Bath’s iconic Christmas Market is to go virtual to ensure its range artists and makers can continue to showcase their products in the all-important festive sales season.
With the traditional Christmas market falling victim to the coronavirus pandemic this year, traders can instead promote themselves on bathchristmasmarket.co.uk.
Visitors to the site will be directed straight to stallholders’ own websites, allowing them to shop from the comfort of their home while knowing they are supporting many of the city’s unique and creative businesses.
The site, which will remain active until Jnauary 1, will feature beautifully crafted homewares, Christmas decorations, personalised gifts, handcrafted jewellery, seasonal food and more.
The market is also a major fundraiser for local charities – bringing in £26,000 last year. So around 30 local charities will also have a listing on site with links to their websites and social channels where donations can be made.
Organised by Visit Bath, the city’s desination market organisation, the Christmas Market has grown since it started 19 years ago to become the biggest shopping event in the South West. This year it was due to take place between November 28 and December 15.
Last year it won the Tourism Event/Festival of the Year category at The South West England Tourism Excellence Awards and in 2017 it was hailed as the UK’s best outdoor event and a benchmark for other cities’ festive markets by the National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA).
Visit Bath took the decision to cancel the market public safety grounds in July.
Visit Bath head of events Mick Heath said: “Cancelling Bath Christmas Market this year was hugely disappointing for our stallholders, many of whom rely on the market for a large proportion of their annual turnover.
“It was therefore extremely important to us to find a way to support them. So we are delighted that we can direct shoppers – from all over the UK and potentially beyond – online to shop from the market’s producers, as well as continue to support a range of local charities.”
Among firms making the switch from physical market to online this year are Lick the Spoon, which is offering handmade chocolates and truffles in plastic-free packaging. Seasonal gourmet chutneys and jams using locally forged produce will be available from Go Wild Preserves and teas from Bath-based The Leafy Tea Company.
Others include homemade traditional Christmas puddings from Plum Duff & Stuff, including vegan and gluten-free varieties, luxurious flapjacks in a range of flavours from Flapjackery, gifts and homewares including hand-poured candles and fine home fragrances from Limelight Bath, hand-forged kitchenware and cooking utensils from Forge Kitchenware, and a range of rustic garden ornaments and decorations from Garden Treasures.
Health and beauty fans will find natural skincare products made using honey and beeswax at Hive Originals, and aromatherapy and organic skincare from Bohoho Aromatherapies while handcrafted glass Christmas tree decorations are available from Robyn Coetzee and a range of Indian-inspired decorations from Bollywood Christmas.
Last week Bath Business News revealed that the city’s tourism, hospitality, retail and cultural organisations had come together to create a series of events in the run-up to Christmas to ensure the local economy stays strong during what will be one of the toughest festive periods for generations.
