Market Interview - Bruce

Name? Bruce

Born ? Vietnam

What do you do/sell at the market? Socks.

How long have you been at the market? 15 years.

What do you like best about the market? -  Meeting interesting customers.

 Worst moment? Thieves, hot weather and strong wind.

Past jobs? Logistic at a steel warehouse.

Sporting interests?  Snowboarding

One thing nobody knows about you? I'm having another child.

Favorite food? Sichuan food.(hot and spicy Chinese food)

Favorite drink? Soy latte.

Favorite TV show/ movie ? The Mentalist. Matrix

Fav band? Jazz. Lounge music

If you had your Sunday arvo free from the market, what would you do ? Go for a picnic with my family.

If you were given a 2 week free holiday anywhere around the where would you go?  Swiss Alps.

Why is Apple better than pc? Because the majority of people are dumb which includes my neighbour on Saturday, who also happens to be conducting this interview.

Thanks Bruce

Interviewed by Tony

Traders Make Submission To Council

Traders have made their own submission to The Melbourne City Council on a new Strategic Planning Draft that impacts on the northern end of the city. 
The MCC started public consultation on a new planning strategy for City North back in September 2010. It would appear that no changes are envisioned to planning regulations for the Queen Victoria Market itself but the market does feature many times throughout the draft plan.
The draft plan is currently being considered by council and will be put before the Future Melbourne Committee on 7th February. For reasons that will be obvious to you once you read our letter, we felt it necessary to make a submission on behalf of General Merchandise Traders.

Email To Melbourne City Council - Strategic Planning - 6/1/2012

Dear Sirs,

            We represent  General Merchandise Traders at The Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne. General Merchandise Traders are a majority group at the QVM who retail a variety of products including clothing, footwear, fashion accessories, gifts, souvenirs, household items and jewellery.

            Our interest in the City North Structure Plan is dominated by two issues. Firstly the lack of consultation on the plan and its implications for hundreds of individual businesses operating at The Queen Victoria Market, and secondly the lack of attention given to the unique nature of our trading at the market.

1. Consultation – Hundred’s of individual businesses operate at The Queen Victoria Market and we believe they all qualify as key stakeholders in issues that specifically impact on the market. We understand that community consultation on the City North Structure Plan began in September 2010. General Merchandise Traders received their first advice just two days prior to the Information Meeting on 26^th May 2011. The offer to attend was made by MCC through the QVM. It then took an approach by us direct to Sarah Oberklaid of MCC Strategic Planning in late November 2011 to have us included on the relevant MCC mailing list. We are now receiving mailings on the Structure Plan and we thank Sarah for including us. Our point is that key stakeholders were not briefed on the implications of the City Structure Plan nor invited to participate in a meaningful way.

2. Unique Nature of Market Trading – We understand that there are issues of business operation at The Queen Victoria Market that do not go to the core of a Structure Plan. However, the constant reference throughout the draft plan to the food content of the market’s offering (see extracts from the draft plan below) and its relevance to local and community groups does not give the full picture and could, if left unattended, create a misleading impression of the market’s role in Melbourne.

The comprehensive, rich and varied offering in the fruit, vegetable, dairy, poultry, meat, fish, and delicatessen food areas of the market are significant and unique. However they only represent around 40% of the businesses at the market. General Merchandise Traders, on the other hand represent around 60% of the market. In other words, the majority of traders do not sell fresh food. To consider or describe the market as primarily a source of fresh food is inaccurate and misleading. It excludes from consideration the majority of traders and their ongoing contribution to the market and the city.

More importantly it ignores a large slice of the customer base. Over 70% of General Merchandise customers are tourists – mainly interstate, some regional, and some international. These tourists come to the market for an overall market experience but we believe the bulk of their purchasing is done at the top end of the market not in the food section. The food offering provided by the QVM is an important and integral part of the overall market, but it is just one part of a complex market structure.

In a broader sense the market is a multi-faceted, unique historical business structure that has evolved, almost organically, to create an institution not found anywhere in Australia. The market is one of Melbourne's major features of differentiation which has contributed and continues to contribute to making Melbourne a place to visit,  shop,  and come back to. Shopping centres are found in all states but the market helps make Melbourne special and competitive.

