Sunday 30 June 2019

What's Next At QVM?


With two very worthwhile projects under the QVM belt, (completing String Bean Alley and transforming Queen St.), maybe it is time for the next big thing - curating the Upper Market.

In June 2017 we published an article “Is It Time We Curated Our Market?” and 2 years later all that has really changed is the frustration of traders as gaps grow and our look deteriorates. Every trader has been quizzed by customers on the look of the market, but what really hurts is when experienced outside retailers ask “What is going on here?” The look of our market is a serious issue.

Of course it is not just the gaps around our market, but the exposing of infrastructure like storage boxes and racking that were never really intended for public display. The backside of our market is usually not very pretty.

Fixing the gaps is no easy matter. We already have a shifting trader population and short term absences only have to be notified the day before. It is difficult to plan for those. There are many uncertainties and maybe there will need to be more predictability if gaps are to be avoided. Or, as one trader suggested, just make the trading area smaller, rope off unused areas, and let the laws of supply and demand create the fully populated market.

Many traders believe that the look of our market is unacceptable on too many trading days. We suspect that the climate is ripe for considering all options for improving our public face. It will require significant effort, resources, and co-operation but somehow the gaps need to be fixed, and quickly.