Sunday 4 December 2016

Gloves Off – Early Packers

The 600 or so individual businesses that make up the Queen Vic Market have responsibilities to each other and it is extremely disappointing when some don’t accept that responsibility. If you don’t want to be part of the team should you be shown your marching orders?

There are many different ways that traders co-operate with each other and present a uniform face. We all adhere to set trading times so that the customer has a reasonable expectation of coming to our market and finding the item they are looking for. Or do they?

Yesterday, Saturday 3rd. December, we received a number of complaints about traders packing early. Saturday was one of those unusual days in the top end when some traders did brilliantly, and some very poorly. In fact the majority probably did poorly. But every trader will have good and bad days. We have an obligation to maintain a professional shopping environment so that every trader is able to take advantage of the prevailing conditions for their product range.

One trader yesterday said he was having a good day right up until 2:30 when his neighbour started packing. Any overt packing activity sends a clear message to customers – “We are closing”. Early packing is a business turn-off for every trader in the vicinity.

We are told that the coffee stall on the corner of K Shed and the top walkway closed at around 12:30 today (Sunday 4th. December). Unless there was some sort of emergency, that is unacceptable.

In the battle for consumer dollars we have to show why customers should come to our market rather than go to competing shopping outlets. Unprofessional and selfish behaviour doesn’t help that cause. Times are tough, but if you can’t handle the bad with the good at QVM, perhaps you should be somewhere else.

Have Your Say – click here.

COMMENTS:
05/12/2016 08:53:30 Early closing "Before you name and shame, should you have perhaps asked the reason (name removed) why they were closing early.....what about the stallholders that set up late,cars where they should not be, we can go on and on....you must have a degree of Iive and let live,please publish."

Thanks for your input. You are right - there are other examples of traders doing wrong and we don't want to turn QVM into a police state. However, the provision of a coffee shop in the middle of the top end is an important service to customers and those customers who choose to attend the market and support us deserve that service even if business is quiet. 
Similarly, neighbouring traders who are meeting their commitment to serving customers, whether business is good or not, deserve the support of the traders around them.

One of the reasons we all enjoy trading at QVM is because we are independent businesses, able to make our own choices. However we also have a responsibility to our customers and our fellow traders. We need to show them respect because without them, independence counts for nothing. - Ed