On 11 January 1978, Pitsea Market opened at its third major location: Northlands Pavement, behind the Railway Hotel and the Broadway North/Tudor Buildings shopping area. The site was partly formed from a former sports field and land affected by earlier clearance.
The move ended the market's period in the four domes. Three domes were dismantled when the market left Howard's Field, while Dome A survived for a time before it too disappeared. The former domed site subsequently became associated with retail development and was commonly remembered locally as the “old market site”.
Northlands Pavement gave Pitsea the form of market that many residents remember from the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries: long rows of outdoor stalls, traders calling to shoppers, clothing hanging from rails, produce displays, household goods and the constant turnover that made every market day slightly different.
The market sat close to permanent shops, the Railway Hotel, the swimming pool and later supermarkets and retail development. This made a visit to the market part of a wider shopping trip rather than an isolated destination.
The exact trader line-up changed constantly, as it does at most open markets. Pitsea nevertheless became known for a broad general-market mix. Across its later history the types of goods associated with the market included:
This variety was one of the market's strengths. Unlike a conventional shopping centre, individual traders could specialise in narrow product ranges, change stock quickly or sell clearance lines at competitive prices.
For many local residents, Pitsea Market was not only somewhere to buy goods. Busy market days brought together shoppers from Pitsea, Basildon and surrounding communities. Regular customers came to know particular traders, while the market's informal character distinguished it from the supermarkets and chain stores developing nearby.
The market also preserved a form of face-to-face retailing that was becoming less common elsewhere. Prices and products were displayed directly on stalls, traders could explain their stock and the sound and movement of the market became part of Pitsea's identity.
By the early 2010s the wider Northlands Pavement and Railway Hotel area was earmarked for major redevelopment. The plans involved demolition of the Railway Hotel, Pitsea Swimming Pool, parts of Northlands Pavement and the existing market buildings. The proposal also included new retail buildings, refurbishment of surviving units, changes to parking and landscaping, and a purpose-designed replacement market area.
Planning permission was granted in 2012. This meant that, once again, Pitsea Market would survive a major redevelopment by moving rather than disappearing.