HerMarket is a community built by Entrepreneurs Martina Willis and Kana Nagai to help bring together Toronto’s women-owned businesses. Willis and Nagai wanted to create a space where clients can shop in person and help “celebrate, connect, and empower” female entrepreneurs in Toronto. HerMarket helps set up different pop-up markets for their vendors all throughout Toronto and the GTA’s most popular retail and cultural hubs. Some locations include— Hillcrest Mall, Stackt Market, and Square One Shopping Centre. HerMarket takes responsibility for providing the venue, marketing, and the logistical support necessary for vendors to show up and start selling.  

In order to become a vendor with HerMarket vendors must first complete the application process. The application form provided by HerMarket asks business owners to describe their business and agree to pay a vendor fee. HerMarket requires a $260-$450 dollar vendor fee defending on if the vendors want to be active at the popup for one or two days. This fee helps HerMarket with logistics like venue rentals, and event coordination. Food vendors are required to provide proof of the Food Handler Certification to help make sure everything is following the proper steps. Even though this expense might seem competitive in the larger field of pop-up markets. HerMarkets reach to the community and ability to help form connections between these women set it apart.

By creating a network of like-minded business owners and providing access to a supportive audience, HerMarket helps vendors not only increase sales but also build lasting professional relationships. The company provides a safe place for women entrepreneurs to meet with their peers and grow their businesses. In a world where female-owned businesses are a minority, it becomes more important to foster those connections and build a strong community of women who support each other.

HerMarket’s next event is their highly anticipated holiday popup market at Toronto’s Stackt Market. The upcoming holiday season of giving creates the perfect space for these businesses to sell their products. HerMarket provides this communal space, providing the perfect opportunity for shoppers to support small businesses while finding one-of-a-kind gifts. This market is one of the many that Willis and Nagais envisioned when starting Hermarket. The community of women they have built since their start is a reflection on the value of inclusiveness and empowerment they built HerMarket on.

Sources:

• https://www.thetrendingtable.ca/her-market

• https://www.thetrendingtable.ca/becomeavendor

• https://www.thetrendingtable.ca/november2-3-1