Salisbury Business Improvement District (BID) is offering a 30% discount on the cost of renting a retail chalet to traders based within a 20-mile radius of the city centre.
This follows the BID’s successful application to the government’s South Wiltshire recovery programme fund to support activities over the Christmas period to boost footfall, support local businesses and promote the city following the recent incidents.
Click here to apply for a chalet!
As well as the traders’ discount, the BID will use its recovery fund allocation for other Christmas initiatives which it plans to announce soon.
Nearly half the chalets available for this year’s market have been booked, with artisan crafts, jewellers and speciality food and drink businesses featuring strongly as in previous years.
The discount will apply to both local retailers who have booked early, and others that place a booking between now and the deadline for applications on Wednesday 31 October.
The market takes place in its traditional Guildhall Square home from Thursday 29 November to Sunday 23 December, capturing the busy pre-Christmas shopping days.
Last year’s market was the biggest in the event’s seven-year history. It attracted more than 200,000 people during an extended run and was voted one of the country’s top ten markets. Altogether, more than a million people visited Salisbury in December 2017.
BID Chief Executive Robin McGowan said: “The market has become a highlight of our city’s festive calendar, providing added interest, a shopping experience to savour and a magnet for visitors.
“This year, as everyone knows, Salisbury has had unprecedented challenges to overcome and it has not been an easy struggle for our city economy.
“That’s why we applied for extra Christmas support from the recovery fund as part of a much wider range of efforts on behalf of local businesses.
“BID members tell us how important a strong Christmas trading period is. We’ve taken that on board and are doing all we can.
“We’re delighted to have secured this extra funding to support the success of this winter’s market. It’s all systems go.”
The traders’ discount has been welcomed and supported by Councillor Pauline Church, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Salisbury Recovery. She said:
“This year we especially want to see a thriving Christmas market with visitors coming into the city to enjoy the varied and vibrant shopping experience that the Christmas Market and our permanent retailers offer.
“I think it’s appropriate that this year, following the impact on business in Salisbury, that locally traders are offered support to be part of the Christmas Market. This additional funding provided to help with the city’s recovery will complement other plans that the BID has in place to promote the Christmas season and support Salisbury’s return to business as usual.
“We have been working closely with the BID and other local and national partners to put in place long term plans that will help boost visitors, shoppers and shoppers to choose Salisbury.”
Alongside a programme of other seasonal events, the Christmas market features a vast range of chalets selling quality gifts, plus live music, choirs and workshops, a food and drink quarter and a lantern procession.
For more information click here. Trader enquiries should be made to 01179 276614 or by email to trading@rem-events.com.
In partnership with VisitWiltshire, Salisbury BID co-fund the Visit Salisbury website to promote the city to visitors. The Visit Salisbury website has a full events calendar for Salisbury.
