Nuneaton

🛍️ A new generation of market traders

The Teenage Market first came to Nuneaton in March 2026 as the first event in Place For Youth’s Warwickshire-wide delivery programme.

Taking place in Nuneaton town centre, the event brought together 18 young people aged between 9 and 17, giving them a free opportunity to trade, perform and connect directly with the public. From handmade crafts and jewellery to 3D prints, football key charms and collectables, the market showcased the creativity, enterprise and confidence of young people from Nuneaton and the wider Warwickshire area.

The event created a lively and welcoming atmosphere, with young traders setting up their stalls in the town centre and engaging with customers throughout the day. It also helped demonstrate the role young people can play in animating public space, bringing new energy to the high street and contributing to the economic vitality of the town centre.

The first Nuneaton Teenage Market was a strong success. Young traders collectively generated more than £1,600 in sales and sold 446 products, with feedback showing that the young people rated the event 4.8 / 5.

🎪 Celebrating 800 years of market tradition

Following the success of the first event, The Teenage Market returned to Nuneaton in June 2026 as part of the Mark It! event, which celebrated 800 years of a market being delivered in the town.

This gave the Teenage Market an especially powerful setting. By placing young people within a celebration of Nuneaton’s long market heritage, the event connected the town’s trading past with its entrepreneurial future. Young people were not just participating in an event; they were becoming part of an 800-year story of markets, enterprise and community in Nuneaton.

The June event gave a platform to 15 young people from Nuneaton and the wider Warwickshire region. Together, they generated £2,200 in income and sold 765 products, showing both the quality of what young people were producing and the strength of public support for youth enterprise.

The event also involved Healthy Futures, which supports health promotion and health education with school-aged children, young people and families in Warwickshire as part of the Warwickshire Child and Family Wellbeing Service. Their involvement helped broaden the event’s impact, linking youth enterprise and town-centre activity with wider wellbeing, prevention and family support.

✨ Confidence, skills and first steps

For many of the young people involved, Nuneaton provided an important first step into trading.

At the March 2026 event, 55% of participants were first-time market traders, making the supportive structure of the event especially important. The Teenage Market removed barriers by offering a free stall, a ready-made town-centre setting and a welcoming environment where young people could test their products without financial risk.

The feedback showed that this approach worked. All young people who took part said they wanted to take part in another Teenage Market, and all said that taking part had improved their confidence.

The March event also showed clear business development outcomes. All participants said their business skills had improved, reflecting the practical learning that happens when young people speak to customers, take payments, manage stock, respond to feedback and learn what people are drawn to.

That impact continued at the June Mark It! event, where all traders taking part again said that their business and confidence had improved as a result of the experience, and all said that they would like to take part in another Teenage Market.

📈 Town-centre impact

Beyond the individual benefits for young traders, the Nuneaton Teenage Market also had a clear positive impact on the town centre.

Footfall data from the March 2026 event showed that visitor dwell time in Nuneaton increased by 5.12% when compared with the Saturday Street Market, with visitors staying for an average of 2 hours and 43 minutes. The event generated 1,247 new visitors and 2,576 returning visitors, producing a total footfall figure of 3,823 people.

This shows how youth-led trading activity can make a meaningful contribution to place. The Teenage Market did not simply support the young traders who took part; it also helped create a more vibrant town-centre environment, encouraged visitors to stay longer and contributed to the wider local economy.

The March event also included a professional stage setup delivered in partnership with Nuneaton BID. Facilitated by Danny Webb, the performance programme brought young local talent into the town centre, helping to draw crowds and encouraging visitors to spend more time enjoying the event.

Together, the trading and performance elements created a strong sense of activity and celebration, showing how The Teenage Market can support town-centre vibrancy as well as youth enterprise.

💡 Young trader stories

The Nuneaton events brought forward a wide range of young entrepreneurs, each using the opportunity to learn, sell and grow.

At the March 2026 event, Bentley, 14, generated £100 in sales and shared that he enjoyed “seeing how many people loved the products I made”. Bradley, 10, made £200 and reflected on how reassuring it was to have people checking in throughout the day, showing the value of strong safeguarding and support.

Emilia, 9, from Nuneaton, used the opportunity to sell her handmade bracelets. She valued the fact that the stall infrastructure was provided free of charge, saying that having a free table and gazebo meant she could use the money she made to buy more materials for her business.

Stan, 13, from Prints By Stan, generated more than £143, while Thomas Brennan, 17, achieved a standout total of £606 through his TradingThomas stall. Thomas brought his collection of football and Pokémon cards to the market, using his knowledge and enthusiasm to connect with visitors of all ages.

The June Mark It! event continued this story of young trader confidence and enthusiasm. Thomas, 20, from Nuneaton, said:

Emma, 17, from Nuneaton, summed up the appetite for more:

🤝 Partnership and place

The success of the Nuneaton Teenage Market has been made possible through strong local partnership working.

The March event was delivered with the support of Warwickshire County Council, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, Nuneaton Business Improvement District and All Communities Matter. Their collaboration helped create a safe, visible and well-supported town-centre event that gave young people the confidence to take part.

The June Mark It! event built on that foundation by placing the Teenage Market within a wider celebration of Nuneaton’s market heritage. This helped reinforce the connection between young people and place, showing that the next generation of traders can play an active role in shaping the future of the town centre.

The involvement of Healthy Futures also added an important wellbeing dimension, helping connect enterprise, creativity, health promotion and family support within one public-facing event.

🚀 Looking ahead

The Nuneaton Teenage Market has quickly demonstrated the value of giving young people a free, visible and supportive platform in the heart of the town centre.

Across two events, young traders generated more than £3,800 in income, sold more than 1,200 products and reported clear improvements in confidence and business skills. Just as importantly, they felt welcomed, supported and connected to their local community.

Nuneaton’s story is especially powerful because of its market heritage. By bringing young people into the town centre as traders, makers, performers and entrepreneurs, The Teenage Market has helped connect 800 years of market tradition with the next generation of local enterprise. With all traders saying they would like to take part again, Nuneaton has a strong opportunity to continue developing The Teenage Market as a regular platform for youth enterprise, confidence-building and creative placemaking.