The Market’s Future in The Rondebosch Park

The Candor Market has grown and evolved in incredible ways over the past four years. With this growth has come the opportunity to reflect, adapt, and refine our processes to ensure that we stay true to our ethos while continuing to create a uniquely curated, and intentional experience for both vendors and visitors.

After months of thoughtful discussions and careful consideration, we’ve decided to implement a permanent vendor list, starting in the second half of 2025. This change will help us build a more consistent, high-quality market experience while strengthening our community of vendors. It will also allow us more time and effort in creating new market venues.

What Does This Mean?

Rather than curating and taking applications for each market individually, we will move towards a more stable system in which a select group of vendors will become permanent participants. This will allow for deeper collaboration, consistency for attendees, and a more cohesive market atmosphere.

Our selection process will be based on several key criteria, most of which are already part of our vendor guidelines and listed on our ‘Apply’ page. These criteria reflect the values that make TCM what it is: a thoughtfully curated and earth-friendly community.

Please note: Ashby and Noah will be involved in this process, but we want to make it known that they are not the sole deciders. There will be a team of people across multiple markets who will all add value to the decision making process.

The Criteria for Permanent Vendors

Here are some of the core guidelines that will help shape the selection process, as adapted from our pre-existing vendor guidelines:

Candor and Honesty

We value openness, transparency, and respectful communication.

Locally Made & Handmade/Slow-Made

Products sold at The Candor Market need to be locally sourced, small-
batch, and ethically-crafted.

Materials, Durability & Circularity

We require transparency around materials used and their origin. We place a high priority on natural materials and sustainable packaging. Circular production processes and eliminating waste as much as possible are essential elements that align with our sustainability goals.

Social Media & Community Engagement

All of our vendors need to have an active social media account. Participation in promoting your brand and the market through social media content is key. Sharing our posters, creating collaborative content, and contributing to the overall social media presence of the market helps us all to reach more eyes.

Presentation & Attitude

Stall presentation is the face of our market, and awareness of this is key. Our vendors need to put time into creating a stall set-up which shows effort, attention to detail, and an attitude of professionalism.

Timeliness & Respect

Respecting pre-market and market-day deadlines, your fellow vendors, and the market attendees is vital to building a strong community. Aggressive tactics and pushiness are not welcome at our market. We are committed to maintaining a safe and comfortable experience for all involved.

Alignment with TCM’s Ethos & Values

Above all, we seek vendors whose overall approach aligns with the market’s core values.

The Importance of Fit

A lesson that we have learned over the years is that creating a successful market is about more than simply curating a selection of appealing products. It’s also about good communication, collaboration, and shared values.

We’ve often found it challenging to express this to vendors without it feeling personal, but it’s a key factor in curating a uniform market experience. In the same way that businesses seek employees & team members who align with their culture, we also prioritise vendors who are a natural fit with TCM’s energy and community.

Ultimately, we reserve the right to make these decisions based on what we believe is best for the market as a whole. This helps us stay true to our vision and provide an experience that continues to grow and evolve. If we feel intuitively that a vendor is simply the wrong fit for our market, we need to honour that.

What’s Next?

We’re taking the next few months to observe and assess every vendor as we move toward the final selection for our permanent vendor system.

Starting from the March 1st market, we’ll be evaluating each stall carefully, focusing on all the criteria we’ve outlined above. This will help us determine which vendors are the best fit for the long-term vision of The Candor Market. We want to see that you’re as excited to be part of our market as we are to have you.

By the end of May 2025, we’ll publicise our permanent vendor list. Vendors who are not selected may still be eligible for trading at other Candor markets at different venues.

We can’t wait to begin this next chapter, as we continue to build towards a market that benefits all. Thank you for being a part of this journey.

Warmly,
TCM Team