The Latest Market Stall and Market Traders News UK

New ideas are on the table

Jun 26, 2012 gomillworker Market News 0

June 26, 2012 Leicester Mercury

Emma is one of 13 fledgling businesses to have won a free stall on Leicester Market for a month as part of its Pitch Up competition.

It is not surprising Bill Adderley, the founder of soft furnishings giant Dunelm, has fond memories of Leicester Market.

It is where 30 years ago Bill and wife Jean launched the business as a stall selling cheap, readymade curtains.

Now Dunelm is worth £1 billion and has made Mr Adderley’s family the richest in the East Midlands.

Earlier this year he told the Mercury: “I loved being on the market. We realised we had a good idea when we got to the market stall in the morning and had people waiting for us.”

Times have changed since Bill and Jean worked at the market and most stallholders can only dream about becoming millionaires.

However, like Mr Adderley, many entrepreneurs will testify a market stall is a great place to test an idea, get instant feedback from customers and build up a name for yourself.