March 29, 2024

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San Antonio’s small businesses returning to markets amidst pandemic

5 min read

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted billion-dollar businesses and powerful industries worldwide. San Antonio’s market scene was no exception.

Now, local vendors are packing up their products and displaying them for all to see — and buy — once again.

In a city like ours where many natives grow up going to the pulga, markets are not only something to do, but also a career. For local creators and event planners, the pandemic dramatically disrupted their way of doing business.

Many vendors feel that markets are integral to San Antonio's culture.

Many vendors feel that markets are integral to San Antonio’s culture.

salocalmarket/Instagram

“I relied heavily on market spaces,” said Cristina Martinez, owner of Very That. “The bulk of my business and even my heart, when it comes to my work, was in market spaces. There’s nowhere like San Antonio when it comes to markets.”

Martinez was set up at a market on March 11, 2020 and had four more events lined up in the coming days. But on March 13, 2020, then-President Donald Trump declared a national emergency for COVID-19, and events were quickly postponed or canceled.

The Pivot

The pandemic forced vendors to make a decision: accept the new reality and the sense of defeat it brought, or transition to online sales. Some began posting their products on sites like Etsy, while others utilized their own website as a digital shop. More established brands like Martinez’s Very That and BarbacoApparel have been able to thrive online (the latter struck gold with themed gift boxes sold on its website), but smaller or newer businesses still needed the visibility that comes with in-person markets.

Cristina Martinez of Very That said markets make up about a quarter of her profits.

Cristina Martinez of Very That said markets make up about a quarter of her profits.

verythat/Instagram

Martin Garcia saw that small businesses that didn’t use or weren’t as successful with online efforts wanted to pop up at markets again, so he created Southtown Market Co. last September. Since then, Martin Garcia has curated each pop-up to showcase a variety of goods from 15-20 vendors. With small businesses in mind, M. Garcia, a vendor of baked goods with his Republic Bakery, is even planning a pop-up made up solely of first-time vendors.

Alexandra Vasquez is another new addition to the market scene. The Houston native was laid off from her job in August, prompting her to focus on her online vintage shop, Purple Moss Vintage. Eventually, she got the idea to create a pop-up market of her own, complete with live entertainment and drinks. Vasquez held her first pop-up at El Búho in early March and has been a regular face at the St. Mary’s Strip bar ever since, hosting markets every couple of weeks. With a little more than a dozen vendors at each event, Vasquez has also been prioritizing emerging businesses, from those just starting out or don’t have a large following.

“I like to help them have confidence in themselves and in their business, what they have, what they sell,” Vasquez said.

Safety First

With the pandemic still ongoing, making sure that organizers, vendors, and patrons all feel comfortable at markets is a top priority.

As San Antonio continues to reopen, the reemergence of the market scene is largely due to organizers putting safety first. That means placing vendor tables 6 feet apart from each other, having hand sanitizer stations throughout the space, and providing disposable masks.

The Pop-Up had to make adjustments after taking a break from during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, organizers have hand sanitizer stations throughout the event space.

The Pop-Up had to make adjustments after taking a break from during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, organizers have hand sanitizer stations throughout the event space.

Lucero Salinas/@lucerosalinasphotography

Most markets that have returned – or debuted – since the beginning of the pandemic occur outside since the risk for contracting COVID-19 is less likely in open spaces. Erica Garcia, owner of egCollaborations, said her market, The Pop-Up, has actually seen an increase in attendance since starting back up again in November.

“A lot of people were looking for stuff to do,” Erica Garcia said. “It led us to have a lot more vendors that needed to pop up and sell.”

Held in St. Paul’s Square, the outdoor space can accommodate more than 80 vendors and 500 attendees without feeling crowded. Erica Garcia said the attendance has grown with each monthly event, which also includes food vendors and live music.

The Pop-Up, organized by Erica Garcia of egCollaborations, is held at St. Paul's Square.

The Pop-Up, organized by Erica Garcia of egCollaborations, is held at St. Paul’s Square.

Lucero Salinas/@lucerosalinasphotography

The Comeback


Many organizers and vendors said they felt comfortable returning to the scene by hosting markets in big, open spaces or offering curbside pick-up. Other vendors weren’t so quick to jump back into the market scene since the pandemic. Matt Contreras of BarbacoApparel said the puro brand was a bit more hesitant, despite markets making up a solid quarter of the brand’s business. BarbacoApparel is set to return to the scene at the April 11 iteration of SA Local Market, held outside Liberty Bar every second Sunday of the month and organized by Contreras’ sister Catherine and Very That’s owner Cristina Martinez.

“It’s a little nerve-wracking for us because we haven’t done a market over the last year,” Contreras said.

Despite his concerns, Contreras said it will be exciting to be active in the market scene. While it’s a way for businesses to be financially successful, vendors and organizers all appreciate the sense of community felt at markets.

“One of the best things about the business is the magic that you feel in the markets seeing people’s reactions and getting that instant connection with the customer,” Contreras said. “Because our stuff is so referential to San Antonio, you just feel this instant relationship with a stranger.”

Contreras said not having those interactions have made it difficult for BarbacoApparel to be creative and dish out new designs, but he’s looking forward to getting back out there.

“We have customers that we only see once a year at specific markets,” Contreras said. “I didn’t even realize how much I was going to miss that until it was gone.”



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