Case Study: Town Centre Markets

Markets benefit traders but can also draw shoppers into town and village high streets, increasing the footfall to the advantage of local shops and services. How can their impact be measured?

Project goals:

Several markets were already established in this thriving town centre including a Saturday Local Produce Market. With the thought that an opportunity was being missed to sell locally-produced food and drink to the many office workers in the centre, the Council decided to introduce a Friday Farmers’ Market on a trial basis and assess its impact before making a decision on whether or not it should remain a regular feature. Would it generate additional income or take trade from the Local Produce Market which was already established on Saturdays, and how would it affect nearby shops?

What we did:

Over a four-week period our interviewers collected information from traders, buyers and browsers, and from the proprietors or managers of the surrounding shops at all the regular markets and at the trial sessions of the Farmers’ Market.  We estimated the total spend at these markets and recorded people’s views on whether or not they would support a fortnightly Farmers’ Market.

How the research helped:

The results made it clear that a fortnightly Farmers’ Market would be well supported and was unlikely to have a detrimental effect on trade at the Saturday Local Produce Market. The Friday Farmers’ Market is still however waiting to be given the go-ahead.

For more on the Farmers’ Market as well as our work on the Horsham Food and Drink Festival, download the case study here.

Photo contributed by Andy Potter