Christmas market shopping list

A Christmas market needs more than stalls and festive decorations. You will need enough hot-drink equipment, serving items, lighting, seating and storage to keep several sellers and visitors moving smoothly. Use this list alongside your event plan, then check quantities against the number of stalls, expected visitors and available power outlets. Buy or collect disposable items early, and test every electrical item before market day so missing adapters or flat batteries do not delay opening.

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What to bring

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

Furniture

Market stallsqty 12
Beer tablesqty 8
Folding chairsqty 40
High tablesqty 6
Clothes racksqty 6
Storage boxesqty 12

Equipment

Coffee machinesqty 3
Kettlesqty 3
Hot drink urnsqty 6
Extension cordsqty 8
Power stripsqty 8
Coolersqty 4
Music speaker
Microphone

Lighting

String lightsqty 12
LED lanternsqty 10
Batteriesqty 24

Decorations

Christmas tree
Christmas baublesqty 60
Christmas garlandsqty 12
Christmas wreathsqty 6
Christmas figuresqty 8
Tableclothsqty 14
Christmas table runnersqty 14
Name badgesqty 30

Tableware

Coffee cupsqty 80
Glassesqty 100
Bowlsqty 50
Pastry platesqty 80
Cutlery setsqty 100
Serving traysqty 12
Serving spoonsqty 12

Kitchen

Cutting boardsqty 4
Chef's knivesqty 4
Measuring cupsqty 3
Thermos flasksqty 6
Serving bowlsqty 12
Aluminum traysqty 20
Food containersqty 12
Oven mittsqty 4

Catering

Cash box
Payment terminal
Price sign holdersqty 20
Napkin holdersqty 12
Drink dispensersqty 4
Ice packsqty 20
Thermometersqty 3
Groceries
- Coffee - 2 kilos
- Black tea - 200 bags
- Herbal tea - 100 bags
- Hot chocolate - 8 liters
- Whipped cream - 12 cans
- Sugar - 3 kilos
- Milk - 12 liters
- Oat milk - 4 liters
- Chocolate milk - 12 liters
- Mulled wine - 20 liter
- Non-alcoholic mulled wine - 8 liters
- Cola - 12 bottles
- Cola Zero - 8 bottles
- Orange soda - 8 bottles
- Bitter lemon - 4 bottles
- Spa Blauw - 10 bottles
- Spa Rood - 6 bottles
- Apple juice - 6 packs
- Orange juice - 6 cartons
- Beer - 6 crates
- Alcohol-free beer - 2 crates
- Red wine - 8 bottles
- White wine - 8 bottles
- Sparkling wine - 4 bottles
- Ice cubes - 10 kilos
- Cinnamon sticks - 2 bags
- Star anise - 2 bags
- Cloves - 2 jars
- Oranges - 20 pieces
- Lemons - 12 pieces
- Apples - 8 kilos
- Grapes - 5 kilos
- Mandarins - 8 kilos
- Raisins - 2 kilos
- Mixed nuts - 3 kilo
- Paprika chips - 8 bags
- Plain chips - 8 bags
- Pretzels - 5 bags
- Christmas cookies - 6 packs
- Speculaas - 6 packs
- Christmas loaf - 8 pieces
- Apple fritters - 100 pieces
- Mini quiches - 100 pieces
- Bitterballen - 150 pieces
- Vegetarian Bitterballen - 75 pieces
- Vegan mini spring rolls - 75 pieces
- Cheese cubes - 3 kilo
- Brie - 2 kilos
- Baguettes - 8 pieces
- Rye bread - 4 packs
- Hummus - 2 kilos
- Herb butter - 1 kilo
- Mustard - 3 bottles
- Mayonnaise - 3 bottles
- Ketchup - 3 bottles
- Satay sauce - 2 kilos
- Salt - 1 kilo
- Pepper - 3 jars
- Paprika powder - 2 jars
- Olive oil - 2 liters
- Butter - 2 kilos
- Baguettes - 10 pieces
- Straws - 200 pieces
- Wooden stirrers - 300 pieces
- Paper napkins - 500 pieces
- Paper cups - 300 pieces
- Cardboard cake boxes - 100 pieces
- Cling film - 2 rolls
- Aluminum foil - 2 rolls
- Baking paper - 2 rolls
- Paper towels - 12 rolls
- Toilet paper - 24 rolls
- Trash bags - 100 pieces
- Dishwasher tablets - 40 pieces
- Dish soap - 3 bottles
- All-purpose cleaner - 3 bottles
- Glass cleaner - 2 bottles
- Hand soap - 4 bottles
- Disinfectant gel - 6 bottles

Cleaning

Waste binsqty 10
Waste binsqty 4
Broomsqty 4
Dustpansqty 2
Mopsqty 3
Bucketsqty 3
Cleaning glovesqty 8
Hand soap dispensersqty 4
Hand sanitizer pumpsqty 6
Toilet brushesqty 2
Microfiber clothsqty 20

Tips

Plan one coffee cup, one glass and one napkin per expected serving, then add at least 10% extra for breakage, spills and unexpected visitors.
For hot drinks, arrange one coffee machine, kettle or hot-drink urn for each busy serving point. Check the total power load and keep extension cords and power strips away from walkways.
Prepare at least two clearly labelled storage boxes per stall: one for stock and one for personal items or packaging. This prevents products, tableware and cash supplies from being mixed together.
Buy batteries and test string lights, LED lanterns, the speaker and microphone at least 48 hours before opening. Keep spare batteries available rather than relying on last-minute shop availability.
Collect dietary requirements before buying bakery products and snacks. Use separate bowls, serving utensils and labels for special-diet items so stall holders can answer questions quickly.

Frequently asked questions

How much tableware do I need for a Christmas market?: Allow one cup, glass, bowl or plate per expected serving, plus 10% extra. For 100 servings, prepare at least 110 pieces of each item that will be used.
How many hot drink machines do I need for a Christmas market?: Plan one coffee machine, kettle or hot-drink urn per busy serving point. For two serving points, prepare at least two machines and check their combined wattage before connecting them.
When should I buy Christmas market decorations and lighting?: Buy or reserve decorations, string lights and LED lanterns at least 2 weeks before the market. Test the lights and batteries 48 hours before setup, not on the morning itself.
How much extra stock should I buy for a Christmas market?: For cups, glasses, plates and similar serving items, add at least 10% to your expected usage. For food and drinks, base the amount on registrations and expected visitors, then keep a small reserve for the final hour.

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