Market history is intrinsically linked to diversity and community, and these things are what strengthen our economy as a whole.
How do artisan markets strengthen our economy?
The wider we can spread the message about shopping small, the more people will shop from artisan businesses and keep them thriving. The more you buy from local artisan business owners where you live, the more your money will get back into your own local area. And the more we all shop from a diverse range of business owners, the more we support and foster further diversity and innovation. These things each contribute to wider economic growth, and ultimately strengthen the country.
Here at Pedddle, we always says that ‘shopping small helps us all’, and it really does.
In this article, we’ll break down these points further and explore how our annual awareness day, National Creative Market Day, factors into this mix too.
Why Small Businesses are so vital to Britain
Small business turnover shapes the British economy to this day; nearly two thirds (61%) of total employment, and over half (53%) of turnover in the private sector is due to SMEs (small to medium enterprises) – stats here. Their collective successes – and potential failures – have an enormous impact on the British economy.
We have all seen the impact of economic struggle in recent years, and whatever the root cause of it, supporting small businesses has such an impact that it is worth us all supporting them however we can.
Artisan markets are multi-faceted in how they support the economy, from fostering a new generation of creative entrepreneurs and offering them a place to test their ideas, to generating money within specific local areas and running a monetary thread through a whole business chain, as many artisan businesses source their materials from other local or small businesses too.
In these multiple ways, artisan markets can strengthen our economy as a whole.
How to shop more sustainably using your local markets
The more we can shop from our own local communities, the more our money stays within our local area.
It’s not just about refusing to buy a last-minute candle from your local supermarket and instead buying a more thoughtful, artisan version as a gift for your friend’s birthday. It’s about changing your daily routine; shopping locally for fresh fruit and veg, buying a homemade pie instead of a mass-manufactured one, looking for often healthier, tastier choices. It’s about your dream wedding; buying favours from a small business, instead of mass-produced ones. It’s about treating your dog to a cute new handmade collar and some locally-made treats, to put money back into your own community, so that your money supports your neighbours’ dreams!
Many of the stallholders listed on Pedddle source their own materials from other UK businesses, and this ethos passes onwards. Take a look at them here – you can even see which markets they’ll be selling at next, and go find them there!
We all want Britain’s economy to thrive. Shopping from your local creative markets and championing the traders and stallholders you’ll find there is the best thing you can do.
