My 10 top Tips for first time Market Traders - Newcastle Christmas Market edition

Newcastle Christmas Market Top Tips

I can't believe that I have been trading on Newcastle Quayside for over 2 years, in fact, this is year 3, and this is year 15 for Powder Butterfly (mind blown). I can't believe how time has flown. Last year was my first time at Newcastle Christmas Market, and I had a blast. It was REALLY hard work, but my goodness was it fabulous.

With everything I do, I am always thinking of how I can help people who are running a small business.  If you want to find out more about opportunities such as the Newcastle Christmas Market, then you are in the right place. I tend to think about what I would have needed when I first started, because the truth is that I want to see more amazing small businesses thrive. There is enough space for us all to create unique and beautiful products, so why not help each other along the way!!

In this journal post, you will find my top tips for attending a market like the Newcastle Christmas Market. I hope you find it helpful, and if you think I have missed anything from the list, let me know. I will update the journal and tag your small business. 

Photo Info: In my happy place on the Newcastle Quayside, pop down and visit me every Sunday - unless there are flying gazebos of course - don't pop down on those days, although you will find me there come rain, shine, snow or light wind!!

Top Tip number 1 - The benefits of sharing a stall

Find another small business to share with. I shared my stall with the hugely talented Cris from NE Toon and it was such a joyful experience. Cris was so kind, helpful and supportive. Especially on days when I was worried or anxious. Thanks, Cris you are a legend. 

Without a doubt, sharing a stall with another local business is a must if you are doing the Christmas Market for the first time. To begin with, it means that you share the cost. This market has high footfall, and high footfall markets will cost more than a craft market in a school hall or community centre. However, if you work out the daily cost (at the time of writing this), it's actually pretty competitive, especially if you are used to doing markets with guaranteed high footfall.

If you share, you will also benefit from sharing the hours. The market is open from 10-8 Monday to Saturday and 10-5 on Sundays. Being outside in the cold without breaks 7 days a week is very tough. And if you decide to do all 5 weeks, it really helps if you can share the time you are open. It will help you plan for the next day, restock and have a buddy when the market is busiest. It will mean that you will get to go for lunch and have toilet breaks too. Recharging your battery is crucial, as you don't want to be ill over Christmas and into the new year. 

Sharing with a fellow small business owner means that you will also be able to share best practices and learn from each other. The best thing about doing markets and working together is that it can fast-track your growth as a small business. 

So, to recap, sharing with another business or creative also helps you learn a lot and lets you try different products and offers to get the most out of this market while reducing costs and protecting your energy levels. 

Photo Info: Cris and I were bright eyed and ready to go at the beginning and pretty tired by still happy two weeks later. 

Top tip number 2 - Stay warm and well

I cannot stress enough how important it is to keep an eye on the weather and dress accordingly. I invested in a thermal layer, heated socks, gloves and coats, which massively helps me. I use these on the quayside, and they keep my positivity and energy up. Which means that my customers don't have to engage with a grumpy, cold Corinne, thank goodness. Being warm and welcoming means your customers will leave you with a joyful and fun retail experience.

Your warm layer will also give you the best chance of making sure you don't get ill during or after the market. As a small business owner, protecting your physical and mental well-being is so important. If I don't work, I don't get paid, and therefore, I am very protective of my health and well-being.

Market trading outside is tough. But I have found it to be a lot of fun, and I get to meet so many inspiring and interesting people. As I work alone a lot, I find it is a really wonderful social time, and I get to meet locals with beautiful stories to tell and people from further afield in the UK and internationally who also share their joy of discovering the North East of England.

Market trading also helps you build your confidence. I am neurodivergent, Autistic, ADHD & Dyslexic, and the social skills and soft skills I have developed have really helped me build my confidence and communication skills. As a neurodivergent creative, I have to be mindful of burnout, and I have developed several strategies that help reduce burnout. But I will go into that in another journal. If you would find that helpful, let me know, and I will prioritise that. 

Photo Info: I also love to buy on-brand gloves and hats that echo my love for design and creativity. There is functional warmth, but I always think you should add a bit of style along with practicality. Do you agree? 

Top Tip number 3 - Providing value

Christmas Markets can be accused of being expensive, and as people are watching what they spend, you need to make sure that you have products that are entry-level so that your offer is accessible. And let's face it, we all love a bargain, don't we? Below are some ideas that can help you increase sales and give customers easy ways to support your business. 

Bundle Deals - One way of doing this is to create bundle offers, so make sure that you have the margins to be able to offer a deal where people get some money off if they purchase multiple items together.

Discounts - Offering your customers discounts if they sign up to your mailing list or if they follow you on social media can also be a great way of keeping in touch with your customers and providing them with a deal.

Loyalty cards - Offering clients a loyalty card can help increase sales, but more importantly, it demonstrates that you value your customers, with a discount or money off after multiple purchases. Making your customers feel valued and appreciated is so important. I am always blown away when someone loves and buys my work. 

Entry Level products - Selling products at a range of prices, and some at entry level, is really important. We have a range of products under £10 that people can buy, and for me as a designer, that is crucial to allow everyone to enjoy what I do. 

Top Tip number 4 - Establish who your customer is before the market

I have a pretty good understanding of who my customers are. This is because I have met so many of them at the Sunday market on Newcastle Quayside. But the customer at the Newcastle Christmas Market is different. It's very important to do enough market research to be able to understand who your customer is and create products and offers that they will love. The market research data you gather throughout the year, either from online sales or face-to-face sales, will help you with this, and it will prepare you for the Newcastle Christmas Market. 

