Why I love doing markets…

I’m sure anyone who follows Sorrell Jewels on Instagram knows that I am a bit obsessed with taking part in Markets, Pop Ups and events all over London. This month it has been exactly 12 months since my first market and I wanted to share with you guys some of my experiences, why I love doing them and things I’ve learnt along the way.

Starting from the beginning, my first ever market was with @asouthlondonmakersmarket in Crystal Palace in October 2021. Straight away, I caught the bug and since have made markets a big priority for Sorrell Jewels. Since then, I’ve taken part in 24 markets and Pop ups across London, and many more are coming very soon.

I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in some amazing events run by fantastic people and I’ve also had a few dodgy experiences, which is just part of the journey. It has all been a huge learning curve, but it has helped my business grow, develop and continue to expand!

Some of my highlights include taking part in the amazing Hackney Pop Up run by the West Carolina store. During this year I’ve been invited to take part in three of their week long in-store pop ups. What makes these extra special is the amazing launch parties to celebrate the start of each Pop Up. The West Carolina girls know how to throw a party, with music, drinks and best of all lots of fantastic colourful small businesses to shop from.

Another highlight has to be the Wild Thing & Co Pop Up in Bristol. As my first event outside of London, I wasn’t sure what to expect but the amazing selection of brands with lots of sequins and sparkles was of course a massive success. I was fortunate enough to be able to head to Bristol and check it out. Seeing Sorrell Jewels rings sitting alongside all of the beautiful brands and the festival themed shop fit was a dream come true.

There are so many reasons I love taking part in markets and in-person events. They are such an exciting opportunity, from meeting new customers, chatting with other small business owners and drinking lots of coffee it is always so much fun.

In all honesty I didn’t think my health would allow me to manage doing events so frequently, but I love it so much that my body pushes through and having the day after off always helps me to get back on track. During my time at events, I’ve had the opportunity to speak to so many amazing other small businesses owners. Being able to compare, share advice and giggle at the things that can go wrong has been so validating for me. Knowing others are going through similar experiences and making friends just as passionate as you creates a great sense of community.

This community is so important when I am running Sorrell Jewels from home. Most days I am working alone, and apart from a few meetings, I spend most of my time alone. Coming to in-person events and speaking to my customers face to face always gives me a boost of positivity and a refreshed motivation to keep moving forward.

Market days offer Sorrell Jewels customers a more special and personalised shopping experience. Buying jewellery is such an emotional decision, being able to hold, feel and try a ring on is so different to shopping online. Being able to shop in real life allows you to let your eyes and instincts guide you towards an item, like searching through and finding the perfect piece of vintage treasure! Being able to fully experience the ring by picking it up, trying it and then finding the perfect fit.

As I’m not a fan of mornings myself, I’m selective about the markets I do, with the earliest start being 10am (which is a stretch even in itself). This means you can head out when you want, head to a market, then mooch, browse, peruse, sample and most importantly try on lots of rings, all at your own pace. When you shop with me in person, there are lots of benefits.

You get to see new stock before it goes online, you can try on as many rings as you want, grab yourself a free ring sizer, and I will happily talk to you about jewellery for hours. Market days are always great for people watching, from seeing what other traders are up to, families spending time together and kids running around, days like this are a really crucial and fun part of my job. 

I’m always astounded by the other small businesses I come across. From artists, bakers, candle makers and jewellery, the talent and product on offer is often impossible to resist. Being able to check out and shop from an array of fantastic small businesses is inspiring. It's also really important to me to be able to put money back into supporting other brands and shopping sustainably. 

Now that I’ve taken part in a fair few events, it’s fair to say that I’ve learnt a lot. One important thing is not seeing market days as purely financial events, as you can never rely on sales and there are so many more positives to take away.

Having a positive mind set at events is such a crucial thing to making a market day successful. Even if sales aren’t through the roof, it’s the conversations and relationships that can flourish that are so exciting. The amount of amazing, kind and warm people I have met is what makes taking part in markets amazing and I CAN’T WAIT to take part in even more.

I have a lot of big dreams and hopes for the future of Sorrell Jewels, and continuing to take part in lots of markets and pop ups is a very big part of that. I would love to be involved in events outside of London and Pop Up in other cities over the next year. After learning so much in the past 12 months, I can’t imagine where I might be next year and I’m looking forward to continuing to meet all my customers in person. 

You can keep up with all the Sorrell Jewels events by heading to the markets page to find out when, where and how you can come down and check out Sorrell Jewels in person! I can’t wait to meet each and everyone of you.