Red Brick Markets are designed to be a hub for local small businesses, filled with a range of vintage traders, vinyl records, artwork, and jewellery makers, and are coming to Sheffield.
They describe themselves as ‘the best independent shopping experience’ and aim to make available many alternative products to those generally found on the high street.
Christopher Day, owner of Red Brick Markets, said: “Our other two sites have evolved into quite a close knit community, and we want the markets to become safe spaces for the local alternative crowd. The queer community seems to be a big customer base at both the other sites, and as a queer owned business, it’s very satisfying to see.
“I like to say that basically all the alternative community are welcome here because it’s an alternative shopping space that you don’t find everywhere”.
“Students also tend to be our main customers in terms of the vintage market, so obviously as a highly populated student area, Sheffield was a good choice for our next site.”
At capacity, the markets can house 150 small businesses from around Sheffield, and the markets already have about 50 tenants keen to move in.
This includes many popular stalls from the Liverpool and Birmingham sites, including Second City Comics selling comic books, and Music is the Answer selling second hand vinyl.
Other businesses selling handmade spiritual treasures and fine jewellery will also have stalls at the Sheffield site.
Christopher said the markets were originally born out of a need for people wanting reasonably priced, flexible retail spaces.
“I used to have a shop and found that the extortionate rent was the reason it didn’t quite work, hence why we set up the first markets in Liverpool just under 9 years ago.
“It’s a space for any small businesses who maybe don’t have the time to commit to a full time space, or just haven’t had the resources to expand. We provide a short term lease at a lower rent than would normally be expected on the high street”.
The indoor market will be opening on 18 March, 2024 at 10am, opposite Bramall Lane Stadium, with plans for the building to be wrapped in graffiti and a proper launch event to be arranged in April.