Member Article

Online community for market traders

The success of an online store which shows visitors into a virtual marketplace has led to the launch of the region’s first internet farmers’ market forum. www.marketestalls.com, created a year ago, boasts more than 60 estalls and has just been shortlisted for a North East Business Award for Internet Innovation. Following on from this, www.farmersmarketforum.co.uk has been created to allow the online community – including traders, shoppers and market organisers – to come together to swap advice and information.

Pamela Robson, creator of the forum, said: “Since Market eStalls was launched a year ago I have continuously received questions from traders and shoppers - some of which were quite bizarre. Someone asked me where they could find quail eggs for hatching. “Before the forum, there wasn’t really anywhere you could go for this sort of help.

The website works by allowing sellers to rent a space or ‘eStall’. Each eStall has space for photos, descriptions, background information, and links to their own websites or addresses where buyers can find them in the real world.

Mrs Robson said: “Hopefully now, when I get asked things like ‘do you know anyone who could swap 200 round jam jars for hexagonal ones?’ I can direct them to the forum where someone can answer. I would encourage anyone with an interest in farmers’ markets to have a look and register.”

For more information, visit www.farmersmarketforum.co.uk or email info@marketestalls.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .