The latest video in the QVM's Australian Made Campaign features Photographer, Tony Pierrakos.
Tony gives a wonderfully personal presentation of what it is like to trade at QVM.
Click on the photo to be taken to the video.
Have Your Say - click here.
A Website for All Traders at Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market.
Sunday, 17 September 2017
Another Aussie Champion Shines - Tony Pierrakos
The latest video in the QVM's Australian Made Campaign features Photographer, Tony Pierrakos.
Tony gives a wonderfully personal presentation of what it is like to trade at QVM.
Click on the photo to be taken to the video.
Have Your Say - click here.
The Current State Of Market Trading Is Not Good
Our heading may be the understatement of the year on Victraders.com.
The
overwhelming sentiment under the sheds this weekend has been anger and
frustration. Anger at the state of business and the poor response from
customers as sales continue to decline.
This
is serious. September is one of our worst trading months and it is showing.
Trader’s sales are reaching depths previously unheard of and the future is not
looking good.
The
reason? This might sound stupidly simplistic but customers are simply not
buying. There appears to be a significant reduction in willingness to spend and
if we can put a customer hat on for a minute, who can blame them? The press is
full of really good reasons not to spend. Wages are stagnant and we are having
to eat into savings, power bills are up, mortgage payments take a huge part of
our available funds and what if interest rates go up? There is talk of a real estate bubble and questions about the share market being able to keep climbing. What self respecting,
family responsible consumer would go out spending?
Of
course our economy relies on spending to keep the wheels turning and generating
confidence is a responsibility that Federal and State Governments are battling
with. The Federal Government’s high profile “hauling across the coals” of power
companies, and their pricing, is just one example (pun intended).
And
that leads us back to the anger thing. Blaming QVM Management and CoM is still evident
amongst traders although there is a growing realisation that retail decline is
in fact global. Many of the very best, smartest,and highly manouverable
retailers are struggling. Myer reported an 80% drop in profit this week. And
unlike what many traders are suggesting, major retailers are not throwing huge
amounts of many at traditional advertising. Smart promotion these days is
through social media and QVM is well equipped in that area.
There
has been a lot of press over recent months about the crazy ideas that retailers
are trying. IKEA recently admitted that they will try almost anything to gauge
customer response. Many organisations are releasing details of even minor
trials like Australia Post testing a drone, Coles experimenting with grocery
deliveries by bike (Deliveroo), and Amazon’s testing a shop without registers
or staff (as far as we know that is still just a test). They do this because
new ideas are worth trying but also because the results on social media are
worth the effort. The spread of news across social media is quick, expansive
and cheap and they are seen as innovative responsive retailers. Social media
has great capacity to promote. RonnieZ’s caravan at the top of String Bean
Alley claimed to have got 21,000 views on Instagram this week after some professional
Instagramers took a photo in front of his juice van and today (Sunday) he has been featured in an Age newspaper article.
One
industry very close to retailers that is battling consumer headwinds is of
course wholesaling. If retailers are struggling with change so are their
suppliers and even more so as retailers go direct to manufacturers. The gift
trade exhibition circuit (key buying opportunities for retailers) has responded
well to the downturn. Last July’s Melbourne Gift Fair looked vibrant and full.
That was largely because they had amalgamated with the fashion industry and
filled vacant spots with fashion. They had responded to change. The upcoming
Sydney Gift Fair (one of the biggest of the year) has been recreated into
precincts with alluring names like Abode, Boutique, Galleria and Runway and
advertises “80 new suppliers”. Re-inventing their presentation is expected to
bring them results. Can QVM be flexible like that?
The
flexibility of major retail organisations and the ability to try a range of
news ideas is something that QVM and its traders needs to look at more closely
and we need to do it quickly. We are traditional and inflexible. We have many
rules, procedures and attitudes that make change difficult and inhibit
experimentation. And I am not just talking about market rules but Trader
attitudes as well. As one trader said this week - “Protecting your little patch
is fine, and it is great that some traders are still doing ok, but it is hard
to do business in a ghost town, and if we don’t start taking a “what's best for
our market” view we are all doomed.”
Probably
the single biggest concern of traders is losing their spot and will they end up
in a worse situation. Well, the obvious answer to the second bit is that not
changing will almost certainly guarantee a worse situation while curated change
to a better presented market will offer some chance of improvement. And if you
have a prime corner spot right now then you should receive a similar prime spot
in any move.
QVM
Management need to do something serious about curating our market and
presenting it in its best possible light. That may need more resources than
they currently have allocated but it will also need a big dose of Trader
co-operation to be effective. How soon can we start?
By Greg Smith
A Target Shopping Experience
Target
is identified as one of the struggling big boys of the retailing world but if
my shopping experience this week is a guide, they may be on to something.
Guy
Russo has been given the job of turning around the “middle of the road”
department store after his huge success with Kmart. This one is probably taking
a little longer than he would like but there are signs of change. For starters,
Target has embraced some of the Kmart “super price specials” that are difficult
to ignore.
It
has been a while since I shopped in Target and a couple of things stood out. I
was shopping for a photo frame for a birthday gift and at Knox City Shopping
Centre, Target seemed a logical destination. They had a selection of simple
frame designs in various sizes but the price really impressed me. $8 for a 10”
x 8” frame with two choices of mat boards seemed really good value. And before
you accuse me of being a cheapskate, the frame will receive a significant
photo. But then I went to buy a card and wrap, and Target had really got this
right.
Like
many consumers I am uncomfortable with the ridiculous price of wrapping paper
and cards from traditional outlets. I am used to paying $5 - $6 or more for
wrap and the same for a card but at Target I chose a contemporary design gift
bag for $3 and a card for $2. I could have purchased a 3m roll of wrap for $2
with an astonishing choice of designs and spent as much as $3 on a card. That
was good value - a big tick for Target.
The
other thing that struck me about the Target shopping experience was the
check-out. We were directed by staff to a self checkout counter which at first
we balked at, but then realised it was just like a supermarket checkout, and
operated pretty efficiently. However, as market traders, we
certainly felt sad at this trend to impersonal shopping. Even Aldi gives you
personal contact at the checkout. Sorry Target, no tick here.
Have Your Say - click here.
Traders Looking To Innovate – The Next Step
Last week's theme on our website was to encourage innovation (we called it breaking
things). The next step is to gain approval for your innovation idea so we had a
chat with a senior management member this week and came up with the following
advice.
The system these
days is not as structured as it used to be.
Traders are
encouraged to come up with ideas.
The future
of the market relies on new ideas and innovation.
The best way
for traders to approach this process is to formalise their thoughts so
different levels of management can consider the proposal.
Small
Business Victoria has a great template for a business plan which is designed to
assist entrepreneurs analyse and present their proposal. They have a simple one page Business plan summary and details can be found here - Business Plan
The first port
of call for an innovative proposal should be Category Managers although,
whatever you do, a comprehensive written proposal is your best guarantee of
success.
All proposals
will be considered and there are some ingredients that we know are on the top
of QVM’s wish list. Those things will include Melbourne Made, Aussie Made, and Regional
Victoria Made. And there are important aspects of modern consumer expectations
including environmental and social sustainability.
A trader
will be concerned primarily about profitability but these days that will almost
certainly include some more expansive considerations. Let’s put it this way –
your idea to create increased profitability will have a better chance of
success if it ticks some other important consumer and community expectations
like environmental and social sustainability.
One more
thing you should do before preparing your proposal is to read the QVM Retail Plan (click here). That plan is what drives market decision making, and accommodating its
aims in your own plan gives you a better chance of getting a “Yes” to your
innovation proposal.
Sunday, 10 September 2017
Heard Under The Sheds – 10/9/2017
A Hard Fact: One trader lamented this
week that he spent years of sacrifice and hard work creating his business and
meeting the needs of his customers. When he got that bit right he set about
fitting in a family life and all was good. But then someone moved the goal
posts (the retail revolution) and he feels like he is starting all over again.
Many traders will relate to that sentiment.
A Friendly Face – a friendly face and
one of our market’s true gentlemen, was shopping in the market on Saturday. It
was great to see you Sam.
Rent Falls – apparently the CoM
financials on QVM released this week show a $1.1m decline in stall holder
revenue, from $18.2m in 2016 to $17.1m in 2017.
Traders Survey – a survey inspired by
TRC Representatives was distributed in parts of the top end on Friday with
traders asked their views on extending trading hours and the possibility of an
additional night market. There were complaints that the nominated 3:00pm and
4:00pm closing times didn’t go far enough but traders generally were pleased to
become involved in the debate.
Instagram Beats Facebook For Business
Exposure? – One of our traders has experimented with both Facebook and
Instagram for their social media marketing but claims that Instagram gives
better results, particularly if a business or person with a large following
tacks on to your posts. The ability to adjust your Instagram tags and adjust
your customer focus is seen as a plus.
Better Way For Rent Payments – a trader
has suggested that instead of referencing invoice numbers when paying rent
online we should simply reference trader numbers. Invoice numbers change each
week and errors can be made in recording, whereas trader numbers are committed
to memory and unlikely to be mis-quoted.
New Management Structure - we understand that Paul Guerra has not been idle in his role as interim CEO and a new management structure is in the wind. We look forward to seeing how the management team will be structured as we move into the renewal phase.
Overheard During a Discussion On Trading Hours - a group of traders talking about the option for a night market for day traders and which night would be best. "Wednesday night" said one. "We already have a Wednesday Night Market" said another. "That's OK - I don't mind sharing with them."
Market Centric Online Site - a new online shopping destination apparently has strong market connections with a number of traders already on board. We understand the site has no set up costs, takes a small percentage of sales only, and will come to your stall to photograph products. Might be worth checking out at www.goodbrand.com.au
Retail News Briefs - Amazon, Aldi, One Hour Shoes, Driverless Pizza, Plastic Bag Ban.....
Retail News
Briefs – 10/9/2017
Amazon Could Open By Christmas – there
is speculation that the progress by Amazon in preparing a South Dandenong warehouse,
recruiting staff, and placing product orders, could mean an opening a soon as
mid-October 2017. With much to learn about the Australian market, it is
expected that initially Amazon will concentrate on price cutting as its key
offer.
Stagnant Retail Sales In July –
Australian retail sales in July went nowhere as a disappointing result in June
continued to influence sales trends.
Aldi and Homewares – Aldi have always
had a homewares component in their discount offer but the recent introduction
of a “Style Revolution” with “upscale
refinement to your home” suggests they are getting more serious about
this category.
Nike’s
One Hour Shoe Designs – we reported recently on Victraders about major sports
shoe manufacturers using 3D printing technology to manufacture shoes. Nike are
experimenting in New York with a workshop where you can select from thousands
of graphics or create your own on the spot phrases and have your shoe design on
your feet in one hour.
Driverless Pizza Delivery – Dominos Pizza
and Ford are working together in the US to trial pizza delivery by driverless
cars. In simple terms, you order your pizza online, track the delivery vehicle,
and when it arrives, go out and open up the boot for your order using a unique
code.
Shopping Centres Off the Market –
Global private equity firm, Blackstones, has taken its retail portfolio (including
Sydney’s Top Ryde and Melbourne’s Greensborough Plaza) off the market and
instead will concentrate on improving the properties. Interested potential buyers
included AMP and Lendlease.
Plastic Bag Ban In Queensland – from mid
next year shoppers will not be able to get their purchases in single use
plastic bags. The ban will include degradable and biodegradable bags.
Coles Experiments With More Delivery
Options – Last week we reported on the link between Coles and Uber for home
deliveries and now Coles have announced a trial with Deliveroo, the bicycle
based fast food delivery service. Deliveroo have been delivering “food packs” such as BBQ essentials in
Melbourne’s inner-east since earlier in the year and all with a 30 minute
timeframe.
Aldi Upgrades Fresh Food Offer –
Analysts are saying that Aldi’d decision to increase fresh food floor space
from 15% to 25% has proved a winner as they eat into the market share of the bigger
supermarket chains.
The Single Best Way To Move Forward In Retailing – Break Something.
There is a
common theme on Victraders.com this week and it relates to disruptors. When
Queen Victoria Market Traders went to the back door of manufacturers and
suppliers decades ago, offered cash for goods, and sold at reduced margins on
market stalls, they broke something.
They disrupted
the supply chain, undercut traditional retail stores with their high margins,
and gave our customers an exciting new option.
There has
since been a whole string of disruptions and right now there is an epidemic of
retail disruptions. The latest this week is Amazon’s announcement through
its newly acquired Whole Foods fresh foods business that it is going to
discount staple organic groceries. Those carefully nurtured and chemical free
fruit & vegetables that we have always been prepared to pay a little bit
more for (sometimes a lot more), are going to be discounted by one of the
biggest disruptors on the globe.
Respected
entrepreneur, Mark Zuckerberg, famously once said “Move fast, and break things.
Unless you are breaking stuff, you are not moving fast enough.”
What are
you going to break or disrupt?
QVM's Newest Champions
The latest video in the Champions of Aussie Made features Danny and Ariel Lewin of Danny's Knitwear. Danny says of his Australian made product - "It is unique because of the way it wears, the longer it lasts, and the pleasure it gives you when you wear it."
We do have some great Australian products at our market.
Click on the photo above to go to the video.
Something Market Traders And Brothel Owners Have In Common
A report on
the ABC this week said that brothel owners were concerned that online dating
apps like Tinder were killing their business. One manager said that business
was down 40% on last year and said the cause was apps where people can access
sex in a completely new way.
The
disruption of online activity is no stranger to retailers (Amazon), taxi
drivers (Uber), and accommodation houses (Air BNB).
According to
this report brothels have closed down and those remaining have been forced to
introduce Tradie Nights and Sausage Sizzles to attract customers.
One of the
oldest professions in the world is not immune from internet disruption, and
brothels, just like retailers, are having to find new ways to operate their
businesses.
What Traders Can Pinch From Online Retailers
Market Traders know that our ace card is the
personal touch we can provide to consumers but there are aspects of online
retailing that we shouldn’t neglect.
With online retailing consumers can try on virtual
glasses to select their colour and style of eyewear, experiment with thousands
of different shades of make-up on their cheeks, and try on clothing in a
virtual showroom. IKEA just launched
an Artificial Reality-powered app that lets consumers visualize
virtual furniture placed in their homes.
And if visualising isn’t enough, there
are more and more online retailers shipping goods to consumers to try on. In
that environment, the logistics of getting goods to your customers, at the
right cost, become very important.
As more consumers come to experience these
other conveniences, it just makes sense to enhance the Queen Victoria Market
experience in any way possible. Market to home delivery services, particularly
for travellers, makes a lot of sense, as does making yourself contactable
outside market hours either by mobile phone or website. Two services becoming popular are "Reserve online and try in store" and "Buy online but collect instore".
Market Traders have the edge in
personal service and incorporating some of these online practices just
strengthens that advantage. The QVM Marketing Department has expertise to assist with your online exposure.
New Market Pavilion – Expressions of Interest
Expressions of Interest have been invited for activities on the green house level or top floor of the New market Pavilion in Queen St and some interesting detail is included in the tender documents.
- Potential for extended trading hours such as7am to 7pm, 7 days per week
- The greenhouse concept should not present a retail offer already overly represented in the market nor an entertainment venue with behaviours or activities that detract from the amenity of the precinct.
- Note: the City of Melbourne reserves the right to extend or modify the design of the New Market Pavilion. Stage 1 provides for a structure circa 120 metres long with a 900m2 greenhouse. This may be extended to the south along Queen Street to Franklin Street, with or without the first floor greenhouse.
- The first stage of the pavilion is 120m long and 19m wide.
IndicativeTimeframes
The indicative timetable for the Expression of Interest and tender process are:
STAGE 1 – Expression of Interest (EOI)
EOI release : Saturday 2 September 2017
Briefing session: 11am Thursday 14 September 2017
EOI closing date: 11am Monday 9 October 2017
Notification of short-list: November 2017
STAGE 2- Request for Proposal(RFP)
The second stage will be aligned to the delivery of the New Market Pavilion
including the ground level trading floor and the following timelines are indicative:
RFP issued to short-list: Late 2017
Closing date for RFP: February/ March 2018 (TBC)
Contract award: April/ May 2018 (TBC)
Have Your Say - click here.
Changing Shopping Environments
http://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/the-business/2017-07-19/falling-out-of-fashion-with-shoppers/8725418
Have Your Say - click here.
Sunday, 3 September 2017
Let’s Get Serious Here! - Trading Hours
A
trader said this week - “How can we continue with opening/closing times that
are completely out of touch with other major markets, and in fact the whole
retail industry?”
Camden
Market in the U.K. opens 10am to 6pm.
Paddy’s
Market in Sydney opens 10am to 6pm.
La
Boqueria Market in Barcelona opens 8:00am to 8:30pm.
Pikes
Place Market in Seattle opens 9am to 6pm.
Need
I go on?
Okay!
Borough
Market in London opens 10am to 5pm.
Or
Tor Kor Market in Bangkok opens 8:30am to 5pm.
La
Merced Market in Mexico City opens 5am to 7pm.
And
no, we would not get a guaranteed immediate boost in sales if we traded later.
And
yes, there would be frustrating times when we would stand twiddling our thumbs
(that's what traders did before mobile phones) while we waited for new uniform
hours to lock into customer psyche.
And
for all those traders who are waiting for management to fix our problems here
is an opportunity to demand that we start addressing consumer expectations at
QVM right now.
And
while we are at it, let’s throw in an extra Night Market or two so that those
traders who want to survive this retail revolution can enthusiastically tackle
new opportunities.
Now
let's be honest there is not exactly universal Trader acceptance to this idea
of changing trading hours. Logic says “Yes” while operating reality puts some
barriers in the way. But there is a way of introducing extended hours without
demanding total trader engagement
Let's
start with the new pavilion. The New Market Pavilion on Queen St. could operate
10am to 6pm and do a Thursday night market (we understand that management are considering this). You could even consider Wednesday
trading as a lead in to the Night Market. In fact you could quickly extend the
format to accomodate other traders keen to move on from QVM’s archaic trading
hours. You could create a precinct of 10am - 6pm traders. We seem obsessed with every
trader trading at the same time when in fact it is all about meeting customer
needs across a spread of hours. There are other major world markets that work
in shifts just so customers have some sort of offer whenever they want to buy.
There is a lot to consider here, but let's not waste too much time. We are probably the last major world market that has not adjusted to consumer shopping trends.
Have Your Say - click here.
COMMENTS:
03/09/2017 16:22:18 XTRA HOURS "Can we take the opening hours issue to a stallholder vote...
please lets not compare European cities to Melbourne..
thks Greg"
Yes. We don't want measures like this to create more stress for traders which is why a trial makes so much sense. Traders who don't want change should not be forced into change. But equally those who are itching to get out there and embrace change need opportunities. Surely we are flexible enough to accommodate both. Thanks for your comment. - Ed.
COMMENTS:
03/09/2017 16:22:18 XTRA HOURS "Can we take the opening hours issue to a stallholder vote...
please lets not compare European cities to Melbourne..
thks Greg"
Yes. We don't want measures like this to create more stress for traders which is why a trial makes so much sense. Traders who don't want change should not be forced into change. But equally those who are itching to get out there and embrace change need opportunities. Surely we are flexible enough to accommodate both. Thanks for your comment. - Ed.
A Free Way To Get Your Stall On Google
The QVM
Marketing Department has compiled a simple instruction manual to assist traders
promote their business on Google for free.
When a customer pulls out their phone in Melbourne
and looks for your category of goods, you want your business to show up in the
results and point customers directly to you.
The manual
was sent to all traders via email this week and you will find the marketing
staff ready, willing, and able to assist you if necessary. Any questions,
please email marketing@qvm.com.au
Heard Under The Sheds – 3/9/2017
Night Market
Impacting On Day Market – A common theme from many traders this week is that
Thursday day trade has been killed by the night market. The philosophy is that
tourists who visit the night market won’t visit on Thursdays. Other traders are questioning
whether there is a direct link or are we just identifying a general downturn in
day trade.
September
Doldrums – one trader point out that September is normally one of his worst
trading months of the year even though there is plenty of tourist activity
around football finals. A sales survey done by traders a few years ago
confirmed that February and September were the quietest months of the year in
the top end.
Empty E Shed - traders thought that the North side of E Shed between the top walkway and Peel St. had been purposely cleared on Friday, but no, it was just an unfortunate coincidence that all traders took the day off.
A Trader
wrote to Victraders recently complaining about the confusing state of rent
accounts and apparent over-charging on his account. His Category Manager was
alerted and the matter cleared up to the Trader’s satisfaction but he points
out that a lot of the frustration around rent accounts would be overcome if
they were like utility accounts – in other words issued after the commercial
activity had occurred instead of before. We do have a lot of confusing elements
in our accounts – casual trading, leave, box hire penalties and so on.
Indisputable
Proof That Traders Are Doing It Tough – this trader took time out to darn his
own socks during trading on Friday. There are a number of important
implications to this – We hope he didn’t remove his sock in front of customers –
he definitely needs sewing lessons – we are a traditional market and perhaps it
is time that Jeff, Bruce, and our other sock sellers introduced a repair service.
Learning
From Football – a trader has suggested that the Collingwood Football Clubs
response to future development might have application in the retail industry - "Buckley's reappointment… comes after a 'forensic' review that
concluded that sacking the coach would be an exercise in scapegoating. “...the easiest decision in the last
couple of days would have been to sack the coach, the hard decision is to look
within and work within and work through as a whole club.” "Change
doesn't necessarily mean sack this person sack that person, it could be and it
will be, different structuring, resource an area better that we haven't
resourced before…”
Trader Dispute - a minor altercation occurred this week when one trader placed his boxes in the aisle and effectively blocked customer movement. It was after closing time but our complainant still had a crowd at his stall. Keeping storage boxes on your side of the aisle and allowing customer movement for others would seem to be the neighbourly thing to do.
