New campaign stand at the Offenbach weekly market
04.05.2023
The city is using new ideas and campaigns to strengthen Offenbach's popular weekly market. "Fortunately, the weekly market as a green producers' market with goods fresh from the region continues to enjoy great popularity. However, people's shopping habits are changing in all areas. That's why the weekly market is also subject to more and more fluctuations. During the coronavirus pandemic, we started talking to the vendors to see how we could work together to keep the weekly market attractive in the long term. We will continue this contact in the long term. Together, we will keep an eye on the development of our weekly market and react to changes as early as possible," says Mayor Schwenke.
Recently, there have been concerns because the market on Tuesdays has been less busy and less visited than on Fridays and Saturdays for some time. "As a city, we are always ready for people to come to the market at closing time. Many working people only manage to visit our market on Saturdays, but not during the week." However, discussions with market vendors have shown that a later market is hardly feasible for them for practical reasons: "Above all, the fresh goods that make up our producers' market can hardly be kept fresh until the evening, especially not in the hot summer months." There would also be a fear that the character of the market would change to that of a food market: "The weekly market doesn't take place just anywhere, but on Wilhelmsplatz. A food market on Wilhelmsplatz would be competition for the surrounding restaurants. And the success of Wilhelmsplatz lies precisely in the fact that the market and surrounding restaurants complement each other and together make up the special character of a visit to Wilhelmsplatz on market days. We want to strengthen the offerings on and around the square and not create new problems. We will therefore not change market times against the will of those involved because it seems attractive in the short term."
Compared to other cities (for example Wiesbaden and Hanau, where there are only two market days), the city of Offenbach, together with the market vendors, makes it possible to shop at the weekly market on three days. This is a special service that enables customers to buy fresh and regional produce there for the entire week. "It is therefore not entirely surprising that a three-day market is not as popular as a market that only takes place twice," says Schwenke.
Mayor Schwenke also made it clear that he takes the concerns and developments seriously: "None of this is a reason to rest on our laurels." This is why there will be changes, both in the long and short term. Together with the association of market vendors, the city's economic development department has now primarily developed short-term ideas and discussed campaigns: "In recent weeks, we have received suggestions for a revised market concept from many sides, especially from market enthusiasts, which we have discussed in great detail with the market vendors," explains Claudia Grün from the city's economic development department. "I would like to expressly thank the market vendor association for this excellent cooperation," emphasizes Lord Mayor Schwenke.
New activity area "Unterm Schermsche"
As a first measure, a promotional stand called "Unterm Schermsche" will now be set up: There, either the market suppliers themselves or other institutions can advertise their products on a daily or weekly basis and offer further processed products for tasting. It starts on May 9 with the Offenbach Adult Education Center - everything revolves around the spring-fresh theme of "herbs". The "Bowl of the Month" will also be served on May 9 and July 7. From June 13 to 17, strawberry cake from the Kress bakery can be sampled free of charge. "We are also trying out something completely new: the youth art mobile will be making a stop during the summer vacations from July 25 to 29 and again from August 22 to 26. This will allow parents, for example, to shop in peace while the children are busy. We are curious to see whether the offer will be accepted," says Mayor Schwenke. Of course, seasonal occasions are also suitable for special events in the area, such as St. Nicholas Day, Christmas or Easter.
The Lord Mayor also recalls the very successful stamp card campaign at the weekly market, which the city has now implemented for the second time after Corona, this time to compensate for the high inflation. 20,000 vouchers were completely distributed within just a few days at the market. For almost two months, stamps could be collected while shopping and full cards can still be redeemed for bonus vouchers from the marketing association "Offenbach's big heart" at the OF-InfoCenter (Salzgässchen 1) on April 28 and 29.
In addition to these short-term promotions, the concept of the market will also be adapted to changing needs in the longer term. "The real estate department of the Office for Economic Development and Real Estate is now taking a more active role than in the past. It is not enough to simply manage the market, but to make it fit for the future through forward-looking planning. In this way, as has already been done with the new fish stall, a quick changeover is possible and longer downtimes can be prevented or shortened," explains Schwenke. A second fish stand and an organic vegetable stand are also still the goal. "Because there is also a shortage of staff at the market (when market vendors have to stop working due to age, there is often no successor to be found), we have offered to help find new temporary staff for the stall operators through MainArbeit."
The city is also in close contact in order to be able to better meet the special concerns of market vendors - for example in the division of public space between road users and visitors, catering and the market. The market regulations and fee statutes will be revised in the long term. The results of the initiated innovations will be taken into account and it will also be examined whether the market should be merged with the market on Goetheplatz on Thursday afternoons."
The website has now been moved from the previous website of the market suppliers' association to the city's internet portal: www.offenbach.de/wochenmarkt. The city's online editorial team is responsible for the website. New portraits of the market stalls are currently being uploaded one by one to give an impression of the wide range of products and the people behind them and to offer services, such as special recipes with food from the market. The city will also intensify the promotion of the market, for example with posters in the city and region, on buses, through online marketing and radio spots. These marketing measures will be carried out in close cooperation with Offenbach's city marketing company. From the beginning of June, Offenbach's weekly market will also be integrated into the "Soul OF Hessen" city marketing campaign. In the downstream city center campaign, the spokesperson of the market vendor association, Petra Heckelmann, and her husband Bernhard are already presenting themselves as "Part OF nature". "As the changes are dynamic, it is clear that we are not presenting the recipe for ever today. This is precisely why we will remain in constant communication with the market suppliers so that we can always react to changes as quickly as possible. Together, we want to maintain customer and market vendor satisfaction in the long term," concludes Mayor Schwenke.
