4 customers that took over £400 and at least another 3 above £250. There was a lot of interest in Christmas presents and many customers were keen to return next time which is always good. A good number of custoemrs also bought from multiple stall holders so there were definitely sales to be made. Lots of business cards were taken too, so we're expecting some after markets sales and even commissions off the back of this event. Henley performs well as per usual.

Witney Corn Exchange - 16th October

A mixed market but Christmas is here
 
A warm October day with some light cloud and some sun. The  set up, usually easy, had a few problems including the hall losing power (not light), but these were thankfully overcome.  The streets seemed busy and customers seemed to be spending for Christmas. By the end of the day we had achieved a footfall of over 600.
 
Those who were buying for Christmas spent well with one artist selling in excess of £650. Two jewellers sold around £400 each. Cards also seemed to be selling very well. As is usual, selling was mixed, with the more experienced sellers achieving the best sales.
 
This was just the sort of market we would expect at this season at Witney

Romsey Town Hall - 16th October

One of the best ever Romsey footfalls results in some good sales
 
This is one of the warmest October days we can remember with sunshine throughout and light winds. The cafes and restaurant outside seating areas were constantly packed. The streets came alive before 11am and customers came into the market early. There was a steady stream of customers throughout the day, leading to our 2nd best ever Romsey footfall of 705.
 
Sales for most were good with some excellent. One regular candle seller sold £500+ and a lady selling scarves and jewellery almost achieved £500. Terrariums also sold well as did chocolate and honey products. One young couple selling plants at their first ever market sold £170+. 2 different jewellers did well achieving around £300. 
 
Customers were starting to buy for Christmas though there were still some customers who refused to believe Christmas was approaching.

Abingdon Guildhall - 9th October

A record breaking market for many
 
The day started chilly and very foggy with most stallholders glad to get to the venue. Setting up was easy for most, there are very few steps at Abingdon. Even before the market started customers were coming into the venue. The streets of Abingdon were really busy, the cafes were full and people were looking for somewhere to go for the day. At the end of the morning the autumn sunshine broke through and the streets and cafes got even busier. Once people knew that there was a market on, they were keen to attend and see if there was something they wanted. Customers streamed into the market steadily throughout the day  there was no lunchtime or end of day lull. Customers simply wanted to be there!!! At the end of the day we had achieved a footfall in excess of 820.
 
Spending for most was excellent. Customers really bought very well. 2 woodworkers between them sold over £1200!! A card seller also sold £500+ a lady selling indian cookery books sold a record 57 copies of her book. 2 jewellers sold in excess of £400, one having her record ever day. A lady selling personalised framed art also exceeded £400, again a record, as did a wildlife photographer. A lady selling candles had a record £400+ day, running out of several items of stock. Every stallholder made their table fee with all except 2 stallholders making in excess of £100.
 
This was a market to be remembered and hopefully to be repeated. Abingdon is certainly a little gem on any day of the week.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 9th October

An ever pleasant day in the forest was great for some
 
Fog was thick in the air on the drive down into the newforest and the leaves on the trees turning gold and brown gave us a huge sense of Autumn sweeping through the south. As the fog cleared and the sun broke through we were anticipating a good day ahead. Set up was easy, as it always is in this venue. A hadnful of new stallholders slotting in nicely among some seasoned regulars. Use of height was good at this market and the atmosphere was very immersive but also welcoming. A few moments prior to opening the entire hall (rather embarassinlgy) joined in chorus to sing George happy birthday. A good start to the day.
 
Footfall began a little slow but after an hour or so the floodgates seemed to open and the numbers came flowing in. We worked hard throughout the day but the turnaroound of passing traffice was very good. It wasnt incredibly busy in the highstreet but those that were out were keen to have a look and we managed a total of 945 through the door. We really are seeing pre pandemic numbers back in Lymington so look forward to what is likeley to be an excellent Christmas period.
 
Spending was mixed today though, a few people seemed to really struggle for some reason which was a little odd considering the atmosphere was so good. At least 4 stallholders took £500+ which is always good. Glass, candles and cards among the most popular items here with bears selling well also. Overall it was certainly a good day but some room for improvement for some stallholders sales figures. This improvement is fairly inevitable for the coming months so we're not concerned in the slightest.

Guildford Guildhall - 2nd October

Rain doesn’t stop some good spending.

 

It rained, just as predicted. Grey leaden skies throughout the day with rain starting just 15 minutes after the market started and continuing to increase in intensity throughout the day. The streets were obviously very quiet at times. Our 2 Mynt workers worked incredibly hard in appalling conditions and we have already had a voice mail from a stall holder expressing their praise and delight for the tremendous efforts our 2 workers made. They were soaked to the skin at the end of the day, but continued to create as good a footfall as was possible. The morning was predictably slow, as is now the case with Guildford, but numbers rallied in the afternoon with a good footfall in the terrible conditions of 490

 

We had several cancellations at Guildford today for a variety of reasons, enabling all of our stall holders to have a little additional space. Jewellery seems to have sold particularly well today with one jeweller achieving sales of over £400 and others over £100. Art was particularly in demand though today with our disabled artist selling in excess of £600 and another artist in excess of £400. Another artist who was with us for the 1st time sold £150+ and was very happy with her first market.Our stall holders selling products made from bullets also had a good day with sales of £450+ . Most stall holders reported having a good day with some saying that they only sold an average amount, but in the conditions, this was far more than they had expected. We are only aware of one stall holder who failed to cover their costs.

 

Guildford is certainly returning to its pre-covid glory, though the recovery is slow. It is certainly atill a market for those who are good at selling and anre experienced, as it is these stall holders who continue to do well at this venue. We look forward to dryer days and the footfall continuing to grow.

Thame Town Hall - 2nd October

Continuous heavy rain doesnt stop play.
 
Heavy rain was forecast and predictably heavy rain arrived and got worse throughout the day. Pavements were flooded at times and the weather kept shoppers away. The Mynt team persevered despite the atrocious conditions getting soaked despite wet weather gear. At the end of the day however a footfall of 305 was achieved.
 
There were so many positive comments from the public about the good qluality of the stalls, it made us so proud to be running the event. Spending was far above the expected for most stallholders with only 2 not breaking even. A jeweller and a card seller both made in excess of £350. A candle seller, a chocolatier  a lady making felt animals, a book seller, a T shirt seller and a soap seller all made in excess of £200. Most stallholders  made around £100. There was a lovely mix of experienced and new sellers with all of them working well together and enjoying the day. 
 
Christmas has definitely started with one card seller almost running out of Advent cards. Chocolate and other gifts were being bought for Christmas already.
 
We just hope that the 2 final events for Thame in 2021 experience better conditions.

Godalming Borough Hall - 2nd October

Dreadful weather meant we struggled but still a few successes
 
All week the forecast looked horrendous for this market so we were please the morning was almost actually pleasant while setting up. It was great to see such a good mix of stallholders in this event, including a handful of newbies. We had one or two late cancellations due to the fuel crisis and we made use of this extra space well. The day looked promising and the team took to the streets to start drawing a crowd. And then the rain started.
 
About 10:15 it started to rain ever so lightly and slowly grew heavier and heavier. By half past the rain was pretty constant and didnt look like easing up at all. In actual fact it seemed that the rain was heavy until we closed with not a single break so the team got drenched. The weather didnt dampen spirits as we tirelessly paraded the highstreet to drag every last person we could into the event but the weather was atrocious it seemed people didnt even leave their houses to go to the local Waitrose. The car park, even on a dull, damp day is usual overflowing all day long but on this occasion was never full once. A key indication to how few people braved the streets. As mentioned, the team worked hard and somehow managed to attract 260 customers inside. A low footfall but excelletn all things considered. 
 
Spending wasn't too bad given the low footfall. Of course not everyone did exceptionally well but we did have a few success stories. A couple took over £200 but thats about the best we had at this market so not great but not a total washout entirely. Lets hope its a little drier next time.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 25th September

A soggy day in the new forest didnt stop them spending
 
After a week of glorious sunshine it was shame to head into Lymington with dark clouds looming. Set up ran smoothly, we had fewer stalls than usual due to this being an additional market but those booked in made use of the extra space and the hall looked good. Its always an inviting atmosphere in here and today was no different. Footfall started slow but began to increase as the morning developed. Unfortunately the weather took a downwards spiral and from 11 onwards we had drizzle and a few heavy showers. This meant the high street was always quiet however those that braved the weather all seemed to enter the market as footfall was excellent considering. Through the wind and rain we managed a total of 845 custoemrs into the event. 
 
Spending was pretty good all round, we had several stallholders over £500 and most were around £200. One or two struggled a bit more on this occasion but there was no real pattern to this as one of our jewellers did exceptionally well but another not so great. Overall a very good market, especially given how poor the weather was. We cant wait for the next one already.

Salisbury Guildhall - 25th September

A good market for many
 
It was a grey start to the day with some lively brighter skies in the afternoon. There were plenty of people on the streets and in the expanded street market now back in front of the Guild Hall. It was really good to have Dave back with us running the event and coupled with Keith, their enthusiasm resulted in a good footfall of 878. As is always the case at Salisbury, the morning was busier than the afternoon, though spending seemed to be consistant throughout.
 
Spending was good for many, though as with every market, there were some who did not have such a good day and sold very little. Photography did not seem to be in demand today which is unusal for Salisbury. One stallholder selling products made from reclaimed bullet casrs sold more than £400. Several others sold £300+ including a jeweller and an artist. Most stall holders appear to have sold between £100 and £200. What was really pleasing today was to see some of our new stallholders do so well. 
 
One new stallholder to Mynt Image who had tried other markets and organisers remarked just how different this market was and that they now understood how markets run by Mynt were so much better.

