Let us walk you through what Pedddle Online Markets used to mean, and where we’re taking them next.
The history of Pedddle Online Markets
That’s right – Pedddle Online Markets were never meant to be ‘a thing’! Yet, as all businesses have to adapt, the Pedddle Online Markets gave us flexibility amidst the global pandemic…
Pedddle was founded as an online directory of markets and their stallholders, building a creative community around this. However, like any developing business, we have had to diversify due to Covid 19 and a pandemic we never knew would even happen. At the time is supported the needs of our audience; the markets, their stallholders, and customers.
Now that Covid has calmed down, Pedddle is once again a directory of creative and local markets and their stallholders. We provide a community, and an online market directory. Fancy joining us?
Tresstle is now our designated online market platform – the Pedddle Online Markets are no more!
Read on to find out how it all started from 2018, when no one had even heard of online markets and Nicki our founder was already thinking ahead of the curve…
The beginning of Pedddle Online Markets
In early 2018 we experienced such variable weather across the UK, with storm after storm causing many markets to be cancelled. We saw many markets stop altogether, and many stallholders and customers disappointed. This is when we realised there was another option – and our online markets were born.
Online markets offer a hybrid – a cross between the online and offline worlds. Come rain or shine, they allow stallholders to sell whatever the weather, and for customers to shop from home, if the weather is bad or they can’t get out for another reason – it means that anyone, anywhere can shop small, from independent businesses all over the UK.
We began these ‘Rainy Day Markets’, a variety of Pedddle Online Markets hosted on Pedddle.com, but we were a little ahead of the game. It was a brand new concept for customers, and perhaps too soon to consider the future hybrid way of working. However, fast forward two years…
The biggest worldwide crisis of recent years struck – the Covid-19 pandemic. No in-person events could go ahead. Market organisers suffered as all events and markets shut overnight. Stallholders suddenly lacked the vital income that in-person markets bring. We all began working from home, across the nation. And everyone turned to shopping online. Suddenly, this was the time for those ‘Rainy Day Markets’ – a real rainy day had struck the UK.
Pedddle was already prepared, as we’d tried online markets before. It’s been a learning curve for all of us, but online selling has had a transformation, and our wonderful market organisers and stallholders have adapted and diversified just as we had.
Throughout 2020 we ran a series of successful online events, but we knew we were breaking away from Pedddle’s core values of being a directory for those market organisers and stallholders. We knew we had to return to our core values – and so Tresstle was born. Our sister website is now a platform dedicated solely to the running of online markets, making it easy for both market organisers and stallholders to sell online and run an event that is both entertaining, useful and informing for customers.
Online Markets on Tresstle
Click here to find out more about Tresstle. Alongside it’s many benefits, it incorporates live streaming via Tresstle TV, hosts a schedule for market days, and allows a series of participant videos so that stallholders can give more information about their ethos, their business and their products.
As a customer you can browse a host of different and niche events. You can purchase directly from those taking part and watch the Tresstle TV, which will be live streaming, and view pre-recorded videos from the participants of any given event.
Fancy running your own online market? Ohhh, let me look….
How can Tresstle help stallholders?
Collaboration – It allows many stallholders to be seen in one place online. You get to work with a variety of different businesses to pool your audiences.
Drive traffic to your business online – Drive traffic to your own website or selling platforms, direct traffic to your social media channels, and have something to shout about to draw those customers in.
Sales – Ideally, you’ll make sales at your online events – but unlike many people think, this is not the sole goal of an online market. Of course, sales are great – but it’s about raising your brand visibility so that customers spot you and bear you in mind for future. Just like in-person events, those sales may come after an event once people spot you at a market – sometimes customers need time to consider before purchasing.
Brand awareness – It’s such an important aspect of your business to build. Getting your name out there, gaining credibility, making sure you’re seen by potential customers.
Remember the interaction that you have now can impact your business anything up to a year later – it’s a snowball, so keep pushing it up that hill!
