Not all traders happy about Mabru's earlier opening

The director of the early morning market, Mabru, in Brussels, Belgium, decided to open its doors an hour earlier on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, starting in March. The market will open at midnight instead of one o’clock in the morning. It appears as if this has not been communicated to all traders. AGF.nl asked Frank Valckenier, Wim Vandepoel and Gerrit de Vlieger.

“Goodness knows who made this decision! I do not think it makes any sense. We are not going to sell more than we already do because of this. The major disadvantage is actually that it will cost us money,” says Frank Valckenier, business manager from Valckenier.

Frank gives us an example: “Imagine one worker working for 20 hours cost price. A quick calculation shows us that for 3 market days x 52 weeks, it equals 3,120 euro more per year for one employee to work one hour longer. After all, we are traders who earn their bacon with cents. Great decision,” he sarcastically indicates. “I think the market should be open from three in the morning until eight or nine in the morning from 1 November to 1 April. During those hours, everyone will have a bit of work, and they will not spend even one hour not selling anything, because that also costs a lot of money.”

“The decision to open the early morning market one hour earlier was made without the knowledge of most of the traders,” Frank says. “There were neither questions nor communication about it. When I now arrive at midnight, customers who got entry badges through backdoors are already walking in, what will happen in future? I think these customers will also be walking around for me when I arrive at 11 in the evening from 1 March. I completely agree with them opening an hour earlier, but they should then also implement a closing hour, and that should be the same for everyone. Mabru has regulations, but they are different for everyone, it is starting to turn into one big farce.”

Wim indicates that the director indeed made this decision without consultation, but that it does not make much difference for their company. “I think it is all right, we are already there then anyway. Our staff is usually present at 11 o’clock to ready orders before the sales at the market start.” He understands why the director chose to open an hour earlier. “It regularly happens that catering companies or shopkeepers are waiting for an hour before the doors open. Now they can do their purchasing immediately after they close shop. We are happy customers still come to the market personally, and it is therefore good to meet them halfway.” Flowers, meat and fresh produce are sold at Mabru. “There are three different sectors here, and traders who all have different opinions. The director therefore has to take into account many different people when making such a decision.” Mabru is the only early morning market in Europe that opens this early. “In the past, 15 or 20 years ago, we opened at four in the morning. That became earlier and earlier over the years. And now it is at midnight. It would actually be even better to open in the evening. Especially Friday evening would be interesting, we would be able to stop earlier as well. We now already close our doors earlier on certain days. We are not going to stand around when there are no customers.”

Trader Gerrit de Vlieger from Vrijders was also not personally asked about it by the director. According to him, every salesman adapts to their customers. “I am personally open every day of the week. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday from three o’clock, and on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from midnight as of now. I would personally choose one day less for the market. Saturdays, for example, is now just a day for when someone has problems because of shortages. Nothing is open anywhere in Europe on Saturday morning, just the Mabru. If we were to close on Saturdays, everyone would have a nice weekend, and the other five days would be filled up better.”