Have Your Say - click here.
Latest Retail News – 3/9/2017
SHORT BITS:
1. Topshop UK parent company rallies to support Australian arm.
2. Toys’R’Us to open 4 new stores in Australia.
3. Tiffany & Co boosts second quarter results.
4. H&M launches new Arket brand in London and online, catering for fashion and home goods.
5. Specialty Fashion Groups older brands (Rivers, Millers, Katies) drag on performance.
6. Billabong hopes to recover from massive loss.
7. Luxury jewellery retailer, Secrets, opens flagship store at Brisbane’s Chermside centre.
8. Dominos trialling self driving cars for pizza delivery.
9. Myer links with Amazon to offer Kindle electronic products.
10. Harvey Norman reports 29% jump in profits with pleasing overseas results.
11. Tommy Hilfiger opens new store at Westfield Parramatta.
LONGER BITS:
Coles And Uber – are reported to be trialling a home delivery service in Melbourne to supplement Coles fleet of home delivery trucks. Gaining economies in the “last mile” of customer delivery is proving to be an issue for retailers worldwide.
Zara’s Secret – an article on Forbes.com points out that clothing retailer, Zara, presents new product ranges 26 times per year. The anticipation by customers that there is always something new, and they need to get in before things change, is creating the long checkout queues at this retailer.
Another Struggling Retail Group - Millers, Katies and Rivers owner Specialty Fashion has almost quadrupled its full-year loss to $8.39 million, from last year's $2.19 million, amid subdued consumer spending.
Tourism Booms – retailing might be struggling but the influx of tourists to Australia was up 9.1% in the year to June 2017 with visitors from China showing the strongest growth. See the full analysis here - https://www.austrade.gov.au/news/economic-analysis/tourism-success-inbound-tourist-number-exceeded-8-5-million-in-2016-17-and-expenditure-reached-a-40-billion
Westfield Expands Its Retail Mix – Westfield have introduced over 100 new retailers to their shopping centres with an emphasis on smaller neighbourhood type operations mainly in food, dining and beverage categories. As department stores lose their footprint, the gap in leasing space is being filled with food and entertainment. High quality food in a grab-and-go format, often at restaurant prices, is becoming a trend for major centres.
Have Your Say -click here.
An Unusual Request
The audio in this video is in Italian but you won't need a translation. You simply need to know that the customer asks for a receipt.
Have Your Say - click here.
Have Your Say - click here.
QVM In The News - 3/9/2017
| NEWS | |
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Thanks, but no thanks – Doyle
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has politely told opponents of the council's Queen Victoria Market (QVM) redevelopment that he won't be taking on their ...
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| NEWS | ||||||
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Melbourne council to consider ideas such as microbrewery or bakery for Queen Victoria Market ...
“More than 10 million people visit Queen Victoria Market every year, so this is an unprecedented opportunity for specialists in fresh food production, ...
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Welcome to My Place . . . Melbourne
Visit the city markets. Queen Victoria Market (no, it's not named after the Eastenders watering hole but rather as it's on the corner of Queen and Victoria ...
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| NEWS | |
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Underspending on works and staff blowout
Queen Victoria Market renewal program: only $3.7 million of the $9.2 million budget was spent in the first nine months. Final underspend $4 million.
|
A Brewery For QVM?
QVM’s brand
new pavilion on Queen St. could house a micro brewery according to Deputy Lord
Mayor Aaron Wood.
The City is
looking for expressions of interest for the greenhouse area on the top of the pavilion
which is expected to begin construction in October.
“From
gardens filled with heirloom fruit, vegetables and indigenous plants to a
microbrewery, bakery and cooking displays, the sky’s the limit for what could
be achieved in this exciting new rooftop area.”- said the Deputy lord mayor.
“More than
10 million people visit Queen Victoria Market every year, so this is an
unprecedented opportunity for specialists in fresh food production, education,
hospitality, sustainability and technology to fit out and operate a coveted
space,” he said.
Expressions
of interest for the pavilion greenhouse opened this week and close at 11am on
October 9. Details: http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/building-and-development/urban-planning/local-area-planning/queen-victoria-market-precinct-renewal-plan/Pages/new-market-eoi.aspx
Another Great QVM Aussie Made Video
Trader Chien Nguyen from Jumbo Ugg features in this week's Champions of Aussie Made video. Chien's passion for the market and his product shines through in this video - another very worthy story to enhance our market's Aussie Made credentials. Simply click on the photo to be taken to the Facebook link.
Have Your Say - click here.
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