Retailers call for Artisan Market to switch to Sundays

Exclusive. A number of retailers in Wilmslow are calling for the Artisan Market to be moved to a Sunday because it is having a negative impact on their business.

These retailers want the market to continue but say that holding it on their busiest day of the week is unfair and causing serious problems for them.

Peter Harrington, of Harrington & Hallworth Jewellers on Grove Street, is one of the retailers who doesn't want the market to continue on a Saturday.

He told wilmslow.co.uk "Our usual customers avoid shopping on that Saturday, it has a very different ambience, and most of the market customers are not shopping in the shops.

"If they moved it to the Sunday, as they do in Knutsford and Macclesfield, then it is up to the shopkeeper if they open on a Sunday and if they don't trade on a Sunday it doesn't affect their business. It seems the logical solution and if the Council could target December that would be great - please don't have a Saturday market in December as we lose a Saturday's Christmas trading."

Peter added "Nobody is against the idea of having the Artisan Market but the Council have let private people run it and now it is being run to the detriment of the town.

"The idea was to enhance the town and it seems that the market has become the thing and everything else is secondary to the market. It is massive now, it shouldn't be that big. There are double stalls down the whole of Grove Street so you can hardly get down it.

"Maybe they should be more selective, having one row of stalls instead of two would be a better idea and give people the chance to walk down the street."

Peter continued "I pay £100,000 a year to be on Grove Street, it is supposed to be a prime shopping area. My customers won't come to see me on the Saturday when the market is on."

John Maloney, owner of the Xpose boutique on Water Lane, has met with nearly 100 Wilmslow traders to discuss the Artisan Market, its impact on their business and whether they would prefer it to operate on a Sunday rather than a Saturday.

The 97 traders then wrote their own comments on a survey sheet - of these 3 wanted the market to remain on a Saturday, 6 didn't mind either way and the rest wanted it moved to a Sunday.

John Maloney explained "We are not against the market at all, no shops are against the market but it's unfair that it is on our busiest day of the week and we're all losing business when the market is on.

"The market is good for the town but it is common sense really to move it to a Sunday, in every other town it is on a Sunday. Shops are down anything from 30% to 50% on that Saturday which is not fair when you are paying big rates.

"We've been here for 14 years and have a very good regular clientele and they tell me they won't come in on market day as they cannot do their normal shop, it is too busy."

John added "Only two of the businesses we spoke to were against the market and want it stopped, most just want it moved to a Sunday. We are trying to save our livelihood and save the market as well.

"None of us want to lose the market but we can't understand why the Council won't listen to us retailers - it's a private company coming in making all the money, the Council isn't making a penny."

Toni Butterworth at Laura Ashley is also calling for the market to be moved. She said "It is a lovely market but sales do tend to be less than average. The last market we did less than 50% of our target and were 50% down on the figures for last year. We would hope it would be of benefit if the market was moved to a Sunday as it does tend to be quieter and hopefully it would bring extra trade on a Sunday."

Kerry Oliver, Manager at M& C, added "We're down on days the market is on, last time we were down 50% on the Saturday before and the Saturday after the market. It is rammed out there but it is not positive for us. We would like to see it moved to a Sunday.

"I have got nothing against the market but the figures speak for themselves, it's tough as it is and a Saturday is our busiest trading day by far - but this month we took more on the Tuesday than we did on the Saturday of the market. It will probably do well on a Sunday as it is a family day."

A group of traders met with Diane Smith, Town Centre Manager from Cheshire East Council, on Tuesday 20th August to discuss the problems the market is causing them.

Amongst them was Jackie Coldwell from Therapy Organics, which opened at Bank Square earlier this year.

Jackie explained "The Artisan Market is great but if it moved to a Sunday it would benefit both businesses and the local community. It would give us an extra day of trading and we wouldn't have treatments on a Sunday anyway, but at the moment we cannot have treatments on a Saturday when the market is on because of the noise from the singers on Bank Square. They are raising money for charity which is great but it is so loud that we no longer take bookings for those days."

