A TRADER is urging stallholders in the three-day market to consider expanding their businesses after seeing her fishmongers consistently grow over the past four years.

Gemma and Russell Lambert, who run M and O Fish in Darwen’s six-day market, opened their first shop in Horwich in January after starting out in Darwen’s three-day market four years ago.

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Mrs Lambert said that setting up the shop has helped the Darwen stall thrive even more and feels that three-day market traders, who may have to move out of the building soon if it is closed and demolished, should consider upgrading their trade.

She said: “We have Darwen customers coming to Horwich and vice versa and also people coming to Chorley when we are there on Tuesdays. If we don’t have something in stock in Horwich, people are happy to come to the Darwen stall to pick it up.We were in the three-day market originally before moving into the five-day and look at where we are now. It’s about taking that step and I think other traders in this negative situation they are in should consider following what we have done.

“I also think that if the market hall can be full more people will come in. Not everyone shops on those three days anymore."The Horwich shop has been doing brilliant and since we have started to expand we have also secured more wholesale with Darwen businesses such as Papa’s American Diner, Essence and the Ranken Arms in Hoddlesden.”

M and O Fish, named after the couple’s daughters Megan and Olivia, was created after Mr Lambert worked for Out of the Deep fishmongers in Darwen for six years. The business won the Best Independent Shop competition last year, run by Jake Berry MP in Darwen. Both the three-day and five-day markets in Darwen have suffered from a lot of negativity recently due to a recommendation by Blackburn with Darwen Council to close the three-day market due to a major decline in footfall.

But Carlo Ricioppo, who runs DeliCarlo in the town square after starting out on the three-day market, said he was in agreement with Mrs Lambert that traders should try and make the best of a bad situation.

He said: “I started out in the three-day market, and it made sense to try and move into a retail unit.

“I want to see the town going into the next phase and I think certain people are being selfish not wanting change to happen.

“There are markets out there which are amazing and there’s no reason why if three-day traders upgrade their businesses, that Darwen’s can’t be as well.”