With low start-up and running costs, street trading is a great way to start your own business. Marks and Spencers, Poundland, Superdry and Innocent drinks all started their retail empires from street trading.
Newham has a number of vibrant and diverse indoor and outdoor markets that sell a variety of goods. New traders are always welcome to apply and you do not need to have trading experience. We offer discounts for new traders.
You can find advice and information and real life success stories from market traders at the National Market Traders Federation
They have produced an online brochure with more information, or check out this video.
Trading in Newham Markets
If you wish to trade in a market in Newham, you must have a street market trading licence.
To get a street trading licence, you must be able to provide evidence of your permanent home address, your identity (passport/residency card) & proof of the right to work in the UK. You must also have public liability insurance cover minimum of £5,000,000.
If you want to trade in food, you must have a food hygiene certificate.
Before you apply for a licence
You must check with us whether it is possible to trade at the market of your choice before you apply.
First, you need to contact us by sending our Expression of Interest form to register your interest to trade and to tell us what good or products you would like to trade in.
Our markets, locations, pitch prices and goods and products
Click the links to find out more about these markets, pitch prices and the kind of goods you can trade in before you express your interest below.
- Pilgrim’s Way Market
- Queen’s Market
- Queen’s Sunday Market
- Queens Square Market
- Stratford Indoor Market
- Stratford Outdoor Market
- The Grove Market, Stratford
Pitch allocation once you have your licence
Once you have sent us your expression of interest form, our market inspectors will check whether there is availability at the market you have requested to trade in. If there is an opportunity, you can make an appointment to meet a market inspector and complete your street trading licence application.
On the day a casual trader wishes to trade they must first contact a Market Inspector to check on the availability of pitches. The Market Inspector will allocate a pitch if one is available. This is based on the commodity (goods or products) you sell.
