Christmas market shopping list

A Christmas market needs more than stalls and festive decorations. Use this shopping list to cover hot drinks, serving equipment, lighting, signage and the small supplies vendors often forget. Plan quantities around your visitor numbers, then check power access before buying or hiring electrical equipment. Buy non-perishable supplies several days ahead, while chilled drinks and fresh catering ingredients can wait until the day before.

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What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Furniture

Market stallsqty 12
Party tentsqty 4
Tablesqty 18
Chairsqty 80
High tablesqty 6
Clothes racksqty 6

Decorations

Christmas treeqty 2
Christmas baublesqty 100
Christmas garlandsqty 12
Christmas wreathsqty 6
Table runnersqty 18
Name badgesqty 20
Map boardsqty 4
Wayfinding signsqty 8

Lighting

String lightsqty 16
LED lightsqty 12
Extension cordsqty 6
Power stripsqty 8

Equipment

Coffee machinesqty 3
Kettlesqty 3
Hot drink urnsqty 6
Soup kettlesqty 2
Coolersqty 4
Thermos bottlesqty 4

Kitchen

Cutting boardsqty 4
Chef and serving knivesqty 8
Serving spoonsqty 8
Scissorsqty 4
Storage binsqty 12

Tableware

Coffee cupsqty 100
Glassesqty 120
Platesqty 120
Cutlery setsqty 120
Small bowlsqty 24

Cleaning

Waste binsqty 8
Waste binsqty 4
Cleaning bucketsqty 4
Mopsqty 4
Dustpans and brushesqty 3
Hand soap dispensersqty 4
Toilet brushesqty 4

Catering

Groceries
- Coffee - 4 packs
- Tea selection - 6 boxes
- Cocoa powder - 2 kilograms
- Sugar - 3 kilograms
- Milk - 12 liters
- Plant-based milk - 4 liters
- Whipped cream - 12 aerosol cans
- Cinnamon - 4 jars
- Cola - 12 bottles
- Cola Zero - 12 bottles
- Orange soda - 8 bottles
- Bitter lemon - 6 bottles
- Spa Blue - 48 bottles
- Spa Rood - 24 small bottles
- Apple juice - 6 packs
- Orange juice - 6 cartons
- Non-alcoholic beer - 24 bottles
- Beer - 48 bottles
- Red wine - 12 bottles
- White wine - 8 bottles
- Mulled wine - 20 liter
- Apples - 8 kilograms
- Mandarins - 6 kilograms
- Grapes - 4 kilograms
- Christmas loaf - 6 pieces
- Mini sausage rolls - 240 pieces
- Vegetarian mini sausage rolls - 80 pieces
- Mini quiches - 160 pieces
- Vegetarian mini quiches - 80 pieces
- Cheese cubes - 4 kilograms
- Grapes for cheese board - 2 kilograms
- Crackers - 8 packs
- Hummus - 2 kilograms
- Cucumber - 12 pieces
- Carrots - 4 kilograms
- Paprika chips - 8 bags
- Plain chips - 8 bags
- Mixed nuts - 3 kilograms
- Gingerbread - 6 packs
- Spiced cookies - 8 packs
- Christmas Cookies - 10 packs
- Marshmallows - 4 bags
- Chocolate chips - 2 kilograms
- Honey - 3 jars
- Lemons - 3 kilogram
- Oranges - 5 kilogram
- Cloves - 2 bags
- Star anise - 2 bags
- Bay leaf - 2 bags
- Pepper - 2 jars
- Salt - 2 packs
- Mayonnaise - 2 jars
- Ketchup - 2 bottles
- Mustard - 2 jars
- Napkins - 600 pieces
- Paper cups - 300 pieces
- Paper bowls - 300 pieces
- Wooden stirrers - 400 pieces
- Cocktail picks - 500 pieces
- Aluminum foil - 2 rolls
- Cling film - 2 rolls
- Baking paper - 2 rolls
- Paper towels - 12 rolls
- Trash bags - 80 pcs
- Dishwashing liquid - 2 bottles
- All-purpose cleaner - 3 bottles
- Disinfectant spray - 2 bottles
- Sponges - 12 pieces
- Microfiber cloths - 20 pieces
- Toilet paper - 24 rolls
- Hand soap - 4 bottles

Tips

Plan for 2–3 hot drinks per visitor if the market runs for up to three hours. For 100 visitors, that means around 200–300 cups, plus extra coffee, tea, milk and sugar.
Allow one coffee cup per hot drink and add a 10% spare margin. For 200 drinks, prepare at least 220 cups so a damaged or dropped cup does not stop service.
Check every stall and catering station against the available power supply at least one week before the market. Count extension cords and power strips, and keep cables covered or safely routed across walkways.
Buy decorations, table runners, name badges, map boards and wayfinding signs 3–5 days before setup. Print one floor plan for each setup lead and keep spare signs and pens in a storage bin.
Chill drinks and fill coolers on the day before the market, then prepare thermos bottles and hot drink urns shortly before opening. Keep cutting boards, serving knives and spoons separate from storage and display equipment.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need for a Christmas market stall?: For each stall, plan the market stall or tent, a table, signage, a booth number and any required lighting or power connection. Add a table runner, name badge and storage bin if the vendor needs a finished presentation and somewhere to keep stock.
How many cups do I need for a Christmas market?: Allow 2–3 hot drinks per visitor and buy at least 10% more cups than your calculated total. For 100 visitors, prepare 220–330 cups, depending on whether coffee, tea and other hot drinks are served throughout the market.
What Christmas market supplies should I buy first?: Buy or hire stalls, tents, tables, chairs, lighting and power equipment 2–4 weeks ahead, especially if several vendors need them. Buy decorations, signage and name badges 3–5 days before setup, and leave chilled drinks for the day before.
How much coffee and tea do I need for a Christmas market?: Start with 2–3 hot drinks per visitor, then divide the total between coffee and tea based on your audience. For 100 visitors and 250 drinks, prepare enough coffee and tea for about 275 servings to allow for spills and unexpected demand.

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