Avenue Market 2015
Image Credit: Downtown Vernon Association
November 24, 2015 - 8:00 PM
VERNON - Vernon has some hard data on how downtown merchants feel about the summertime Avenue Market, and while it's not all good there is support to keep the market going.
Survey results show businesses have mixed feelings about the market, which runs on Friday evenings on 30 Avenue during the summer. Of 143 surveys sent out, 55 or 38.5 per cent were returned, and they highlight a range of opinions.
According to the survey, a majority of businesses that responded don’t even participate in the market. Forty businesses said they do not participate, while 10 always do and five do sometimes.
Those that do participate typically said they do so to bring people downtown and to promote knowledge of their business. Reasons businesses did not participate included not being open during market hours, not having enough staff to stay open, and not having appropriate merchandise to make use of the market.
Still, a majority of businesses want to see the market carry on in some fashion. Of the respondents, 23 said they want to see the market continue in 2016, 11 said they want it to continue with certain changes, seven said they do not want to see it continue and three had no opinion.
Holding the market on the weekend or moving it off 30 Avenue were some of the changes suggested.
The city will share the results with the Downtown Vernon Association and consider the responses before endorsing the market in 2016.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015