“Endlich wieder Strietzeln”: the restart of German Christmas markets after the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose German Christmas markets offer unique sensory stimuli and social interactions, attracting large numbers of local and international visitors. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of all German markets in 2020 and an exclusion of some in 2021. Anecdotal evidence suggests a disparity in return for some stallholder types, leading to more gastronomy and fewer artisanal crafts offerings. We aim to find if this is reflected in real data. Design/methodology/approach Systematic web searches collected stallholder data across 2007–2023. Building upon a foundational snapshot of recent stall composition, we examine 38 individual markets, pre- and post-pandemic, assessing whether the above effects of the pandemic is evident. We establish a ten-year time series for selected communities, examining longer term trends of compositional change. Findings There was a significant rebounding of these markets post-pandemic. Compositional variances between the two time periods were observed, with gastronomic offerings increasing at the expense of gifts and wares. Other compositional changes were not uniform. Variations of stall numbers and layouts were also observed, altering market dynamics and amenity. Considering long-term data, the pandemic resulted in major (non-uniform) compositional changes in the observable markets. Originality/value Despite a growing body of literature, there is an absence of research that examines actual composition of Christmas markets at timepoints or over a trajectory. We provide a first-ever classification of stall composition of the 2023 season, as well as a detailed investigation of compositional return post-COVID, using both short- and long-term data.