DETROIT (WXYZ) — On Thursday afternoon, Halie Conyers invited us into her beautiful jewelry store, Halie & Co.
When asked what it means to her to have it, she replied "honestly, it means the world to me."
According to Conyers, she opened the Eastern Market location, her first brick-and-mortar store, this past June.
She said that being able to open it is largely due to the client base that she grew at what is a holiday tradition for many, the Downtown Detroit Markets.
She remembers applying to be a vendor in 2022.
"I honestly thought it was too high scale for me," Conyers said. "I was just doing this on the side on the weekends, but I applied anyways."
She was accepted, both in 2022 and 2023.
With that temporary hut in Campus Martius Park, Conyers' business started to take off.
"It’s unreal," she said, "I always joke that it’s like the Willy Wonka golden ticket to have your business be in the market because you’re unstoppable."
When asked how many customers she thinks she may have gained being a part of the markets, she replied "probably a few thousand."
This year's downtown markets include 17 local creators.
Many of them also hope the markets give their business a jump.
Scott Boateng, owner of Preva Hair and Body, is one of those creators.
"A lot of us have quit our jobs to pursue our business," Boateng said. "This is everything for us."
According to the Gilbert Family Foundation, in 2023, over 160,000 people visited the markets.
More than 145 vendors have participated over the last seven years and collectively, the markets have generated more than $5 million in sales.
"Honestly speaking, this is like, this is gonna be about 90% of our income for the year because it’s a lot of traffic down here," Boateng said.
So yes, the downtown markets are a fun holiday tradition for many local families, but while shopping, remember they're also a life- changing opportunity for our local creators.
To all those who shop, Conyers says "firstly, thank you. Because you’re truly supporting someones dreams. These are not corporations that are popping up at these markets. These are individuals, families, couples that have a dream."
The Downtown Detroit Markets are open every Wednesday through Sunday this season, and select Mondays and Tuesdays.
Happy shopping!
