The New Moor Market

[Joe Totale]

We do currently have a free bus, it is being withdrawn at the end of this month. http://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/timetables/sheffield/1129.htm

 

Andy, I know the FREEBEE is finishing soon. Could the Centro ticket be available as a 50p alternative? Any idea what the border stops are?

[Andy C]

Indeed they can. They could as an alternative decide that trading from the new market hall isn't worth the hassle and pack up after their free rent period and trade elsewhere. It seems from reports on this thread that several have already decided to do just that.

 

Perhaps they weren't trading very well because their stall wasn't actually very good?

 

The new market hall is a stunning building, it is much nicer inside than the old market and also located in a part of town that isn't grotty and intimidating. The bottom of the Moor is buzzing now and has a great market atmosphere when the outdoor stalls are open.

 

The improved building and location mean the quality stalls are attracting a wider clientele, I also have to say the likes of Simmonites who decided to relocate to a shop unit on Division Street also look like they are reaping the rewards of upgrading their retail environment.

 

The only negative I can see about the market moving to Moorfoot is it is further from the nearest tram stop - but its only a few minutes walk from West Street tram stop and there are plenty of buses from the Castle Square area to Moorfoot.

 

---------- Post added 07-03-2014 at 16:41 ----------

 

Andy, I know the FREEBEE is finishing soon. Could the Centro ticket be available as a 50p alternative? Any idea what the border stops are?

 

The Centro 50p single is the alternative, this applies within the Inner ring road (so Waingate/Interchange to West Street/Moorfoot) on all First and Stagecoach buses.

 

Also however don't forget if you buy a First Day/Stagecoach Dayrider/Citywide Day ticket for your journey into town and back that can also be used to buzz about in the City Centre too!

Edited March 7, 2014 by Andy C

[smiggs]

How do you know that it is thriving? Being busy and making a living are not the same thing, as many a pub landlord will testify.

 

Another game of apples and pears. Pubs are often busy and don't make money because they can't make any money on the beer they are forced to sell by their brewery. Market stall holders set their own prices and choose their own stock, if they can't make margin on their stock why they are selling them?

[T 42]

Another game of apples and pears. Pubs are often busy and don't make money because they can't make any money on the beer they are forced to sell by their brewery. Market stall holders set their own prices and choose their own stock, if they can't make margin on their stock why they are selling them?

 

90% of pubs don't belong to a brewery and the landlords set their own prices. If they don't like the deal that they are offered in terms of rent they can always move to a different pub. Well unless they went belly up on the first one.

 

I agree though that if a market trader finds he isn't turning a profit after he has paid the high rent charged by the council he has the option of increasing prices in the hope the public will pay the extra or he can simply pull the plug and do something else. Pretty much like the landlord of a pub in fact.

 

---------- Post added 07-03-2014 at 16:59 ----------

 

Perhaps they weren't trading very well because their stall wasn't actually very good?

 

The new market hall is a stunning building, it is much nicer inside than the old market and also located in a part of town that isn't grotty and intimidating. The bottom of the Moor is buzzing now and has a great market atmosphere when the outdoor stalls are open.

 

The improved building and location mean the quality stalls are attracting a wider clientele, I also have to say the likes of Simmonites who decided to relocate to a shop unit on Division Street also look like they are reaping the rewards of upgrading their retail environment.

 

The only negative I can see about the market moving to Moorfoot is it is further from the nearest tram stop - but its only a few minutes walk from West Street tram stop and there are plenty of buses from the Castle Square area to Moorfoot.

 

Indeed it is a splendid building. If only the traders were selling that. But in the real world the sprouts that they are selling are pretty much like the ones they were selling before, and pretty much like the ones in Tesco. So if paying for the new building puts 10p on a bag of sprouts I doubt that they will sell them.

 

So there is the question. Am I going to drive 5 miles, pay to park just so I can buy my sprouts in a pretty new market when I could have nipped round to the supermarket, parked for free and bought my sprouts cheaper?

.... ermmmmmmm...NO! .