Hungerford Corn Exchange - 25th September

A classic Hungerford event
 
Hungerford continued to prove that you dont need a massive footfall to create good sales, you just need the right people. The streets of Hungerford were often deserted today but there was still a steady influx of customers throughout the day. What made this months event unusual was the lack of rain (see previous Hungerford reports).  The customers seemed to ne mainly locals rather than holiday makers. By 4pm a footfall of 464 had been achieved.
 
Most stallholders had a really gpod event. One artist achieved in excess of £400  and another artist and photographer achieved £300+. Several other stallholders sold almost £200 including a lady selling fabric items, a soap seller and a lady selling skincare. Jewellery sold ok with both selling in excess of £120. Unfortunately candles did not sell well today. It was also good to see several new stallholders do well and achieve some good sales.
 
Overall for most stallholders this was a good market.

Witney Corn Exchange - 18th September

A market of extremes 
 
Witney is a firm favourite of ours several years down the line and this market shows us why. Set up was smooth, even with a one man Mynt team running the show. The hall looked fantastic, an excellent mix of stalholders worked really well providing customers to the event with touch choices to make as the standard was high accross the board. 
The weather was pretty good, mostly sunny but certainly very pleasant which usually makes for a good day.
 
Footfall flowed nicely, nothing too crazy but a steady stream throughout the day. Flurries here and there and a good mix of demographic lead to a total of 604 through the door.
 
It seemed the quality of customers was good too, it felt busier than the previous market and that usually means people were shopping despite number not being drastically different. We had a couple of stall holders absolutely smashing it and breaking slaes records which was great to see. One artist made a sinlge sale in excess of £350 to a customer buying a number of originals and prints. Jewellery sold well too with some best days ever. The other end of the spectrum was a small handful of stallholders who just about covered costs. It seemed spending was one of two extremese being either very high or very low with no real inbetween. Looking at thos more succesful however it appears that the stallholders who a re slightly more experienced and have visited Witney before tended to be more successful.

Romsey Town Hall - 18th September

More of a mediocre market at Romsey this time round
 
We have become to love our markets in Romsey and are looking forward to the build up to Christmas this year. Set up ran well with the a couple of minor hiccups that the team managed fantastically. A few stall holders a little disappointed that now we are running markets back to pre covid set up we no longer use the smaller hall downstairs but only the large hall upstairs. With the lift now back to fully operational it does mean that customers and stallholders do have no issue with reaching the hall but I think a few people liked being a little closer to the door. 
 
The day started slow as it often does in Romsey with it picking up late morning before dropping again in the afternoon. The September sun treating those on the highstreet to some unanticipated warmth. Overall a footfall of 504.
 
Spening wasnt bad overall, it seemed most did well but nothing to write home about. Lots of venues seem to have started Christams shopping early but here they dont seem quite ready, perhaps it was a little too sunny for people to be thinking that far ahead. All stallholders seemed pretty happy with only one or two who struggled  to make the £100 mark.

Trowbridge Town Hall - 18th September

Trowbridge continues to impress all
 
We have come to love this market which already has a growing number of devoted regular stallholders. After a market like today, Trowbridge will have gained additional fans. 
 
There was a steady flow of customers throughout the day, with several waiting to come in from the start. With warm dry weather there were plenty of people on the streets and it was only the last hour which was quieter in terms of footfall ... but not spending. By the end of the day we had achieved a footfall of 575, most of them locals.
 
Spending today was very good and we believe that only 1 stallholder achieved less than £100. Customers engaged more than well and reached into their pockets well. One jeweller sold over £350. A man selling copper flowers and recycled jewellery had his best ever market anywhere. A photographer and artist both sold in excess of £250. Spendimg was spread almost evenly between stalls and every stallholder had an enjoyable day.
 
Customers were certainly buying for Christmas. Christmas candle fragrances sold the best for a candle seller and Christmas cards sold well for card sellers. Some large items were bought.
 
We look forward to our october market at this excellent venue.

Henley Town Hall - 11th September

Quality customers in Henley Christmas shopping already
 
Witha dodgy forecast earlier in the week we though this event could be a bit of a washout but as the weekend approached we couldnt be further wrong. The sun shone as we set up and kept us warm all day through, we certainly were not complaining. Set up was good, a little hectic at points but this is our first event back at full pre pandemic capacity so the handful of extra tables to set up gaves us a little more work to do. Once everyone had arrived however, the mix of regular stallholders and new was incredibly inviting. The quality was high throughout and that reflects in the sales. 10 o'clock approached and we were ready to provide the people of Henley with an absolutely supierb market.
 
Footfall was slow to start, the first hour was like pulling teeth, the town was almost sleepy, the few who wandered the highstreet wandered in nicely and this set the precedent for the day. It never got particularly busy after that but it seemed almost everyone who was out and about were keen to come in. The footfall come in fits and starts but for the most part there was a good number of people in the hall even though the footfall was fairly low. A big part of this due to the fact many were shopping with intent and the number of people that do that quick lap before almost running out was minimal. Overall 481 through the door, nothing to scream about numbers wise for Henley but certainly not terrible.
 
Now spending... where to start! Customers entering the market today did nothing by halves, the amount of bags each one came with was superb. We often saw people with 3 or 4 bags so not only did they spend, they spent with multiple stallholders each. It was reported that at least a couple of customers bought from no less than 6 stalls spending in excess of £200 overall. We at least 8 stallholders take £300+ with 2 of those well over the £400 mark. Pattens of spending werent immediatley obvious, 2 jewellers had good but mediocre days whereas the 3rd took her best ever sales. Candles, calendars and glassware seemed to sell very well indeed. September can often be a tough month but today was not the case, we cant wait to get back here as Christmas will be incredible.

Marlborough Town Hall - 11th September

Good footfall but poor sales
 
A lovely warm day with far more sunshine than expected. The High street was bustling after 11am and several tourist coaches added to the numbers.  However  it was definitely an older demographic than we often get at this event, there were few families around.
 
The stalls looked very good with masses of height and colour. There was a good relationship between stallholders which resulted in an excellent atmosphere.
 
By the end of the day we had attracted 512 customers into the market, a satisfactory figure for this venue.  Unfortunately sales did not reflect this promising footfall. Customers were simply not in a buying mood, which is unusual for Marlborough. Only 2 stallholders achieved more than £200 which is low for this venue. Average sales were between £70 and £100. We are aware of 2 stallholders who did not achieve their table fees.
 
October should bring more buying for Christmas

Lymington Masonic Hall - 11th September

Great day with great sales
 
We had a bit of a hectic start to the day, the team were a few minutes later than usual due to traffic and a rogue satnav so the early birds were keen to get in as soon as possible. Even though the stall holders were let in ahead of the stated 830am in our t's and c's because so many were already there and used to early access it was a little bit more frantic than usual. Otherwise the event was set up with great ease and still with plenty of time to spare. The hall looked good as usual and the team were looking forward to smashing it.
 
Customers flowed in throughout the day, the weather couldnt have been much better. They had an excellent consistent stream and over 1000 total footfall we had a great day.
 
Spending was pretty good all round, 3 or 4 stallholders taking £400+ and many more taking over £200 we were very happy. Seems as though we have the right tourists back in Lymington being back in term time.

Lyndhurst Community Centre - 5th September (Sunday)

Super sunday in September

 

This is only our second event in Lyndhusrt but the first on a Sunday. We weren't entirely sure what to expect but we certainly were far from disappotinted. The set up here is probably the easiest of any venue we use, the private parking at the rear of the building makes life incredibly simple. The hall looked fantastic once set up, we've got such a brilliant selection of stallholders at our markets and this was no different at all. 

 

Despite the forecast earlier in the week, the weather was perfect for this event. We anticipated getting soaked but instead enjoyed beautiful sunshine in the heart of the New Forest. The flow of customers started early, being a Sunday there was a possibility of a quiet first hour but this didn't really happen. Once we were rolling we had a good constant flor throughout and managed 696 through the door, only around 40 shy of the Saturday market we ran here a few weeks ago.

 

Spending was pretty good all round, we did have one stall holder who didnt take a penny but it seems this was down to card reader issues. Over the pandemic we're seeing cash spent less frequently and card readers are becoming far more important to clinching those sales. We had a couple of stallholders taking £500+ but most seemed to take around £200 which is superb for a Sunday. We cant wait to see how Christmas goes this year at such a great venue!

Witney Corn Exchange - 4th September

Good Oxfordshire market

 

Witney has previously been a great market and we've been looking forward to the build up to Christmas all year. Now we're into September and the schools starting to back it was an almost normal feeling day. Set up was smooth and the hall looked fantastic with a great mix of existing and new stallholders. One thing that we really liked to see was a handful of younger stallholders making an appearance here. Its great to have traders with a completely fresh look at craft and gift markets and is inspiraing to see young people with such entrepenuerial spirit. 

 

Footfall ebbed and flowed throughout the day, the high street varied from busy to quiet and we had to work hard to keep them coming in. It felt fairly busy inside which is always good with a total of 644 through the door.

 

Spending was mixed, it seems people were keen to buy Christmas presents today so those that were a little more 'gifty' tended to sell best. Several stallhoders took £300+ which is always good for this time of the year.

Guildford Guildhall - 4th September

Guildford continues its slow recovery

 

Our Guildford market has been perhaps the slowest to regain its position as a very good performer. Whilst other venues such as Lymington, Salisbury and Witney are almost back to their pre-pandemic sales and levels, Guildford has struggled to regain momentum. Guildford is traditionally slow to start, and on this cloudy early autumn day, this was certainly the case with only 250 customers within the first half of the market. Thankfully however, footfall increased in the afternoon due to the continued and determined effort on of the Mynt Image team. An organised march and the presence of buskers directly opposite the venue did not help the Mynt Image staff. However by the end of the day a satisfactory footfall of 614 had been achieved, very similar to our August footfall. 

