Bromley's Test Trading Pop-up Market Stall pilot exceeds expectations

Five local businesses. Four weeks. One market stall in the heart of Bromley Charter Market - the results are in from the Test Trading pop-up market stall pilot, and they strongly endorse what happens when entrepreneurs get an affordable, low-risk shot at physical retail.

Found & Favoured Boutique, Canatan Jewellery Art, Ma-Oma Cosmetics, Refresh-Me Massage and Mystillium Designs took turns behind the stall between 16 July and 8 August - trading Thursdays to Saturdays at a subsidised rate. Almost all the traders beat their sales targets outright, with Ma-Oma Cosmetics performing extremely well and picking up a stream of repeat customers and enquiries along the way. Just as importantly, every trader came away confident with sharper merchandising skills, new customer relationships and a real feel for life on the shop floor - much of it learned from watching and swapping tips with each other on the stall.

Despite initial teething issues as anticipated with new traders; the support and encouragement from delivery partners assisted with the successful delivery of the pilot scheme. A big thank you to the London Borough of Bromley's Economic Development Team, the Bromley Markets Team, Start Up Bromley and Your Bromley BID for pulling together at pace and delivering a pilot that's now shaped a strong case for making the test trading stall a permanent fixture at Bromley Charter Market.

Fancy giving it a go yourself? Building on this success, we're planning the next round of market stall opportunities for local entrepreneurs and small businesses. Full details, including dates and how to apply, will follow in September, but if you'd like to register your interest now, get in touch at enquiries@opportunitybromley.com.