Hillfox flea market shuts down after two decades

Shopaholics who enjoyed shopping for less at the Hillfox Flea Market will this year have to find an alternative shopping destination during weekends and on public holidays, following the permanent shutdown of the market after two decades of servicing the community.

The B&B Market Hillfox general manager Beauty Vanashiya told Roodepoort Northsider that they were given an instruction by the landlord to shut down operations after the market management had failed to keep up the rent payments.

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The market last operated on 24 December according to Beauty, who attributed the closure to a decrease in the number of stalls and traders failing to pay their rent on time.

“We leased from Hillfox Value Centre and were given an instruction by the owner to shut down operations in December,” she confirmed.

“We didn’t have enough stalls and traders were not paying the market, which made it difficult for us to pay the landlord.”

This once busy and famous market which housed at least 300 stalls that sold crafts and food and provided entertainment the past 20 years started experiencing serious woes last year, after the vendors voiced their concerns over the lack of feet fall and attraction, which resulted in their failure to make a profit.

The vendors blamed management for managing the market poorly, citing the lack of advertising and disregarding their concerns.

In response to the allegations, Beauty accused the vendors of being selfish, saying that they only looked out for their pockets. “Paying for advertising and entertainment was pointless because the traders only wanted to receive without giving back. They wanted to make money but didn’t want to pay,” she said.

The shutdown also sparked different opinions on social media.

Beauty went on to say they gave what the traders and consumers wanted. “People were very quick to go to the media to talk about poor management and to say that the market wasn’t worth it and they would never visit it. But now that we’ve given them what they wanted, I don’t understand why there is an outcry online,” she criticised.

It is unclear how the centre will utilise the now vacant space.

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