 

Guildford has certainly become a market for the more experienced and practiced seller, and it was these who have been with us for a while or are used to selling, who distinctly did better than others today. A couple selling fashion and fashion jewellery sold in excess of £500 and an artist almost £300. A couple selling honey based products also did very well as did one of our regular jewellery and clothing stands. This was also one of those days where stall holders upstairs seemed to do better than those downstairs, which is contrary to the way the market used to operate. Several stall holders described their day as ‘average’ whilst we are also aware that several stall holders made very few sales at all during the day. 

 

Unfortunately a few inexperienced stallholders also brought products to the event which they had not declared on their application forms. This caused there to be an over-representation of some products such as candles, which was disappointing. It is important for all parties that stall holders correctly describe their products when they apply to events. 

 

There is money to be made at this market, and this event is continuing to slowly improve. There does still seem to be a reluctance for the citizens of Guildford to enter shops still, far more than at other locations. We are optimistic that as we all become used to living in this new world that COVID has created, that sales will continue to improve and footfalls continue to increase, allowing better sales even for those who are more inexperienced.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 4th September

A very good footfall leads to good sales for some

 

We knew right from the start that there was going to be a good footfall at this event. The town of Lymington was teeming with people, mostly tourists who were looking for somewhere to spend their day in what were rather grey early Autumn conditions. The families of last week, enjoying the end of their holidays, were replaced with more mature groups of tourists enjoying slightly cheaper holidays off-season. These already good numbers were added to by several coach loads of tourists and several large group of tourists on excursions from the Isle of Wight. At times there were so many customers wanting to come into the event that we had queues and had to stop people going into the event until it was safe to, something most in the queues were quite happy to do. By 1pm we had a footfall in excess of 600 customers. However in the afternoon, footfall did slow down, and is often the case, spending improved as the customers had plenty of time at each stall. By the end of the day we had achieved a footfall of 1028 customers, only slightly lower than bank holiday weekend. 

 

The event looked excellent today and was vibrant with colour. There was also a good deal of height to many of the stalls which further added to their appeal. We had a lot of good experienced stall holders with us today, with just a few who had only recently started working in the business. Spending on the whole was not what you would have expected from such a good footfall, though notably our stallholder selling fabric bags, mostly dog walking bags, sold in excess of £500. Another lady selling cushions and table runners almost ran out of stock and had one of her best ever days. However this was not the general theme and most stall holders sold between £100 and £200 including several jewellers, a photographer and an artists. Most sales were of small itmes, being bought by the tourists as mementos, though we were glad to note the sale of a large piece of quality ceramic at our ceramic stall and a large wildlife print. 

 

This was a satisfactory market for most and the customers seemed especially hard to please or engage with today. We are aware of two stall holders not making their stall fees and several who would have liked to have done better considering the very good footfall.

Devizes Corn Exchange - 28th August

Devizes bounces back
 
Devizes was busy today with plenty of people out shopping and enjoying the bank holiday weekend sun. People seemed very willing to come into the event. The stalls looked really good today and were clearly of high quality. As is always the case the set up at Devizes was easy as there is level access. We were averaging 100 customers an hour until the last hour and managed a very good footfall of 578.
 
The best seller today was for a 1st time a clothing stall who benefitted from the cooler weather and start of Autumn and sold £500+. A good many stallholders achieved between £200 and £300 including 2 artists , at least 2 jewellers as well as a lady selling fused glass and a lady selling fabric bags. Most stallders had a good day with only 2 stall holders not recouping stall costs.
 
It was good to see Devizes doing so well as a venur once more and we look forward to our winter events at this location.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 27th/28th August

Friday - A really good Friday Summer event

 

This was only our 2nd Friday event in Lymington, but after the success of our 1st Friday event earlier in August we knew that there was a great deal of potential for this market. The set up at Lymington is always easy as there is parking adjacent to the hall and almost level access into the hall itself. By 9.05 all of the stall holders had arrived and most were already almost ready to start selling. 

 

Lymington is our classic Summer location and with dull, cool, cloudy weather we expected Lymington to be packed with tourists shopping. It was clear from the start of the day that this was not going to be a ‘beach day’ and that the town would be crowded with tourists staying in the New Forest. The roads were busy from the start of the day and soon after we had started the market, we knew that there was going to be a good footfall. Large groups of tourists were abundant and our active marketing techniques attracted over 730 into the event by the end of the day. With such a good footfall, there were bound to be some good sales. 

The key to Summer events is to have products that tourists are looking for, some small souvenir or something a little bit different or quirky. Our best seller today was our stall holder selling products made from gun cases who sold over £400. He was closely followed by a photographer, a jeweller, a card seller and an artist who sold in excess of £300. These are figures we would expect from a Saturday event and were partly due to the good footfall and partly due to the good sales technique displayed by these stall holders. Several other stall holders sold between £100 and £200 and it was good to see several new stall holders to our events do so well. We had requests from 2 stall holders who attended, in the afternoon, for places for our Saturday event and by chance we had 2 spaces still available. The 2 stall holders were delighted to be given another opportunity the following day. There was an excellent atmosphere in the hall at all times and we are only aware of 2 stall holders who failed to cover their table costs. 

 

It was also satisfying to have one new stall holder praise us for our hard work in getting people into the event, having never experienced the active marketing methods that we use before. She stated that she would be booking with us again as she saw the difference and now understood clearly why some of our events are slightly more expensive than other organisers.

 

Saturday - A very busy pre lockdown type market

 

Set up this morning was even easier than usual, half the hall still ready to go from the previous day meant we could really focus on helping the new arrivals in with ease. We had such a vibrant mix of stalls booked into this event the atmosphere was perfect. 

 

The weather couldnt have been much better throughout the day, sunny spells but not too hot that people disappeared off to the beach. The high street was buzzing which made a welcome change to recent events where there's still be an air of caution throughout. Flocks of tourists filled the streets and started to flood the market early on with no real encouragement from the Mynt team. It was great to see that although the streets were so busy, the vast majority of customers continued to wear masks and sanitise on entry ot the hall, something we're really pleased to see. We had a good continuous flow over the course of the day in terms of footfall, there were even the odd occasion were we had to hold back customers as despite restrictions being lifted we want to keep our stallholders and customers safe. By the close of play we achieved a record footfall since the start of the pandemic, numbers exceeding many event in previous too. A total of 1125 came through the door to enjoy a stunning display.

 

Spending was a little mixed, many stallholders taking £200+. Interstingly, those booked into both days seemed to do well on each but actually slightly better on the Friday. We think the fridays attracted more locals and the saturday more tourists which may have influenced what sold on each day. The most popular of stallholders today however were the 2 selling different types of teddy bear which was great to see.

Hungerford Corn Exhcange - 21st August

If rain hadnt interrupted play just how good could this market have been?
 
We knew from the start that this was going to be a wet day but thankfully the rain held off until midday. There were quite a few people including many tourists in Hungerford most wonderring what to do on such a dismal day. Footfall was good at the beginning of the day as was spending from the start. And then the heavens opened and the streets became deserted. The Mynt team worked solidly throughout the rain getting drenched but still managing to attract people into the event. By 4pm we had 412 into the event most of whom spent well
 
There was a lovely atmosphere in the market throughout the day. The positive attitude resulted in some good sales for many. A lady selling scarves and fabric items sold £400+ and an artist over £350. Another lady selling stylised African wall hooks also sold over £350. A couple selling candles for the first time at any event sold over £250 and an author sold 11 copies of his own book. A card seller also was happy to sell around £250. Average sales seemed to have been around £100. We are only aware of one stallholder not covering their costs.
 
This was a good summer market and would have been even better if the conditions had not been so poor.

Salisbury Guildhall - 21st August

Top footfall of the year but a real mix of spending
 
When we arrived in Salisbury ahead of stall holders to set up we were greeted with Queen street (the small road adjacent to the guidhall for unloading) closed at both ends. We're used to working like this at Christmas but of course when its unexpedted it meant stallholders who were less familiar with this event were a little confused when following our instructions. Again we apologise for the confusion and had we been aware of the situation we'd have contacted stallholders accordingly. Set up otherwise ran smoothly once the chaos of unloading was out of the way. The hall looked superb and it was fantastic to see Salisbury back at full capacity. 
 
The rain started as we opened up and we used this to herd as many people in as possible. Thos ducking out of the rain didnt spend as well as the others in the afternoon for the most part so we were glad it brightened up. We saw many flurries and even several queues to get in over the later part of the day and unlike Salisbury in recent months the highstreet stayed busy after 2pm when it has previuously quietened down. Overall we managed 900 through the door, a figure we're more than happy with as it shows one of our favourite venues returning to pre covid type numbers.
 
Spending was a mix across the board, 2 stallholders took £600+ with many more between £200 and £300. A handful had slower days but for no real rhyme or reason, as the wasnt any particular spending patterns.Our favourite story of the day is one lady  torn between which photo to buy from one of our photographers couldnt whittle her choice down to 1 framed picture so decided she'd go for 7, yes seven!

Romsey Town Hall - 14th August

Plenty of customers but only average sales

 

It was a perfect day for one of our markets, no rain, warm but cloudy skies for most of the day. There were plenty of people on the streets in the early morning and by 11 O’clock the streets were full of potential customers. There were plenty of tourists visiting this historic town and many Romsey locals enjoying a day out in their town, many spending several hours at many of the cafes overlooking the square where the Town Hall is located. As usual, the town quietened down at lunchtime, but strangely didn’t pick up again in the afternoon, making the last hour or so of the market tough to find many new customers. It was good to see several customers come back to the hall in the afternoon after their morning visits. At the end of the day we had achieved a good footfall of 493 customers. 

