NOTE FOR STALLHOLDERS - NOT FAIR? Weve had two stallholders contact us, during the past week, wanting to operate a stall at this years Fair. Unfortunately, due to the fact that, in our opinion, we already have enough of the products that they wish to sell, we have been told that our stallholder selection process is not fair or unfair. Please let us explain........ We were stallholders, ourselves, for five years, back in the late 90s. Consequently, we try to operate the Fair from both perspectives.....from the point of view of an event organiser, and the point of view of a participating Stallholder. We try to balance the two, to create an event that has an extremely wide and diverse range of quality products, catering for all tastes and budgets, in an easy to get around environment. For the past few years, the stallholder and visitor feedback has, overwhelmingly, been that we have achieved this....with just a few minor adjustments required each year. As our regular, and most of our new stallholders, are aware, stallholders who attended the previous Fair, have the first option to return to the next Fair. This is the way that all markets are operated and managed. After all, stallholders are all small business people, who attend monthly or annual events, often over a long period of time. Visitors to these events expect to see a particular stallholder in a particular position within the market, and many visitors return month after month, or year after year, to make their purchases at these favourite stalls. In many, if not most, markets or fairs, the only way a new stallholder can obtain a stall-site at these events is if the previous stallholder decides not to attend, is sick, or is on holidays etc. In some cases, these Stallholders notify the organiser that they will only be away for one market day, and they will be back the following month. Usually, when this occurs, the vacant stall-site is offered to a casual stallholder, and this stallholder is told that due to the fact that the regular stallholder is only away for one market, they cannot be guaranteed of being able to obtain a stall at the market or fair, when the regular stallholder returns. Consequently, as most of you are aware, the stallholders who operated a stall at last years Fair, we given until the 1st of August to re-apply to operate a stall at this years Fair. During recent months, weve had many, many calls from potential new stallholders, enquiring about how they can operate a stall at this years Fair. Weve always explained to them that we wouldnt know until after the 1st of August whether there would be any stall-site availability, and what products we would require. We asked all of these stallholders to contact us after this date. Consequently, on Monday, stallholders were calling us all day, with the first call coming in at 7.30am, and the last call being completed at 9.40pm. By the end of the day, wed pretty much filled most of the stall-sites, and wed filled the unwritten quota for many products. Since then, weve had two stallholders complain that they think that this system is unfair. All I can say to them is that this is the way we manage our business, and the last thing we want is to be viewed as, is unfair! We see it as fair to not only the applying stallholder, but also the returning stallholder, that there is not too much of any one product. Visitors to the Fair, do not want to come the Fair, and be bombarded by 20 stall-sites filled with childrens clothing, or jewellery, or soy candles, or photography, or cards. Visitors want to see a wide range and variety of product. At the same time, as a stallholder, there are only so many visitors who want to purchase a candle, or a cushion, or a dress, or some cherries. So, it is absolutely pointless, and in our opinion, plain unfair, to allow too much of a particular product at the Fair. We want to give all of our stallholders the maximum opportunity of leaving the Fair with a feeling that it was financially viable for them. We believe that by having too many stallholders selling the same product it would limit the chances of it being successful for them. Consequently, if you feel the way we manage and operate the Fair is unfair, we apologise, but for this Fair to have lasted for 12 years, and with our 13th Fair approaching fast, we are sure the Fair would not have lasted, if we operated and managed it unfairly. After all, we have stallholders who, this year, are returning to operate a stall for the 13th year in a row! By their continued attendance, we assume they agree with the way we operate and manage the Fair. :) To the Stallholders who think the way we choose Stallholders is not fair, we trust this explains the reasons behind the decisions and choices we make.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 04:28:48 +0000
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