“It's a disaster”: at the Nîmes Gare Market, traders are sounding the alarm over the return of the Flea Market

Les camions de livraison des entreprises du Marché Gare bloqués par les commerçants des puces. DR

Malgré une mobilisation récente et une prise de conscience progressive des services de la Métropole, le statu quo perdure, alimentant l’exaspération des acteurs économiques du site.

The Nîmes Gare Market, the economic hub for many local businesses, is going through a tumultuous period. Some business owners, grouped together in a collective, are warning of an increasingly unmanageable situation caused by the return of flea market traders, which they consider “out of control”.

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The controversial return of flea markets

Stic Transport, Gadeo Invest, Trans Cévennes Express, Maison Lyel, Pomona, Solier… last week, a dozen or so stakeholders came together to put pressure on the authorities. “Our trucks are being siphoned off, our buildings are threatening to catch fire, and there is no security,”, notes a member of the collective, exasperated.

The story goes back to the end of October, when the flea market traders, who had been established on the fairground for six years, were evicted to make way for the SPL Agate, which had to buy all the buildings. Lacking a fallback solution, several of them continue to sell in front of the gates of the Marché Gare, despite the ban. “Every weekend, it's a disaster. Some days, there are up to 300 people taking over the premises, complains a member of the collective. The hygiene and safety problems and the financial repercussions on our activities are unbearable.”

Waste that accumulates every weekend. DR

Serious consequences for businesses

In addition to the waste that accumulates every weekend, traders mention sales of illicit products that undermine the attractiveness and credibility of the site. For these companies, this return of flea markets, described as “illicit market”, jeopardizes their activity and employee morale. “We simply want everything to return to normal”, insists a member of the collective.

Faced with these pressures, the services of Nîmes Métropole have begun to become aware. But while the traders recognize that they have been “a little more listened to” in recent days, concrete measures are slow to materialize. And while the end-of-year holidays are in full swing, the tension at the Marché Gare de Nîmes remains palpable.

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