Edited March 7, 2014 by T 42

[999tigger]

Some of the stalls are doing ok, few have done very well and others not so well. The rent free period was to allow time to adjust. A number of stalls have handed in notice. It is only four months in, so expect several stalls not to be there next year. If you look at what some are selling then it is very obvious they will not sell enough to survive.

 

If everyone hands their notice in, then the market management will have to decide if they will lower rents and maybe even try and renegotiate with SW. The market needs to be sustainable.

 

One thing they could do is offer a free shuttle bus that ran over the road from the old Rackhams building directly to outside the market. As has been pointed out the bus routes offer plenty of options to get there, though.

[Clown Shoes]

Some of the stalls are doing ok, few have done very well and others not so well. The rent free period was to allow time to adjust. A number of stalls have handed in notice. It is only four months in, so expect several stalls not to be there next year. If you look at what some are selling then it is very obvious they will not sell enough to survive.

 

If everyone hands their notice in, then the market management will have to decide if they will lower rents and maybe even try and renegotiate with SW. The market needs to be sustainable.

 

One thing they could do is offer a free shuttle bus that ran over the road from the old Rackhams building directly to outside the market. As has been pointed out the bus routes offer plenty of options to get there, though.

 

Maybe the stalls that have handed in noticed are people who have no idea about business. Like bong shops or traditional sweet shops.

 

Im sure crawshaws are doing ok.

[999tigger]

I know who some of them are and they are a mix. If you go to the market on a regular basis then youll see them go. One of the problems is that they now have more competition. I wouldnt say know nothing about buisness because a lot of them survived in the market but different environment now. Worth giving it a go.

[Clown Shoes]

I know that a decent unit will cost £10,000 all in.

 

Thats considerably cheaper than any shop unit in the city centre.

[sheff71]

Afraid not cuttise. the reason they closed sheafmarket is becayse it didnt have enough trade as people preferre to shop in supermarkets. They tried the exchange street site and not enough people went.

 

Everyone else was combined in castle market. Yet again it declined because fewer people shopped in traditional markets and they preferred to shop at supermarkets where they could get all their weekly shop and use things like cars. Things move on. If the sheffield public was so keen, then they wouldnt have stopped using markets.

 

So if traditional markets are in decline due to supermarkets (and online shopping as well), then why bother with a hugely expensive new building with high rates and mixed quality stalls at best... especially as parking in the city centre is always an issue (whichever of the market sites).

 

Exchange Street failed also because of the lack of investment and the neglect shown to the Castle Market, letting it fall into a state and leaving it to rot... being stuck next to the Market Tavern probably didn't help though... if the cuts in spending continue indefinitely, it's likely that the New Moor Market could face a similar fate in years to come, and the Moor return to the dump it has been for most of the last 10 years...

[999tigger]

So if traditional markets are in decline due to supermarkets (and online shopping as well), then why bother with a hugely expensive new building with high rates and mixed quality stalls at best... especially as parking in the city centre is always an issue (whichever of the market sites).

 

Exchange Street failed also because of the lack of investment and the neglect shown to the Castle Market, letting it fall into a state and leaving it to rot... being stuck next to the Market Tavern probably didn't help though... if the cuts in spending continue indefinitely, it's likely that the New Moor Market could face a similar fate in years to come, and the Moor return to the dump it has been for most of the last 10 years...

 

There is a future for markets. I dont think the old type market will ever come back because the new site is a valuable commercial property. I think it might go more upmarket, so things like the organic veg stall, better quality meats, deli and beer stall. Sort of a farmers market type place. The stalls either have to be very good value or else sell soemting that people will travel especially to the market for.

 

I think they knew very well what would happen moving essentially what was left of castle market to this site. They had to give the existing traders a chance, but it will change over time is my guess. Its the non food sites I think that have the challenge, as well as the foodcourt which is a layout disaster.

 

It helps we might be in a recovery and now they have scope to let the remaining 5 large units and in a few years time the cinema complex and its associated retail should be built. I may be giving them too much credit, but I think the building could be adapted. The market part is pretty mucch just a shell anyway. Wait and see, but am not totally doom and gloom at the moment.