There’s another reason to come into Market Drayton on a Friday in the run-up to Christmas.
The Indoor Market is trialling Friday opening, giving shoppers an extra opportunity to browse the stalls – and a good excuse to make a day of Christmas shopping in the town.
Rather than heading to a large shopping centre or doing everything online this year, why not see how much of your Christmas list you can find in Market Drayton?
Start at the Indoor Market, explore the shops around Cheshire Street, High Street, Queen Street and the Buttercross, stop somewhere for lunch and make Christmas shopping feel a little more like a day out.
Start at the Indoor Market
The Friday trial means another opportunity to discover the traders inside Market Drayton’s Indoor Market.
It could be somewhere to find a Christmas present that’s a little different, pick up something for the home or simply discover a trader you haven’t come across before.
And don’t stop when you leave the market.
You’re already right in the centre of Market Drayton, with the rest of the town waiting just outside.
See how much of Christmas you can buy locally
There are plenty of presents to find without leaving Market Drayton.
Browse the town’s independent businesses for gifts, food and drink, clothing, books, homeware, beauty products and all those smaller stocking fillers that can sometimes be the hardest things to find.
There are also familiar names including Boyes and B&M, supermarkets for the Christmas food shop and plenty of charity shops where you never quite know what you’ll discover.
Perhaps set yourself a challenge – how many people can you tick off your Christmas list in one trip to Market Drayton?
Every purchase made locally also means more of your Christmas spending is supporting businesses and traders in and around the town.
Stop for lunch rather than rushing home
Christmas shopping doesn’t have to mean battling through a shopping centre and eating on the run.
Stop for coffee when you arrive, meet somebody for lunch or reward yourself with cake once you’ve made some progress with the shopping list.
Market Drayton has cafés, pubs and other places to eat dotted throughout the centre, so take your time rather than treating the trip as another job to get through.
It also makes Friday a good day to meet a friend – do some Christmas shopping together, have lunch and perhaps discover a few places neither of you has visited before.
Don’t forget Market Drayton’s Christmas food
Christmas isn’t only about presents.
Market Drayton and the surrounding area have a fantastic food heritage, so leave some room in the shopping bags for something to eat too.
Look out for local produce, treats for Christmas, something for the cheeseboard and, naturally, a little Market Drayton gingerbread.
Food and drink can make excellent presents too – particularly for the person who already seems to have everything.
Coming from outside Market Drayton?
Make the Friday Indoor Market your reason to come, but give yourself enough time to explore the rest of the town while you’re here.
There is town-centre parking within a short walk of the shops, as well as bus connections into Market Drayton.
Once you’ve arrived, most of the town centre can easily be explored on foot.
You might come intending to spend an hour at the market and find yourself still here after lunch.
Give Market Drayton a try this Christmas
The Friday Indoor Market is being trialled in the run-up to Christmas, and like any new initiative, people using it will help demonstrate that there is demand.
So this Christmas, perhaps swap one online order or out-of-town shopping trip for a few hours in Market Drayton.
Come to the Indoor Market, explore the independents, call into some of the larger shops, stop for something to eat and see how many Christmas presents you can find along the way.
Make Friday your Market Drayton Christmas shopping day.
And you might discover that the best thing you bring home isn’t something you originally had on your list.