 

For most stall holders, spending was better in the morning with some good sales of larger items such as lamps and large photos. The afternoon was more typical of many summert markets with larger quantities of smaller items being sold. As far as we are aware, every stall holder achieved their table fee. There were no sales over £300, but 2l stall holders achieved £200+. Most stall holders seemed to have achieved between £100 and £150 with all 3 specialist jewellers doing well today. 

 

All of our markets at Romsey, now social distancing has ended, will only be upstairs. Most customers seemed very happy to ascend the stairs or use the recently installed lift. Only 10-20 customers turned away once they knew there were no stalls downstairs. All of our Pre-covid markets at Romsey used to be upstairs and at that time, there was no lift in the building. The newly installed lift proved to be a godsend and made both setting up and loading so much easier for stall holders.

Godalming Borough Hall - 14th August

Not a bad day in one of the tougher months for Godalming
 
Its been a while since we've run Godalming in August. This event was a replacement for one of the Cranleigh dates that we of course lost due to their hosting of a vaccination centre. We choose Godalming to fill this space as it was the closest market and meant easily swapping over for thos that still wanted to exhibit. Set up was smooth as it often is here with an easy accessible unloading system, a mix of regulars and newbies graced the hall and the mix was perfect.
 
The day istelf was tough for us working the highstreet, it was quiet throughout and people took a lot of persuading. Admittedly through our best efforts it seemed we managed to get the majority of passersby into the hall whether it was their first passing or second. Unfortunately it was still fairly inside in the morning as many customers didnt feel overly interested but with a few busier spells in the afternoon and a total of 317 through the door we weren't too disheartened.

 

Spending was mixed, we know of a couple of stallholders that didnt cover costs, one of which didnt neccessarily expect to make any sales and was simple using the market to test whether craft and gift markets were right for the product. Jewellery seemed to do well, a complete newbie took over £150 which is superb for the first event. A few of our stallholders took around £250 so there was certainly money to be made here today. It wasnt a bad day overall but we're certainly looking forward to the hustle and bustle of Christmas here.

Thame Town Hall - 7th August

Thame improves after lockdown
 
It was a grey start to the day with threatening clouds throughout the day. Thankfully the forecast rain and thunder didnt materialise. There were few people on the streets at the start of the day buy the afternoon seemed to bring them all out. The stalls looked very professional today and there was an imagigative use of space. By the end of the day we achieved a good Thame footfall of 419.
 
Spending was not as good as expected in the morning with exception of our decorative box seller who sold well throughout the day. We had a good mix of new and experienced sellers who all worked together really well and created a lovely atmosphere. Thankfully spending  improved in the afternoon with a jeweller and photographer selling over £250. Most stallholders achieved in excess of £100 though we are aware of 2 who didnt cover their costs. The public found it hard to part with their money today.

Guidlford Guildhall - 7th August

Slow start into a much better afternoon

 

The day started off in probably the worst conditions we've seen for a while, torrential rain bounced off of the cobbled high street as we unloaded andthe team got pretty wet helping everyone in. The biggest downside to the rain this morning was several incidents on the main roads into Guildford meaning we saw a few stallholders caught up in traffic and arriving late (none involved in said incidents fortunately). This caused a slightly hectic opening of the event but once up and running both halls and lobby looked good. The upstairs room looked particularly good with such a warm inviting atmosphere. It was also good to see the lobby return to its full splendour with the removal of one way system.

 

Footfall is always slow to begin with in Guildford, perhaps more so this time due to horrendous conditions early on. The first hour tends to be older shoppers getting in and out of town ahead of day trippers and younger families out shopping for the day. We started to get a few through the door but a couple of heavy showers around 11 held us back a little. The team worked relentlessly to draw a crowd and even battled with protesters for a couple fo hours during the middle of the day, we worked well but it was still tough. After around 2ish momentum built a little and the day picked up. We had to work hard to get customers that we did and somehow managed 517 when the earlier hours of the market implied it couldve been quieter.

 

Spending wasnt bad thankfully, the afternoon saw the biggest improvement in sales and several stallholders took £300+ with most achieving target. Still not quite back to what we'd consider usual guildford spending but looking good for the appraoch to Christmas.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 6th August (Fri)

Our First Ever Friday Market is a Success

 

Lymington seemed very quiet at the beginning of the day but we had been told by residents that the streets had been busy all week. There were strong winds throughout the day meaning that despite the sun a day on the beach wasn’t the best option for holidaymakers. The streets livened up at 11am when a sudden influx of tourists started some good spending. The good footfall continued throughout the day and by the end of the day we had achieved a good footfall of 625

 

We had some late cancellations and slightly less stallholders than would have normally booked so we were able to offer all stallholders some additional room. One stallholder must be congratulated for driving all the way from South Wales to Lymington for their first ever market. 

 

Spending was good for a Friday with 2 jewellers achieving £300+ , several other stallholders also achieved around £200 including an artist, a lady selling fabric bags, a lady selling homewares and a gentleman selling soaps and candles. 

Unfortunately 2 stallholders did not cover their stall costs which was unfortunate with such a good footfall. WE look forward to our next Friday market at Lymington on the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Trowbridge Town Hall - 31st July

Trowbridge continues to deliver!

 

This was our 2nd ever market at Trowbridge Town Hall and proved to be even better than the first one had been. Thankfully this time we were knowledgeable regarding the set up and familiar with the hall and the set up ran smoothly. However once again this highlighted the major problem with the town of Trowbridge ….the one way system is awful and really does need rethinking! We had to guide several stall holders into the Town hall despite Sat Navs and maps. However once all the stall holders were in position, the market looked really good with some superb displays. We already have a group of regular Trowbridge stall holders and these were joined by several stall holders brand new to our markets and some who had never traded before or for many years (20 years?) All were made to feel very welcome by the staff from the hall and the Mynt Image staff. There were so many customers who came out of the hall telling us how wonderful the market was and how good the quality of products was, it was a true delight to talk to leaving customers. Despite the forecast of wet weather arriving in the afternoon, it stayed bright and infact sunny for a lot of the day and this brought the shoppers onto the streets. We would have expected a lower than average footfall due to this being Summer holidays and Trowbridge not really being known as a holiday destination, but we were proved wrong. By the end of the day we had a attracted a footfall of 607 customers into the event of which 470-500 visited both the downstairs and upstairs hall. 

 

There was a good mixture of customers into the hall, with a lot of young couples as well as the more expected elder generation. It was good to have such a range of ages and this seemed to spread the spending around the stall holders more. Several groups of customers came back into the event several times to purchase items they had seen earlier. 2 stall holders, an artist and a photographer had sales exceeding £300 whilst most stall holders sold between £90 and £170. We are not aware of any stall holders who failed to cover their table costs. One glass artist did better upstairs than she had downstairs at the previous event and there was very little difference between spending downstairs and spending upstairs. It was little things that were selling especially well, with one jeweller having to remake ear rings behind her stall as they were going so quickly. 

This was a good market and we look forward to seeing it continue to grow and develop during the next two years.

Marlborough Town Hall - 31st July

Quieter than hoped but certainly not a bad day in Marlborough

Marlborough is one of our favoruite venues desptie being a little tougher in recent years. The set up is pretty straight foward and going back to one hall rather than spreading across two due to covid restrictions certainly made setting up a lot easier. We had a good mix of regular stallholders and some newbies with us at this event. Its always good to welcome varying levels of experience, especially as everyone is always so friendly. The day started slow as it often does in Marlborough and this helped by the odd shower. The afternoon saw some much better activity in the high street and we had a few flurries into the hall. It was strangely busy on the roads (probably due to local road closures) but comparatively quiet in terms of pedestrians on the streets. We had to work incredibly hard to achieve 386 customers into the market.

 

Spending wasnt bad overall, everyone managed to cover costs and make the day worthwhile with only one standout sale. We had two differnet beverage stalls in this market, one a craft brewery who sold well but the distillery had an exceptional day. Jewellery seemed popular too which is oftern the case in Marlborough. Sales were considered fairly good considering how tough a day it was. We're looking forward to more tourist activity in this town as we come out of the school holidays and head towards Christmas.

Lyndhurst Community Centre - 24th July

What. A. Day.

Where do we begin, what a great market this was. 

 

This was our very first time in the Lyndhurst Community Centre and to be honest we felt right at home. There is always some anticipation and potentially even some nerves when we start at a new venue as of course we pride ourselves in providing the very best markets for our stallholders. Within minutes of arriving any concerns were immediately quashed, the hall staff were excellent and everything was as we needed it to be. The set up was fantastically easy, being able to unload at the back door meant we could get stallholders into the hall in no time at all. The free parking onsite is also a huge plus.

 

The hall looked superb, we had a great mix of regular stallholders and a couple of new ones too. Everyone incredibly friendly we were ready for the day ahead. The only thing able to dampen spirits was the weather, several showers throughout the morning was not ideal for the Mynt time working hard to draw a crowd but didn't seem to matter at all. The Hall overlooks the main car park in Lyndhurst and even though the town wasn't necessarily busy throughout the day it seemed everyone wanted to have a look inside. The flow was constant both morning and afternoon, probably the most consistent footfall we've seen in a long time. There was always a buzz around the hall and it never got quiet. Overall we saw 733 customers through the door (one of the busiest markets Lyndhurst has seen we have heard).

 

Now onto spending... We beleive that the lowest taking for the day was around £200. We saw 2 stallholders take around £600 with at least 3 around the £400 mark. To be honest there wasnt really a pattern as to what did and didnt sell as it seemed everyhting did. The only way we can really add comment is to when people sold. For example our glass fuser sold incredibly well straight off the mark but our wood turner didnt seem to really start flying until the afternoon. Of course both did well overall so it didnt actsully matter when the sales were made. 

