New Convener For QVMAC Representatives.

Greg Smith has resigned as Convener of the 10 QVMAC Trader Representatives to concentrate on other trader matters. Stephen McLennan has been good enough to nominate for the role and has commenced immediately. 

Essentially Stephen will co-ordinate meetings between QVMAC Trader Representatives and management, and be the distributor of communications to ensure your Representatives are fully informed on relevant market issues.

Cruise Ship Program 2014/15

Cruise ships can be an important source of customers for The Queen Victoria Market. There will be around 80 cruise ship visits to Melbourne between now and the end of March 2015. The next market day arrival will be next Friday 24^th October when the “Celebrity Century” docks at Outer West Station Pier followed by the “Oosterdam” on Sunday 26^th October.

The full visit schedule is available here – Cruise ShipSchedule Melbourne.

COMMENTS:
27/10/2014 14:03:36 cruise ship "Will the market be sending a bus down to station pier to pick up anyone wanting to come to the market"  Leah

Trader Comments - 17/10/2014

Actually we have three trader comments and, in a first for the trader's website, a comment from our CEO. Thank you to all for their contribution.

COMMENTS:
 27/09/2014 16:35:15 Music week "My question is - We have been lead to believe that there will be displays and music going on all week but today I was told that it's only operating for 18 hours that match the times the market is open, so for all the disruption and the fact that the Market is moving 50-60 stalls of mostly traders who have been operating for many year in the same position at a time of year that represents the start of the X-mas trading and spring racing carnival, it seems a little short sighted and unfair. I'm all for trying something new but it must be a benefit to the Market, cause at the end of the day we are a retail space not a event space."

12/10/2014 20:10:15 Commendations "Hearty congratulations to all those commended. You do the Market proud. Best wishes for a long and successful career at QVM." Jan Cochrane-Harry. CEO.

13/10/2014 17:09:55 Adversarial Approach By Traders May Have A Price "You say that the Music week has had a reasonable conclusion for traders...... I beg to differ..... A number of traders are not happy with the outcome at all. Being told you will move from your stall of 20 years......to a much smaller stall with no compensation is not a reasonable outcome all. I am affected 2 days a week, and have 4 stalls which is a lot larger than 4 x 4 meters, but l am being told that this is all l am offered. I am now told that it is preferable that my stall in the marque be open on both sides to allow customers to walk through from the H & I shed side to get to the traders on the shop side. I have also been advised that if l take this marque stall, that l must give up half of my 4 stalls the other 3 days of the week. So l loose half of my 3 non effected trading days, and have a much smaller location the other 2 days. All in all l loose out on stall room everyday of trading. This means how do l display all my products, on a much smaller location, than l currently have. It also means that l need to employ someone to help over these 2 weeks, as l can not run both locations on my own, or with just a single person on both, so 2 employees will be required....... But hey no compensation is required because this music festival will bring 30,000 people to our great market, over 10 days (thats right 3,000 per day, including days we are closed), generally after we have actually closed on most of the days, except the weekends. Yep, a great reasonable outcome for US the traders who have made this market what it is, and are the market...... tarts right we are the QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET..... MARKET not events centre..... we have several locations around Melbourne for events, why not use them, and allow us to continue to run our business, and make a living..... Unless the QVM management if we close and take the 2 weeks off, we do not have an income.....if they take the 2 weeks off, they have holiday pay, plus leave loading, so they don't notice any change to their lives...... If they want the music festival it should work with us traders not against us traders. The entrance is on Peel Street, so we don't even have the people walking through the sheds to get to the entrance.....The market is about the traders, we should not be moved for an event, the event should be worked around us, and allow us to work as normal..... But hey we are just a bunch of crappy $2 stores selling made in china rubbish, according to our lord mayor, so what do we matter."
It would appear that your 4 stalls spot has created a "perfect storm" for trader inconvenienceand perhaps your circumstances need to be looked at again. I am sure your QVMAC Trader Representative would be happy to review with management. - Ed.
(Incidentally, I know the Lord Mayor hasn't been exactly complimentary about General Merchandise in the past but this week's "crappy $2 stores" comment was made by John Faine on ABC radio, not the Lord Mayor).

18/10/2014 20:08:01 Trader Licenses for Sale "I would hope that the recent rumour that l have heard is not true..... And that is: Any trader wishing to sell their business will only be able to offer a 1 Year License to the buyer. I have heard this from a couple of traders and a market officer has also advised that he believes this is the case. I ask that our CEO and management team, if you could please either confirm this rumour as being true or not, and if it is TRUE please provide reasons, and if it is NOT then please provide details of what can be offered to prospective buyers. So let me put this out there, based on the rumour, this means that if a PE or SL (remember a PE trader must convert to an SL license prior to sale) trader wishes to sell their business that the market is only going to offer the buyer a 1 year license. This means that the market has deemed your business as worthless effectively. You will most likely be able to sell your business for STOCK AT VALUE and FIXTURES price. You will not be able to ask for any GOODWILL based on previous years trading history. In a standard business sale case, you buy a business based on the following: Stock Fixtures Goodwill - this is the most important part of any business sale. This is generally based on previous years sales, and the profit you have made. In most cases you can expect to pay around 1 - 2 years profit, depending on if the seller is asking for pre-tax profit or after tax net profit. I really do hope for all of our businesses that the rumour is not true, as this is a really unfair thing to do, and could potentially result in a lot of animosity between traders and the QVM management. I know that of l was looking to sell, or if l was lucky and some asked if l would be willing to sell my business (which has happened in the past - I know l must be lucky), i would be very disappointed to discover this rumour was true, and would defiantly be looking into my legal options, based on the fact 3 year licenses have been issued in the past." Lance

Cost of Retailing in Australia Higher Than In UK and US

The Productivity Commission has issued a report showing that the costs of running retail businesses in Australia are higher than in either the UK or US.

