Stalls, sales, refreshments
Organise a Christmas market that funds your projects
Pitches booked and paid online by exhibitors, pre-orders of chocolates and trees, mulled wine and pancakes taken by contactless card: the Christmas market made simple.
Why Donoor for this project
The tools you need, already connected and free. No pricing plan, no tiers, no equipment to rent.
Stalls booked online
Exhibitors book and pay for their pitch in advance; you have the list and the plan ready.
Christmas pre-orders
Chocolates, Christmas trees, wreaths: an online shop to order before the market and collect on the day.
Card payments at the stall
Mulled wine, pancakes and hot chocolate taken by contactless card, no cash float needed.
0 commission
All proceeds go to the organisation. The payer can cover the bank fees.
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What to prepare
The honest list of equipment and team you need to make your Christmas market a success. No proprietary hardware to buy, you already have 90% of what you need.
Our team
- 1 exhibitor coordinatorStall plan and welcome desk in the morning.
- 2 volunteers on order collectionThey hand out the pre-orders.
- 3 to 4 volunteers at the barMulled wine and crêpes, paid by card.
- 1 installation managerTents, tables, electricity, decorations.
Equipment and tools
- A Donoor accountFree: stands, shop, payment collection.
- One venueSchool playground, square or hall, with the necessary permissions.
- Tents and tablesOften lent by the town hall.
- PhonesFor taking payments at the stands and at the refreshment stall.
- The productsOrdered according to pre-orders.
French regulation
What the law says
We explain the legal obligations for your Christmas market in plain language. Checked by our team and up to date for 2026.
Car boot sale
Commercial Code, art. L310-2
Prior declaration to the town hall (mairie). Individuals may take part in only two car boot sales per year.
Use of public space
A square or street requires permission from the town hall.
Temporary refreshment stand
Code de la santé publique, art. L3334-2
Up to five permits per year for an organisation.
Food hygiene
Crêpes and mulled wine: cold chain, clean equipment, traceable products.
Six events exempt
Code général des impôts, art. 261-7-1° c
Proceeds from six support events a year are exempt from VAT and commercial taxes.
Your checklist for D-Day
Everything you must not forget, by phase. Print it and tick items off as you go.
2 months before
- Choose the venue and date
- Declare the car boot sale at the town hall
- Create stand bookings on Donoor
- Choose suppliers for chocolates or Christmas trees
- Apply for the refreshment stand permit
1 month before
- Open the pre-order shop
- Share the link with families and stallholders
- Display the QR code around the town
- Recruit volunteers
- Order according to pre-orders
On the day
- Set up the stands according to the plan
- Install the Donoor app
- Hand out pre-orders
- Take refreshment stand payments by card
- Welcome the exhibitors
- Review the takings
Examples to picture it
Three typical scenarios of organisations running a Christmas market, based on common situations, so you can picture realistic cases.
Example 1
Parents' organisation
Christmas market in the school playground, with pre-orders of chocolates and Christmas trees, and crêpes and mulled wine for parents.
Possible outcome
€4,700 for the snow school trip
Example 2
Festivities committee
Market on the village square with 25 craftspeople, stands booked online, and a refreshment stall run by volunteers.
Possible outcome
25 exhibitors, €1,800 in refreshment sales
Example 3
Charitable organisation
Sale of handmade creations and Advent wreaths, with a donation offered when ordering.
Possible outcome
320 orders, €900 in donations
Worked example
A parents' association's Christmas market
30 stalls booked at £15 by exhibitors, 400 boxes of chocolates pre-ordered online and collected on the day, mulled wine and pancakes taken by card on three phones.
£4,700
for the year's projects
Hesitating over another platform?
Compare Donoor with other providers on fees and features.
Other compatible projects
Many organisations run or combine several types of project. Explore the related guides.
Available in 19 countries
One platform, 19 countries.
Is your association outside France? Donoor works in these countries too, following each country's rules.
In France
Your donors pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal, online or contactless with Tap to Pay.
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In GreeceFrequently asked questions
Do you need to declare a Christmas market?
Yes. A 'vente au déballage' (open-air sale of goods) must be declared in advance to the mairie, and occupying a square or street requires its authorisation. Individual exhibitors are limited to two such sales per year.
Can you sell chocolates on pre-order?
Yes, with the Donoor shop: products, stock, basket and collection on market day. You know exactly what to order from your supplier.
Can you sell mulled wine?
With a temporary refreshment licence issued by the mairie: five per year at most for an organisation.
How do you take payments on the stalls?
Each volunteer can take contactless card payments with Tap to Pay, or display a payment QR code on their stall.
Are the takings taxable?
Proceeds from up to six charitable or support events a year are exempt from VAT and commercial taxes for a not-for-profit organisation.
How much does Donoor cost for a Christmas market?
£0. No subscription, no commission on stalls, sales or refreshments. Only bank fees apply, and the payer can cover them.
We take care of setting it all up for you.
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How it works
Set up in under 8 minutes, no technical knowledge needed.
Set up stall bookings
One price per type of pitch, with the number of places available.
Open the Christmas shop
Products, variants and stock, with collection on market day.
Spread the word
Posters with QR code, local council networks, link for families.
On the day
Order collection, refreshment stand and on-site sales taken by card.