One of the postulates of a market economy is that demand creates supply. This offer is expressed not only in the assortment of goods that is offered in a variety of stores, but also in markets, the popularity of which is due to many reasons.
Reason 1. Offered assortment
Often, in many markets in our country, you can find those goods that are simply not in stores. For example, it can be rural products: milk, dairy products, some ready-made meals like pickled vegetables and, of course, fruits and vegetables that were unlikely to be grown in a greenhouse using special dressings used to accelerate their growth.
Sometimes you can find used things in the markets: clothes, appliances, household items, etc. There is a stable demand for them, and some traders in the markets specialize in second-hand items: radio parts, computer spare parts, clothing, etc.
In Moscow, various flea markets are an integral part of the urban landscape of residential areas, some of which have a narrow specialization (electronics, used equipment, and much more).
Reason 2. Price spread
As a rule, prices in the markets for goods similar to those offered in stores are significantly lower. Therefore, in the markets from morning to evening, you can meet both retirees and people with a fairly good income, who do not want to overpay for the salary of store staff and its logistics costs.
There are times when prices for some products are much higher than in the store. For example, seasonal foods such as mushrooms. In the season of their collection, the price can seriously jump, since the trader in the market wants to get the maximum fat, while the price tag in the store will remain the same, since the mushrooms offered in the stores are grown on an industrial scale and in compliance with year-round optimal growth conditions. It follows from this that the price on the market cannot be perceived as the minimum price for a given product.
A special kind of markets are food fairs, which periodically appear in provincial cities. Their prices are usually low, and this encourages buyers to stock up on food.
Reason 3. Geographic accessibility
Almost every large residential area has its own market, which differs in its inherent range of prices and assortment. Large transport arteries of the city, stops, metro stations are located near the markets, which again has a positive effect on their traffic. Markets often appear near large shopping centers. This is done specifically so that people, after leaving the shopping center, could continue shopping outside the store. And vice versa - a person who comes to the market can also go to the store. It would seem that everyone wins. But disputes often arise between the owners of the shopping center and the organizers of the market. The law, as a rule, takes the side of the owners of the shopping center, and the market dissolves.
But, unfortunately, high traffic means not the best crime situation around the markets. Pickpocketing often occurs, theft is developed. Therefore, when passing through the territory of the market (especially spontaneously arising and unauthorized), you need to be on the lookout and watch out for bags and pockets. But this will not stop the locals, for whom the market is the best way to buy fresh produce.
