West Side Market

Visiting West Side Market: Practical Notes and a Look Behind the Stalls

West Side Market opened in 1912 and is Cleveland's oldest operating public market. Its yellow-brick market house, with a vaulted tile ceiling and a tall clock tower, is one of the most recognisable landmarks in Ohio City. Inside, dozens of independent vendors sell meats, cheeses, baked goods, spices and prepared foods. An adjoining arcade holds the fruit and vegetable stands. Many stalls have been run by the same families for generations, and that continuity is a large part of the market's character.

Tips for a lunch outing

• Check the hours before you go. The market is not open every day, and hours can change around holidays. The official West Side Market website has the current schedule.
• Arrive early on busy days. Saturdays draw large crowds, and popular stalls can sell out of favourite items by early afternoon.
• Bring a cool bag if you plan to take meat, fish or cheese back to the office.
• Plan your transport. There is a parking lot next to the market, and street parking is also available nearby. The RTA Red Line stop at West 25th–Ohio City is a short walk away.
• Carry some cash. Many vendors take cards, but not all, so cash can make quick purchases easier.

Why a market interests people who work in barcoding

A public market is a useful reminder of how much product information people handle without thinking about it. At a butcher's counter, goods are sold by weight, priced on the spot and wrapped by hand. In a grocery chain, the same cut of meat usually carries a variable-measure barcode that encodes its weight or price. Many small market vendors also supply restaurants and local retailers. Once a supplier starts selling to larger buyers, it often has to provide GS1 barcodes, case labels and electronic purchase orders or invoices.

If you run a food business and are making that step, start by thinking through a few points:

• Which items need retail barcodes and which only need case-level labels
• Whether your buyers expect EDI documents such as purchase orders, advance ship notices or invoices
• How you will keep product data consistent across every channel you sell through

The solutions overview explains the barcoding and EDI options in more detail. For more neighbourhood stops and practical write-ups, browse our venues section.