 

Overall we couldn't have been happier with how the day went. One word that was used when packing away by a handful of stallholders was 'overwhelmed' and that really sums up with how impressed we were. This was probably one of the best markets we've run since the start of the pandemic and many likened it to a Christmas market. What a day!

Devizes Corn Exchange - 24th July

Where were all of the people?

Devizes has rapidly become one of our most popular markets with good spending from the visitors to the market and ease of access for the stall holders. Devizes is a growing and developing town and is attracting a range of new shops. Today though, the town seemed to be devoid of any inhabitants, the car parks almost empty at times and very few people on the streets. The damp grey weather suddenly descending on the South of England probably also didn’t help and this being the start of the school summer holidays many locals had started their holidays and quite simply weren’t in town. The 2 members of our team followed our tried and tested approach in Devizes of having one team member out in the town and the other close to the building welcoming in people. But despite their efforts, we had limited success in creating a good footfall with a footfall of just less than 300 being achieved. 

 

Stall holders did note that it was very quiet in the building today, just as they noted that there was no one to attract into the building when they looked out of the front door into the market square. Thankfully those customers who did enter the building seemed to spend well at some of the stalls. One photographer selling photos of the surrounding area managed to achieve sales of around £500 whilst another artists selling a variety of small gifts managed to sell in excess of £300. However we are also aware of several stall holders who didn’t even manage to recoup their table costs. This was disappointing because Devizes has served us so well in the past . It was also especially disappointing because we had a lot of new stall holders with us, several of whom were inevitably not as happy as we would have liked. We are glad that most of our Devizes markets are so much more successful.

 

Romsey Town Hall - 24th July

A very good summer market for most

Romsey is one of the placers that performs very well in the Summer season, and today, for most stall holders, just proved the point. Despite drizzly conditions for some of the day and a torrential shower or two, most stall holders were very happy with the results. This was our first event at Romsey since Lockdown measures had been relaxed. We had a new range of posters to encourage customers to wear masks and to encourage hand sanitisations practices. We did keep the one way system, which although several members of the public refused to follow it, kept the majority of stall holders and customers as safe as possible.

Unfortunately Paul as part of the Mynt team was sworn at several times in his efforts to maintain the one way system. We were glad that the intense heat of the last week had given way to a cooler day today, and despite drizzly conditions there were plenty of people on the streets shopping. BY the end of the day a footfall of 506 customers had been produced. 

 

The morning, as is often the case, was predictably slow and spending poor, but we are glad to say that it did pick up after lunch, especially in the final 2 hours of the event. Sales were still being made after 4pm. All stall holders reported covering their table costs and most did substantially better. One couple selling honey and bee products sold almost £400 as did a stall holders selling mainly fabric bags. Another stall holder selling fabric bags and other fabric items also sold in excess of £240 as did one of our jewellers selling silver jewellery. One of our candle sellers also sold almost £300 whist another jeweller sold around £200. A soap seller also reported selling nearly £150 on her 2nd ever market with Mynt Image What was lovely today was the excellent atmosphere in the halls at all times, with all stall holders saying how much they had enjoyed the day. 

 

This really was a good Summer event and demonstrated just how good Romsey can be when the tourists are in town.

 

Lymington Masonic Hall - 17th July

A classic Lymington Summer market

Summer had most definitely arrived in Lymington!  The sun was out in force, over 25 degrees, and the High Street was extremely busy.  There was a seafood festival in the town (a fair walk away) and many people were walking past us going to it or walking back up the hill us after attending.  Although many festival goers did not come into our event there were plenty of locals and day trippers who did and the hall was busy throughout the day, although it slowed down slightly in the afternoon which is normal for Lymington.  Sara and Keith worked hard out on the street ensuring as many customers visited the hall as possible and we heard lots of great comments about the wonderful items being sold.  I must say, the hall looked absolutely fabulous, possibly the best I have ever seen it with an array of wonderful items, practically everything was handmade with love.  Stall holders in general had a good day, some reported making their table costs and a little more which is what they were hoping for.  Only one or two were not particularly happy with their results, but there were certainly plenty of stall holders who did very well indeed and went home very happy.  We were given a gift for our hard work and bought drinks - so thanks to our stall holders for that.  We had many kind words of thanks from pretty much all of them.  It is nice to know they realise how hard we always work to bring in custom.  The eventual footfall was 706 which we were so happy with.  It really was an all round wonderful day.

 

Thame Town Hall - 17th July

The hottest day of the year stifles trade but still some good sales.

This was a really mixed market with several traders not doing well at all, whilst several others had really good days. 

The really hot weather really affected this market in historic Thame. There were simply very few people on the streets shopping , many instead enjoying the hot weather at home, in the countryside by the river or travelling to the coast. Very few people choose to go shopping in 30 degree heat!! 

 

We had a good mixture of new and established stall holders at this event, It was warm in the hall, however most soon realised just how warm it was outside when they took a break, many hastily retreating to their stalls and the relative coolness. We had difficulty in attracting customers into the  building at first and looked for alternative methods. We found that if we continually walked around the Thame shopping area, locals and tourists started to notice our signs and most eventually, in their own time, paid the market a visit. Mynt Image staff walked in excess of 10 miles during the day in the heat to attract in customers. At times there were very few to entice into the building, but we persevered and by 4pm had managed to attract 296 customers into the market. 

 

As we have already noted, although the majority of stall holders at least covers their table fees, a few sold nothing. Most stall holders did cover costs and managed to return a small profit. 2 fortunate stall holders, one artist and one lady selling ceramics sold almost £400. A man selling products made from honey sold in excess of £250 as did one of our more experienced jewellers. Considering the lower than normal footfall, most stall holders seemed to enjoy the market. 

I am not one to moan about the heat, having craved some sun all summer, but we really do hope that the conditions in early August at Thame will be little more conducive to creating a good market.

Abingdon Guildhall - 16th July (Fri)

Our 1st ever Friday market at Abingdon proves successful for most.

This was our first ever Friday market at Abingdon. We had timed it on purpose to be on the same day as the monthly Farmers market which is located on the square right opposite the Guildhall. This was the first hot sunny day we had had for many weeks and there were certainly plenty of people on the streets, either purchasing from the Farmers Market or sitting outside the many cafes enjoying the summer sun (at last!). There were a good number of visitors to Abingdon, many enjoying the sites of the ancient market town. Besides this being a new venue for many stall holders, the set up went very smoothly and it was good to see stall holders assisting each other. There were certainly a lot of potential visitors to the market and we needed to try various methods to attract them into the hall. The Mynt Image staff tried the usual loud vocalisations and these brought good n umbers into the market with over 60 in the first hour. To reach the potential customers who were seated at the tables, a member of the team started to go around the market and outside the cafes with a sign. This brought immediate effects and we managed to create a steady stream of customerts into the hall throughout the day. At the end of the day a count of 312 had been achieved, very satisfactory for our first ever Friday event at this location.

 

Sales in the morning were slow for many stall holders and customers mostly seemed to be browsing and enjoying the ambience of the event. There is always a good atmosphere at this location. During the afternoon, sales did seem to greatly improve for many stall holders. It was also good to see several customers who had visited the event in the morning, returning to buy some of the products they had seen. There were some good sales at this event, and please remember that this is a Friday not at Saturday. One woodworker sold £6.00 before lunch but by the end of the afternoon had sales in excess of £250. One photographer also did well selling £200+. A lady selling fabric bags and related items sold in excess of £300 and we are aware of at least 2 other stall holders making around the £200 mark. One or two stallholders did not do so well, barely covering their tables unfortunately. Sales of Advent Calendars were again a feature for our card seller. Several stall holders were graced by a last minute customer who spent around £150 at several different stalls, thus demonstrating that it’s always good to stay selling right up to the last minute.

 

This was our first weekday market at Abingdon. Bearing in mind how successful it was for many, we not only look forward to the others we have booked at this location for the rest of the year, but we have also approached the hall to look into some mid-week dates for 2022.

Salisbury Guildhall - 10th July

A classic Salisbury Summer market

It was a dull, drizzly summer’s day and we had driven through some heavy rain to get to the event. Fortunately just after 10am, the rain eased and then before 11am stopped, leaving a dull overcast day. Dull Summer days are good for venues such as Salisbury as those on holiday have little to do except visit Salisbury, see the sights and do some shopping. The outside market was busy from the start of the day and this quickly spilled over into The Guild Hall. There were good numbers of tourists around and these provided a good footfall throughout the day. There were few slack times within the market and by the end of the day a very good footfall of 789 had been achieved. It was interesting to see several customers returning during the day to buy something they had seen earlier. Many of the best buyers were during the last hour with one last minute customers spending over £100 after 4pm. 

 

Spending was typical of a Salisbury Summer market, with the nest buyers in the afternoon. We are not aware of any stall holders who did not make their stall fees back. At least 2 stall holders made in excess of £300, one selling ethnic style jewellery and another imported South African products. Several other stall holders sold £200+ including an artist, a stall selling products made from bees, a silver jeweller, a lady selling chopping boards and a young author. It was good to have several new faces with us today including an experienced crafter new to the area selling home sewn teddy bears, a young lady selling tote bags and a your couple selling woven fabric, all of whom did well. Our experienced crafters were very willing to share their knowledge and techniques with our new starters who all reported learning a lot from the market. There was a very positive feel to the market throughout. 

 

This Summer market yet again proved that if you have the right products to sell to tourists, summer markets can be very profitable. There was also a sign that people are buying early for Christmas, just as we have seen in other markets in recent weeks.

Henley Town Hall - 10th July

Back to pre Covid standard Henley

Henley has become a favourite over the years and this event saw a glimpse of what Henley used to be like. Set up was smooth, stallholders staggered arrival meant we could assist a lot with unloading. The hall looked fantastic with a good mix of new and regular stallholders creating inviting displays.

