New market in the Baltic Triangle in Liverpool offers 136 stalls – and allows traders to sell their wares without being physically present. Tony McDonough reports
A new market has opened in Liverpool’s Baltic District allowing traders to trade without being physically present.
Red Brick Markets’ venue on Beaufort Street offers 136 retail spaces in a range of different sizes. It is already home to 80 small businesses. Units and wall spaces start from £50 per week, including all rates and charges. And the venue takes no sales commission.
There is also no need for traders to physically be in attendance to sell their goods. Each stall has items with price tags and their name on. Shoppers can pick them up and take them to the front of the market to pay at one central front desk.
Chris Day and his team run the market. He said: “The whole idea is to help small businesses. Shops come with massive price tags, business rates and long leases but we try to mitigate as many of the risks as we can for sellers.
“Our staff and central payments desk really set us apart, traders don’t have to run their own businesses. It means people with kids, jobs and other responsibilities can have a go at setting themselves up and visiting whenever they like.
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“We are already seeing thousands of people visiting each week to check out what our traders have got on offer. We’ve been told ‘it’s like walking through Etsy, but you can check out the quality of any product before you buy it’ which is amazing.
“From fashion lovers to music enthusiasts and homeware aficionados, there really is something for everyone and we can’t wait to welcome more traders and customers through the door.”
Alongside the retail spaces, Red Brick Markets offers flexible units for workshops, artist studios and non-selling businesses with short leases and basic rents. Further extra space is being used to offer training courses for people around how you can set up your own business.
Chris added: “It’s one of those places you walk in and go ‘wow’ with a totally eclectic mix of old and new, things you wouldn’t get on the high street, and pretty much locally-sourced – much of it handmade – by local people.”