FLOWER POWER ENSURES NEW MARKET IS A SUCCESS –
THOUSANDS of visitors turned up for the opening of Chiswick Flower Market, the first new flower and plant market to start up in London for 150 years.
Bosses at the monthly market, which has its sights set on rivalling Columbia Road market in east London, reported that most stallholders sold nearly all their stock on the first day of trading, on Sunday September 6.
Plant sellers included those who had launched new businesses in the face of redundancy from the coronavirus pandemic.
Neighbouring shops, such as Wild Swans and Tamp Coffee shop, also revealed that Sunday was their “best day of trade all year”, and “double” what they had made the Sunday previous due to the event.
An organiser spokesperson said: “It was a huge success, with queues literally around the block.
“Traders [were] pretty well sold out. Lots of them had to send out for more stock during the day and they were totally amazed and thrilled at the success.”
Karen Liebreich, director of the Chiswick Road Flower Market said: “This is a happy, positive event, designed to act as a catalyst to revive the High Road, bringing fresh footfall, spending, fun and greenery to the area.”
The boost to the high street was backed by Hounslow Council, which worked with residents to put on the fresh attraction. It also set up a sameday cargo bike delivery service from the market with cycling charity Sustrans, to deliver flowers anywhere within a twomile radius of Chiswick.
Speaking at a council cabinet meeting on September 8, council leader Steve Curran stressed the need to shop local as the borough chiefs updated rules on awarding council service contracts to give more opportunities for local suppliers.
He said: “We know with the demise of the airline industry, the crisis it’s going through at the moment and the absolute disastrous effect it will have on many, many residents in Hounslow and businesses, we’ve got to do all we can so I implore everyone to think about the Hounslow pound and that we shop local.
“I’m doing that as much as I can. We had a fantastic flower market for the first time in Chiswick on Sunday, with over 7,000 people not only buying at the market stalls but also supporting local businesses as well, so it’s a great effort by everyone.
“We need to do more on that because we are facing really difficult challenges over the next weeks and months with the ending of furlough and ending of ban on evictions. There are many, many families in this borough over the next weeks and months going to be greatly affected by Covid.”
The market day, however, comes after the council warned last month of rising spikes of coronavirus cases across the borough, including Chiswick.
While Cllr Curran confirmed on August 28 that the rate of cases had slowed to a “low and steady pace”, concerns were raised over the numbers of people and social distancing at the market place following the spell.
On social media, one user said the “majority of Chiswickians are concerned” over the market being too busy and too soon, and that the site based at Old Market Place was too narrow a space for the “crowded festival”.
Market organisers said they marked out social distancing for the queues, offered hand gels at the entrance and encouraged people to wear masks despite it being an outdoor market.
Ms Leibreich added: “At the peak we had a short clustering problem around a couple of the most popular stalls, so we put our plan into action which was to close the entrance and ask people to move along, and spread out.
“Mask-wearing compliance was very high (even though it was outdoors). We had 60 marshals on duty over the day, who all worked hard ensuring the safety of the visitors.
“Hounslow enforcement officers and the Met Police were on hand to assist us but did not feel any need to intervene. Safety will always be our number one consideration.”
The next Chiswick Flower Market is confirmed for Sunday October 4, outside George IV pub in Chiswick High Road.