Young market traders told they ‘could be the next Alan Sugar’

Younger people could ‘be the next Alan Sugar’ by working as market traders, according to an industry body which is encouraging under 30s to get into the profession.

It comes as markets are the heartbeat of many British towns, but must attract young people if they are to survive.

That’s why the National Market Traders Federation are supporting the next generation of market stall holders through their Young Trader of the Year competition.

Brendan Dyson is the Business Development Member Support Manager at the National Market Traders Federation (NMFT), which was founded in 1899. It is a trade association for market and street traders, events retailers, and mobile caterers in the UK.

“The average age of market traders is about 55, which as an industry, we need more young people. They’re coming in, this is the 12th year we’re doing this campaign and it’s working, but we’ve got to keep doing this, we’ve got to keep fresh blood coming in,” said Brendan Dyson.

“Young traders bring in young shoppers, and it’s great for the industry all round.

“For little investment, they can be their own boss, have something they’re proud of and they can expand. There’s loads of businesses out there that started off as market traders, even the likes of Tesco, so it’s little steps, start at the bottom, work your way up and you could be the next Alan Sugar.”

East Yorkshire recently held its first Young Traders Market in Beverley to boost business for entrepreneurs aged between 16 and 30 as part of the NMFT Young Trader of the Year competition to find the UK’s Young Trader of the Year.

Young stallholders spoke to GB News at the market and appreciated the platform the event gave them.

Lloyd Brodie, 23, is the Owner of Ey Up Coffee, and said: “Can markets seem a little old fashioned? Yes, but now we’ve got younger people coming down, we can really develop them and make the high street that little bit more interesting for the youth, which is great.”

Rob Woodcock, 28, and owner, Of Slice and Men Pizza, said: “It’s a lot better if you have to grind out the hours, work in markets like these, in the rain, in the wind and the snow, and I think it gives you more of a love for it.

Samia Ullah, 23, Terracotta Plants Social Media Manager, said: “I think that’s what’s really great about young traders and doing markets, is that it’s very supportive. I mean, it is a competition, but people don’t really feel like that, I think it’s nice to boost each other.”

Most marketplaces are run by councils who have been their public custodians since Victorian times.

A growing number of local authorities, predominantly based in the North of England, are investing in traditional retail market operations and making them central to town centre plans and regeneration activity.

Nick Russell is the Local Growth Program Manager at East Riding of Yorkshire Council and spoke to GB News at the first Young Traders Market in Beverley. He said: “It’s obviously important, particularly for rural areas, to create employment opportunities, and obviously self-employment and starting your own business is a great way to do that.

“So, any way we can help as the council through our economic development and business support service to encourage younger people to do that and to start their business here in the East Riding is obviously something we would encourage.”

But without customers attending markets, traders, young or old, just wouldn’t exist.

Jenny Wilson often attends both the Wednesday Market and Saturday Market in Beverley and feels that it is important for shoppers to support market stall owners and independent traders.

She said: “I buy my fruit, I like to buy my plants from independent people, I like to see it alive, I want to see people come to Beverley.

“Okay, online has a place, but if we keep going online, we shan’t have any independent traders, we shan’t have this and that would be such a sad thing.

“I also often bump into people I know and enjoy the social side of visiting the market too.”

The winner of the national Young Traders Market competition will be announced in Stratford Upon Avon in August.

For more information on the upcoming regional finals and how to enter or attend, click here – https://www.nmtf.co.uk/campaigns/ytm24/