By Ian Austen

ian.austen@essnmedia.co.uk

The town centre's most innovative retail venture for years opens its doors to the public today (Friday).

STUFF, which rises from the ashes of renowned second-hand record store Beanos, which closed last July, provides a range of small specialist traders with a unique environment.

Owner David Lashmar has converted the three storey premises in Middle Street, Croydon, into a ground floor of shoplets and two floors of smaller stall premises.

The indoor market aims, Mr Lashmar says, to offer small specialist businesses the chance of a town centre location with serviced premises at rents ranging from £120 to £200 a week.

Mr Lashmar pulled back this week from holding an extravagant opening ceremony.

He said: "We decided to go low key at first to enable the traders to settle in and ensure that any problems are ironed out.

"I am looking at a grand opening probably at the end of February."

This will also give him more time to sign up extra traders to fill the market.

All 13 shoplets have been let, as have 19 of the 38 smaller stalls and the market's café.

Mr Lashmar said: "We had wanted to open with every stall and shoplet occupied but that hasn't happened yet.

"Once we decided on an opening date, however, we were not going pull back from that, it would not have been fair to those traders who had signed up.

"I eventually set a target of getting all the shoplets and half the stalls up and running in time for the opening.

"We have done that and I am absolutely delighted."

Mr Lashmar organised two preview days on Monday and Tuesday for traders, their families and friends.

Speaking on Monday, he added: "The stallholders are very excited and even though we are not open there is already a real buzz around the place."

One of the main policies of the market is that no stalls will be duplicated.

And traders will be selling a huge array of products including African goods, handmade kaleidoscopes, sweets, toys, baby clothes, dog accessories, slate art and handmade jewellery.

There will also be traders offering shoppers massages and tarot readings.

Mr Lashmar said: "When I was first approached with some of the ideas my eyebrows did raise a bit but now I see them in place I am sure the market is going to work."

*To read about some of the weird and wacky shoplets trading in STUFF see this week's Croydon Advertiser, in shops now