Diane Smith told me "I am gathering all the views, evidence and issues raised then I am going to have a meeting with Keith Purdom (Chairman of Wilmslow Town Council) and Rod Menlove (Cheshire East Councillor for the Wilmslow East ward).

"Cheshire East Council did consent to the market and we have got to take a view on it, whether to keep it as it is or ask the organisers (Denise Valente and Vicky Jackson) to move it to a Sunday."

Diane added "Tuesday's meeting was attended by representatives from 8 or 9 shops. There was a sensible discussion about all the issues. I am on a fact finding mission and have to come to a view on the way forward. The public like the market and it is good for the profile of the town but takings for shops are significantly down on those days."

Denise Valente organiser of the Artisan Market said she just wants the best thing for Wilmslow.

Denise set up the Wilmslow Artisan Market with Vicky Jackson over two years ago - with the aims of increasing footfall for Wilmslow town centre, bringing diversity and ambience to the town centre whilst creating a fun community event.

The very first market was held on the July 23rd 2011, with 52 artisan traders participating. Since then the event has grown to be one of the largest in the North of England and picked up some prestigious awards along the way.

Denise explained that they originally chose a Saturday because at the time they canvassed retailers and only about 17% opened on a Sunday and they were hoping that retailers would benefit from the increased footfall.

Until a retailer wrote to the Wilmslow Business Group in July, Denise thought the majority of retailers were benefitting from having the market and it seemed to be working extremely well for the town.

The organisers then met with members from Wilmslow Town Council and a small group of retailers to discuss the issues.

Denise said "It was a very mixed group, some were calling for the market to be stopped, others wanted it relocated to Green Lane and others wanted it moved to a Sunday.

"A list of issues the market was creating on a Saturday were also discussed, some very valid and justifiable - which I felt I should have identified myself - such as the fact that at 4pm when the market was dismantled Grove Street was turned into a dismantling site when it was still prime trading time for the retailers.

"There was a whole list of things and recommendations. Some retailers said there was too much competition to their business.

"I took a list of action points which I felt were justifiable concerns that I could action quickly. Immediately we implemented 10am to 5pm trading so no dismantling took place until after 5pm, we removed a trader from outside Harrington & Hallworth jewellers and we removed a fishmonger. We also invited Environmental Health and Trading Standards to attend and reduced the number of stalls to create more movement for visitors so it was not so compact. These were all implemented straight away for the August market."

Denise Valente also carried out a small survey herself of 43 businesses on Grove Street, asking them if they were happy with the market as it was on a Saturday, would prefer it to be held on a Sunday or moved to Green Lane. 41 said they were happy with the market as it currently was, 5 said they had no preference between a Saturday or a Sunday and 2 wanted it moved to a Sunday and located on Green Lane.

However, these findings differ significantly from those collected by the retailers, some of whom have commented that they are inaccurate, Denise didn't speak to the right people or wasn't asking the right questions.

Speaking about the retailers findings, which she hasn't yet seen, Denise told wilmslow.co.uk "If that's the case then we need to do something about it as it is completely against what we set out to achieve."

Denise added "I wanted to make a difference to my town, both for retailers and the community. I felt a lot of businesses benefit from it being on a Saturday. If I am wrong I'll move it but we need to look at the whole picture.

"There are lots of businesses that take part in the event, like Heddys, the Artisan Meat Company and Peter Herd. They have gained a great deal out of the market but if it moved to a Sunday they would not be able to take part as they already work 6 days a week and need a break.

"Some of it will happen on a Sunday but not all of it, for those businesses it is working for it probably isn't going to work as well on a Sunday."

Denise continued "Moving the market to a Sunday is not going to make a difference to my income, presuming I can get the same footfall so the traders keep coming back. It is not about me, it has to be a decision that is best for retailers, the community and for Wilmslow.

"I'm in a Catch 22 situation because whatever I decide there will be a strong group of people who will not be happy. I just want whatever is the best outcome for Wilmslow so if the majority of Wilmslow traders find it is not working for them on a Saturday then I will move it to a Sunday and make it the best I can for Wilmslow. I want to find the best for the town. It's not up to me to make the decision."

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Wilmslow Artisan Market