Sunday 18 June 2017

Heard Under The Sheds - 18/6/2017


Paper Carry Bags – one of our traders is not convinced that going eco friendly by ditching plastic bags really makes sense. See our article - http://www.victraders.com/2017/06/the-new-consumer-demand-that-traders.html  He points out that 3000 plastic carry bags cost him $35 while the equivalent in paper would be closer to $1500. Measuring the value of adjusting to consumer sentiment was never going to be easy.

More Security Staff – a number of traders have commented on the increased presence of security staff around our market.

Night Market a Winner – no figures yet but a couple of participant traders say the crowds are very impressive at our Winter Night market with one saying he had difficulty handling the rush on Wednesday night this week.

Leases and Licenses are Back – a rumour last week that a Victoria Street trader has been offered a 5 year lease has been followed by the appearance of letters to SL licensees advising of a phased return to formal licences. Great news for those looking for some stability in our future.

Bring Back Fashion – while our clothing traders continue to struggle one of our long term traders has suggested a positive remedy. He is proposing the market establish a substantial scholarship with one of Melbourne’s highly regarded design schools and offers a section of the market to budding clothing designers. Setting up a formal design precinct would add to QVM’s “small business incubator” tag, create a destination for fashion buyers, and surely add a potential flow on to our existing clothing traders. Sounds like a great idea.