Business

Traders working to boost business after indoor market closure

By Jon Nurse
October 26, 2012

Traders are working together to help boost business after the closure of Wokingham’s Indoor Market.

Town councillor Gwynneth Hewetson, who championed the market, hopes cooperation will snowball as organisers continue to search for an alternate venue.

Niki McGlynn, of Luckley Wood, is now selling her Niki’s Organic Balms therapeutic products at Mishyboo boutique in Peach Street, while Jason Oslar, owner of Oslar Coffee in Denmark Street, is looking into creating a space in his cafe for a stallholder.

Cllr Hewetson said: “Maybe this could snowball. If they [traders] hear some people are doing it may give ideas to others.

“It would be so good to keep something going – we will see.

“I know a lot of people are still looking for suitable premises, but I don’t see that we can get anything before Christmas.

“We will look at expanding the outdoor market, but lots of people liked the indoor market because it was under cover.”

Niki’s Organic Balms, shortlisted as an ‘essential beauty buy’ on yahoo.com’s lifestyle section this season, went on sale on at Mishyboo on Saturday.

Ms McGlynn said: “The market was an excellent platform and it was incredibly successful. It was a huge eye-opener for me as to how wide the market was for the product. I was devastated when it finished.”

Boutique owner Thelma Reeves added: “I heard Niki had a stall in the indoor market and that it was closing, which I thought was a shame. It’s a great product so I organised a meeting. She needs an outlet so I said ‘put them in here’. So far they’ve been doing really well. I think it’s important we support each other.”

The indoor market, in the old Peacocks store in Denmark Street, started in August on a three-month trial to help increase footfall in the town.

It was forced to close on Saturday, October 13, after Wokingham Town Council failed to reach an agreement with the landlord to extend the trial.

Jason Oslar, owner of Oslar Coffee, was disappointed to hear about the market’s closure and has been thinking how he could support the sellers.

“I want to help out people and thought I could allow one trader a day to set up on one side of the shop,” he said. “But I’ve taken advice and it could have repercussions.

“I will look at it again and do a survey and if I can back it up I will resurrect it.”

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Most recent user comments 4 of 4

What about Burtons/Dorothy Perkins which is shortly to close?

Don't think there is a tenant o move in, and it's a pretty big shop.

HatsOfDoom
26/10/2012 at 18:42

Open up some of the other empty shops to market traders. They may be smaller than "Peacocks" but a number of them have been empty for months.

PoneRana, Wokingham
26/10/2012 at 14:13

Complementary offerings could be paired up - e.g. coffee shop with book trader, beauty with fashion - like the big retailers sometimes pair up (Waterstones with coffee shops including Costa, dare I say it, Tesco and Costa).

I'll stop now, but very excited at the potential. The retail community teaming together at its finest.

alex_f, Wokingham
26/10/2012 at 09:57

Blimey now that's innovative thinking. Well done Cllr Hewetson, Mishy Boo and Oslar Coffee.

If the facts can be made available (say when Jason Oslar gets his feedback) to other traders over what they can and can't do and what permission they need to seek, this certainly could snowball.