On 26 Feb 2013 at 7:26pm david wrote:
ive recently heard news the farmers market is to go could anyone update me
On 26 Feb 2013 at 8:00pm the old mayor wrote:
Horrah ! Give the rate paying shop keepers a better chance in business then !!
On 26 Feb 2013 at 8:11pm Dave wrote:
Yeah the farmers market must be really bad for business for Costa, Specsavers, Clarkes, Boots, Forfars etc. etc.
I suspect they do a lot more trade on Farmers Market days
On 26 Feb 2013 at 8:11pm Boris wrote:
I think the council are reviewing the street licencing situation with in the town.
They are conferring with the Chamber of commerce as to what is acceptable and what isn't.
As someone who used to be in retail I would have had real issues with for example someone setting up a very large stall every Saturday and Sunday selling plants in the precinct when I had a rate paying shop around the corner trying to sell the same thing. The same could be said for veg and snacks.
With regards to the farmers market it may well be the case that rather than do better on a farmers market Saturday because of the extra foot fall in the town business's actually do worse. My guess is that this actually the case and the farmers market will remain but the traders who rock up on every other Saturday of the month may well find their licences removed.
On 26 Feb 2013 at 8:42pm kate wrote:
I believe that the farmers' market has an adverse effect on the Western Road shops - butcher and greengrocer. I do think that the term 'farmers ' is not really accurate for many of the traders in the market.
On 26 Feb 2013 at 8:46pm My Town wrote:
like i said about 2 years ago Lewes will become ghost town .with in 5 years
with the councils help . And they are doing a good job of it . the number of shops already shut down .some just moved out of Lewes . Stop and think would you shop in lewes . how much to park my car !
On 26 Feb 2013 at 8:52pm the old mayor wrote:
So there Dave !! You got a stall there then ?
On 26 Feb 2013 at 8:53pm expat two wrote:
This is exactly why the market economy is a sham Boris. If Lewes had a genuinely competitive market economy, those 'rate paying' traders would have to abandon their shops and set up stalls if they wanted to survive. But they don't, they lobby to stymie supply chains that can provide the same produce/product to the consumer more cost effectively, ie at a cheaper rate. So now the consumer has to suffer unnecessarily inflated prices. According to the model, the consumer wouldn't suffer an absence of permanent shops, because an enterprising retailer would fill that niche. Supply & demand?
On 26 Feb 2013 at 8:54pm Bored wrote:
I'm sure the retailers are quite grateful, Lewes is heaving on a market day.
On 26 Feb 2013 at 9:40pm boggles wrote:
The farmers# market ha applied to increase the number of days the market may function. Up to 24 from 12. See LDC Planning Applications
On 26 Feb 2013 at 11:22pm Dave wrote:
So there Old Mayor?
I haven't seen the figures yet and I don't suppose you have either but I still suspect the additional footfall in the precinct on Farmers Market days has a beneficial effect on business in the nearby shops.
I could be wrong but if anyone has any first hand experience I'd love to know.
On 27 Feb 2013 at 8:45am scary portas wrote:
It would be better if the farmers market were at the top of the town every quarter or so to give the independent businesses up there a chance rather than feed the chains on that end of the High St. I agree that many of the 'traders' there have distinctly lower prices and mainly standards than the retailers, with no comeback for their products. You (mainly) get the town, and experience, you pay for! I agree that the farmers market brings people to Lewes though so it would be a shame if it left and definitely damage the local economy.
On 27 Feb 2013 at 9:49am the old mayor wrote:
May bring footfall, but definately NOT money !!
On 27 Feb 2013 at 11:27am Dave wrote:
Whether it brings more business to the shops in the precinct or not, I would rather see money going into the pockets of local producers than the bank accounts of non tax-paying national chains any day
On 27 Feb 2013 at 12:15pm twosugarbaby wrote:
As a shop owner in this town for the past 7 years i have to say that farmers market saturdays were/are always the quietest saturdays of the month - the places that serve food and drink are definitely busier though so it has to be good for the general economy of the town and it makes Lewes more diverse and interesting for people to come to - so even though it makes my saturdays quieter i would stil hate it to go! We have to look at the bigger picture and make the town vibrant on all fronts - and have a positive outlook on the future of the town!
On 27 Feb 2013 at 12:17pm Oldbutintouch wrote:
As a (recently) retired shopkeeper, I can confirm that the monthly Farmers Market does bring extra trade to Lewes. What always got right up my nose, however, are the regular, unlicensed traders on the Cliffe Bridge and precinct. No rent, no rates and, because LDC staff don't work on Saturdays, no control of any sort! This squatter situation will sort itself out as soon as the new shops in Dial House are occupied, together with eventual new tenants for the other two empties, Clintons and Julian Graves. No rent and rate paying new shopkeeper is going to tolerate a huge, unlicensed stall across his very expensive new shop front!
On 27 Feb 2013 at 12:40pm closeeaststreet wrote:
Definitely need more cheap parking access to the shops and market day, why on earth did they put the police station there!!! should have left it as a car park
On 27 Feb 2013 at 12:55pm Oldbutintouch wrote:
The hideous new police station was built as a monument to corporate vanity - some short-lived incumbent superintendent making his mark before taking early retirement. Does the flag flying above mean that there is actually a policeman in residence?
On 27 Feb 2013 at 1:26pm twosugarbaby wrote:
if the stall holders set up and then moved their vans over to homebase area then visitors would have muh more chance to park in the town car parks - i asked the Chamber of Commerce to bring this up with the council a few years ago - it should be a rule for stall holders not to be able to park in the two cliff ar parks!
On 27 Feb 2013 at 2:14pm uckersbarry wrote:
what a load of old tosh
On 27 Feb 2013 at 5:07pm SHS wrote:
Expand the market - double the size by adding a clothes or antiques market and/or free stalls for all the Lewes shops. Make it weekly. Make Saturday a free parking day throughout Lewes. Bring people and their spending money in to the town.
On 27 Feb 2013 at 7:18pm david wrote:
god aint it easy to stir up you mugs in lewes the thread was a joke
On 27 Feb 2013 at 8:21pm Deelite wrote:
Note to david: jokes are supposed to be funny.
On 27 Feb 2013 at 8:47pm david wrote:
On 1 Mar 2013 at 7:41pm uckersbarry wrote:
not all mugs lol