Derry Traders Celebrate Success of New Christmas Market
Traders at a newly launched Christmas market in Londonderry have highlighted its importance, along with similar events, in supporting the growth and sustainability of small businesses in the area.
The first-ever Cathedral Quarter Christmas Market has transformed Pump Street and London Street with a collection of wooden cabins hosting local vendors.
Around 15 traders, offering a range of products from scented candles to vintage fashion, are hoping for strong footfall during the four-day event. They also aim to inspire more people to shop locally as the countdown to Christmas continues.
Elaine Duffy, owner of Vintage Star fashion, played a key role alongside other local traders in bringing the Christmas market vision to life.
"This was one of our key ideas as traders to encourage more people to come back to the streets here," Ms. Duffy explained.
"I've lived in several European cities, like Amsterdam, where markets like this are common and play a significant role in supporting local businesses."
She noted that the area hosting the market has been "neglected quite a lot over the years."
"It's about inspiring people, including our own Derry community, to be tourists in their own city—stepping out of the shopping centres occasionally to support local, home-grown businesses that are the backbone of this town."
Ms. Duffy expressed hope that the market will become a regular feature, not just for Christmas, but throughout the year.
Jenna McCusker, owner of the Derry-based business House of Scents, emphasized the importance of Christmas markets for small businesses.
"The first day has been fantastic so far," she told BBC News NI.
"If Belfast can attract large crowds with their Christmas market, there's no reason we can't achieve the same here, especially if this event continues to grow."
Jenna expressed satisfaction with the turnout, saying, "We’ve been really pleased with the crowds so far—though it’s absolutely freezing, but that’s just part of the season!"
Noel O'Hagan and Ellie Hill, from Mena's Wood Fired Pizzas food truck, said they were ready to serve plenty of hungry customers during the market.
"Today has mostly been a setup day for us, but we’ve already had quite a few customers coming by," Mr. O'Hagan shared.
"Everything's been going smoothly so far, and we’ve been checking out what the other traders are offering—some of them have already been eyeing up the pizzas! I’ve even had business owners bartering their products for pizzas."
Selina, from Syenna Hair and Beauty salon, expressed hope that the market would bring "knock-on business" to the nearby shops.
"This is all about boosting trade in this part of the city," she said.
"Sometimes we feel a bit forgotten here, so it’s amazing to see so many people out on the streets. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much footfall before. We should always be encouraging people to shop locally and support businesses here."
Denise McGilligan, co-owner of Cloud Wine with her daughter Anne, is showcasing coolers and tumblers from their log cabin at the market.
"We typically sell most of our products online, but today we’re out here in the log cabins, hoping to introduce our products to some wonderful people," she said.
"The Christmas atmosphere here is fantastic, and I’ve been blown away by how amazing everything looks."
Denise added that the market is a great opportunity to build brand awareness. "So many people I’ve spoken to hadn’t heard of our business before, so it’s wonderful to get our name out there. It’s also been lovely chatting with other business owners."
Looking ahead to the busy days at the market, she said they’ll need to stay on their toes. "Even though we’re working long hours from morning till night, it won’t dampen our Christmas spirit!"
Annie Buchanan from Whitefield Farm is selling wreaths and trees at her stall.
"These trees are part of a forestry thinning operation, so the ones we have here are the ones we had to cut down to allow other trees to grow," she explained.
"We’re hoping to find these trees a lovely home for Christmas."
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