As the day began we had a few spots of rain but we didnt let that stop us drawing a crowd. A couple food stalls in the square helped bring people into the area and we simply sent them into the hall. As the day brightened up the streets grew busier and our footfall increased accordingly, we managed to achieve a total of 728, the highest we've seen here since before COVID entirely.

 

Spending was mixed, we had a couple of stallholder who struggled to cover costs however many had a good day. Two of our jewellers took over £300, as did one of our artists and a photographer took around £400. We had an enameller join us too who's sales weren't incredible however the huge interest was fantastic so we look forward to seeing some aftermarket sales from this event. Christmas presents seemed to be popular today too, a month or so earlier than usual. Overall a really positive market in Henley.

Hungerford Town Hall - 3rd July

Hungerford delivers as usual

It was a grey and threatening day outside for most of the day with brief periods of short lived sunshine. At times there were periods of light drizzle, though these seemed to retreat with the threat of raincoats. Unfortunately there were also substantial roadworks happening right outside the Town Hall, with a replacement set of traffic lights causing havoc to the roads and huge tailbacks at times. The team had to make themselves seen and heard above the pneumatic road breakers and large construction lorries. The Mynt Image Team felt somewhat demoralised after the first hour with just 35 customers entering the building. We had forgotten that Hungerford however is always slow to start and we needn’t worry too much about footfall, as by the middle of the day footfall rapidly increased with the arrival of large groups of tourists with little to do arriving for a day out in Hungerford. By the end of the day we managed to achieve a very respectable Hungerford footfall of 422, very comparable to pre-covid markets. 

 

Selling was interesting with some stall holders doing extremely well and others not even covering their stall costs (3 stall holders). One photographer did the best today selling in excess of £400, smartly followed by a lady selling scarves and richly coloured items who sold over £300. One artist also sold in excess of £300. A charity stall for a local hospice selling knitted items sold nearly £250 and a lady selling cards sold £170+. Unfortunately not everyone did as well, though there were several other stalls selling around the £100 mark. Many stall holders remarked on the excellent atmosphere in the hall throughout the day and one on the steady flow of customers, many of whom spent over an hour at the market. It should also be noted that we had 3 new stall holders elling at their first ever markets, one of whom sold in excess of £100 and another who almost deoubled their 

stall cost….. agood start. All of the new stall holders said that tey had learnt a lot from the more experienced stallholders who were more than happy to share their practice and tips 

 

Of particular note however today was the fact that Christmas items were selling very well with advent calendars making up 95% of one stalls income and another selling a good many Christmas decorations. It really does seem that Christmas buying is starting very early this year.

Guildford Guildhall - 3rd July

A strange and tough day

With a handful of last minute cancellations (it seems everyone is having to isolate over the last few weeks) the hall was spread slightly thinner than we'd usually have. Fortunately the fantastic stallholders we had booked in made the most of the oppurtunity to take up a little extra space. The two halls looked really good and the atmosphere among stallholders was lovely. The sun had even made an appearance first thing so the day was set up perfectly.

 

Footfall is always slow to begin with in Guildford, the first hour tends to be older shoppers getting in and out of town ahead of day trippers and younger families out shopping for the day. We started to get a few through the door but a couple of heavy showers around 11 held us back a little. After that we struggled to gain momentum, the highstreet was quiet for guildford and if it wasnt for the busker who kept us entertained all day then there would have been no atmosphere at all outside. We had to work hard to get customers that we did and somehow managed 423 when it could have easily been a much quieter day.

 

Spending was mixed, one stallholder didnt make a sale and another didn't quite cover costs. Although it sounds quite negative the stallholder who hadnt quite made sale on the day had a lot of positive interest with many potential postmarket sales and even a couple of oppurtunites to stock an independent outlet. Several hundred pounds were sold by each of our jewellers and Guildfords resident artist took £200+. Considering how unuusually tough it had been there were more positive results than we couldve seen based on how little people had been spending on the highstreet shops today.

Salisbury Guildhall - 3rd July

Salisbury starts our Summer Season

This was a last minute event arranged as a replacement to our Lyndhurst market which had to be cancelled due to flooding within the building. Unfortunately many of the stall holders who had booked Lyndhurst decided that Salisbury was too far for them which left us a little short of stall holders at this replacement event. We did however by careful use of the space, manage to give all of the stallholders at this event a little additional space which most of them made good use of very readily. We must also than one of the stallholders for stepping in at the last minute to help us run this event, when one of the Mynt Image Team had to go unfortunately into self isolation. We take COVID 19 very seriously and would not want to risk any of the public or stallholders who attend our events. The replacement staff member did a great job at working with Aaron, and by the end of the day a good footfall of 613 had been achieved. 

 

Sales were average for Salisbury, though many people had a good day. Best seller was a man selling wooden pens and other wood turned items who managed to sell in excess of £300. Jewellery also went down well with 2 jewellers selling in excess of £150. One photographer sold over £150 whist the couple selling chocolates also had a good day. One lady selling African style related wooden items in aid of charity reported having an amazing first ever day at Salisbury. There was the usual last minute flurry of customers at Salisbury, as there is at many of our markets, and this proved to bring in the best sales for several stall holders. One stall holder at her first ever event was pleased to sell several items. There was a good atmosphere in the hall throughout the event, making the event enjoyable for most stallholders

Witney Corn Exchange - 26th June

A good day for most in Witney

The day started grey and with the recent poor weather we were marginally concerned we'd get wet in Witney today. Fortunatley it brightened up throughout the day and we saw a little sun in the afternoon too. Set up was a little hectic, we had a couple of last minute no shows which is always a pain and a couple of stallholders were a little later than usual but once set up the hall was very inviting. It was good to see a mix of rrgualrs and newbies here too.

 

Footfall came in flurries more so than a steady flow, it was spread fairly even across the day though which meant the hall was never too quiet. The busiest spell was probably the last 15 minutes! At least 1 stall holder took over £100 in this time further proving its never worth packing up early. Overall we saw 617 through the door.

 

Spending overall was fairly mixed, most seemed to fall into the £100-200 bracket with at least 3 taking over £250. A couple of stallholders struggled to cover costs and there was no real standout product type. It was difficult to determine why customers bought from certain stalls as it really was that mixed. Witney has been good over the last couple of years so we're certainly not worried.

Romsey Town Hall - 19th June

What a difference the weather makes

This really was a June market at its best, and such a difference from the market we held at this venue last week. The day was grey and cloudy and although warm, was not beach or BBQ weather. For these reasons, there were plenty of people out in Romsey shopping and there were a lot of tourists looking to enjoy the historic side of Romsey. Last week, customers would not engage with stall holders; this week some spent up to an hour in the market and spoke to every stall holder. Footfall was steady throughout the day with roughly 80- customers each hour, resulting in a final footfall of 466

 

It was unfortunate that 8 stallholders decided to cancel their stalls in the 2 days before the market for a variety of genuine reasons, but we must express our thanks to the stall holders who did attend and used the additional space they were given to good effect, making the upper hall, especially, look really good. 

 

Although the footfall was only marginally higher than last week, spending was remarkably different, with some very good buyers, especially in the morning. One stall holder made a sale of over £100 within the first 5 minutes of the market being open. One couple , Romsey regulars, sold around £500 of miniatures and clocks. A photographer who had barely covered their costs last week sold almost £250 whist another photographer sold almost £300. One candle seller sold almost £300, making their long journey really worthwhile. An artist did well, though for this artist it was mostly small items that were being bought. Fabric children’s toys and fabric bags also sold well at 2 different stalls. We had several new stall holders with us, 3 of who0m had never sold at markets before, one, selling ceramics making almost £150. … a very good first ever event! We are aware of several other stall holders who sold around £100 and of only 1 stall holder who failed to cover their costs. 

 

This was a good Romsey market and the spending was very good, as is often the case at Romsey. We look forward to our July event at this excellent location, and the promises of a newly installed lift to make the market easier for both stallholders and customers.

Salisbury Guildhall - 12th June

Tough day in the sun

Salisbury has always been one of our favourite markets and today looked like it would not disappoint. There were people out in the market sqaure early on and the sun was shining, what more could you want from Salisbury. Set up ran smoothly, we had a number of new stall holders to this venue so it was lovely to welcome them all along with the handful of regulars. We really do have a superb range of products on display at our markets and todays was particular colourful.

 

The day started well, we saw a good flow of customers throughout the morning. The atmosphere was certainly pleasant and on occasions we saw queues to get into the market. By around 2 o'clock we saw the footfall easily pass the 500 mark so hopes were held high for a superb day. Unfortunately that was when the flow dropped off a cliff with less than a hundred entering during the last 2 hours. Whether it was the gorgeous weather and the beckoning call of pub gardens and barbecues or the first Euro's match of the day, the market square became quiete and we lost all momentum. It was really tough to drag them in over the course of the afternoon and it seemed just as tough to get them spending. Overall footfall was a respectable 603.

 

Spending was mixed to say the least, at least 2 stallholders taking over £400 and 1 unfortunatley not making a sale. A brand new stall holder sold 2 pairs of her earrings so was delighted with the outcome. There was no real rhyme or reason as to who sold well and who didnt, the interest was superb and business cards were taken keenly. We're pretty confident those who perform on social media will do well with aftermarket sales 

Romsey Town Hall - 12th June

An un-satisfactory Romsey Market

This market was scheduled for Lyndhurst, but relocated to Romsey due to the flooding at Lyndhurst. 

 

It was a gorgeous warm sunny day, the start of a forecast settled spell. There were plenty of people in Romsey at the start of the day, but most were simply interested in sitting outside the cafes and enjoying the sun. By one O’clock the streets went really quiet and the outside market was packed up by 2pm. It was clear that most people wanted to enjoy the sun on the coast or in their gardens, many with the added draw of the Wales versus Switzerland Euro game. Customers who did come in during the morning seemed reluctant to make eye contact and certainly didn’t part with their money easily. Even though footfall numbers declined in the afternoon, those who did enter the building as customers purchased much better. By the end of the day, by not taking a break, the Mynt staff managed to create a footfall of 442 customers. 

