Mount Maunganui: Mount Mainstreet Urban Market ending on Sunday

The Sunday Mount Maunganui market in the former Phoenix car park in 2013. Photo / Andrew Warner

A long-running Mount Maunganui urban market will end on Sunday, leaving one upset regular stallholder exploring other options to make up for lost income and a shopper stuck with the supermarket.

The Mount Mainstreet Urban Market has been running for more than 15 years and is held every Sunday at Te Papa o Ngā Manu Porotakataka – formerly the Phoenix car park – from 8.30am to 12.30pm.

The Mount Business Association says the market, which has gone by several names over the years, is “no longer viable” in its current form - but there is potential for a new local market to take shape in the future.

Liberty Growers has been selling fresh produce at the Mount Mainstreet Urban Market since 2012.

Debbie Miller told the Bay of Plenty Times her family business, Liberty Growers, had been selling fresh produce at the market almost every Sunday since 2012.

This included lettuce, spinach, rocket, herbs, chillis, cherry tomatoes and homemade pestos.

Miller said she enjoyed seeing “lovely regular customers” who came every Sunday “rain, hail or shine”.

She said the closure was “really sad” and in her view, it had been “hard to keep the market vibrant” after some stallholders moved on.

Miller said the closure would affect the business’ income because it had a double stall during the summer and was “really busy”.

The final Mount Mainstreet Urban Market will be on Sunday.

She already went to the Tauranga Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings and would potentially go to a market in Pāpāmoa.

“We’re just looking at other options.”

She and other stallholders had looked into running the market themselves, but found it involved “too much paperwork”.

This included setting up a not-for-profit company, reporting to the Charities Commission, having a committee with meetings, and getting public liability insurance, she said.

‘No choice’ but to shop at the supermarket

Mount Maunganui resident Marlene Brown, 72, said she had been going to the market most Sundays for 13 years and was “devastated” it was closing.

“I just think it’s sad – it’s a community service, it’s a meeting place, [there’s] often musicians.”

Brown said the market was walking distance from her home and she would use it to “stock up” on fruit, vegetables, herbs, and bread.

After the market closed, she would have “no choice” but to buy her food from the supermarket.

The market is at Te Papa o Ngā Manu Porotakataka in Mount Maunganui. Photo / George Novak

Mount Business Association destination manager Michael Clark confirmed the final Mount Mainstreet Urban Market “in its current form” would be on Sunday.

He said the market’s “status and viability” had been an “ongoing discussion” in the past six months.

The public announcement was made on August 6 with stallholders previously notified.

Clark said factors negatively impacting the market included the feasibility of the weekly event, crossover with other community Sunday markets and losing stallholders.

“Our loyal stallholders have expressed to us that they understand the hard decision we’ve come to. We can’t thank them enough for their dedication to turning up every Sunday with their second-to-none local produce. We wish them the very best.”

Clark said the association’s board and management team would love to see a new Mount Maunganui market take shape when the time was right and there was potential for this to happen in the future.

“It’s just in its current form that it is no longer viable.

“We appreciate that loyal customers are disappointed to hear this announcement. However, we are committed to continuing to put on activations for our community, and initiatives that support our business member community.”

Clark said Mount Mainstreet naturally attracted locals and visitors, but it saw great value in bringing more vibrancy to the area across a myriad of events and promotions.

“We really feel it isn’t goodbye, but see you soon.”

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.