However, as I said, the customer at The Newcastle Christmas Market is different. The pace of the market is faster, and you will get locals and a lot of visitors to the city. Although your experience throughout the year will prepare you to a point, you will still learn a great deal from any market you do. There is no way of truly knowing how well you will do until you put yourself and your product out there. 

When I mentor small business owners, one of the first things we do is create a customer profile. The more detailed this profile is, the more successful you will be at getting the sales you want and connecting with your ideal customer. 

There are loads of free templates on Canva to help you establish who your customer is. I have popped one below that gives you an idea of the type of information you will need ot help you work out who this is. Thanks for the suggestion, Amy Helliwell from Dirtee Laundry - Amy suggested that having an example here would be helpful. So here you go:

Top Tip number 5 - Positivity increases sales

Staying positive and welcoming is so important. Customers respond to your energy as much as your product offer. What helped me was engaging with the other stallholders around me and staying curious about my customers' stories. This gives me energy and helps me stay engaged with the experience. 

Keeping your energy and positivity high is really important, as customers can feel your energy, and they will be reluctant to engage with you if you are a bit grumpy. Your mood is what closes the sale as well. I always say that people buy from people, and this is so true in any face-to-face environment. Working on your soft skills, systems, processes, and product offer will help you feel more confident and passionate about talking about your work. So doing all of that behind-the-scenes prep will help you stay in a positive mindset. See top tip number 7 for my thoughts on making sure that sales are not your only key performance indicator of success. 

Top Tip number 6 - Be visible and put yourself out there

If you are asked to do promotional content with the organisers, just go for it. NE1 Newcastle did a great job of shining a light on the local businesses at Newcastle Christmas Market, and they were very supportive on and offline. Their social media coverage will help you connect to your ideal customers who will seek you out. The content they create can also increase your social media views and followers, which is also a bonus. Check out their Instagram account, which is all about supporting local businesses and Newcastle. 

NE1 Newcastle has several awards that they have started giving to traders, you can find out more about these Awards here. Newcastle City Council also have a sustainability award that they are awarding to market traders. Make sure you get involved in this, as awards can also help boost your profile. I have never won an award before, and I received Best Newcomer 2025 from NE1 and a Silver in Sustainability from Newcastle City Council. This was such a wonderful moment after 14 years of running this small business to receive two in the same year!!

Phot Info: Along with the award for best newcomer I received a huge nutcracker which Fiona Surrey from The Gerodieland Experience named him 'Percy Quayside' I also received a voucher for a meal at Dobson and Parnell whch I cannot wait to spend very soon. Dobson & Parnell have gone through a full refurbishment so it will be lovely to celebrate this achievement in such a beautiful local restaurant. 

Top Tip number 7 - It's about more than sales

I would say this top tip is for every market that you do. Of course, you want to make money, and you want to make a profit. However, it's really important to focus on other benefits of doing a market like this. I have listed them below:

• Market research - this will help you create a product that people want 
• Build your community - incentivise people to follow you on social media or sign up to your mailing list
• Boost your confidence - positive feedback about what you do can really help boost your confidence, especially if you work alone a lot.
• Building your small business network - your community is your customers, but it is also the small business community around you, and markets are a wonderful place to be able to do this.

Top Tip number 8 - Support the Traders around you

Supporting your fellow traders is super important. Working from the premise of treating others as you would like to be treated is my approach to working alongside other small businesses. When you need a quick toilet break, to grab a brew or help with opening and closing your stall, they will be there when you need them.

Plus, it makes it much more fun if you get to know the people around you, and you never know, you might make a new friend. 

Photo Info: This is Gary Bell form Elemental Photography -when i told him that my daughter Rosie Larada had sang with Sam Fender just before lockdown he gave me this photograph to pass on to her. And she loved it!! Market Traders are so generous and supportive when you bring the vibes. Check out his work its mind blowing. 

Top Tip number 9 - Recovery Time

Recovery time is crucial, so make sure you do what's needed to give you as much recovery time as possible. Preparing for the market is also really important so that you have the stamina to make your time at the market a success. I am 50 now, and I find that if I don't look after myself with exercise, good nutrition, and well-being activities, then I will struggle to keep my energy levels optimised. 

Your health and well-being are the most important things, so that you can enjoy all of your hard work. Don't risk your health for work - I am saying this to myself too, as I have a tendancy to get hyperfocussed on work because I love it so much. But a lack of balance can affect my ability to do good work, so it has become an absolute priority. 

Top Tip number 10 - Learn, learn, learn

Learn from your first time and create a 'things I would do differently next time' list. You won't necessarily get everything right the first time. But that's great because what you learn can be applied to all of your future markets and the next time you do the Christmas Market. Use the opportunity to give you more information and ideas. Perhaps keep a notebook of ideas to help you record what you have learnt or would do differently.

My notebooks help me keep all of my ideas and lessons learned in one super helpful place. You can explore all of the notebook designs here.

There you have it, these are my top tips. I hope you have found it useful, and if you have any additions let me know. 

If there are any grammatical, spelling or crazy sentence structures, then please note I am #MadeByDyslexia, and although I might make these mistakes, they are very much part of who I am and my brain has a wealth of probelm solving skills that absolutely compensate for these momentary lapses. Your understanding and support is very much appreciated. 

Corinne x