AN HISTORIC market could close down after budget cuts left shop owners struggling.
Devastated workers at the busy London stalls claim it’s a ghost town after increased rents led to closures and fewer customers.
Ian WhittakerBrixton Village has become a ghost-town after rent increases and business closures[/caption] Ian WhittakerThe market contains 179 businesses representing over 50 cultures[/caption] Ian WhittakerShop owners remain uncertain about the future of the market[/caption] Ian WhittakerBobby Balam, 44, has mixed feelings about the current owners[/caption]After a complicated few years, Brixton Market is once again up for sale, leaving shop owners uncertain about its future.
TPG Angelo Gordon and Hondo Enterprises bought the property for £37 million in April 2018 and have put it back on the market after just seven years, with an estimated asking price of £80 million.
Their ownership marked a rough patch in the building’s history, with evictions, closures, and protests dominating local news.
Shop owners that survived these changes are once again bracing themselves for what might come next, as one restauranteur said: “I’d rather the devil I know than the devil I don’t.”
Brixton has changed significantly over the last few decades, becoming increasingly gentrified as trendy cafes and chain restaurants have replaced the diverse range of shops the area was once known for.
Shops like Nour Cash and Carry, based in the market for over 20 years, faced eviction after being unable to pay rent that was steadily increasing under new ownership.
After the campaign group Save Nour successfully fought this eviction, the international grocer relocated to a bigger store on the neighbouring Granville Arcade.
Despite promises like ‘rent holidays’ to ease the strain on business owners, some current shop owners complained of price hikes with introductions like service charges and security costs.
One unit opposite Philip’s Butchers allegedly costs £3500 a month to rent.
As Bobby Balam, 44, the owner of Philip’s Butchers which was founded 45 years ago by his father, told The Sun: “They’re pricing people out. The unit opposite us is £3,500 a month.
“Imagine waking up on a Monday morning and having to find £800 before you’ve even sold anything.”
He added: “It’s a massive loss of community. They’re trying to make it like Camden or Borough Market but it’s not like that.”
The roughly 180 businesses located in the market operate on a 90% let basis. As rent has increased, businesses have been priced out of the area and have had to close, leaving the market feeling like a ghost town.
Joao Ribeiro, 52, the owner of CJ Cafe (also known as no.16) told The Sun: “On a Friday or Saturday five years ago it would have been completely packed. Now it’s dead.”
Ribeiro added: “The shops have all closed which is bad for business. Before people would walk through doing their shopping but you don’t even get that anymore.”.
This is not only down to the landlord who has “added a service charge, and added security, and other costs to increase rent without directly increasing it” according to Joao, but also the aftermath of the pandemic, and governmental issues like increased business rates and council tax.
Ian WhittakerJoao Ribeiro, 52, felt that the market never recovered after the pandemic[/caption] Ian WhittakerHernan Fajardo, 73, worries about paying rent as business has slowed down[/caption]Hernan Fajardo, 73, who has owned Santa Fe for 23 years, told The Sun: “How can you pay rent without customers? When they come to collect rent I say ‘do you see anyone here, how can I pay rent?’”
It has left business owners and locals feeling upset about the loss of community.
Andrew Meah, 62, a Brixton Hill resident since 1989 added: “This market was vibrant when I first moved here. They’ve destroyed it, it’s absolutely dead.”
Tony Spencer, 59, a window cleaner in the area for 10 years expressed similar frustrations.
“Brixton doesn’t belong to the Brixtonians anymore,” he said.
“They’re giving power to the big man who is trying to get rid of the little man but still wants the little man’s money.”
Not every problem can be blamed on greedy landlords however, with Brian Danclair, 55, the owner of Fish Wings and Tings, blaming wider issues like homelessness and drug use for the loss of customers.
Lambeth generally has a higher unhoused population than other London boroughs, in part because of its central location, as well as funding cuts by the council.
According to 2021 Census data, just 47.6% of households in central Brixton reported no dimension of deprivation, leaving 52.4% deprived in at least one capacity.
Lambeth Deputy Leader Councillor Danny Adilypour told the Brixton Buzz in December 2024 that there were 45,000 households on the Lambeth housing register with 4700 in temporary accommodation.
“I’ve noticed a lot more homelessness and drug use which isn’t good for business because people don’t come to the area,” Danclair said.
Additionally, he thinks the government needs to do more to help small businesses and tackle social problems.
“The government is the biggest issue. They should cut out taxes and keep the money here. They should make investments here.”
While others were critical of the landlord, Danclair thinks they have done a good job of supporting the market.
He said: “The landlord has been very good to most businesses. We have good communication with them which is important.”
Bobby agreed as the landlord has invested in new cabinets for the butchers and fishmongers, as well as new signage which was being installed while we spoke.
Bobby said, “They’re the only landlords to spend any money on it” suggesting that at least the increased rent money is being put to good use.
After years of dealing with conflict, shop owners are reluctant to go through yet another change of ownership.
Taylor McWilliams, the Texan DJ that heads Hondo Enterprises, received significant backlash from residents after he submitted plans to build a 200,000 square foot, 20-storey office tower next to the market in 2020.
Activist group #FightTheTower organised a campaign against the ongoing gentrification of Brixton, eventually leading McWilliams to withdraw his planning application.
They wrote: “This development was an affront to put up in a borough where average wait for social housing is 10+ years.
“We took a stand against our council’s elected representatives putting one man’s profit over the wellbeing, health, and livelihoods of residents in the name of ‘development’.”
Their petition gained over 8000 signatures, while a public consultation by Hondo Enterprises showed that 73% of local people opposed the scheme.
“Everyone comes to try and build a tower, they don’t get permission, and they leave again,” Bobby said.
He added: “You never know if someone new might run it down, demolish it and rebuild to start over.”
With the news that the historic market was once again up for sale, owners seemed tired and jaded, particularly as not all of the shop owners were forewarned that it was going up for sale yet again.
Joao said: “The future could be better or it could be worse. I just want the best for the market and for Brixton.”
Shop owners like Brian seemed slightly more optimistic as he said: “The market will continue. We’ve been here before and it’ll continue to change but it’ll still be here.”
Both Brixton Village and Market Row have a long history, beginning with street vendors in the 19th century. Electric Avenue became the first market street to be lit by electric lights in the 1880s.
In 1928, Market Row was built on the site of an old department store, closely followed by Brixton Village in 1937. Both sites became listed buildings in 2010.
A source close to the running of the market said that footfall had grown every year since 2020 and continues to accelerate.
A further 8% increase in footfall was seen in the last 12 months, while in April 2025 footfall grew 10% year-on-year.
Ian WhittakerLocals like Andrew Meah, 62, have seen the market change for the worse[/caption] Ian WhittakerTony Spencer, 59, has seen shop owners struggle to stay open in the once-busy market[/caption] Ian WhittakerBrian Danclair, 55, believes the government and local council could do more to help[/caption] Ian WhittakerOnce a hub of grocers, the market is now unrecognisable[/caption] Read More Details
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