The market serves Melbourne directly giving locals access to fresh produce and a huge variety of general merchandise goods as well as attracting regional, interstate, and overseas visitors. The market is certainly a "cultural icon", but it is much more than that –

o   It is a 7.5 hectare historical site operating continuously and adhering to its original purpose for 130 plus years.

o   It is a significant economic base for over 800, mainly family run, small businesses.

o   It is a famous tourist attraction and destination.

The Queen Victoria Market is certainly a unique feature of Melbourne, but it is fragile and changes should take place with full consultation, sensitivity, and an understanding of its unique makeup. 

In conclusion, we would like the above points to be duly noted by Council, the Future Melbourne Committee, and all other relevant bodies involved in the development of future plans and regulations affecting The Queen Victoria Market. We respectfully request that, going forward, there be appropriate engagement with representatives of General Merchandise Traders of The Queen Victoria Market in any and all discussions which could impact on the future of the market and its precinct.

Respectfully Yours,

John Magno

Michael Presser

Ivano Guseli

Greg Smith

Strategies pg 83

Strategy 1

Establish integrated and accessible community hubs

Queen Victoria Market precinct

The Queen Victoria Market is a key focus for the local community and a key cultural and tourist attraction which is located on a 7 hectare site in the heart of the growing City North.

There is a significant opportunity to enhance the Queen Victoria Market’s role as a local centre and destination by enhancing the provision of community, cultural and social activities in the vicinity. These functions will complement the operations of the market and support the needs of the growing local community.

The integration of community facilities and services within the Queen Victoria Market should focus on enhancing its significant role as a market for fresh produce and community gathering and event space in the northern end of the city. This has potential to build on the capacity of the market as a centre for locally produced food

and education, including cooking and nutrition, and sustainable resource consumption. This also has the potential to strengthen the facilities and services provided in proximity at the Multicultural Hub.

CITY NORTH STRUCTURE PLAN – REPORT ON THE COMMUNITY CONSULTATION

Page 196

Discussion to explain responseThe City of Melbourne's long term strategy for Queen Victoria Market will identify ways to develop and enhance the market’s role in light of the city’s growth, community needs and consumer trends.  The City of Melbourne wants to secure the future of the market and ensure its ongoing viability and relevance in a time of rapid change. The City of Melbourne is working with market management, the State Government and other stakeholders to develop initiatives that will position QVM to keep pace and compete with other retailers and ensure that QVM remains a great place for Melburnians to shop and come together long into the future. The enhancement of the market will not take place overnight. The City of Melbourne is taking a long-term approach to ensure that any changes made to this precious landmark are well considered and made with minimal impact to the people who currently trade at and use the market. The renewal of the market is likely to stretch over the next decade.

Photo Caption Competition

Trader, Tony Pierrakos, has given us this photo for a caption competition with the prize being a couple of  small photographs from Tony's extensive range.

The best caption will be judged by trader Sue Smith so get those digital fingers working and submit via the “Post A Comment” option at the top right of this page or the “Comment here” option below.

Tony has offered to get the ball rolling with this offering –

“Is she still checking out my big butt?” –     (Yeah - you wish Tony – Ed)

Other Comments:
"If only they'd colour co-ordinated the labels!"
"Is that my wife?" 
"Tony realised that larger women did make him feel insecure."
"She thinks I'm looking at her but I'm just checking out this zit."
"I hate it when women don't make the first move?"

The Way Forward - How Customers Have Changed.

We have written about the new consumerism and how customers have changed their buying attitudes, particularly since the GFC.

At last somebody has attempted to analyse the very ingredients that now motivate customers and, if we can apply these ingredients to our own retail decisions, we may just start making good choices for the future.

Have a close look at the graphic, particularly the first and last columns. One thing is guaranteed – the good old days are gone. The buying excesses that applied before the GFC are unlikely to return for a long, long time. We have to look at our customers in a new light.

Comment: "It strikes me that one aspect of "Responsibility" goes to carry bags, and that the new iniative in the food section to eradicate plastic bags is spot on the money. We are not so "Responsible" in the top end of the market." - 8/1/12



A New Take On Sales Posters

We kid you not, this is a real sale currently operating in an Osaka store. Not recommended for The Queen Victoria Market.

The Way Forward in 2012

The flood of analysis and advice has started as retail correspondents attempt to pick a way forward for 2012. It will be easy to get confused but we hope to steer you through the mass of information and pick out the important points. We will be using the logo you see in this post for each article in the series “The Way Forward”.

