Brexit port checks, Chinese shipping containers and cautious pensioners – these are just a few of the dilemmas facing hard-hit town market traders.

Dartford’s weekly Thursday and Saturday markets have been a staple on the High Street for many years.

Its stalls stock a variety of goods ranging from fresh fruit and veg to plants, fashion, jewellery and household items.

But during the pandemic many of its long-term traders were forced to shut up shop for weeks as restrictions were brought in to curb the virus's spread.

Gradually, market stall holders were brought back from the brink with support from the council, who handed out grants and froze rents.

However, nearly two years on traders still face an uncertain time on the High Street.

Andrew Parker has been running a stall in the town for more than 20 years but says it's as quiet as it has ever been.

"It is really difficult times, "he said. "It's still quite quiet compared to a couple of years ago.

"Footfall is well down. The thing is a lot of our customers are older and are not coming out."

A key issue continues to be the cost of sourcing products to stock on the stalls, he explains.

Prices of shipping containers were reported to have more than doubled last year spelling trouble for sellers who source goods from China.

Mr Parker stocks a range of miscellaneous goods from abroad at his pitch ranging from children's toys to homeware items.

"The problem is when footfall is down, it is not the time to be putting your prices up," he said.

"The only thing that is helping is the weather is pretty good for this time of year. The council has also been really good to us."

Dartford's High Street was recently named among one of the worst hit in the UK, according to research by the Financial Times.

It found local sales since the first lockdown in March 2020 were down by 10% on what might have been expected pre-pandemic.

In-person sales were worst hit in April the same year, when takings were 43.7% below the same month a year earlier.

A large proportion of this spend (47.5%) came from people living less than two miles away.

Traders say key to attracting new business will be drawing in crowds from those living outside the town centre.

Grocer Phil Jenns, 55, has been running the fruit and veg stall for 10 years.

He says his business has been hit hard by big out-of-town supermarkets adopting "loss leader" strategies on produce to draw punters back in.

"People are not coming into Dartford like they used to," Mr Jenns said. "Prices are going sky high and this is a problem."

Despite the current struggle the trader, who has been commended for his home delivery service, says he is confident punters will come back.

But the pandemic has not been all bad for some pitches with one trader even finding themselves performing better.

Louise Page runs Spanish Home and Baby Boutique, which imports more than 800 cleaning and baby products from the continent.

The 31-year-old said: "To be honest it was better during Covid, it was more busy for us as a cleaning product business."

Instead of hosting the regular market stall, Ms Page took her van out delivering cleaning products to customers.

"Because of Covid people were more particular about cleaning," she explained. "It was crazy busy".

But since then she says people have been "cutting back" and trade is now more of a "slow flow".

Brexit has also thrown a spanner in the works. Ms Page adds: "A lot of our products coming from Spain kept getting stopped at the port."

But the one thing all traders were in agreement with was the support being offered to get back on their feet was "fantastic".

Keen to recognise its roots as a market town, Dartford council has recently announced plans to distribute further grants for businesses, including for permanent and casual traders.

This includes setting aside up to £150,000 to develop events, promotions and cultural activities to support small firms and boost footfall.

Council leader Jeremy Kite said there had been a "bit of a lag" but he now believed the town was "at the beginning of a really good point".

"It is about that experience on the ground and I think it is going in the right direction," he explained.

Cllr Kite added: “Throughout this pandemic, we’ve been providing various support grants for businesses to make sure they can weather this difficult time.

"I have been humbled by some of the comments we have received for our support, but managing the recovery is every bit as important as managing the crisis.

“We are starting 2022 on a cautious, but brighter note in relation to Covid and it is time to move ahead with the town’s recovery."

To be eligible, businesses must have been trading on December 30, 2021.

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