Christmas market vendors, organizers say ‘too many markets’ are hurting business

Beverly Glover has been selling fruitcakes and other confections at holiday markets across Calgary for eight years. 

In that time, the co-owner of Two Old Crows Confections says she’s seen the city’s Christmas market season grow, adding dozens of craft fairs over the years. Some start as early as October.

Now, Glover’s feeling the effects of a seemingly oversaturated market.

She recounts doing well at a market for about five years, then seeing her sales begin to drop. After talking to several other vendors, Glover learned they’d had the same experience. The consensus was: “There’s just too many markets.”

A quick Google search for holiday markets in cities like Calgary or Montreal results in several pages of upcoming events at community centres, malls, retirement centres, churches and more. 

Yvonne Bamlett, an organizer with Calgary’s Springbank Christmas Market for nearly 40 years, says she used to see a new craft fair pop up once in a while, “but now everybody’s in the business it seems.”

“There’s only so much money to be spent on handcrafted things,” she said.

Retail analyst Bruce Winder says the abundance of Christmas markets aligns with a strategy department stores also employ: offering holiday-themed merchandise early in the season to capitalize on a longer spending period.

For some consumers, he said, it can be tiresome.

“There is a risk that the consumer just gets turned off by the whole thing because it’s too much, whether some people get turned off because it’s too early, some people get turned off because it’s just too much of it everywhere they go,” Winder said.

“This year is especially tough because consumers are watching their money a little more based on higher unemployment in Canada and fear of the trade dispute with our southern partners.”

When Melina Serangelo co-founded Collectif Créatif Montréal 11 years ago, her holiday markets were some of just a handful, she said. Now, she’s noticed they’re popping up everywhere in the city.

But Serangelo feels “that the pie is getting bigger, not just sliced thinner.”

“Of course, every time I see another market popping out, I’m like, oh, do we really need another market? But then I honestly think we do, because it really means that people are interested in this.”

Serangelo also emphasized that buying from local vendors means customers are more likely to get unique gifts and spend money that stays within the community. 

Charlene Delisle, CEO of Delisle Marketing and Events, is looking forward to launching a new one-day holiday market on Calgary’s Stephen Avenue next week.

She believes there’s enough time and space for everyone to get in on holiday markets, especially as they tend to be geared toward different customer bases and price points (for both the buyers and sellers).

“I think as long as we don’t oversaturate a certain area, I think we can all do well. But if there’s too many in one quadrant or square mileage, then yes, that might end up being a problem,” she said.

But for avid market shopper Tara Sousa, the abundance of options is proving to be a challenge.

Sousa says she’s found herself sifting through dozens of market listings online to find the right ones to take her family to: markets that are kid-friendly, with activities like a petting zoo or Santa Claus to take pictures with, and accessible enough for her mom to enjoy as well.

She’s also trying to be careful she doesn’t spend too much money before she’s even in the door, as some charge entrance fees.

“It kinda makes it hard to pick and choose when you only have so many weekends and so much money to put into these things,” Sousa said.

Deslise said it’s important to promote a market’s strengths to attract customers, whether that’s free parking or entry, hosting unique vendors, or offering special activities.

Winder said holiday markets are like any consumer product in retail, “unless you see freshness every year and something that’s relevant for that season with new designs and things of that nature, you’ll stop buying.”

Glover of Two Old Crows Confections said despite the bumps in the road, she’s been able to keep up her sales from loyal customers and by expanding her Christmas cheer to markets beyond Calgary.

Cremona, Alta. — population 450 — doesn’t have quite as much competition.