Business News
Festive feast: Michael Williamson, Paul Carr and Mark Tate from the Wholesale Market
Background to wholesale markets
Birmingham’s wholesale food markets have a history that stretches back to 1166, when the Lord of the Manor, Peter de Birmingham, was given royal permission to hold a market. The market – or markets, as
“Here in the shop though,
Christmas begins in the spring, when orders are placed for the decorations which give the shop its distinctive festive feel. “By early autumn, the manpower planning is in full swing and recruitment of temporary staff gets underway. This year we will be recruiting 70 extra partners (staff) to help deliver the best Christmas possible to our customers. “The beginning of October
heralds the arrival in store of our Christmas shop, constructed by a team of partners who work through the night to stock the shelves, cubes, racks and plinths ready for opening time the next morning. “One of the most eagerly-
A festive scene at Touchwood featuring a polar bear
awaited moments of Christmas is the launch of our television advert, an event as keenly anticipated by partners as it is by customers, and the excitement felt in branch on launch day is palpable. “Launched on social media first,
then television and then print, the advert’s performance across all media platforms is closely monitored. Not only will a successful advert drive customers into store, it will also deepen customer loyalty by engaging with them in a way that connects at an emotional level. “At the heart of all this activity,
focus and drive are our partners. Whether they’re front or back of house, they play a critical role in delivering the events, the experience and, of course, the sales. “When partners are helping our
customers, the choirs are performing, the events are happening, the sales are building and the shopfloor is buzzing, then you know - that’s the wonder of
Cont’d on page 8... December 2019/January 2020 CHAMBERLINK7
there were eventually a number of them, including a fish market and a cornmarket - continued through the centuries, and were held on the streets of the town. In the 19th Century, the clearance of buildings at the Bull Ring allowed the various markets to come together on the same site, a situation which lasted until 1974, when a new wholesale market complex was created in Pershore Street. This site was then earmarked
for redevelopment by the city council and the traders were given notice to quit in 2010, a situation which earned the former ‘stones and arrows’ from the public and media, according to then council deputy leader Paul Tilsley. Eddie Price, director of Birmingham Wholesale Markets, said the tenants fought the eviction notice for eight years, and eventually persuaded the council to invest £50m in creating a new market in Witton. He said: “It took us two
years to persuade Birmingham City Council (BCC) to invest up to £50m in creating the new market and five years plus to having it designed, developed and opened. “Whilst the process has
been unavoidably on occasions difficult, we have produced a result, through collaboration with BCC, that is a potential 'jewel in the crown' for the city.” Today, the markets is
structured as a joint venture between the council and the Birmingham Wholesale Fresh Produce Association, each of which having a 50 per cent shareholding. BWFPA is advised by
Technolink (UK), who were instrumental in establishing the new site in Witton. The result is the largest
integrated market in the UK, which has a turnover in excess of £275m and supports an estimated 15,000 jobs in the wider economy. The markets receive 13,000 visitors each week and supply approximately 5,000 independent retailers.
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