How much does a market stall cost in Australia?

Among markets in this directory that publish a fee, a standard site runs from about $15 to $40 at community and service-club markets, and $120 or more at a curated beachside market. The stall fee is rarely the biggest cost. Stock, travel and your own hours usually are.

How many sales do I need to cover a stall fee?

Divide your costs of being there (stall fee, travel, bags, insurance share) by what you keep from each sale after the cost of the goods. With a $30 fee, $25 of other costs and $9 kept per sale, you break even at the seventh sale. The calculator does this for your own numbers.

Should I count my own time?

Yes. A stall that clears $200 looks fine until you divide it by the eleven hours of making, packing, driving and standing. The per-hour figure is the honest one, and it is the number to compare between two markets.

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Market stall profit calculator

What a market day actually earns you, after the stall fee, the stock, the drive and your own hours.

Most first-time stallholders work out the stall fee and stop there. The fee is usually the smallest line. Put your own numbers in and the result updates as you type, including the two figures that matter most: how many sales it takes to break even, and what you earn per hour once the making and the driving are counted.

Start from a real stall fee

These are fees markets in the directory publish. Pick one, then change anything.

Stall fee per market

What the organiser charges for your site on the day.

Markets a month

A monthly market is 1. A weekly one is about 4.

Sales per market

How many separate customers buy, not how many items.

Average sale

What a typical customer spends with you.

Cost of what you sell

Ingredients, materials or wholesale cost, as a share of the price.

Travel per market

Fuel, tolls and parking for the round trip.

Other costs per market

Bags, ice, card fees, signage, a helper's lunch.

Insurance per year

Public liability cover, if the market does not cover you. Leave at 0 if it does.

One-off setup

Marquee, tables, weights, display. Spread over your first year of markets.

Hours per market

Include making, packing, driving, setting up and packing down.

Is that a good result?

Look at the break-even number first. If you need 30 sales to cover your costs and a good day brings 40, you are working six hours for the last ten customers. That stall is one rainy Sunday from losing money. A break-even under a third of your usual sales is comfortable.

Then look at the hourly figure, and be honest about the hours. The market might run from 8am to 1pm, but your day started with packing the car at six and the baking started on Friday. If the hourly number is below what you would accept for any other job, the stall needs a higher average sale, a cheaper market or fewer hours of preparation. Raising prices is the lever people reach for last and it is usually the one that works.

A low result at a cheap market is not always a reason to move to a dearer one. A $120 site has to bring four times the takings of a $30 one before it earns its place, and a new stall has no way of knowing that in advance. Start where the fee is small and the lesson is cheap.

What stall fees actually are

Fees that markets in the directory publish, taken from each listing. They change, so confirm with the organiser before you budget on one.

Warwick Farmers Market$15
Warwick, QLD
For a 3 by 3 metre site, plus $5 for each extra one.
Rotary Club of Maffra Community Market$20
Maffra, VIC
A single site. Bring cash: the fee does not buy card facilities.
Urrbrae Barn Market$20
Netherby, SA
Per space of roughly 3 by 3 metres, waived for the school's students.
Fig Tree Markets$20 to $45
Yeppoon, QLD
$20 for an artisan table, $30 for a single site, $45 for a double.
Rye Foreshore Market$30 or $60
Rye, VIC
$30 for a single site and $60 for a double.
Suitcase Rummage$30
Brisbane, QLD
A flat site fee plus booking fees, with insurance covered by the organisers.
Rokeby Market$35
Rokeby, VIC
Goes back into the reserve, the hall and the market.
Malmsbury Farmers' & Artists' Market$20 or $40
Malmsbury, VIC
$20 for a backyard producer and $40 for general access.
Magnetic Island Sunday Markets$16.50 to $38
Magnetic Island, QLD
Depends on whether the site is permanent and whether you carry your own insurance.
The Beaches Market @Palmy$120 or $140
Palm Beach, NSW
$120 for a 3 by 3 metre non-food space, $140 for hot food. Nonprofits trade free.

Next: getting a site

The numbers only matter once a market says yes. How applications, insurance and waiting lists work is in the stallholder guide.

How to get a market stall Stall checklist Find a market near you Run a market? Claim your listing

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a market stall cost in Australia?: Among markets in this directory that publish a fee, a standard site runs from about $15 to $40 at community and service-club markets, and $120 or more at a curated beachside market. The stall fee is rarely the biggest cost. Stock, travel and your own hours usually are.
How many sales do I need to cover a stall fee?: Divide your costs of being there (stall fee, travel, bags, insurance share) by what you keep from each sale after the cost of the goods. With a $30 fee, $25 of other costs and $9 kept per sale, you break even at the seventh sale. The calculator does this for your own numbers.
Should I count my own time?: Yes. A stall that clears $200 looks fine until you divide it by the eleven hours of making, packing, driving and standing. The per-hour figure is the honest one, and it is the number to compare between two markets.