Millcreek says public market grew in 2024; city launches year-round Mercantile

Millcreek Community Life Director Amy McConkie told the Millcreek City Council at a Feb. work meeting that the city’s public market program expanded in 2024 and will add a year-round Mercantile storefront in 2025.

McConkie said vendor gross sales at some signature markets rose sharply from the prior year and that the city’s consignment model — in which the city takes a 25% consignment fee, collects sales tax and handles merchant fees — has helped vendors operate without being present full time. Staff reported one market’s gross sales rose from about 2,920 the prior year to about 11,100 in 2024; staff also said roughly 66,000 people visited Mill Creek Common in connection with market events.

The change matters to local small businesses because the Mercantile and an expanded events calendar let vendors sell year-round and reduce the time they must be on-site. McConkie said the Mercantile will be stocked on consignment so creators can “be at home creating and making more stuff while my art is here selling.”

The public market program uses a mix of signature events, curated selection committees and partnerships with outside groups. McConkie said each major market uses a selection committee of community experts and that collaborations — for example with Craft Lake City and the Utah Department of Agriculture’s Utah’s Own program — increased visibility; staff noted Utah’s Own ran a partnership this year and provided promotion including billboards.

Vendors and a short promotional video shown to the council emphasized the local-business benefits. Estelle Dickerson, a ceramics vendor who participated in the holiday shops, told the city’s video crew that she “took a pottery class for the first time about seven years ago and just fell in love” and that markets like Millcreek’s let her continue making work while it sells.

Staff described operational details that have worked: a central checkout model for seasonal shops, staff-managed inventory, and layered events — for example pairing markets with skating or other activities — to increase foot traffic. McConkie said the second year of the holiday shops and the electric arcade were easier to run than their first-year versions because processes and partnerships are now in place.

For 2025 staff proposed a revised lineup that includes the Mercantile storefront, a Great Outdoor Market (in partnership with the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation) replacing the hobby market, and a chambers-focused market that will rotate participation among multicultural chambers (the Utah Black Chamber will anchor a short February event tied to Black History Month). McConkie said the art market and other signature markets will continue and that staff will keep using selection committees and partner organizations to select vendors.

Council members praised the market’s “vibe,” noted that multiple other cities have toured Millcreek’s facility, and said the program appears to be drawing regional attention. McConkie said staff will continue the consignment model and pursue more partnerships to expand vendor opportunities in 2025.

Ending: Staff will incorporate the Mercantile and the proposed 2025 market schedule into budget and operations planning; McConkie asked council for ongoing support as staff refines fee schedules and vendor processes.