For starters, you might like to look at the following website which gives a clever visual take on what’s hot in retail in 2011 and going forward. - http://www.slideshare.net/RetailTrends/whats-hot-in-retail-2011 Clothing traders will be particularly interested.

New Consumer Laws Gives Customers More Rights

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says under standardised consumer guarantees that take effect in 2012, "small businesses should be aware of the rights a consumer has for a refund, repair or replacement of faulty products or product that don't do what they advertise".

"If it doesn't do what it says on the box, or what the salesperson told you it would do, the law allows you to have it repaired, replaced or refunded," it says.

Under Australian Consumer Law, goods and services must:

·              - Be of acceptable quality.

·             -  Be fit for purpose.

·              - Match the description.

·              - Match any sample or demonstration model.

·              - Meet any extra promises made by the supplier.

So, it is no longer just broken or faulty goods that must be actioned. Any good that doesn’t do what the packaging says or what the salesperson said it would do is covered by the new laws and must be repaired, replaced or refunded.

New Year Resolution – More S.E.X.

Making New Year resolutions is a tradition that can’t be ignored and we’ve made a controversial choice this year.

S is for strategies to counter the retail malaise of 2011. We can expect a flood of analysis and suggestions from the retail industry in coming weeks. Watch for our reports.

E is for enthusiasm. It is time to get back on the horse, time to forget the trials of the last 12 months, time to look outside the square, and time to look for new innovative ideas that excite our customers.

X is for Xtraordinary customer service. We know that market traders have an advantage over many other retailers when it comes to personal service. It is time to ram home the advantage.


(Ed: Let me apologise in advance for the cheap tabloid style of the heading. But, no doubt it grabbed your attention and it was strangely stimulating to write.)

Incoming Tourists

1. Cruise Ships

By the end of April 2012, 56 cruise liners will have entered Port Phillip Bay to dock in Melbourne. Each will be loaded with tourists looking to take advantage of local tourist attractions including shopping.

According to an article in the Age last week  “Favourite shore excursions include Healesville Sanctuary zoo, Puffing Billy steam train, Yarra River city cruises, wine tours, the Eureka Skydeck and the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/worlds-big-liners-set-sail-for-melbourne-20111229-1pead.html#ixzz1iHdCP95E”

Needless to say, it would be nice to see The QVM on that list but expect some cruise tourists anyway.

2. Tennis Tourists

Apparently some 30% of Australian Open Tennis tickets have been pre-sold to residents of China so expect some significant tourist activity attached to the tennis.

COMMENTS:
Leah: Why don't we put a proposal to the market that we send some buses down there like we used to and bring the tourists up to us (from Facebook)

 

General Merchandise Traders Its all changed apparently Leah. It is no longer just a case of sending buses down to cruise ships. We know Andrew Cyples is looking at the problem and we look forward to talking with him in the next couple of weeks. (from Facebook)

Best Of 2011

We can’t resist giving you a rundown on the most popular posts on this website since our launch in March 2011.

MOST READ: This is the top list based on the number of times the post was accessed by readers.

1.       Number one goes to our story on Commbank’s decision to credit trader’s accounts with their EFTPOS money daily instead of delaying 2 or 3 days. We suspect it was number one because it had universal interest and was read by more than just QVM traders. http://www.victraders.com/2011/11/commbank-gives-us-our-money-quicker.html

2.       Market Interviews are our most read genre and Mark Szmerling has topped the tree with his interview. http://www.victraders.com/2011/05/market-interview-mark-szmerling.html

3.       The sad story of the passing of trader David Borynsztein attracted a lot of readership. David was a popular and well-respected trader in the market. http://www.victraders.com/2011/08/rip-david-borynsztein.html

4.       Like we said, market interviews are very popular and Leo’s interview was just pipped by Mark Szmerling for most popular. http://www.victraders.com/2011/06/market-interview-leo.html

5.       Not really sure why this post featured in the top five except that hope springs eternal for market traders and good news is always welcome. http://www.victraders.com/2011/11/retail-sales-are-up.html

MOST LIKED: Readers are invited to “Like” posts on the website and the most liked posts  were a market interview on trader Herman http://www.victraders.com/2011/09/market-interview-herman.html and a post about the much hated “security announcement” over the market’s public address system http://www.victraders.com/2011/07/broadcasting-wrong-message.html

MOST PHOTOGRAPHED: This was a tie between Guru Pete and our youngest trader, Austin.

