It has been almost three months since the closure of Bury's Indoor Market Hall and 27 traders have been finding their feet after being relocated.
A total of 49 stallholders from the site were given an urgent notice to close on Thursday, October 26 after the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in the roof.
Of these, 27 have been relocated, 10 are waiting for relocation into the Mill Gate, two have declined help and 10 traders have opted to find alternatives and return to the indoor market once it reopens.
The council has been helping traders with some financial support and hopes to have the 10 waiting for relocation to be put into a new premise by the end of January.
Of those who have been relocated, several stalls have been busier than ever, while some have had to adapt and others continue to wait for a vacant premise so they can re-build their businesses.
Last week, the barber shop Guyz proudly announced its reopening at the entrance of the closed market hall after remodelling the lobby space.
They waited to be relocated for over two months and during that time took up mobile hairdressing keeping prices the same to support their customers.
However, they did not realise how far some customers lived and they did not profit from the endeavour.
They said: “We were drained and it broke us as if we weren’t already broken enough, but it was nice to see our customers and we got through it.
“Now we have been relocated we are much happier.
“Now we are getting new customers who walk through the Mill Gate.
“I think it is a good opportunity to showcase what is inside the Market Hall.
“Hopefully, once the hall re-opens, we can bring new customers in who never would have seen us if it hadn’t been for this relocation”.
The team also praised the market’s management team adding: “They have been amazing with us and it is easy to point the finger and blame someone but this wasn’t their fault.
“We have had to worry about our business, and they had 49 to worry about so I can’t imagine how stressful this must be for them”.
For many traders, relocation has meant sharing vacant spaces.
Chelsea Noone, who has run CC House of Beauty at the market for five years has moved into the former "Eyes n Brows" shop along with the business, Dolls House.
Both businesses have downsized as Chelsea previously occupied a lot with an upstairs and downstairs. The Doll's House had at least three units with an upstairs and downstairs.
Chelsea said: “It is a squeeze, but we all get along and the customers have got us through this tough time.
“We got the keys just before Christmas, it was the best present we could have asked for.
“Now we are simultaneously doing hair and nails whilst the lot is being redecorated so we can get as back to normal-ish as quickly possible”.
The move has brought many traders even closer together and some traders have been busier in their new spots than inside the market.
Suresh and Bhanu Varma, from Spencer’s Tobacconist, said they worry that some traders will not want to return when the indoor market reopens.
They said: “We don’t know what it will be like when the market reopens, will everyone return or not, some people like it outside so there could be some empty stalls.
“For us, the move has been really hard, but we are adjusting and it is better than not trading at all”.
On their first day of reopening, their business was down 90 percent on what they usually take in a day.
This is now averaging at about 40 percent down.
They said: “We haven’t been able to enjoy Christmas like we usually do but we are slowly getting there.”
The couple has been relocated into the old Sue Ryder shop to create what one trader described as a "mini market".
Christine Green from Bennett's Gifts said after a month of trading in there she has seen an even busier Christmas period than usual.
Fasal Anjum, from Phone Corner, also praised the new location saying he has met many new faces however, not everyone is aware of where they have been moved to.
Many traders say they are hoping to hear an estimate for when they will be moving back.
John Leech, from the Muffin Stall, said he has been operating from their new outdoor location on the market for about five weeks and said customers are still trying to find them.
He said: “I don't think the new locations of stalls have been advertised enough.
"I have lost two days of trading because, unlike the five-day working week at the indoor market, the outdoor stalls only open three days a week."
He described being relocated as feeling like they were “starting the business up again from scratch” despite the stall having been established “around the same time as the hall”.
John added: “We have had a steady flow of customers and Christmas was quite busy but we should get a true reflection of where we are at the end of this month.
“It is harder operating outside, we have to start earlier to receive stock and our storage space is limited but all in all I am grateful we have something.
“We are concentrating on rebuilding the business and hoping we will be back inside soon.”
The council, although not obliged to, has been helping to find traders alternative premises but several are still waiting to be re-located.
Stephen Moloney, owner of the BBQ Barn, said he still has Christmas stock inside the market hall and has had to find jobs for his full-time members of staff.
He said: “I have had to go back to my dad’s old saying, 'don’t worry about things you can do nothing about'.
“We are on our third month of closure now; the Christmas trade has been and gone. I bought all my Christmas products at the end of September and the start of October.
“My holding freezer downstairs inside the market is loaded with Christmas products that I now can't sell but once we open, we can cook them on our stall and sell them that way.
“That food needs liquating into money to re-establish my business bank account which I have had to use to pay my staff.”
Stephen has four members of staff, two full and two part-time working three days a week.
Due to the closure, he found his full-time staff members new positions at a friend's business and says they are happy to return once the stall reopens.
He has continued to pay his part-time staff in full with savings from the business account.
He said: “My staff have looked after me and some have been loyal for almost 20 years, we are a little family.
“I need them so there was no way I was going to cut anyone adrift, especially if I had a few quid in my business bank account.
“I have always saved money and I have used this to pay my part-time staff but the business account is depleted and the money will have run out by the end of January."
When both John and Stephen spoke to the Bury Times they brought up one of our previous articles, published on June 12, 1984.
This outlines that around £10,000 would need to be spent on the roof of the indoor market every five years to keep it watertight.
They said they believe the roof of the market hall has been “neglected” and something could have been done sooner.
In response to this, a spokesperson from the council said that in the last three years, £700,000 has been spent on improving the market hall, including new toilets and three lifts.
Read more: £5 million Market plans anger traders
In response to the article published in 1984, they added that in 1998, £5m was spent on improving the market.
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