By Jay S Khan
On 23rd March, the Government announced strict ‘lockdown’ measures in order to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Part of these measures included the closure of all markets except for stalls providing essential items such as food stuff.
On Sunday 24th May, the Government made a further announcement stating that Markets can begin to re-open from the 1st of June. However, markets were only permitted to re-open if it was safe for them to do so and subject to social-distancing measures being put in place. Following this announcement, Councils up and down the country had 1 week to prepare, design and execute their plans of re-opening, instilling a fair degree of panic to most Councils, Market Managers and Operators. For some this would be relatively straightforward, particularly smaller markets who operated in open spaces where social distancing measures could be implemented easily. However, for many others such as Walthamstow Market, the longest outdoor street market in Europe, Portobello Market in Kensington & Chelsea, and the Broadway Market based in Hackney, this proved to be a significant challenge.
Markets are a place of rich diversity and culture and even though the market landscape has changed somewhat over the last 40 years, they can still be considered as the heart of a town. I am sure there are many like myself who have memories of our parents reluctantly dragging us to a market, Ridley Road Market in Hackney in my case, for shopping on a hot Saturday. Looking back as I write this article however, those are some of my fondest memories and ones that I will treasure for many reasons.
Image Ridley Road Market - Selina Seesunkur
The point is that markets can leave an everlasting impression, and I certainly can’t really recall any fondness in going to a supermarket to buy fruit and veg in the same way I do with markets. Markets paved the way for many entrepreneurs to make it big in the commercial world, most notably people like Sir Alan Sugar. Markets are not only a place of thriving commerce but a place where you are likely to bump into old friends and foes alike, catching up and perhaps even resolving disputes, such was the magic of markets.
Of course, this was all pre-internet. Online retailers such as Amazon allow you to buy clothes at the same retail price as you will find in a market, if not less. The same can also be said of the larger chains such as Primark, where you also find the added comforts of a changing room, the warmth and the sacred returns policy.
Markets of today already face significant challenges, particularly with the change in consumer buying behaviour through internet shopping, and the large retail outlets can benefit from economies of scale and sell products at huge discounted prices, leading to the gentrification of local areas. The last thing they need is to get kicked while they’re already down due to COVID-19 and everything that comes with that. But it is not all bad news as Markets have finally been recognised for the value they provide as a retailer, with leading organisations such as NAMBA being able to challenge government thus allowing them to apply discretionary grants to get them through the impact of Covid-19.
On a lighter note, one can only imagine what Del Boy would have made of COVID-19 and its accompanying restrictions. You can just picture him sending out Rodney to Peckham Market to sell face masks with holes cut out exposing the mouth, or face shields that are not see-through, claiming that they are military grade issued!