Hear ye, hear ye! Derry and Strabane join the Real Deal.


Derry City and Strabane District Council have joined the Real Deal initiative to promote only legal sellers and goods at its markets to help prevent members of the public receiving fake goods.

Derry City and Strabane District Council operates two markets, the Walled City Market and Strabane Market, which both showcase a variety of local food produce and craft design works. Nicolle Walters, Market Development Officer at Derry City and Strabane District Council, said market traders were supportive of the Real Deal campaign and are committed, alongside Council and its partners, to providing safe and legal goods at the markets.

She added: “Council is committed to eliminating the sale of fake, illegal or unsafe goods at its markets and continues to work with the relevant authorities to do so. As part of the Real Deal scheme, shoppers should be assured that goods and services purchased at any council markets are safe, genuine, reliable and legal.

“The Walled City Market operates in Derry’s Guildhall Square on the first Saturday of each month and the Strabane Market operates in the Courtyard of the Alley Theatre on the last Friday of each month. Both markets have been well received by local traders, local shoppers and visitors to both areas each month.

“We believe this new quality standard will further strengthen our offer to shoppers and provide a reassurance that the goods on sale at both council markets are the ‘real deal’. By setting this standard we also expect to encourage local traders, food producers and craft workers to get more involved with our markets and help set a standard for trading.”
Continue reading

Gloucestershire County Council Trading Standards Launch Real Deal


Gloucestershire County Council’s Trading Standards Service is launching their ‘Real Deal’ agreement for local councils in the county.
The ‘Real Deal’ campaign is a nation-wide initiative that makes sure markets are run legally and have a working relationship with Trading Standards. The scheme is designed to promote legal sellers and goods in market places to help prevent members of the public being sold fakes.
The first agreement in the county will be signed by Gloucester City Council this week who regularly hold markets in the city centre.
Cllr Nigel Moor, cabinet member responsible for trading standards at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “It is important to ensure legitimate traders are protected and those who feel they can make easy money are deterred at the earliest stage.
“This is an exciting new venture for us, and many other authorities around the country have seen significant improvement in enforcement and relationships when it comes to making sure market traders are not selling fake goods.”
Cllr Paul James, leader of Gloucester City Council, said: “I’m delighted to be leading the way in the county by signing up to the Real Deal campaign.
“This is a great initiative that will see us working together with trading standards to protect consumers and local businesses from the harm caused by the trade in counterfeit goods.”
Patricia Lennon, of the Real Deal campaign, said: “We are delighted to welcome Eastgate Market and Kings Square Market into the ‘Real Deal’ scheme. By signing the Real Deal Charter, both markets can now display the Real Deal logo, giving an assurance to their shoppers and acts as a deterrent to any rogue traders.
“We would like to thank the city council’s markets team and Gloucestershire County Council Trading Standards service for working together to protect consumers and local businesses from the harm caused by the trade in counterfeit goods.”