 

Despite a better afternoon for spending, many stall holders did not do well and we are aware of several who unfortunately did not cover their table costs. Even for those who did sell better, their sales were half what they usually did at Romsey. 3 stall holders achieved sales in excess of £200, including an artist and a stall selling miniatures. Jewellers possibly struggled the most today, though 3 jewellers more than covered costsand one selling silver jewellery made some good sales. Our 2 authors both reported having had good days with sales of over £100. These figures are however disappointing for Romsey and we do trust that our next market at this venue will perform better

Guildford Guildhall - 5th June

Poor start to the day with a much better ending

We have been looking forward to the return of this market since the moment the last lockdown had been announced. Guildfords tight corridors and doorways make oneway systmes and socil distancing for customers a little tougher to negotiate than some of the other halls hence the delays in getting it back up and running. Despite the long break since we last visited this stunning venue it was like we had never left when setting up, an abundance of regulars set up without hesitiation and the handful of newbies here fit in perfectly. 

 

The day itself started really slow as it often does in Guildford and the sun was beating down on the highstreet. It was really hardwork to draw a crowd throughout the day, we kept optimistic and pushed constantly but the harsh reality was it felt like talking to a brick wall all day. Our total footfall was 582, not dissimilar to many of last years markets. The busy hightreet was almost a little teasing as it felt as though we shouldve seen more through the door but it was clear the lack of 'shoppers' meant we  were always up against it. 

 

It was a tough day for spending, especially in the morning. Usually we'd see shoppers laden with 3/4 bags in each hand whereas this time you were lucky to see one bag between 3/4 people. Sales were slow to start with but thankfully picked in the afternoon. One artist and jeweller took just under £400 with several around the £250 mark. It was really good to see a lote of interest though with many cards taken so it looks as though the online/aftermarket sales will be really profitable. Roll on July.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 5th June

A very good footfall leads to some good sales.

We were looking forward to working at Lymington today due to the fgact that it was going to be a warm sunny day which we knew would bring the tourists onto the streets of Lymington. And we were right, because before the market even opened we had been visited by several customers looking for an early purchase. The streets were thronging with customers for most of the day, all enjoying the bright sunshine, but many with a mission to get to the beach or to a BBQ. By the end of the day we had attracted a very good footfall of 848 customers into the Masonic Hall, demonstrating once more, just how good this venue can be in the Summer. The footfall was especially high in the late morning, tailing off towards the end of the afternoon. At peak periods we had to ask customers to queue outside the hall so as to allow a maximum COVID safe number into the building. 

 

Customers were keen to come into the hall, though spending was not the best at the beginning of the day. At peak times, selling seemed to be at its weakest with most sales being or a low value nature. There were plenty of tourists in Lymington and they certainly wanted to buy memories of their New Forest holidays. In the afternoon, the average sale value rose considerably with some larger items being sold. One jeweller sold in excess of £400. We are aware of several other stall holders selling between £250 and £300 including an artist, a liquorice seller, a lady selling pictures made from shells and stones and a couple selling miniatures. Other stall holders also had a good day including a couple selling chocolate, another artist, our apron seller and a lady selling fabric items. There will unfortunately always be those who don’t seem to do so well and we are aware of 2 stall holders who failed to meet their costs. 

 

Overall this was a good market and demonstrated the potential of Lymington during the Summer months. Summer markets at the right venues can be excellent and in 2020, some summer sales exceeded those made during the Christmas season.

Witney Corn Exchange - 29th May

Our first market in 2021 at this venue is a great success

It was so good to be back working at Witney. Witney is one of our favourite locations and becoming increasingly popular with stall holders. On warm dry days like today, there are always good numbers of people on the streets in Witney and today was no exception. Potential customers are still slightly reluctant to enter markets due to the concerns of COVID and this does always have an adverse affect on footfall. Witney is always a pleasant market to run and we know just how well customers spend when they are at the stalls. With strict COVID measures in place, we have a maximum number of customers we are allowed inside the Corn Exchange and we did end up with some queues at times. It’s no wonder we have few spaces left for stall holders for the rest of the year at Witney . BY the end of the day we had attracted 553 customers into the Corn Exchange. 

 

Spending was good for many stall holders, though a few reported not having such a good day. One jeweller had sales in excess of £440 and an artist also sold nearly £400. A couple with a doiuble table selling South African products sold in excess of £300. One lady selling clothing only sold a few products but ended up with almost £300 of sales from her first ever market. Wooden pens were also in demand with sales of over £150 A few stall holders reported having an average day though we are only aware of 2 stall holders who didn’t cover costs. There was a good feeling in the Corn Exchange throughout the day with a good number of customers spending a substantial time in the venue. 

 

This was our first market at this venue sice Lockdown was eased. We look forward to both footfall and sales increasing as the year progresses

Lymington Masonic Hall - 29th May

A storming morning with a mediocre afternoon

It was the perfect weather for a market in the beautiful town of Lymington. Some gorgeous sunshine with a light breeze to stop us sizzling in what felt like the first nice day in forever. Set was easier than ever, we had more double tables than usual so slighter few stalls but with bigger set ups. It meant it was a doddle to unload and fopr the most part we were ready to go well before opening time. We had a nice mix of regulars, some stallholders we hadnt seen since pre covid and even a couple of newbies. All round a perfect mix. 

 

The nice weather meant we saw a lot of footfall early on, the first 3 hours nearly saw 500 and the final 3 saw just less than half of that totalling 692 through the door. The day started with some good quality customers and shifted into the kind of tourists that were escaping to the new forest for an inexpensive mini break before quietening down in the afternoon where everyone seemed to be enjoyingthe sun by the marina. The more typical Lymington/Nautical kind of customer seemed to be the earlier birds and the ones spending. The holidaymakers were more inclined to just enjoying the day out and bank holiday from work so didnt spend quite so well. 

 

Each stallholder seemed to have a completely different day, most took relatively well with a few selling larger items tipping them into the particularly good bracket. Overall a good day but with just a few more customers in the afternoon we couldve had an excellent one.

Marlborough Town Hall - 29th May

The first warm, dry Saturday for many weeks

At last some sun to bring out the tourists to Marlborough on a bank holiday weekend, and they were there in force in the morning. The streets were already busy when we started the market at 10am and they remained busy throughout the morning. There were spells when we had a small queue at the door waiting to enter the market. Unfortunately the afternoon was quieter and customers came in surges. By the end of the day we had a chieved a very satisfactory footfall of 470 customers, a good improvement on our April figure. 

 

With a good footfall in the morning, we would have expected sales to have been better in the morning, bust as is often the case, some stall holders found sales better during the last hour of the market when it was quieter. Sales were generally good with at least 3 stall holders achieving sales of around £300 and one substantially more. Best sales of the day went to a jeweller who had her stall upstairs. An artist also did very well today with her range of products all to her own designs. It was also good to see our stall selling wire sculptures doping extremely well. Downstairs our charity based stall selling knitted and crocheted goods also achieved just short of £300, her knitted toys selling exceptionally well. Many stall holders had sales of between £100 and £200 and we are aware of only one stallholder who failed to recoup their costs. 

 

We had several new stall holders with us at this market and they fitted in really well with our more experienced sellers who are always more than happy to share advice and give tips. There is always a good atmosphere at our Marlborough market and today was no different. All of our stallholders remarked on how safe they felt within the building, where our COVID measures were strictly enforced throughout the day.

Romsey Town Hall - 22nd May

A hard working day but pre lockdown numbers

The historic market town of Romsey is becoming a Mynt favourite and for the most part this event did not disappoint. Set up ran as smoothly as it could've with the lift reparations taking a little longer than anticipated. The Mynt team ran tirelessly up and down the stairs to help as many stallholders set up as possible so the lack of lift wasn't entirely the end of the world but when it is again operational it'll be an absolute luxury.

 

The town was quiet initially but soon sprang to life half hour or so into the event and the customers started to flow, many of which seemed to spend a long time in the hall so they certainly showed some good interest. Unusually for Romsey we had a lull through lunch time and it was tough to regain momentum after that. The few people milling around were moe interested in grabbing a coffee than shopping so the team had to work exceptionally hard to draw a crowd. We managed 511 over the course of the day, a number we're used to seeing pre COVID so it was good to have plenty of customers. The weather varied during the day, the odd shower made life a little more difficult than we'd have hope and the lack of sunshine wasnt ideal, especially when a warmer afternoon may have seen a greater footfall.

 

Spending was anything but straight foward, some stall holders had a good morning, some a a good afternoon and some even had both but with a quieter spell in the middle. There was no real pattern in terms of spending but the overall feel was smaller items were more popular than the larger ones. It was a strange day spending wise but certainly not a bad one overall. In short, when the weather improves slighlty we think we'll have some incredible events here. Roll on June. 

Henley Town Hall - 15th May

Wet and windy start but a much better ending

Henley has always been a staple market for us, always popular with stallholders and this is simply due to the spending. Today we had the weather against us but some good sales were still to be had. We set up mostly in the dry with dark clouds looming over the town. The hall had a really good mix inside, we welcomed a number of new stall holders and some regulars who collectively made for an inviting experience. 

 

As the day got underway it was good to see a return to the sqaure in front of the hall being utilised by the local cafes and restaurants to provide outside seating and in turn helping to create a good atmosphere. The first few hours of the day however were slightly quieter here due to the occasional shower but good old british resilience came through and we were relatively busy as the sun began to shine through. The last half an hour or so saw a bit of a rush, we're pretty confident the footfall couldve exceed 500 if it was sunnier sooner and perhaps even 600/700 if we had a full day of sun as we'd have expected in May. Overall however, the showers held us to a respectable 489 through the door.

