When silversmith Alex Healy was planning her return to work after maternity leave, the first date she hoped to add to her diary was Liverpool's Christmas market - an event where she had sold jewellery since 2021. But this year, due to a change in operator and a rise in costs, Alex said she would be spending her first winter in five years without a stall, feeling 'priced out' of the festive fun.

The new operator, Underbelly - a global events company that already runs two Christmas events in central London - has taken over the market at St George's Hall, and Alex says the cost of running a stall has doubled. She paid £6,780 including VAT and electricity last year for a chalet over the six-week market; this year, the total cost has risen to just under £14,000 before additional charges. And the new contract adds insult to injury: traders will be expected to pay extra for water, grey waste, chiller and storage space, and energy supply.

Alex, 37, who runs Pare de Bijoux, said the market had been a 'really great place to be' for the past five years, with traders forming 'a community, family feel'. Now, she says, 'I feel like Liverpool council have just treated us not even as a second thought really.' The market usually provides 80% of her Christmas income, and she fears her business might not survive without it.

Liverpool City Council, which awarded the tender to Underbelly, defended the move, saying the markets offer a 'cost-effective way for traders to showcase and sell their products'. It added that the new operator would manage trader arrangements independently. Underbelly, meanwhile, has been asked for comment but didn't respond to the specific concerns - though co-founder Ed Bartlam did promise 'a new seasonal highlight' with an outdoor ice-skating experience called 'Skate St George's'.

The council also noted that the markets attract more than 500,000 visitors each year, delivering 'a significant economic boost to the city'. Because nothing says 'economic boost' like pricing out the small traders who made the market charming in the first place.