Salford Mall’s covered market was the bedrock of the local community during the pandemic, helping decades-old market stalls stay afloat and providing a much-needed social hub for the locals.
With the long history of both outdoor and indoor markets in Salford and Pendleton, market vendors have seized the opportunity to move into the indoor market of the Salford Shopping Center.
Nicola Rowbotham, who has run the Lancashire Harvest bakery stand since 2000, welcomed this change after remembering how the old, once busy market died out firsthand:
“When I bought it as an existing store 21 years ago, it was in a square with stalls outside and inside and everyone was full. Then the people went one by one, since they couldn’t make ends meet, and it began to look deserted. “
However, since the opportunity to move into the market hall of the Salford Shopping Center, many of these market stalls have seen sales growth. Moving the covered market to the main shopping mall has enabled retailers to benefit from the footfall to the center, which has exceeded the national average during the pandemic due to the resurgence of “return to local” shopping habits.
Salford Shopping Center Manager Nick Pitt said:
“We were very pleased that, despite the challenges of the lockdown, people still shop regularly in the center and support the local companies in the market. The pandemic has also made it clear how important the center is to the community itself and acts as a key hub where people come together to shop, meet and eat. ”
The vendors in the Salford Shopping Center indoor market are also humbled by the support and loyalty of the local community who have embraced this development in Salford’s market tradition. The market was especially important to senior residents during the pandemic as it helps bring the community together by giving them a space to meet and have some invaluable personal interactions, albeit at a safe distance.
Nicola, who has been serving the same customers for 20 years, continues: “When shopping online or in large shops, you don’t get the personal touch that you get from the markets. Even over Christmas they put so much money in the tip boxes, we’re talking about 5, 10, sometimes 20 pound notes. They appreciate the time we give them so much. “
The Salford Shopping Center is a community of its own with its own personality and atmosphere, and the modernization of the market hall has made it popular with a wide range of buyers. This, coupled with the availability of short-term or long-term rentals and affordable rents, makes the center an ideal location for start-ups and the self-employed.
The center is now looking for a new, exciting local company that can fill the remaining space in the market hall. If you have your own business and would like to join the other market vendors, please contact salfordshopping@downatthesocial.co.uk. From cake making to floristry, the Markthalle would like to hear from you.
source https://thedailytradingnews.com/market-traders-capitalise-on-salford-shopping-centres-thriving-market-hall/
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