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‘Plymouth is a poorer city and that should be taken into account’.
The Plymouth Christmas Market is a magical spot in the city for locals and visitors, but some traders have expressed concerns that smaller businesses have been “priced out” this year. The festive attraction will be drawing in the crowds this weekend with Sunday, December 21, being the final trading day for this year’s Christmas market at The Piazza on Armada Way.
As shoppers face the rising cost of living, traders have much to consider already, such as keeping prices affordable, especially at Christmas. At the same time, they need to cover the initial cost of the pitch and other costs and make a profit.
Some Christmas market traders in the city have said fees for a pitch this year are “extortionate” but the operators of the Plymouth Christmas Market have said that they’ve ensured the “pricing is fair”. It’s the first year that new organisers, Market Place, have taken on Plymouth’s festive market and said this December there has been “an additional trading week compared to last year, offering extended opportunities for sales”.
Some local business owners have stated that they “can’t afford” to trade in the city centre’s Christmas market as covering costs is “unaffordable”, especially when selling craft items as opposed to food. One trader with a stall this year said the fees for a pitch were “extortionate”, adding that some “’local traders have been priced out”.
The business owner didn’t want to be named, but they said: “Plymouth is a poorer city and that should be taken into account. As well as the pitch fees there are other costs to manage before we can make a profit.”
But some traders at Plymouth Christmas Market have also said they “were promised” a big wheel, a helter skelter, a Victorian carousel and a Santa’s grotto, but “none of it materialised”. However, a spokesperson for Market Place said “rental levels were agreed in advance of any discussions that took place regarding the potential addition of rides, and were not influenced by them”.
Another vendor said: “The rent increase was nearly 3k (since last year) – and we were promised a big wheel, a helter skelter, a Victorian carousel and a Santa’s grotto. That was key for the rent increase but none of it materialised.”
Plymouth Christmas Market organisers, Market Place, said they were “not able to share commercially sensitive information relating to trader pricing”, but there has been much speculation about it on social media. A spokesperson said: “We are not able to share commercially sensitive information relating to trader pricing. However, we can clarify that figures circulating publicly are often speculative and do not accurately reflect how trader fees are structured.
“In order to make participation as fair and accessible as possible, pitch costs at the market are not fixed at a single rate. Fees vary depending on a number of factors, including the nature of the product offering, the size and type of unit, and operational requirements. For instance, craft vendors are charged at a lower subsidised rate as we understand they may not generate as much trade as food vendors.
“We work closely with traders to ensure pricing is fair and proportionate, and this year’s market also included an additional trading week compared to last year, offering extended opportunities for sales.”
When asked about the rides and attractions, Market Palace added “The procurement of rides or other attractions had no impact on the rents set for the Plymouth Christmas Market. Rental levels were agreed in advance of any discussions that took place regarding the potential addition of rides, and were not influenced by them.
“The rents were determined based on the tendered fee, the additional seven days of trading that did not take place in 2024, and the overall operational overheads required to deliver the market, such as equipment hire, security, and cleansing.”
In the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, Plymouth was ranked 64th “most deprived local authority in England” out of 317 areas.
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