Residents are being invited to take a stall at the new monthly events being
held at Wednesfield and Wolverhampton city centre markets, as well as
weekly festive stalls at Bilston market on the run-up to Christmas.
City of Wolverhampton Council is launching the new initiative to encourage
new and young traders to the markets and into business.
To help new traders, half rent on stalls will be available for the first four
attendances and young traders will get free rent for the same period. Young
traders need to be between 16 and 30.
The craft and young trader events will begin at Wednesfield market, High
Street, from October 28 and at the city centre market, Cleveland Street, from
November 4.
They will then run at the city centre market on the first Saturday of the month,
from 8am to 4pm, and in Wednesfield on the last Saturday of the month from
9am to 3pm.
Weekly stalls will also be on offer at Bilston market, Wood Street, during the
festive period, running every Friday in December from 9am to 3pm.
Young trader Sam Bains, who trades at Bilston indoor market as Dizzy
scents, originally started her business during the Covid-19 lockdown when
she started making wax melts for friends and family.
Sam said: “I enjoyed making them and I slowly started doing craft fairs and
car boots on weekends. Then I started to add extra products like fragrance oil,
room sprays and bath bombs and tried my first market stall which I enjoyed
doing.
“I loved the market atmosphere and meeting new people each time. I decided
to join Bilston indoor market earlier this year and have been here six months
now and am really enjoying it.”
Councillor Craig Collingswood, City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet
member for environment and climate change, said: “This is a really exciting
opportunity for our residents who might be thinking of setting up and running
their own businesses.

“Markets are a really great way to begin. Set up costs are low and stall
holders can concentrate on building up great face-to-face relationships with
customers.
“We’ll also be backing this up with our package of support for young traders,
which includes teaming up with a mentor who has market trading experience,
access to business support and enrolment onto the Prince’s Trust Enterprise
Programme.
“We want to create more opportunities for local people, so if you are a crafter
or a young trader and have a business you’d like to start or one you’d like to
grow, we’d love to hear from you.”
For stall hire and more information about the craft and young trader events
please email markets@wolverhampton.gov.uk or call 01902 555200.