Fewer visitors, aging and competition from the internet: especially for entrepreneurs in the non food there is less and less money to be made on the market. On the market in Heiloo there are also marketers who give up, says Monique Smid on NH Radio. “More and more entrepreneurs decide to stop.”
Monique Smid has a hobby stall on the market and has seen the number of visitors decrease for years. “The turnovers in the non-food sector in particular are declining. We can only partly blame this on corona, because online ordering has been the trend for much longer. It is mainly the elderly who come onto the market. Young people no longer have time for that, because they work during the day. Nowadays we are all dual earners.”
‘Always that internet’
Fewer visitors means less turnover. Many market traders therefore decide to stop, says Smid. But she doesn’t worry about throwing in the towel herself. “I still really enjoy it myself. Because I enjoy doing it so much, I want to stay on the market. Offer people a place to roam where they can go, instead of always that internet.”
Marion Michiels is on the market in Heiloo with watches and jewelry, but she stopped in Hoorn Kersenboogerd and Leeuwarden. She still has two more years to work and she says she can manage that, but she has great concerns about the future of non-food stalls on the market. “We are standing fewer days than before because it is a luxury product and people like to keep their budget. It is simply becoming very difficult to earn a living on the market. I try to make a little more profit with annual fairs and fairs.”
village heart
Nevertheless, the market is still quite busy for a Wednesday morning, notes reporter Samanta de Groot. “It’s also just a morning out for people,” Michiels responds. “Just make a cup of coffee and then get fresh vegetables, fruit, bread and a block of cheese. It would be a great pity if this were to disappear, it gives such a cozy atmosphere. Then it will be just as quiet here as in the shopping streets with all those empty buildings.”
In order to turn the tide, she hopes that younger generations will also realize how important the market is for a city or village. “We must not let the market disappear together and for that it really does not have to become cultural heritage. Young and old should visit the market again.”