Aylesbury celebrated the relaunch of the town centre market with a series of fantastic events, coinciding with the national ‘Love your Local Market Fortnight’ campaign.
These not only showcased a number of changes to the market: including brand new stalls, awnings and the introduction of the Tuesday Vintage and Craft Bazaar, but also celebrated the market’s sign up to the Real Deal initiative – a campaign that ensures markets are free of counterfeit and other illegal goods, so that consumers can shop, and legitimate dealers can trade, in safety and with confidence.
It is not just the look and feel of the market that has undergone a major transformation. Working with the existing market traders, over the last 18 months, Aylesbury Vale District Council has introduced a number of fundamental changes to the way the market operates. These have included; updated terms and conditions for traders, the introduction of cashless payment options for existing stallholders and discount incentives for new traders. A dedicated market team now works closely with the traders, holding monthly meetings to discuss any issues and to help plan the future of the market, as well as working to raise the profile of the market with events and offers to attract new customers.
Councillor Brian Roberts, AVDC’s Cabinet Member for Civic Amenities, commented: “For us, it is about demonstrating our ongoing commitment to the market, not just by improving the look and feel, but also by investing in the infrastructure.
“The council’s commitment to the market is unwavering, particularly in the current financial climate, we cannot afford to sit still – we need to ensure our market offers value for traders and consumers alike. The investment in our market, combined with the recently revealed plans for the town centre, shows how dedicated we are to ensuring that the town continues to evolve enabling us to attract new businesses and investment to benefit traders, customers and the town as a whole.”
Diana Fawcett, Aylesbury Town Centre Manager, added: “Here in Aylesbury we have a long tradition of holding a successful town market but we don’t rest on our laurels. We continually review the way our market operates and work with the current traders to ensure the market can continue to grow. It has been wonderful to see how everyone involved with the market has worked together to help implement these changes as smoothly as possible.