 

Spending was mixed, most took £100+ with at least 5 stall holders over the £200 mark. There wasnt really a product of choice but quality is always well recieved in Henley. Lots of interest too and a buzz fromn social media means we'll likley see some aftermarket sales from this event making it an even better day, perfect.

Trowbridge Town Hall - 15th May

A successful first market at this impressive new venue. 

This is the first time that we have held a market at this venue and as usual had concerns. Running a new market is never easy and there are always teething problems, it is never possible to know all of the ins and outs of what will be needed. Thankfully we have had good communication with the trust who run the old Town Hall and  they worked with us throughout the day to make sure that all customers and stall holders had a good experience. One other organiser utilises this venue, though as customers noted, the quality of the goods on sale at our market were totally different. The trust had also arranged a one way system throughout the building and this worked really well, with most customers visiting the 1st floor as well as the ground floor stalls 

The weather was showery throughout the day and there was at times a strong breeze. There were plenty of people on the streets and our active marketing and arrow spinning attracted 530 customers into the market during the day. This was a good first market figure and the fact that there was a heavy period of rain in the afternoon clearly deterred  people from shopping. Stallholders remarked on a steady flow of customers throughout the day, one stallholder  noting that she never stopped right from the start of the day. 

Spending was good, with many customers delightedly showing staff the excellent products they had bought at the markets. We were asked many times when our next event was on at this location. One artist sold in excess of £300, an excellent figure on such a poor day. 2 other stall holders sold around £250 including a soap and wax melt seller and a photographer. We are aware of at least 2 other stall holders selling in excess of £200 and most selling around the £100 mark. A charity stall managed to sign up 6 new customers during the day, well above expectations. All stall holders covered their stall fees and with 2 stall holders being new to the business and never having traded before, this was really good news. 

This venue has great potential and we look forward to working here throughout the year. We do still have spaces at this venue due to it being a new untested location, but we  believe that after the success of this market, these spaces should start to be filled. 

Devizes Corn Exchange - 8th May

Relief from all, that expected heavy rain didn’t materialise

The forecast had been promising heavy rain on Saturday since the beginning of the week. It was expected to start in the night and last almost all day with little respite. We were not looking forward to working in heavy rain all day, which despite being well prepared for it, is never fun. Stall holders too had been watching the forecast with trepidation and were not expecting to do well, with several admitting to thinking of not showing up. Although we drove through floods and heavy rain to get to Devizes, by the time we actually arrived at 7.50am it was starting to ease off and by 9am had totally stopped. We never needed to put on our rain gear all day . The forecast had obviously put many Devizes residents off from shopping and the streets were very quiet all day. Those who ventured out into the grey stormy day were well wrapped up to face the horrible weather.  The lovely thing about running markets on these atrocious days, is that when you do get customers into the market , they stay for a good while and spend. The Mynt team worked hard all day, and by the end of the day had managed to entice a very creditable 629 customers into the Corn Exchange, which seriously must have been a good percentage of the total number of people out shopping or visiting Devizes!

Spending was good, though stall holders had to work hard to sell at times. Customers were also fussy in what they bought and interior decorations did not sell well, fabric cushions and lampshades not being in demand today. However some stalls did very well with at least 2 stalls reaching around the £300  mark including a lady selling fashion items and fragrances as well as a couple selling wire sculptures. Wooden pens and turned items also sold well with one seller achieving in excess of £250. One artist had her best day this year at a Mynt Image market, selling in excess of £250. Chocolates, photography, and ‘salt lamps’ also sold well, with the afternoon, as is often the case being better than the morning. Although jewellery did sell, sales were not  much above £150 for two sellers. We are also aware of at least two stall holders who did not make their money and cover their costs.

There was however an excellent positive atmosphere in the building at all times. The hall itself is so spacious and light and creates an excellent venue in these times of COVID 19. Customers on the whole though, did seem to be getting more used to life after lockdown and more willing to come into the market. Considering the poor number of people in Devizes today and the, at times, empty streets, both ourselves and stallholders were happy with the  results of this event.

Salisbury Guidlhall - 1st May

The best footfall of the year so far with only a few disappointed stall holders.

We have always enjoyed working at Salisbury Guildhall. With the street market outside now extended into the area outside of the GuildHall this really makes us feel like more of the  regular Saturday market and brings many of the right kind of buyers closer to the Guildhall. There were certainly plenty of people on the streets of Salisbury in the morning, with, surprisingly a large number of foreign tourists visiting the UK despite still being in Lockdown. Footfalls have been relatively low at our venues until this week, but potential customers certainly seemed a lot more ready and willing to come inside the building today. Unfortunately we had two periods of heavy rain that swept across the market square and without these, our footfall would have been much higher. Despite the rain we still managed a footfall of 731, our best at any venue so far this year.

Whenever we entered the building to talk to stall holders we noticed that customers were spending money at many of the stalls. We had one stall holder come out several times to tell us how well they were doing. At the end of the day at least 3 stall holders achieved in excess of £300 and a further two in excess of £200. These included a jeweller, a photographer and several artists. It was unfortunate however to find that 3 stall holders had not broken even financially despite their best efforts. Most stall holders had made between £90 and £150, with one stall holder making more today than they had at any previous of our events. We had several new stall holders with us today, joining the regulars, one of these displaying his jewellery for the first time and doing really well.

Salisbury is always a place you can rely on to produce a good footfall and with such a good footfall it is inevitable that most stall holders will do well, just as most did today. This was a good start for our year at Salisbury and as restrictions continue to be lifted, we continue to have high expectations for this venue.

Thame Town Hall - 24th April

Quiet day in Thame

We always look forward to our markets here in the heart of Oxfordshire, never the highest footfall but always good spending! Thame is a real advocate for the quality over quantity mantra. Set up ran smoothly, a great mix of old and new stall holders, a lot of which new to Thame itself. This hall is one of the smaller set ups so the cosy atmosphere lends nicely to creating a good atmosphere for customers.

 

The glorious sunshine combined with a slight tentativeness from shoppers made hard work for drawing a crowd, it really was perfect bbq weather and it seems a lot of people aren’t quite fully confident just yet. We managed to get a slow but steady flow throughout the day and despite best efforts only achieved 166 through the door.

 

Focusing again on quality of customers it was superb to see at least 3 stall holders take around £300. Many achieved circa £100 sales and one or two struggled to cover costs! Certainly not a washout but maybe a little room for improvement, we’re confident in this stepping stone forwards towards some excellent events this year.

Lymington Masonic Hall - 17th April

Though sales weren't much to be desired, it was excellent to be out again.

Lockdown has seemed to drag on forever, especially over recent weeks with such poor weather. So what better way to hit the ground running with this years season (albeit slightly delayed) than in the glorious siunshione at Lymington. We had a full house and it judging by how early stallholders were arriving to set up it was clear they were keen to continue trading again. Set up ran smoothly as it always does in Lymington and the buzz was superb. Many conversations of reuninting friends was a pleasure to witness, plus of course a handful of new stallholders to really complete the set up. The eagerness to get going was lovely to be part of, a few stallholders who trade online had seen drops since Christmas, the lack of contact time with customers face to face was cleary the fault here, so this event was hopefully a bnig turning point.

 

The day ran well, the sun always brings crowds of people to the New Forest in their thousands so we had plenty of oppurtunity to draw a crowd. Initially numbers were good, it wasnt quite as easy to coax people in as this was the first Saturday since before last Christmas people were allowed out properly so the agenda wasnt neccessarily shopping. It quitened down in the afternoon, perhaps due to the Duke of Edinburghs funeral being broadcast at 3pm so the footfall slowed down somewhat. This was anticipated though and we observed a minutes silence in honour of the late Prince. By close of play we managed a total of 542 customers through the door.

 

Spending was an entirely mixed bag here today, no real pattern as to what sold well and didnt. Top traders were'nt incredibly high but then most of the people in Lymington didnt seem to have any real purpose or direction. As a stepping stone this event has really excited as us with what will follow, events can only get busier from and spending will start toi increase to levels we saw and maybe even higher than last year.

Marlborough Town Hall - 17th April

A frustrating start to our new season

This was a replacement event put on to replace another market that was not able to occur. The market had only been released 6 weeks before this event and was , as is usual for our markets, fully booked. We were glad to be able to start the new season at last after months of being in lockdown and really looking forward to working at Marlborough which has been  one of our most reliable venues. Most stall holders too expressed  great joy at being able to run their stalls once more and to be involved in a degree of ‘normality’. We were hoping for great things from this event due to shops having just opened and customers clearly having a lot of money to spend. 

However there were a lot of factors which worked against this event, one being the gorgeous sunny weather enabling potential customers to go to the coast or enjoy a Bar B Q in their gardens, especially as this was the last day of the school Easter holidays.. Secondly this was the day of the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh and this caused a shortage of people visiting Marlborough in the afternoon. It was interesting to note that almost all of our customers today were not locals, but visiting this picturesque historic town. There was also a reluctance from some members of the public to enter a larger building, there still being a risk of COVID 19 despite all of the procedures and systems that we have put in place. By the end of the day we managed a footfall of 315, half the number we would have expected.

Spending was reasonable, with the top stall holder selling £500+ worth of jewellery with another taking £240 from her fantastic art related products. This was however not the day for jewellers other than the one previously mentioned with most reporting small sales. Of note is the extraordinary numbers of the public who were signed up by the ‘Working for Wildlife’ representative, 11 new sign ups being very noteworthy with a low footfall. There was however an excellent atmosphere in the market at all times with most stallholders simply being glad to meet each other once more and to be able to sell their wonderful products. 

 

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