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Project Go Trade to revolutionise local markets in South of England and North of France

04/12/2017

marche st pierre

Acronym: GO TRADE
Duration: 07/2017 - 03/2021 (45 months)
Total budget: €5,610,267
ERDF: €3,871,074

Basildon Council will lead a new 5.6 million euro project that will support the development of local markets in the South of England and the North of France. The project will create a unique brand of high quality markets that will significantly increase the number of local and tourist visitors to market towns.

High streets, town centres and local market places in both France and the UK have suffered significantly from declining footfall, as shoppers choose to favour online shopping and cheaper foreign alternatives. The project known as GoTrade (Growth of the Visitor Economy through Traditional Markets, Employment and Skills) will look to reverse this trend by combining local offers in 9 markets across France and the UK into a high quality brand of markets, targeted at both local residents and tourist visitors. This brand will be known as ‘GoTrade’.

The GoTrade brand will represent a mark of good quality and diverse local products sold by certified market traders. This certification will ensure market traders offer good customer service and use professional techniques when selling to clients.

The project will trial the markets in several French and UK towns including Great Yarmouth, Basildon and Amiens. The GoTrade markets will aim to attract more than 300,000 new visitors over 3 years.

The project will also offer support to traders by using modern methods of communication to help them market their products and by introducing digital technologies such as ‘click and collect’.

Certified traders will also be given GoTrade passports that will enable them to travel and trade at any of the GoTrade markets in France and the UK.

As well as supporting local traders and attracting local customers, the GoTrade brand will aim to turn market places into a visitor experience for tourists by hosting themed events, helping to attract more visitors and increase their length of stay in market towns.

Sam Terrell, Senior Economic Development Officer at Basildon Council said: ‘Basildon Council is delighted to be leading the GoTrade project, which we’re confident will give a much welcomed boost to our beloved markets across the southern England and northern France. Leading on such a strong and diverse partnership will ensure this unique and exciting project will significantly benefit traders, visitors and the tourism industry in equal measure.’