Christmas markets have become an even more common feature throughout the UK in recent years, with the Centre for Retail Research now recording eight main markets in cities nationwide, as well as 22 smaller markets in town centres.
Together, they attract 24 million visitors each year, with a combined spend of £324.5 million - around half as much as France, which has nearly four times as many major Christmas markets and nearly 250 smaller festive fairs.
By way of comparison, both Italy and Belgium have a similar number of main and smaller markets as the UK does, yet their visitor numbers combined only just exceed the UK's alone, while their sales total around £280 million together.
Management consultant Martin Blackwell, writing in a guest post for high street consultancy service Revive and Thrive, noted the lessons that can be learned from the bustling Christmas markets seen throughout the UK in the run-up to Christmas.
He said: "Markets are loved as a part of the Christmas experience. Those that can replicate that magic at other times of the year stand to reap huge benefits for the local economy by attracting spend, but also developing the entrepreneurs on their doorstep."
There are plenty of options for year-round markets, from craft fairs and handmade clothing stalls, to food and drink festivals that offer a taste of local delicacies and seasonal ingredients.
It's important to have the infrastructure in place to support any such markets in achieving success, especially the first time they are held, and again the Christmas markets are testament to this, with many people wondering where the brightly lit stalls come from each December, and where they go in January.
A good addition to any food or drink festival is banqueting furniture, including long folding tables and benches or stacking chairs, giving customers somewhere to sit and enjoy their purchases together - even if they bought them from different stalls.
The inclusion of a central area of banqueting furniture in this way gives the market a beating heart of conversation and community, transforming it from a collection of individual stalls into a living organism in its own right, which will help to keep people coming back in future years too.