Last year saw the number coach trips visiting Bury’s market rise with an average of 23 groups arriving in the town every week.
Nearly 1,200 coach parties visited the town centre last year bringing shoppers from as far afield as Truro and Aberdeen. The total number of 1,199 is an increase of 7.15 per cent from 2023, which itself was 15 per cent up on 2022.
Bury Council said the rising interest in visiting the town demonstrates the huge attraction the town’s historic and famous market continues to be.
The news comes as Bury Market has made the shortlist for the title of Britain’s Favourite Market once again in 2025. The highest month for coach visits was November with 187, closely followed by October, 180.
September was the third most popular month with 131 coach arrivals. Wednesday was the most popular day for coach visits.
Figures released by the council showed the place where most coaches come from is Sheffield, followed by Preston, Liverpool, Llandudno and Stoke-on-Trent. Coun Charlotte Morris, cabinet member for culture and the economy, said: “There’s no doubt about it – word has spread that Bury Market is the place to come for a fantastic atmosphere, bargains and a huge variety of stalls.
“That’s why we’re investing many millions of pounds into the market to ensure that it remains a much-loved attraction for many years to come.” Bury Market is the shopping area with the third largest footfall in Greater Manchester after the Arndale and the Trafford Centre.
The national Britain’s Favourite Market award’s early stages saw more than 40,000 votes cast by members of the public. It’s organised by the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA) as part of the Great British Market Awards 2025.
The top 10 markets (in alphabetical order) were Bury Market, Chelmsford Indoor Market, Market Drayton Market, Nantwich Indoor & Outdoor Market, Oxford Covered Market, Pontypridd Market, Shrewsbury Indoor Market, South Molton Country Pannier Market, Swansea Indoor Market and Tavistock Pannier Indoor Market. The next phase involves evaluation by a panel of industry experts, who will decide which market takes the title.
The winner will be announced at the NABMA conference in Birmingham on January 30.