Vendors split on new changes coming to Covent Garden Market

Kendra Seguin · CBC

· Posted: Apr 30, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

New hours astatine a downtown London marketplace are getting mixed reviews among vendors, immoderate of whom accidental the alteration is coming astatine a clip erstwhile concern is already slow.

Starting May 1, the Covent Garden Market volition present beryllium closed connected Mondays, past unfastened Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and connected Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

"It's truly hard to accidental if it's bully oregon not due to the fact that we are a radical of radical who person to respect each other," said Kleiber's Deli proprietor Anna Turkiewicz. "Some vendors are not blessed astir opening late, immoderate are blessed with that."

Previously, the marketplace was unfastened 7 days a week, connected Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and connected Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Turkiewicz, who has been operating successful the marketplace for astir 30 years, says the changes volition wounded her business, selling blistery lunches connected weekdays.

"The basal of our concern is radical who enactment downtown … So for my concern to beryllium closed connected Monday, it's not truly bully due to the fact that I'm going to suffer wealth and I cannot retrieve the income connected Sunday," she said.

The marketplace enactment retired a survey to the nationalist and conducted absorption groups with vendors to determine connected the change, said Covent Garden Market manager Amy Shackleton.

Several vendors said they wanted a time off, Shackleton said, and survey responses showed ft postulation was lowest connected Monday. Meanwhile, customers said they wanted much clip to shop.

"What came backmost was the request for longer hours successful the evening, particularly with each the caller residents coming in," Shackleton said. "By the clip they'd get location from enactment and they privation to travel crossed to get their groceries, get thing for meal oregon conscionable a friend, the marketplace would beryllium closed."

Pat Guindon, proprietor of customized engraving and acquisition concern Guindon Creations, said galore of her customers person struggled to prime up their orders earlier doors close.

"Being unfastened until 7 p.m. is going to beryllium fantastic," she said. 

Construction slowing down business

Some vendors told CBC News that these changes are coming astatine a clip erstwhile concern astatine the marketplace is already slow, partially owed to outdoor operation happening astatine Market Square adjacent the beforehand entranceway of the building.

"People deliberation the marketplace is not opening and we're not operating," said Rafet Sayeth, proprietor of Market Cafe, which is located adjacent the doors closest to the construction.

It is each indispensable structural repair work, said Shackleton, adding Market Square is expected to unfastened again by July 1. The patio areas for the market's restaurants on King Street volition not beryllium unfastened until September. 

Shackleton said concern passim the marketplace has been bully contempt construction, and the marketplace has enactment up further signs to nonstop prospective customers. 

However, Sayeth said it's not conscionable astir sales. He said he's noticed less radical spending clip successful the market, pointing to the seating country located close crossed from his counter.

"If you look astatine the windows, they're each black. People don't privation to beryllium there, they privation to spot the presumption outside," helium said. "If they're coming present and they cannot spot thing done the windows, they're going to find determination other to go."

Some vendors said operation astatine Market Square besides brings questions astir what volition hap to festivals that instrumentality spot extracurricular the marketplace successful the summertime, which often brings extra ft traffic. 

"I noticed that it seems similar it's not going to beryllium acceptable for this summer, truthful I request to spot if I'm going to beryllium moving festivals to different locations," said Pablo Tovar, who has been moving events similar London Taco Fest and the Colombian Gastronomy Festival astatine Market Square since 2016. 

He said helium plans to speech to marketplace unit astir utilizing the adjacent Market Lane arsenic a backup program if operation is not complete, but would similar to usage his accustomed location.

"I emotion it. It's cozy; it's a large quadrate wherever radical tin easy locomotion astir to spot each the vendors, and we usage the stairs astatine the main entranceway for unrecorded music," helium said. "It's casual to enactment with."

Coffee shops volition support 8 a.m. opening

Despite each the changes, 2 vendors astatine the marketplace are exempt from the aboriginal opening hours. Coffee shops Hasbeans and Market Cafe volition proceed to unfastened astatine 8 a.m., which was an amendment made aft the archetypal announcement astir caller hours.

"We did person to inquire for that due to the fact that astir employees successful the downtown country commencement moving betwixt 8 and 9:30 a.m.," said Sayeth. "If we're going to unfastened astatine 9 a.m., we're going to miss each the employees going to the offices."

People coming to prime up greeting java volition lone beryllium capable to participate from the Talbot Street entrance, Shackleton said, and the remainder of the marketplace volition beryllium fenced disconnected for the hour.