Pop-up markets boost home-grown business

From candles to rings, hand engraved glass to hand-stiched rugs - women in the UAE with a creative edge are now taking advantage of the pop-up market trend across the country.

Weekly bazaars at malls or monthly extravaganzas in parks, pop-up markets are everywhere and offer a legitimate platform for home businesses that are too small to apply for an operating license. Even those that do have small shops prefer to take advantage of the clientele these markets have to offer.

“I would say 20-30 per cent of the small and medium businesses that participate in the Ripe Market are mumpreneurs,” Becky Balderstone, founder of the market, told Gulf News.

“I think many women, including myself, are looking to launch a business that allows them to have the flexibility of working and raising their family. We are often given feedback that the markets have been a great communications platform to drive awareness for people’s business and also offers them a retail outlet to sell without having to commit to large retail overheads,” she said.