Tourists provide boost to trade at Victorian Market in Inverness
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More businesses are open again at the Victorian Market in Inverness as the site undergoes a phased reopening following the coronavirus lockdown.
The historic market is currently enjoying 100 per cent occupancy, excluding the Market Hall which is set to undergo redevelopment.
Victorian Market manager Jo Murray said things were looking up for businesses at the market which relies on tourist trade, as more visitors were starting to return to the centre.
She said: “A lot of the shops are reliant on the tourist trade and we are now seeing tourists coming into the market.”
She said that a lot of the visitors were enjoying a staycation in the Highlands and Mrs Murray said she was optimistic for the weeks which lay ahead because small businesses had shown they could adapt and change quickly by offering what local residents wanted too.
Some food businesses had started offering a takeaway service during the lockdown which had proved successful and many were continuing that now.
The centre reopened from July 13 and Mrs Murray said things were looking good after a tentative start.
She said: “The first week was good because we had a lot of our local customers who popped in because they wanted to have a cup of coffee. Things are now picking up again.”
She said that there had been an increase in numbers after the first week and that shoppers were getting used to the new safety measures.
She added: “The public have been really good in sticking to the rules and following the guidance – they are using hand sanitiser and we are encouraging masks.”
She said that some of the shops at the market were also offering free masks to customers who needed them.
More shoppers are heading to the market, which has operated in the city since the 1870s, as things return to some sense of normality, and Mrs Murray added: “I am looking forward to starting to redevelop the Market Hall which was approved in November 2019.”
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