Running a market has always taken heart, but these days, it also takes strategy. From rising costs and growing competition, to higher expectations from stallholders and customers, organisers today face more complexity than ever before.
Markets are more than just trading hubs; they’re vibrant community spaces, launchpads for small businesses, and a cherished part of local life. As markets evolve, many organisers are thoughtfully exploring new ways to manage the growing demands behind the scenes.
In this post, we’re highlighting four common challenges organisers are navigating today, along with a few practical ways to respond, adapt, and continue to thrive:
1. The Pressure of Rising Costs
Rent increases, insurance, staffing, infrastructure, compliance, the cost of running a market is climbing on all fronts. And it’s not just organisers feeling the pinch...stallholders are too, which means price sensitivity today is high.
Instead of compromising on quality, some market organisers are reviewing their internal systems to reduce admin time, track payments more efficiently, and cut hidden costs. Others are exploring hybrid revenue models, from ticketed workshops to featured stallholder promotions.
2. Competition is Everywhere
From boutique events to pop-up shopping centres, and even social media sales, stallholders have more options... and so do customers.
Markets that stand out are the ones that communicate clearly, promote consistently, and offer a seamless experience from application to pack-down. Having digital systems in place to manage communication, payments, and stallholder onboarding can free up time to focus on curation and community, the real competitive edge.
3. Managing Admin Overload
Between endless emails, payment tracking, site maps, compliance checks, and late cancellations, it’s easy to feel like a human spreadsheet.
Organisers who are streamlining with purpose-built software are finding new breathing room, not just for themselves, but for their teams and volunteers. Automating repetitive tasks and keeping everything in one place makes space for better planning, smoother events, and less burnout.
4. Rising Expectations from the Community
Markets are expected to be inclusive, sustainable, family-friendly, well-promoted, well-run, and affordable ...all at once.
While the heart of the market hasn’t changed, the tools and expectations have. Organisers are learning to scale their impact with small but intentional changes: better data to make decisions, clear communication with stallholders, and tech that supports (not overwhelms) the human touch that makes markets so special.
You don’t have to be a big organisation to run a great market - you just need the right support behind you!
At LocalStalls, we’re proud to support market organisers globally with tools that save time, reduce stress, and help markets grow sustainably. If you’re ready to take a fresh look at how your market runs, we’re here to help.