Mackem Market Gains Momentum Inside Revamped Sunderland Station

A new weekly market inside Sunderland station is drawing strong footfall, with traders predicting it will become increasingly busy as the year progresses. Those involved say customer response has been encouraging, particularly as awareness of the event continues to grow.

The Mackem Market takes place every Friday within the station concourse, bringing together local sellers offering a wide mix of products. Pop-up stalls feature items ranging from handmade cakes and greeting cards to toys and jewellery, creating a small indoor marketplace for passengers and city centre visitors alike.

The market has followed a major transformation of Sunderland station, which reopened after a multi-million pound redevelopment. The scheme introduced a new waiting area, retail units, public toilets and a ticket office, all housed within a glass-fronted entrance overlooking Market Square. The project was completed in December 2023 and delivered by Sunderland City Council with backing from Network Rail, Nexus, Grand Central and Northern.

Gemma Niles, an event planner who launched the market last year, said:

“It’s a lovely spot. It’s clean, there’s plenty of space and it’s in the town centre, with a lot of through traffic. We love the locals here. We always see the same people, which is nice because you can have a bit of craic. They’re also happy to spend money here. It’s always a bit quiet after Christmas, but it’s starting to pick up and get busy. It’ll be full soon, with 30 traders, and we'll get buskers in to play live music.”

Among the regular traders is Dorothy McQuillan, who runs Cute Cards and sells handmade cards from her stall each week. She said:

“People say the station is an empty shell, but I love it here. The customers are fantastic and I have a lot of the same people coming every week, buying cards months in advance. I look forward to coming here every Friday.”

Ellisha Hastings, who operates Gluten Free Delights, said the station has proved to be a strong location for her business:

“It's a canny place. There's something for everyone. I do really well here and nine times out of 10, I sell out.”

Jill Donnison, who sells costume jewellery, believes the quieter start to the year will give way to a much busier period:

“I love doing it. It's been a bit quiet in January, but we’re going to persevere. I think it will be bustling in the summer. The markets really work around here because there are quality products people can get for a bargain.”

Another trader, Fatemeh Hosseini, sells baked goods inspired by food from her native Iran and said the market is steadily gaining momentum:

“It was hard at the start, as the Friday market was really quiet. But it's picking up, as more people hear about it. I really like coming here. There's a good mix of people and the traders are lovely.”

Despite the positive response to the market, some residents have questioned how the station is being used following the redevelopment, particularly around empty retail units and concerns over anti-social behaviour. Caribe Coffee opened a kiosk inside the station last year, and interest has been shown in all three retail units, with the largest now under offer and a tenant expected to begin fitting out the space in the coming weeks.

Northern has said it is working alongside Northumbria Police, British Transport Police and Sunderland City Council to address anti-social behaviour, and has recently introduced additional security measures.

Councillor Michael Mordey, leader of Sunderland City Council, said:

“We’re pleased to see the market's playing a part in animating the entrance to the train station. Northern Trains is responsible for the dressing and activation of the space, so it’s encouraging to see them bring forward this event, and we know that they are looking at what else can be done to create a warm welcome to Sunderland, and the type of entrance to the city that residents want and deserve.”

Image: Northern