Public & Product Liability Insurance

If you're running a stall on a market it is essential that you hold Public & Product Liability Insurance.  This protects you from any liability if, for example, a shopper happens to get injured and for liability associated with the products you're selling. Most markets insist that you have this insurance in place before you start trading. You only need one public liability policy, this will cover you for any market you operate in.  Up to £5m cover for any one occurrence is standard and you should expect to pay an annual premium of around £50.

Markets have one up on the global chains, supermarket giants and big brands.  While many face increasing competition in hard times they offer unique selling points (USPs) to draw in the shoppers.

Many market stalls are long-standing family businesses, with all the experience, attention to detail, dedication to offering value for money and good service that brings. Traders continue to make a living in tough times brought about by the recession, the re-development of town centres and competition from out-of-town malls. Yet loyal customers return because of the unique service they find at the market.

A market's reputation as a safe shopping environment can very quickly be undermined if it is infiltrated by unscrupulous individuals selling counterfeit and other illegal products. Sadly this is a problem for many markets. The sale of fake designer goods has been a major problem across the UK.  It is often linked to organised criminal groups for whom selling counterfeit goods at a market is a relatively risk-free way to make money.

Flintshire council commissioned a report last year looking at ways of improving the fortunes of its town centres. The study concluded that markets in Mold, Holywell, Flint and Connah's Quay were a key feature to town centre redevelopment.