Market trading

[Mark]

Having just gone through the most recent few pages of this section, I can't find anything on market trading, so..............

As a sideline summer revenue stream, I intend to sell my partner's oil paintings and pottery at local markets.  On a very superficial level, I'm assuming microbic, and registering under the correct category from the list issued by the Chambre de Commerce - correct?  And once registered, does anyone have any experience in getting pitches at the local markets?  Is it a matter of visiting each Mairie beforehand, and if so do they issue a season-long permit or similar?

Hope someone can help.

Thanks, Mark

 

 

 

[TheVicar]

Can't give a lot of information / advice here as I have only made

enquiries myself. I make concrete garden pots as a sideline to our

mobile home / apartment letting. Initially I considered this as a

separate business but found the 'cotisations' too high to make it

worthwhile and now aim to make it a 'complimentary revenue'. The town

hall directed me to the town policeman, who informed me how easy it was

to get a pitch. Only just over a euro for a metre (and I only needed

three!), no paperwork, no notice. The snag was that he needed a SIRET

No. before allowing me to do so. Now a bit friendlier with the 'local

bobby' as we drink occasionally in the same bar, he now tells me that

he would let me have a stall as he knows when the inspectors are coming

and would have to refuse me that day. He's actually my best customer to

date, and I have still yet to book a pitch.

The main points here are what exactly you mean by a summer sideline. If

you already have a business of some sort in France you can probably

operate in the market in the same 'complimentary' manner. If not, you

will need to do some serious homework as registering as a business puts

you in line for social fees of some 5000+ euros a year, but I have

heard that they can be reduced at first.

The other thing that springs up here is the often mentioned 'not what

you know, but who you know'. Get in with the local mairie and whoever

deals with the market there. Take a bit of advice from your Chambre de

Metiers, and if needed from an accountant. The bit of advice I got from

mine didn't cost me anything.

Good luck!

[Rob Roy]

In theory then, this means that every person who sells at a market has to have a Siret No. Surely the country people who you see with a few eggs and home grown veg set up on a picnic table don't have one, do they? Or perhaps it is different for selling fruit and veg? I keep threatening to stand at the corner of the market with my open suitcase full of walnuts, like I've seen an old man doing in Brive market [;-)]

 

[Russethouse]

Might they not be covered under another perhaps agriculturally based regime ? Or maybe a very  low earnings allowance (unlikely ?)

Of course they *could be* demon traders doing a different market every day, they just look like elderly folk selling home produce, its a marketing ploy ![;-)]

[Mark]

Under that paysan exterior they're really Gallic Brad Pitts?  Nah, the profits wouldn't cover the cost of the make-up.

[Nick Trollope]

To actually answer your question; .

Markets are almost always organised by the Mairie (although at our local market the local coppers collect the dosh...). I don't think that they issue season-long permits, nor is space an issue (around here at least - they just close a couple more roads, or not).

And yes you must be registered, but the rules for artists are different, I believe, so it may be worth enquiring about registration for your OH - and you do the selling as a "conjoint". It may save you some social charges (which is what this is all about).

 

[Viv]

There is clearly some lee way in this but I don't know what it is sorry.

As I posted ages ago, our market is full of people who make the most of the summer season selling home made 'tat' (it really is that bad)and the municipal police are always there checking papers, but I cannot believe for one minute these folk are paying a fortune in cotisations.

[tj]

Hi

To sell on a market you must register at the Chambre of Commerce, and obtain from the Sous-Prefecture a " Carte Permettant L'Exercice D'Activites Non Sedantaires" which is basically a market traders licence, as opposed to a shopkeepers licence. You must also have public liability insurance.

When you turn up for a place on the market you need to produce the above 2 items or forget it.

Since, after the mandatory cotisations of around 1000 euros per year, they are based on income so it shouldnt be an issue 

regards

[beachbunny]

HI

Just another little question to you experts out there!! Can you sell

various different items on your market stall or are you limited to one

category type? Also are there restrictions as to what you can sell?

Thanks

Phoebe

[tj]

[quote user="beachbunny"]HI

Just another little question to you experts out there!! Can you sell various different items on your market stall or are you limited to one category type? Also are there restrictions as to what you can sell?

Thanks
Phoebe

[/quote]

Anything you like, except cars and houses :) and as long as your chambre de commerce registration says ...Produit Divers

[beachbunny]

Thanks!

Another Q..................Do you have to pay for the registration certificate from the Chambre de commerce?

Phoebe

[tj]

About 100 euros I understand.

[beachbunny]

Thanks again. Very helpful.

Phoebe

[srw]

vicar - of course there is the other angle , i.e. that its "what you know about who you know "...............

steve

[Macker]

Having the usual cellar packed full of odds and ends and unused bits and pieces from renovation works we decided to try out a 'Vide Grenier' near us towards the end of last summer. I stayed for a while and then left my wife to it only to get a panicky phone call from her an hour later as she had been approached by two jack booted gendarmes demanding to see a siret no and threatening her with all sorts of penalties if it could not be produced. I have one and she gave it to them which made them back off but it seemed like a lot of hassle for the thirty or fourty euros we took that day, plus probably a permanent computer file on us somewhere in gendarme land. Strangely enough there were all sorts of people around us selling all sorts of stuff from new to downright scrap but they didn't seem to be demanding any papers off them. Not that I'm paranoid or anything...

[levisiteur]

I did limited market trading in Britain. Insurance was compulsary, but the National Market Traders' Federation sells cheap but excellent ins.5million (01226 749021 www.nmtf.co.uk)  also valid in all of Europe. (If some trips over your boxes etc. V. expensive!)  They may be able to point you in the right direction, as several traders come across. I think belonging to a French org. will be more redialy accepted.

France is not helpfull to small traders. I made and sold jewellery in the uk, but here I was told that here I needed  to pay for 2 Chambre de metier/commerce. Too expensive. I think one for artists, someone said you pay them 10% on each picture. Very interested in anything you find out, and good luck!

 

Les conseilleurs ne sont pas les payeurs!

[levisiteur]

I did limited market trading in Britain. Insurance was compulsary, but the National Market Traders' Federation sells cheap but excellent ins.5million (01226 749021 www.nmtf.co.uk)  also valid in all of Europe. (If some trips over your boxes etc. V. expensive!)  They may be able to point you in the right direction, as several traders come across. I think belonging to a French org. will be more redialy accepted.

France is not helpfull to small traders. I made and sold jewellery in the uk, but here I was told that here I needed  to pay for 2 Chambre de metier/commerce. Too expensive. I think one for artists, someone said you pay them 10% on each picture. Very interested in anything you find out, and good luck!

 

Les conseilleurs ne sont pas les payeurs!

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Après la pluie, le beau temps!