Friday 22 May 2015

Getting Renewal Delivery Right

Domino's Pizza realised that one of the biggest irritations for their customers was not knowing when the pizza was going to arrive. So, they built an app to fix that. QVM Traders have a similar problem

Domino's customers are already able to track their pizza through the cooking stage but soon they will be able to GPS track the actual delivery and even find out some basic information about their delivery driver as well. One of the biggest frustrations for QVM Traders is not knowing when important components of renewal will be detailed, analysed, and then delivered. Of course the impact of renewal on "modest & fragile" small businesses at QVM is a lot more complex than pizza delivery, but you get my point.

At a recent QVMAC meeting one Trader Representative gave the example of the rumours surrounding H & I sheds - the impact of possible moves on traders, not only current traders in H & I sheds, but perhaps some traders in the Dairy Hall moving to a new food location. These are serious considerations and the concerns are understandable. Another area of concern is the use of J,K, & L sheds as events space. There is a lot of uncertainty about how that could be delivered. It may help us to understand why some traders felt it necessary to hold a traders meeting a couple of weeks ago which, in the end, went over the same old ground. According to some attendees the meeting achieved little, simply because some concerns cannot be answered until detail is available.

That same frustration is probably also held by QVM Management. QVM Renewal is a huge exciting project and there are many people keen to start the ball rolling. The Draft Master Plan is about to be put before Council and will hopefully receive final approval by August. That Master Plan will set the overall direction for renewal. Then the real detail discussion starts, traders will have their input on more specific proposals, and we will head towards delivery.

So, keeping with the pizza analogy, here is an order that traders might place - "I'll have my renewal well cooked please, with easily digestible ingredients, and a taste that will knock the socks off all my customers. And let's get that delivery on the road as soon as possible."

Have Your Say - click here.

COMMENTS:
22/05/2015 18:18:42 Renewal "I just don't get it ... How are we suppose to discuss the master plan after its release. I would think the deal is done and its just how best to implement the changes with the help of the on ground people aka stall holders . We have had endless meetings about our feelings and most believe we are just been given lip service. I hope I'm wrong cause I love every dirty bit of our beloved Queen Victoria Market."

I think you are right about the course being set. After a comprehensive public consultation on the overall plan for the market (and the Master Plan just sets the basics without detail) the next step is to set the detail in consultation with traders. I guess the task now is to make sure the detail results in a better market. Thanks for your input - Ed