Manchester's Christmas Markets are among the biggest and most widely regarded in the UK; and this year, more outdoor furniture than ever is allowing them to cater for record-breaking crowds.
Local newspaper the Manchester Evening News reports that the first weekend of this year's Markets saw an estimated 120,000 people visit the stalls, which occupy several city centre squares and sell everything from handmade gifts to mulled wine.
The latter has always caused something of a challenge for the Markets, as the limited amount of seating available quickly becomes oversubscribed, particularly in the main Christmas Market in Albert Square, in front of the Town Hall.
But this year, the Markets have expanded - not just outwards, but upwards - to provide more outdoor furniture for visitors from near and far who are looking to enjoy a mug of mulled wine, with or without an extra shot of rum.
Pat Karney, city centre spokesman for Manchester, told the MEN: "It's broken all records - the numbers are 15% up on last year. Both the Vintage Tea Room in Exchange Square, and the new two-storey Beer Hall in Albert Square, have been packed out."
The Vintage Tea Room adds a quintessentially English touch to the Christmas Markets, with a pocketful of England in the midst of the otherwise continental European markets.
But it is the two-storey Beer Hall that makes the best use of outdoor furniture, adding an open-air upstairs terrace to the always-packed Windmill House.
The downstairs is one of the few truly indoor spaces in the Christmas Markets - which, given Manchester's prevailing weather conditions, means tables and chairs are at a premium here.
While the upstairs terrace is more open to the elements, it provides brave marketgoers with additional seating - not to mention a whole new perspective on the sheer scale of the market stalls that pack out Albert Square and some of its surrounding streets.
It's also a great example of how lightweight and portable outdoor furniture can create stylish seating areas in even the most compact of spaces - helping to cater for an audience measuring into the hundreds of thousands, or simply providing seats for a handful of guests.