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Organizers of the Main Farmers’ Market are worried a change of location could lead to the market’s failure.
In the spring, due to construction, the popular market was forced to move from Main Street by Saint Paul University to a spot on McLeod Street in front of the Canadian Museum of Nature.
“Sales have been down drastically, approximately 30 per cent,” market co-manager David Coyne said on Saturday. “The problem is that if old customers don’t come back, the market could fail.”
Coyne blamed a combination of factors for the drop in sales but emphasized that a lot of people still aren’t aware of the location change.
“We put posters up, placed ads in local papers, we’re also on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and we have food blogs writing about us but people are still surprised that we’re here. We still have people walking across the street saying, ‘I had no idea this was a market.’ ”
On average, sales at the market are down about 30 per cent, but for some it has been even worse. Sonny Ford, a vendor from Bekings Poultry Farm, said their sales were down 45 to 50 per cent compared to when they were selling on Main Street. Ford says the poultry farm decided to start treating the new location as a new market rather than a continuation of the old one in order to better deal with the lack of sales.
But a vendor from Avonmore Berry Farms warned that any market at a new location takes a couple of years to get a foothold.
“Most markets take three to four years to even establish themselves, and even though we’re established we changed locations,” Hanna Mullin said.
“Some of our old customers from Main have just started coming back recently,” she said, adding that the berry farm’s sales haven’t changed despite the move. “I think once the word is out that we’re here more people from the neighbourhood will start coming.”
Some customers, such as retired Wendy DesBrisay, blamed the lack of parking spots and noticeable signs around the neighbourhood for the market’s unsuccessful location change. Vendor Dasha Ramand from Agape Gardens also voiced her concerns over the lack of noticeable signage and recommended signs stay up all week long.
While the farmers’ market on McLeod Street is only open on Saturdays, another market at Lansdowne that also recently changed locations is open on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Sales are also down at the Lansdowne market, according to Main Farmers’ Market’s other co-manager, Greer Knox, who added that besides Main’s location change, the Brewer Farmers’ Market also had to move to Lansdowne.
“Every time you have a major move like that you’ve got to find new customers in the area you moved to, and you have to coax your customers from your former area to come. We’ve done a lot of outreach but so much of it depends on word of mouth.”
The Main Farmers’ Market signed a two-year lease with the museum. Depending on the support they receive and the situation when the lease expires at the end of the market season in 2016, market managers Coyne and Knox will decide whether to move back to the old location or stay in the new one.
avoski@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/anaisvoski
查看原文...
In the spring, due to construction, the popular market was forced to move from Main Street by Saint Paul University to a spot on McLeod Street in front of the Canadian Museum of Nature.
“Sales have been down drastically, approximately 30 per cent,” market co-manager David Coyne said on Saturday. “The problem is that if old customers don’t come back, the market could fail.”
Coyne blamed a combination of factors for the drop in sales but emphasized that a lot of people still aren’t aware of the location change.
“We put posters up, placed ads in local papers, we’re also on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and we have food blogs writing about us but people are still surprised that we’re here. We still have people walking across the street saying, ‘I had no idea this was a market.’ ”
On average, sales at the market are down about 30 per cent, but for some it has been even worse. Sonny Ford, a vendor from Bekings Poultry Farm, said their sales were down 45 to 50 per cent compared to when they were selling on Main Street. Ford says the poultry farm decided to start treating the new location as a new market rather than a continuation of the old one in order to better deal with the lack of sales.
But a vendor from Avonmore Berry Farms warned that any market at a new location takes a couple of years to get a foothold.
“Most markets take three to four years to even establish themselves, and even though we’re established we changed locations,” Hanna Mullin said.
“Some of our old customers from Main have just started coming back recently,” she said, adding that the berry farm’s sales haven’t changed despite the move. “I think once the word is out that we’re here more people from the neighbourhood will start coming.”
Some customers, such as retired Wendy DesBrisay, blamed the lack of parking spots and noticeable signs around the neighbourhood for the market’s unsuccessful location change. Vendor Dasha Ramand from Agape Gardens also voiced her concerns over the lack of noticeable signage and recommended signs stay up all week long.
While the farmers’ market on McLeod Street is only open on Saturdays, another market at Lansdowne that also recently changed locations is open on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Sales are also down at the Lansdowne market, according to Main Farmers’ Market’s other co-manager, Greer Knox, who added that besides Main’s location change, the Brewer Farmers’ Market also had to move to Lansdowne.
“Every time you have a major move like that you’ve got to find new customers in the area you moved to, and you have to coax your customers from your former area to come. We’ve done a lot of outreach but so much of it depends on word of mouth.”
The Main Farmers’ Market signed a two-year lease with the museum. Depending on the support they receive and the situation when the lease expires at the end of the market season in 2016, market managers Coyne and Knox will decide whether to move back to the old location or stay in the new one.
avoski@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/anaisvoski
查看原文...
