...and the one outside like this.
Spot anything odd? Imagine you're a visitor to Greenwich. Perhaps you've heard about the famous arts & crafts market or the antiques & collectibles market. Perhaps you're looking for a shop that offers something the chains outside the DLR don't have. Well you're not likely to start looking for them in a food market, are you?
I understand there was a consensus among other traders that the new Wednesday market should be given a break, so they said nothing about the possible negative impact on their trade until after the new market launched. Decent bunch, eh? So imagine their chagrin that in mid-May, more than three weeks after they were first erected and after the Wednesday market's second week of opening, the signs were still there...
...and at the end of May...
...and today, the 5th of June.
Apparently footfall, and hence income, has been down for non-food businesses since the signs went up. I have heard reports of visitors expressing surprise upon wandering in and finding shops and arts and crafts stalls. Some traders have reported being asked by visitors why they are packing up at 5:30, when the sign clearly says they should be open until 7 pm. And there's still no banner advertising the general market.Don't get me wrong - I'm delighted the market's food traders are being promoted at last. It's just that the last time I looked, Greenwich market was a place of arts, crafts, antiques and unique shops plus a food court. Not just a food market. Note to the management: please wake up and ditch these signs. How about signs promoting all the market's businesses?
13 comments:
I can't be sure, but I think the original sign was taken down even earlier, possibly Christmas 2006.
The first "Market Trader Representative Meeting" took place on the 20th April 2008, before these divisive signs went up. According to the minutes, the Traders asked "Can market hours roof banner be replaced?", meaning the original one. The management said "Yes. To go up soon. We need permission for any works from the managing agents (NBRE)." We've seen what did go up - NOT what we asked for or were promised.
Quite right. Seeing how soon after the meeting these blue things went up GSM must have known then that they weren't going to be the signs we wanted. Not surprised they didn't tell our people what they were planning at the meeting.
I have had regular customers asking me if I'm leaving. When I asked them why, they said to make way for the food market!! The banners are totally misleading to regular customers let alone any new customers we may be trying to attract. When are they being changed? Some hope.
These banners are unbelievable. Who's in charge of advertising? Unless there's something we don't know about - like the market is turning into a food market. I mean the food court is getting bigger and bigger with retail stalls becoming less. Ummmmm - just a thought.
I've been looking at the photos of the banners again and I notice a crest at the bottom right corner, which looks like Greenwich Hospital's. Can they really have approved these things?
Why are management extending the food court into the area that is generally reserved for the "lower priority" casual traders. do they want to get rid of them.Umm I wonder?
Urban Space Management (USM) appear to be behind the switch to a food market. The home page of the OFFICIAL Greenwich Market site [their capitals] is devoted entirely to the food market.
As a resident of Greenwich for the past 25 years, I have always associated the market with, in the main, high quality arts and crafts and NOT with food at all. To me the food area has always been an annexe of what WAS, and still is a very successful arts and crafts market but it's looking like we are about to kiss that goodbye - unless someone can make the management see sense.
More people arriving late and asking why are we closing at 5.30 & pointing up at the sign that seems to say 7pm.
Any one notice the increased footfall @ 5.30.
Any one notice the customers asking why were packing up @ 5.45.
Any one noticed the low footfall during early after noon.
Anyone notice the huge banners stating that we're open till 7.00pm
Any one noticed that we are now a food court/market.
Any one notice that the craft market is not advertised
Any one noticed that GSM are not doing any thing about the above.
Any one wondering why the market is failing.
Whistler. Can we please put this posting up at the top again. We still have those mis-leading signs up there. I think we need to press home the point that they are damaging to our market.
LIES, BLATANT LIES AND LIES OF OMISSION
The managers are as stubborn as ever over the food court signs, even knowing how most of the traders feel about this misleading information. Visitors still asking about what will happen to the rest of the market when the food court takes over.
THE FOOD COURT IS NOT OPEN 11AM - 7PM WED.- SUN.
THE FACT THAT IT'S JUST A SMALL PART OF THE ARTS & CRAFT MARKET IS NOT MENTIONED.
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