Christmas markets in Worsley to help small businesses during cost of living crisis

Small business owners in Salford are to prepare for Christmas markets events in Worsley to help local industry during the cost-of-living crisis.

Dan Wright, is running this year’s festive Christmas market event for local shops and businesses to combat the cost-of-living living crisis in Salford in time for the festive celebrations.

The festive celebrations will take place on the 11th of December at the Beesly Green community centre from 10:00 – 18:00.

The stalls offer artisan delights, local crafts, gifts, food, and beverages.

Mr Wright said: “I don’t think it’s just Worsley like small businesses in general. I think in small independent businesses, generally, now, we’re struggling.

“For one, the cost of living crisis is tightening the purse strings for most people.”

He talked about the benefits of local shopping and said: “Yes, you can get all your presents from Amazon.

“But come to a Christmas market if you want something handcrafted, and it’s got a little soul to it that isn’t mass produced.”

The event spearheaded by Mr Wright has received positive attention from the local community.

He said: “I think considering the number of people that came last year, the interest was high.

“But I think they’re slightly disappointed by the number of traders because they’re so used to going into these big markets, like in town, but small is still good. But as I say, we’ve gone from 30 traders to 48 this year.”

With the annual inflation rate at 14.8%, Mr Wright acknowledged the tricky balance that was needed between affordability and profit during the cost-of-living crisis.

He said: “There are two ways of looking at it. There’s one way: we want to encourage people to purchase one and understand the position everybody’s in.

“But equally, there’s no point in doing it if you’re not going to make money yourself because you’re in your own little business.

Mr Wright also said that the festive celebrations were significant for the morale of Worsley in Salford.

He said: “Oh, you should have seen it last year. Last year was insane. Because obviously, we just came out of COVID Yeah. And when we came out of the lockdown, everyone was a little bit trepidatious about it.

“But the number of people that then turned around and went, wow, we needed this was just, it was great.”

The Christmas market events are being run in collaboration with the Salford Foodbank.

Mr Wright is encouraging residents to bring one item each to donate to the food bank to ensure people have enough food for Christmas.

Foodbanks are one of the establishments that have been hit hardest by the cost-of-living crisis.

Mr Wright illustrated the point in stark detail by saying: “the interesting thing that I found after speaking with them was the other way; they did three tonnes of food in one week. That’s an insane amount of food.”