Ulverstone Wharf Market - currently closed - reopening TBA

With Fantastic makers and growers from our beautiful community. Sometimes if you want something to work, you just have to stop doing it. We're looking to reset our market. Using surveys, stallholder discussions and the like, we're going to do that by asking you how you would like our market to look - content, frequency, times and other related matter.

Why are we doing this? Over time we know that visitor numbers to the market have declined. A couple of weekends ago Devonport Farmers Market reported over 1000 people thru their door, the following day was one of our "toughest" days.

Why now? A matter of necessity and convenience. None of our three usual coffee vans are available during August and we need to stay "in the black" to keep operating. (Given the current low attendance numbers, we were not keen to ask one of 'occasional' coffee vans to attend). Unlike all other markets we're aware of, currently our stallholder fees have a sliding scale - if they don't sell much, we don't charge them much either, and so, with diminishing attendance and reduced sales, we run the risk of operating at a loss more often than is sustainable. As a volunteer run market, we cannot afford to do that.

We'll be in conversation with stallholders to reach a consensus how we can ensure that each market either breaks even or posts a small profit (for advertising and the like). If you would like to be part of the solution to ensure that (perhaps) the most beautifully located market in the north can be sustained and flourish, now is the time to "step up" and be involved.

When will the market reopen? When we, as a market community are agreed of a path forward with stalls that attract visitors on a regular basis. We hope that is sooner rather than later.