The ByWard Market’s new Vendor Village is meant to bring more local makers into the retail district, but some vendors say its early success depends on whether shoppers can find it.
The village, launched in mid-May, was created by the ByWard Market District Authority as a curated outdoor vendor area featuring local goods, including crafts, clothing, food, flowers and gifts. The authority has said the initative is part of a broader effort to animate public space and support local businesses in the market.
For vendors already set up in the area, the early response has been mixed.
Roxanne Delage, owner of RaggedTs, said she has been selling in the ByWard Market for eight years. Also a singer-songwriter, Delage said her T-shirt business grew out of her music career.
“I started making the guitar T-shirts for my gigs, and they were very popular, so I’ve made a business out of it. And the market moved us here this year as a pilot project,” said Delage.
Still, she said the new setup has not yet brought a noticeable increase in foot traffic. The village is set along George Street, a busy downtown stretch of road shared by pedestrians, buses and nearby restaurants. It’s early in the season, she said, adding she thinks the bustle and noise in the area have affected business.
That challenge of getting people to the booths was also on Vivian Taylor’s mind.
Taylor, who was working at Adorit Boutique, said business has been “OK” so far, but the new location may take time for visitors to get used to.
Adorit, billed as “stylish sustainable fashion,” sells customizable jewelry, including bracelets and necklaces made with charms selected by customers. The booth also carries clothing made from sustainable materials, with most made in Canada.
Taylor said she has noticed more people walking through the area but added that many visitors still do not know the new Vendor Village is there.
“People are trying to get used to having to walk this way,” she said. “I think it’s taking a little bit of time for people to warm up.”
A shopper passing by echoed that concern, saying they had not realized the new retail offering was there until they walked toward the booths.
Taylor said better signage and promotion could help draw more shoppers, especially for those who may remember vendors being located elsewhere in previous years.
Noise from construction and idling buses has also created challenges, she said.
George Street, where the village is located, is busy with tourist buses and construction on a parking garage directly across from the village has added to noise and traffic congestion.
“A lot of the time, when it’s louder, it’s really hard to hear customers, and for them to hear me,” Taylor said.
For vendors Alex and Carol, whose business is called WishIn Bloom, the challenge was also getting people to stop by. The couple sells handmade gifts and accessories for different occasions.
Their booth is part of Immigrant Entrepreneur Canada, an organization that supports and trains business owners who recently came to this country. Through the IEC, different vendors are expected to rotate through the space each week.
On their first day, Carol said business was “very, very, very, very slow.” Her husband, Alex, said he hoped the area would get busier later in the day and over the weekend, when more people were off work and the weather was better.
But he said the village still felt somewhat isolated from the rest of the market.
“People don’t know about it, they won’t come in,” Alex said.
Despite the slow start, vendors said they were hopeful the village could gain momentum as the season continues.
I say bring back the old fruit and vegetable stands. I lived in the market for 7 years and that was a huge draw. It was colourful and picturesque. The vibe was amazing…especially when the harvest came in. Now, there’s no life to that area. Farmers markets are more popular than ever. That was a huge mistake!!!!! Bring it back and redeem yourself!