Is the Downtown Edmonton Farmers Market getting too pricey for vendors?

I stopped by the market last Saturday and noticed some pretty high booth fees. A baker told me she pays $150 a day for a tiny spot. On one hand, the foot traffic is solid and you get great exposure. On the other hand, does that cost just push small businesses out? What do you all think, is it worth it or are we losing the local charm?

3 comments

3 Comments

sean78215d ago

$150 a day for a spot that's basically a card table and a pop-up tent sounds like they're charging for the parking, not the market. For that price the baker better be getting free samples and a handshake from a mayor. Guess the "local charm" now includes a side of financial regret.

finley_price2414d agoMost Upvoted

$150 a card table and a tent... at that rate the mayor better be personally handing out samples with a smile and a ribbon cutting, @sean782.

webb.ben15d ago

Have you actually run numbers on what a brick-and-mortar bakery costs per day with rent and utilities? $150 might sting up front but it's a fraction of what a storefront would run, and you're not locked into a lease if sales are slow. A pop-up tent and table still puts your product in front of people without the overhead of a permanent kitchen.