The Little Children’s Market has come to Sheffield for the first time after running events across the UK.
The market aims to provide high quality preloved items, such as clothing and toys for babies and children at lower than retail prices.
Founder, Laural Bean, 41, said: “I aim to create a further generation of hopefully not wasteful and conscious buyers respecting the environment, whilst erasing that stigma that people have about pre loved, and that just because it is second hand does not mean its second best.”
She started the business seven years ago when she moved to Cheshire, following her passion for shopping second-hand, and looking out for sales at her local church. When moving to Cheshire, Laural realised they didn’t have stores that sold preloved items, so she decided to create one.
Since then, her business has grown and is now one of the largest baby and children’s markets in the UK. Over 500 people attended the last event at the Concord Sports Centre.
Mrs. Bean said: “There’s a big cost of living crisis occurring right now, throughout the UK which everyone is aware of.
“What we do is offer those families that can’t afford to buy new things an opportunity to buy things that they need at roughly 90% off the original retail price.”
The Little Children’s Market aims to tackle parent’s struggles of consistently having to buy new items as children ‘age out’.
“It gives these families a great way to be able to afford the items that they need that they might not otherwise be able to afford because of having to pay so much more through their mortgage, utilities, groceries; those are just huge expenses.”
Mrs Bean sees the markets as an opportunity for families to purchase good quality items that they need in an affordable way without contributing to waste.
Faye Bagshaw, 22, a pregnant mother preparing for her first born child said: ”I absolutely loved it. Everyone was lovely, things were selling quickly and everything was in clearly good condition which was amazing.
“It was a brilliant event and they did an excellent job at putting it together.”
Adele Haywood, 39, a photographer who ran two stalls, said: “The event was great, we met some really lovely people and I would highly recommend it and will definitely be back.”
Their next event is in West Yorkshire at Rothwell Leisure Centre on the 23d March at 2pm.