It has been three months since Oldham’s new indoor market opened its doors to customers.
The opening marked a significant change for the town centre, one of many planned as part of the wide-scale regeneration of the town centre.
We went to check out the market three months on from the big reveal.
What do the traders say?
Anton Jaskiewicz, the owner of the Battery Shop, described his first months in the new market as “brilliant”.
Unlike Tommyfield Market, which he said was too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter, the new market is air-conditioned, which has been a blessing during the most recent heatwave.
He said: “We're all happy. Everyone's shopping about, there's always people coming and going. It’s fantastic.”
Mr Jaskiewicz said there’s a real sense of "camaraderie" among the traders on the market, many of whom have worked side-by-side for years in the town centre.
The new market has now turned into a “community hub” for the customers too.
He said there is the occasional grumble from visitors, with some saying that the aisles in between the stalls are too narrow, but as Mr Jaskiewicz says: “You can’t please everybody.”
The veteran stall-holder says that business is going well, but he is concerned about what will happen when the rents are increased.
All the traders in the new market were given their first four months at the market rent-free, but that will soon be coming to an end.
Mr Jaskiewicz said: “At the moment it's busy, but if they charge too much, we're competing with Amazon and everything else these days. Then we'll know better. But at the moment, it's fantastic and I'm happy and I'm loving it.”
James Brierley, the owner of Brierley’s Footwear, is equally as pleased with how the new market has turned out – despite initial trepidation.
He said: “To say how sceptical we all were, thinking how it might work out, I think it's been a really good addition. It's been a good, smart move, really. People are back, customers are happy.
"You know, we get very little negative feedback. You'll always get some negativity because people don't like change, but the majority of people have really enjoyed it.”
He said he has noticed a significant rise in footfall since moving to the new market.
Mr Brierley said: “We're getting people passing through right through the day now, where in the old market by 1pm, 1.30pm in the afternoon people weren't walking up to us, but now it's free‑flowing. Everybody's happy.”
The Land of Nod bed stall has also seen an increase in trade since the move.
Anne Ravey, who was manning the shop for her brother-in-law, said that there are a lot of new customers coming to shop in the market.
She said: “It is a good step forward for Oldham. It has to be a brand new market.
"I mean, there's people coming here from Bury and Rochdale, especially with the stalls, and there's people coming in from other towns.”
Ms Ravey said that the reviews from customers have also been positive.
She added: “I've heard people say it's a lot cleaner. It's more people‑friendly as well, it's not old and draughty. We've got the cafes that attract people and the footfall is really good.
"It's well managed as well. We've got security going around all day, management is visible as well, so any problems, it's sorted. And we’ve got nice clean toilets.”
For 72-year-old Mary Eleftheriou, owner of Mary’s Bedding and Towels, the facilities are definitely an upgrade.
She has spent the last 49 years trading outdoors and this is her first time with an indoor stall.
She said: “Most customers have gone and said they really like it. And it's nice, you know, they're enjoying it. It's a bit like a maze. They're trying to find where they're going to because they're used to the old market. But they're getting there and they're getting used to it.”
Mark Crossley, owner of Crossley’s Fish, worked at Tommyfield Market for 38 years before moving into the new space, which he said has “surpassed expectations”.
He said: “I think a lot of the public are a little bit surprised at what the council have done, what they've given to us, a brand new market.
"And they've delivered, which from past experiences, things have not worked the way people wanted to see.
"The traders have put the effort in as well. The council have put faith in us and they've helped us fit these stalls out, which we're ever so grateful for. So we've got to pay them back and make sure we all do a fantastic job, which all of us are.”
His focus for the future is making sure the new market continues to succeed.
Mr Crossley added: “Trade's up, we're seeing customers that we've not seen for many a year, which is great. They're coming back and they're enjoying it.
“We're all thrilled. Now, we've just got to maintain this level and keep going.”
What do the customers think?
The overwhelming response from the shoppers we spoke to at the market was positive.
Joanna, 62, said: “It’s just the same as it was in the old one, but just a bit smaller. It seems busy enough, that's the main thing, because the old market, no one used to go in."
Stewart Cook, 75, was visiting the Jackson’s, where he was getting trophies engraved from the Whit Friday brass band contests.
His only complaint about the market was the lack of bins in the market, of which he said there are only two, but he praised the overall layout.
He added: “What I do like is, for the older people, there's lifts, so you avoid the steps. Once you're up on that level, you can go across and out onto Spindles. So, it's all on one level, which is a good thing, I think.”
Joan Goulden, who visits the market every week, had just been for lunch at Mum’s Kitchen when we stopped to chat.
The 90-year-old said that she likes the fact that “everything is on hand”, as well as the excellent service she receives from the businesses in the new market.
She said: “I think it's brilliant. Because if they've not got [items] in my size, they'll have them in for the week after, which is great. Not like if you're waiting for Amazon and returning them and all that. I think it's great.”
Ms Goulden is also impressed with the work carried outside the market on Parliament Square.
She said: “It’s really beautiful. They’ve spent some money on it and it's lovely. People can just come and sit and that's nice, isn't it?”
Anna Wollard works in the town centre but was visiting the market for the first time during her lunch break when we spoke to her.
She said: “It was better than I thought it was going to be. I think because [work] had been going on for so long you sort of think it might be a bit lacklustre, but it was good. A lot of people in the office have been and they said it's really good.”
The 27-year-old added: “It seems a lot busier than the old Tommyfield anyway. I think because you can actually go in and you can sit down. Usually a market you just walk through and that's it.
"It's just a shortcut, but I didn't realise there's so many places where you could sit, like cafes. I think it was more than I was expecting.
"I thought it was just going to be Tommyfield but moved down, but it seems to have improved.”
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