MOST THANKFUL: Your editor would like to thank all our readers for helping to keep the flag flying in 2011. December readership has once again set a record and we are very grateful for your interest. Thank you to all post contributors, especially our number one reporter, Tony Pierrakos, for his market interviews.

  HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL AND LET’S HOPE 2012 IS A PROSPEROUS ONE.

Thank You To OurTrader Representatives

A big thank you to our Trader's Representatives who put a strong case to management allowing us to trade last Tuesday (Boxing Day public holiday) despite the fact that food traders had elected to close. Following a poor trading year and public holiday closures on two key Sundays over the Christmas/New Year period, it was felt that we should take advantage of every opportunity to conduct our businesses.
We have many reports of good trading for General Merchandise Traders on Tuesday.

COMMENTS: (on Facebook)

• • 

    Jillian Renwood Re: Tuesday Trading Boxing Day good trading but the proof is in the pudding lack of promotion leads to empty Car Parks many locals were unaware Market was trading had there been promotion it would have been a (Very Good Day)
  • Saturday at 12:47pm
  • ·
  • General Merchandise Traders The other possibility Jillian is that more promotion wouldn't have helped because locals only come for food ( the majority of them anyway) and that is why we had an empty carpark. But the foot traffic by tourists was good.

     

Market Interview - Dong

Name? Dong

Born ? South Korea

What do you do/sell at the market? Toys and puzzles.

How long have you been at the market? 5 years

What do you like best about the market? -  Very hard to find any positives right now, in this climate.

 Worst moment? Every time I go home having under achieved my goals.

Past jobs? Selling heat packs in the market here.

Sporting interests?  Golf and soccer

One thing nobody knows about you? I have 5 sisters all older than me.

Favorite food? Steak

Favorite drink? sparkling White  wine.

Favorite TV show/ movie ? Titanic.

Fav band? Maroon 5

If you had your Sunday arvo free from the market, what would you do? Go out with family for lunch

If you were given a 2 week free holiday anywhere around the where would you go? Europe. England first stop.

Are you addicted to golf?  Used to be not any more.

Thanks Dong

Interviewed by Tony

Latest Retail News – 31/12/2011

1.       Athlete’s Foot is to launch its online store with a special feature to help customers select the correct shoe size.

2.       New survey finds that keeping staff happy leads to happier customers.

3.       Lego launches new girl’s range of its iconic construction toys.

4.       RBA recommends regulating credit card surcharges by retailers.

5.       Harvey Norman opens a GST free website selling imported computer games.

Retail Stocks Slide In 2011

The much publicised retail downturn has impacted on the Australian share market with key retailers losing significant value as their share price tumbled.

The S&P 200 Retailing index slumped 34 per cent in 2011, as the share price for JB Hi-Fi slumped by 33 per cent, Harvey Norman lost 38 per cent and department stores David Jones and Myer both dropped more than 40 per cent.

Surfwear manufacturer, Billabong, lost three quarters of its value as it continually announced profit downgrades and struggled with its strategy to operate its own stores. 2012 is expected to continue the difficult conditions and business uncertainty experienced in 2011.

Pictures Tell Us A Lot About Our Customers

This photo was taken at 12:10 on Saturday 16th December looking up K shed just one week before Christmas. We don't have a picture of the carpark on that day but we can assure you it was very full with typical weekend traffic. Obviously the customer flow in K shed is very disappointing and we believe reflects the general traffic flow in the top end of the market on that day.

This photo of the carpark was taken on Tuesday 27th December at 11:35 am. Your would be forgiven for thinking that the market wasn't open. In fact the food section was closed on this day but General Merchandise Traders were operating.

This photo was taken looking up K shed at around 11:35 am on Tuesday 27th December, the same day as the carpark photo. Not a bad show of customers yet the carpark was almost empty. What does all this tell us?

1. A full carpark has no real relevance for GM Traders?

2. GMT customers are a totally different breed to food customers?

3. GMT customers don't drive their cars to the  market?

 

All of these points could be true but obviously we are not going to draw hard conclusions from a couple of photos. One conclusion is inescapable - The customer mix at the QVM is complex and deserves real analysis.