Vendors split on new changes coming to Covent Garden Market

New hours at a downtown London market are getting mixed reviews among vendors, some of whom say the change is coming at a time when business is already slow.

Starting May 1, the Covent Garden Market will now be closed on Mondays, then open Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"It's really difficult to say if it's good or not because we are a group of people who have to respect each other," said Kleiber's Deli owner Anna Turkiewicz. "Some vendors are not happy about opening late, some are happy with that."

Previously, the market was open seven days a week, on Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Turkiewicz, who has been operating in the market for about 30 years, says the changes will hurt her business, selling hot lunches on weekdays.

"The base of our business is people who work downtown … So for my business to be closed on Monday, it's not really good because I'm going to lose money and I cannot recover the sales on Sunday," she said.

The market put out a survey to the public and conducted focus groups with vendors to decide on the change, said Covent Garden Market manager Amy Shackleton.

Several vendors said they wanted a day off, Shackleton said, and survey responses showed foot traffic was lowest on Monday. Meanwhile, customers said they wanted more time to shop.

"What came back was the need for longer hours in the evening, especially with all the new residents coming in," Shackleton said. "By the time they'd get home from work and they want to come across to get their groceries, get something for dinner or meet a friend, the market would be closed."

Pat Guindon, owner of custom engraving and gift business Guindon Creations, said many of her customers have struggled to pick up their orders before doors close.

"Being open until 7 p.m. is going to be fantastic," she said.

Some vendors told CBC News that these changes are coming at a time when business at the market is already slow, partly due to outdoor construction happening at Market Square near the front entrance of the building.

"People think the market is not opening and we're not operating," said Rafet Sayeth, owner of Market Cafe, which is located near the doors closest to the construction.

It is all necessary structural repair work, said Shackleton, adding Market Square is expected to open again by July 1. The patio areas for the market's restaurants along King Street will not be open until September.

Shackleton said business throughout the market has been good despite construction, and the market has put up additional signs to direct prospective customers.

However, Sayeth said it's not just about sales. He said he's noticed fewer people spending time in the market, pointing to the seating area located right across from his counter.

"If you look at the windows, they're all black. People don't want to sit there, they want to see the view outside," he said. "If they're coming here and they cannot see anything through the windows, they're going to find somewhere else to go."

Some vendors said construction at Market Square also brings questions about what will happen to festivals that take place outside the market in the summertime, which often brings extra foot traffic.

"I noticed that it seems like it's not going to be ready for this summer, so I need to see if I'm going to be moving festivals to other locations," said Pablo Tovar, who has been running events like London Taco Fest and the Colombian Gastronomy Festival at Market Square since 2016.

He said he plans to talk to market staff about using the nearby Market Lane as a backup plan if construction is not complete, but would prefer to use his usual location.

"I love it. It's cozy; it's a big square where people can easily walk around to see all the vendors, and we use the stairs at the main entrance for live music," he said. "It's easy to work with."

Despite all the changes, two vendors at the market are exempt from the later opening hours. Coffee shops Hasbeans and Market Cafe will continue to open at 8 a.m., which was an amendment made after the original announcement about new hours.

"We did have to ask for that because most employees in the downtown area start working between 8 and 9:30 a.m.," said Sayeth. "If we're going to open at 9 a.m., we're going to miss all the employees going to the offices."

People coming to pick up morning coffee will only be able to enter from the Talbot Street entrance, Shackleton said, and the rest of the market will be fenced off for the hour.