Another failure Thanet should have avoided.

Written by Matt B · first published 05/12/2009

Margate market's organisers failure to understand basic business principles is hurting traders and slowing local regeneration.

In a blog post called "You won't get customers if you don't advertise!!" local craftswoman, Sam, slams the inability of our local civic authorities to even get the basics in place. Come on Margate sort it out and stop being so apathetic she says.

She even lists five separate ways that the market (which I knew nothing about even though I live here) could have raised it's profile and gotten more people to visit. All of them are low effort, low to no cost and quick to do.

She doesn't even touch on the big things (like free parking) or adverts in the paper that might make a significant difference. When I described how How to Revive Margate Museum and Old Town in One Day I foolishly assumed that the organisers would put in the basic due diligence. We are failing here people because the basics are being forgotten.

Perhaps if the likes of Sandy stopped trying to sell as many carpets as they can and try to actually run the town we might get somewhere.

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Public Comments

Jeremy Jacobs wrote:

This is typical Margate so why do insist on using the Thanet moniker?

05/12/2009 11:10:41 AM

Tony Ovenden wrote:

Matt,

Many years ago the Buses use to terminate along the Parade outside the Bank and where the Harbour Cafe is. This led to a footfall of people through the old town with many using the shops in the area. When the bus route changed to Cecil Square this hit the area badly as people no longer had a reason to go there.

05/12/2009 06:10:51 PM

don wrote:

Market WHAT MARKET I aint seen it advertised

06/12/2009 07:25:51 PM

Matt B wrote:

Jeremy, I feel we will have this debate for some time to come. I truly think of myself as being Thanet, Kent not Margate. Additionally we are all so small in size 125,000 people in the whole isle that we are, for better or worse, in it together.

Tony, that says a lot. I didn't know that but it makes perfect sense - thank you for bringing me up to speed.

Don, exactly. I didn't even know it was there.

06/12/2009 09:47:37 PM

Naughty User wrote:

[Naughty IP: 122.168.236.3] Well, it does seems like the basics are being forgotten! But, as said by Tony,things are speeding up a bit.

14/12/2009 01:37:36 PM

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