Weekend Markets

“Hope the weather is good tomorrow.” Korina Market.

Inner City Waterfront Market

"Hope the weather is good tomorrow." The refrain of marketers everywhere. Time, materials and effort are what people devote to make ready, their products for sale. Weekend markets are a side hustle for most who work full-time, or whose spouses care for the rest of the family and need to find extra income. Supplementing the family income from markets is as old as humanity itself.

Food

Food is a big attraction at the markets. Food trucks selling cuisines from India, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Europe and the Pacific Islands. Ice-cream, hamburgers and chips, hot dogs, coffee, fusion meals, in-season seafood and mini donuts are all sold from a food truck. Under the protection of gazebos, roast meat and vegetables, mussel fritters, raw fish salad, shelled mussels, scaled fish and kina, frankfurters, fruit drinks, Pacific donuts, specialist donuts, honey, huge vegetable stalls with fruit and vegetables of all varieties, steamed puddings, hangi, crayfish when in season, dumplings, European and American style pizzas, and custom cakes are all delicious and available at various weekend markets.

Non-Food Stalls

Clothing: custom and renewed clothing, mass produced clothing, used clothing, are all on sale at reduced and affordable prices. Many clothing products, including branded caps are imported new with brands that are known worldwide. Exercise sweats, hoodies, socks shorts and pants are popular. Sales of ethnic clothing and cultural items are on display.

City Suburban Market

Used garden and engineering tools, kitchenware: most are used among items that are new. There are some items that are not easily found in the big retail stores.

Electronics and jewelry: Cell phone accessories, video accessories, Bluetooth speakers of all sizes, watches, sunglasses, rings, bracelets and ethnic jewelry will satisfy most tastes without hurting your wallet too much.

Religious displays: Friendly Christian and Muslim stalls sit side by side, with Bibles and the Koran available for those who ask. Not all markets have religious displays.

Art: Shown at some markets. What you pay is in the eye of the beholder.

Music: Some markets have a formal arrangement with musicians while others live with buskers.

Markets attached to Big Events

Public holidays and events of public interest are ideal for weekend markets. They add value to an event when a market is organized as part of the event.

Country Market

Night Markets

These are held each weeknight, undercover in parking buildings attached to a big commercial retailer. The location will be at a different location suburb for every night of the week.

Rules and Fees

Check with the organizer for each market as the rules and fees will vary from market to market. Food trucks check with your local health authority and council to approve your operation.

Small Enterprise Income

Income is not guaranteed for any enterprise big or small. The reasons are wildly variable. Right product, wrong location, changing tastes and fashions, right location and product hampered by harsh weather. One market day you will make a small fortune, the next market day not a single sale.

Setup & Breakdown

The energy required to set up your stall and then pack it away into your vehicle at market’s end cannot be underestimated. Usually, two people are needed to set up and pack away. It can be done alone, but other stallholders will voluntarily help. Extend the courtesy when you see others alone at your market.

Preparing for Market Day

Having products ready for market day will depend on what you have for sale. Custom clothing or jewelry involves daily effort. Washing, drying and ironing family clothes no longer suitable for your family’s use could be made ready for sale in a day. Food preparation will require planning ahead of time, to ensure the ingredients are on hand and the time available to present fresh attractive food will help you make sales.

Summary

Weekend market days is where many successful entrepreneurs started their commercial lives. It is not the goal for most; their goal is to supplement the family’s income. Good planning and the energy and resources to prepare for a successful market day will leave you with only one question to ask. “Hope the weather is good tomorrow?”