Lockdown 2 is proving tough on the market
TRADING SLUMP SPARKS PLEA TO SHOPPERS
LEICESTER market has been hit by a dramatic slump in trade as a depressing tale of two lockdowns unfolds.
Its fresh food stalls are classed as essential during lockdown, but the market is enduring some of its quietest ever days.
In March, traders saw an “expected” drop in footfall which gradually built back up to a “reasonable level”. They hoped this time it would be the same. “It was still not the same but it was better than this time around,” said fruit and vegetable trader Paul Abbott. “I don’t think the message has got around that we’re open.”
Sam Burr, 33, has been in the trade for most of his life as part of a family business.
“This is the quietest I’ve seen it,” he said. “It’s not completely terrible but it’s not what it should be. All it’s doing is paying the wage.”
Odel Pittard works at a stall started by her now 70-year-old aunt, who still travels to Birmingham daily to buy stock for the stall, which specialises in vegetables used in South Asian cooking. “Business is awful – we’re losing money,” said Odel, 30.
Some traders think the journey to town could be putting some people off
Tom Portas, who works for a family business, said: “The market is in the city and on a bus route, but people don’t want to get a bus right now.”
To support traders, stall rents have been halved. Market director Paul Edwards agrees the market is significantly quieter this lockdown.
“Quite frankly, a lot the traders probably aren’t making any profit,” he said. “We’re losing a substantial amount of money.
“We don’t know how December will work if we come out of lockdown but it’s about supporting our traders.
“We will be as flexible and equitable as we can be. At the moment we’re trying to keep our traders’ heads above water.”
With supermarkets busy, Paul said the market needed more people to “escape the queues and come to the market”, adding: “We’ve got Savers around the corner for other essentials and at the market you’ve got a myriad of choice and a fantastic food hall. I don’t know a better one.”
Throughout the pandemic, the market has maintained strict social distancing rules which limit the number of people in the food. hall, while stalls have been spaced out.
There are also a number of sanitising stations throughout the market.
Orders for delivery can be made from the indoor food hall which can include a number of fresh produce and goods from the various stalls.