Traditional street and market vendors are in serious decline, association says

Traditional street and market vendors are facing serious challenges and an unprecedented decline, representatives from the Macau Market Vendors Mutual Aid Association have said in a seminar organized in partnership with the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM) to discuss the government’s new Five-Year Plan.

According to O Cheng Wong, president of the vendors’ association, the number of street vendors in Macau has continued to decline from over 3,000 in the past, with only about 1,300 stalls remaining across all markets and street vendor stalls today.

The group advocates that, in line with China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Macau’s new five-year plan, the government should support traditional professions such as market vendors, street vendors, and hawkers to preserve traditions and revitalize the economy, particularly in old neighborhoods.

O noted that in recent years, the government has made significant efforts to improve infrastructure and enhance the shopping environment, particularly through the reorganization of traditional markets. However, due to changes in customer demographics and consumption habits, street vendors face numerous operational challenges.

He remarked that the sector hopes to collaborate with the government to improve the business environment, seeking more flexible operational models while complying with legal regulations, to promote the joint healthy development of the local economy.

During the seminar, some street vendors pointed out that in the past, to accommodate more stalls, each stall was only about two square meters. However, there are now many vacant stalls in street vendor areas, and they hope the authorities can optimize the space to better support merchandise display and operations.

At the same time, they hope that measures will be implemented to allow and encourage vendors to introduce a wider variety of goods or services to better adapt to market changes and customer demands.

Other vendors expressed hope that the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) would improve communication with vendors to promote market development and jointly improve management efficiency.

Additionally, with a focus on economic revitalization, some representatives suggested using vacant space in the current municipal markets to create distinctive projects, such as introducing local cuisine and cultural and creative markets, to attract more locals and visitors to the markets as a culturally immersive experience.

Representatives from the FAOM have also noted that while formulating the local five-year plan, they have placed particular emphasis on optimizing the business environment and safeguarding people’s livelihoods.

In this sense, they noted that public markets are not merely business venues for vendors but also embody Macau’s traditional culture. With the completion of renovation projects at various markets, FAOM hopes that collaboration among different groups can continue to further optimize stall layouts and sizes, revitalize vacant spaces, assist vendors in transitioning their businesses, and attract new operators while offering diverse products and services.

At the same time, they suggested that the government actively explore the feasibility of using open-air market spaces to introduce specialty markets or cultural and creative activities, and to create new initiatives to attract foot traffic, revitalize business activity in older neighborhoods, and provide better development opportunities for vendors.