Saint John City Market deals with less customer traffic amid pandemic

HALIFAX — Many businesses hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic are located in city centres throughout the Maritimes. With regular customer numbers not yet returned to pre-pandemic figures, many companies remain in the battle to stay afloat – businesses such as the venerable Saint John City Market.

For Linda Cooke, an artist and one Saint John City Market’s veteran vendors, business tends to come in spurts. On Wednesday, she was fortunate to have two sales within the span of a couple of minutes.

"Those are local people who very graciously want to support me,” says Cooke. “It's very sweet of my locals to do that."

Market vendor, Tabraze Sheikh’s food business has been in operation at the market for about a year. He notes he’s remaining positive in the face of COVID-19-related challenges.

"I'd love to see more people walking through,” says Sheikh. “It's actually a joy to see people's faces as they walk through the city market."

Ordinarily, there would be cruise ship passengers and other tourists flocking to the market on a July day – but not summer 2020.

Saint John City Market reopened in May; however, since then, foot traffic has been slow to recover. The slowdown can be attributed to many uptown office workers, who would normally patron the market, still working from home.

"The challenge we're faced with now, is that there is a huge population and a huge segment of the office workers who are not working in their offices,” says Saint John councillor, David Hickey. “That means they're at home, and their eating habits and spending habits aren't the same."

Hickey is encouraged by new businesses in the market, as well as upcoming renovations – but he's troubled by stalls that have not been filled. "The obvious need is the eyesore of the empty former Balemans [Produce]," says Hickey.

And vendors agree.

“The more, the merrier,” says Cooke. “And the more we have to offer, naturally, the better."

"We'd like to see a little bit more of a rush in the city market,” says Sheikh. “But, you have to deal with the cards you're dealt."

Meanwhile, the market is not alone in being dealt a tough hand as so many businesses in uptown areas around the Maritimes await the return of their regular customers.