[thewayneinspain]

yes, no or don't know.

[Alunh]

The Council are not actually being asked to invest in the People's Market per se. Investment without qualification implies that the tax payer will stump up to subsidise traders. This is not the case at all.

The traders contribute massive amounts via their rents to the Council when the Markets are let. This investment provides a return to Wrexham CBC/'PLC' and the money goes into Council coffers (and comes out in what ever way the Council decides). If the Council is trying to maximise the return to investment they will NEITHER spend/invest too much in the Markets NOR spend/invest too little. The former scenario would be squandering, the latter stupid. It would be stupid because what traders or shoppers wants to trade or shop in some delapidated old building. After all, traders wouldn't set up their businesses and shoppers wouldn't be attracted to the Market. In that case, the Council would clearly lose Revenue- a LOT of Revenue.

What the traders are actually asking for AND AND AND what the Council plan proposes, is a prudent reinvestment-restructure-reconfiguration of the Markets. This is a Hobson's choice approach and any other risks losing the asset and its revenue

[Welsh Dresser]

Is the investment monetary or other?

[Adam]

Just when I was starting to believe our council were talking some common sense, our resident marketing genius Amanda Davies comes out with this gem at the town centre forum:

The TCF were told that although several thousand people attended the likes of the Victorian Christmas Markets the Council thought that new bespoke markets on a Saturday could struggle. Due to this other options were presented to the TCF.

Yep that's right. Although several thousand people came to Wrexham throwing their cash around and generally having a great time, our own Mary Portas believes that this was a one off due to celestial alignments. What would work however is dumping 20t of sharp sand outside of Cash Converters and charging us to sit on it.

[Welsh Dresser]

Don't have to just sit. Can build sandcastles and even take a bit home with you inbetween your toes etc.

[thewayneinspain]

Originally Posted by Adam

Just when I was starting to believe our council were talking some common sense, our resident marketing genius Amanda Davies comes out with this gem at the town centre forum:

The TCF were told that although several thousand people attended the likes of the Victorian Christmas Markets the Council thought that new bespoke markets on a Saturday could struggle. Due to this other options were presented to the TCF.

Yep that's right. Although several thousand people came to Wrexham throwing their cash around and generally having a great time, our own Mary Portas believes that this was a one off due to celestial alignments. What would work however is dumping 20t of sharp sand outside of Cash Converters and charging us to sit on it.

did anyone question what previous studies of hers proved this?

[angryShopper]

if your going to have a christmas market, it's got to be more than a 1 day thing, throwing some cash towards some paint or w/e for the markets wont work,

[thewayneinspain]

Originally Posted by angryShopper

if your going to have a christmas market, it's got to be more than a 1 day thing, throwing some cash towards some paint or w/e for the markets wont work,

why won't it work? have you any studies to prove this?

Mcdonald's spends millions a year on refits, which are basically paint, new bits of wood and a new uniform. Many of the supermarkets do one day themes like for comic relief. If it works for them, why won't it work for the markets?

don't you believe that doing something that is a positive action is better than complaining and doing nothing?

[angryShopper]

Originally Posted by thewayneinspain

why won't it work? have you any studies to prove this?

Mcdonald's spends millions a year on refits, which are basically paint, new bits of wood and a new uniform. Many of the supermarkets do one day themes like for comic relief. If it works for them, why won't it work for the markets?

don't you believe that doing something that is a positive action is better than complaining and doing nothing?

If you are going to hold a christmas market in wrexham, and justify the cost as "rebranding" 1 day / 1 weekend isn't going to do much for you. Manchester as an example have a christmas streetmarket which lasts about 40 days, I'm suggesting anything that huge, but maybe 14 days? that way it allows people to come in and shop, who works traditional times / days any more. you know ?

Supermarkets re-brand for about a week in the form of paper signs, and a few T-shirts, if it comes to £200 per store I'd be very shocked, and I imagine they don't even notice the cost.

How do you re-brand a market? it's a market people expect a certain look, I mean I would welcome charles street being tarted up, I don't know what the business term is, but you get certain streets in cities, where all the shops have the same signage, only the shop name changes, Google Maps example here.

I think that looks good, but what can you do INSIDE a market to drag people in, they are pretty much hidden down allys, which Is nice, I actually the like them, they just don't have anything I'd buy in there, and what I would get, I find overpriced

[thewayneinspain]

Originally Posted by angryShopper

If you are going to hold a christmas market in wrexham, and justify the cost as "rebranding" 1 day / 1 weekend isn't going to do much for you. Manchester as an example have a christmas streetmarket which lasts about 40 days, I'm suggesting anything that huge, but maybe 14 days? that way it allows people to come in and shop, who works traditional times / days any more. you know ?

Supermarkets re-brand for about a week in the form of paper signs, and a few T-shirts, if it comes to £200 per store I'd be very shocked, and I imagine they don't even notice the cost.

How do you re-brand a market? it's a market people expect a certain look, I mean I would welcome charles street being tarted up, I don't know what the business term is, but you get certain streets in cities, where all the shops have the same signage, only the shop name changes, Google Maps example here.

I think that looks good, but what can you do INSIDE a market to drag people in, they are pretty much hidden down allys, which Is nice, I actually the like them, they just don't have anything I'd buy in there, and what I would get, I find overpriced

well i know that road very well! sadly my old gym around the corner (but in the same block) has been empty for 10 years so i had to move to a gym 40 yards the other way.

The christmas market in manchester has always been an excuse to go out for beers as well as shop. I certainly suffered a few hangovers from sampling. I agree they should do it in wrexham... but where?

for me there needs to be a year long programme but also that it helps form habits... say themed every first weekend of the month... but other nights as well... such as carnival/mardi gras, st davids day,

I'm an advocator that if you bring in the schools and organisations (plus sometimes streets or neighbourhoods) to build or present things the footfall comes with that. I see work all the time here in catalunya. One neighborhood fiesta (the size of high town) brings in 1.5 million visitors in 7 days to it's population of 120k.

but its all about the community organizing it, as I don't think the council has the expertise or funds to organise a public event.

I really want wrexham to be more successful, but it needs people to be positive and act themselves.