The report says that costs are driven primarily by geography, markets and certain commercial decisions. It added that government restrictions have contributed to costs. “As was the case in 2011 when the Commission undertook an extensive inquiry into the economic structure and performance of the Australian retail industry, retailers continue to operate under several regulatory regimes that unnecessarily inflate their costs and restrict their ability to innovate,” the Commission states.

Have Your Say - click here.

What Plans For Munro’s Corner?

There has been little time for City of Melbourne to plan what might take place at the newly purchased Munro’s Corner site. In a very exciting move the CoM has purchased the site adjacent to QVM from its owners, the Munro Family, and will now need to decide on how it will be used. 

The 6,500 square metre parcel of land only came on the market a few months back but we have been able to glean some idea of what the city has in mind.

First and foremost the Lord Mayor has stated he will be seeking input from traders on how the Therry St. property might be integrated into the market precinct. On radio this week he talked about activities that would be market oriented including the likelihood of a retail precinct with restaurants that procured their fresh food from the market.

He also talked about the opportunity to position a car park on the site and avoid the disruption and expense of an underground car park under A, B, and C sheds. However, the discussion this week has been around a 400 space car park which is less than half what traders consider necessary so there is more work to be done on that subject. The Lord Mayor has previously said that there would be no less than the current number of car park spaces (around 800) so we will need to find out where the other spaces might be located. A QVMAC meeting will discuss that subject next Tuesday.

The Lord Mayor also talked about low-income or worker housing on the site which would certainly be consistent with the markets role as a community hub. The Age has reported plans for a walkway linking Franklin and Therry Streets, and the restoration of the Mercat Cross Hotel.

The opportunity to link QVM renewal with the development of such a strategically located development site offers exciting prospects for our market. We look forward to hearing more over coming weeks and in the meantime suggest traders take up the Lord Mayor’s offer – How do traders think the Munro site could be integrated successfully into a market precinct? What facilities should it have? What role should such a site play as part of one of the world’s great Public Markets?

Have Your Say – click here.

Free Promotion For Your Business This Christmas

The City of Melbourne is conducting a special Christmas promotion to bring shoppers to its municipality including Queen Victoria Market.
It is looking for inspiring products, promotions and events to draw shoppers to Melbourne and is particularly looking for products unique to the city including handmade, sustainable or Melbourne-made products.
The message will be spread through –
- Christmas gift and event guides distributed across metro Melbourne.
- Print and online advertising.
- Social media activities on Facebook and Twitter.
- The CoM “What’s On” website which gets 12,000 visitors per day.

Simply go to the following link for a short application form by 31st October.- https://comdigital.wufoo.com/forms/promote-your-business-for-free-this-christmas/

Munro Family Sticks With City

We understand that the Munro Family completed negotiations to sell their parcel of land on the corner of Therry and Queen Streets to the City of Melbourne despite receiving higher bids from other developers. Councillor Stephen Mayne has praised the family for putting the council, the traders, and the community ahead of a few million dollars.

Have Your Say – click here.

Record Conference Creates Market Crowd

An international conference of Jehovah Witnesses is expected to break attendance records at Etihad Stadium this weekend with up to 75,000 delegates attending.

Traders reported huge crowds on Thursday at QVM with one trader describing our market as a meeting place for delegates with all the ingredients of a community hub. The photo on the right shows delegates from Tasmania and Pennsylvania getting together at a trader's stall.

The conference marks the centenary of an important event on the Jehovah's Witnesses calendar as Melbourne's 11,000 devotees are joined by delegates from all over the world. The event goes for three days, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and is expected to add $50m to Victoria's economy. We are not sure how much free time delegates will have once the conference gets into full swing on Friday but hopefully many will find time to visit us over the weekend.

Once again we need to ask how appropriate it is for our market to close mid-afternoon when crowds like this will be looking for entertainment after their conference closes each day.

Have Your Say - click here.

Breaking News – CoM Buys Munro’s Corner

Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle, has announced that the City of Melbourne has purchased the parcel of land adjacent to QVM, known as Munro’s Corner.

On ABC Radio’s John Faine program this morning, the Lord Mayor said the purchase would enable CoM to dictate the conditions around the market. It would enable the enhancement of a “high functioning market precinct” conducive to the operation of the current market with things like restaurants using market produce.

Mr Doyle said the City would now go back to traders asking how they want the integration to

work. The site could be used for a variety of purposes including an underground car park, accommodation, and general retailing.

QVM Traders Inc President, Kon Kadaras, phoned in to describe the purchase as a “very positive move”. Kon asked the Lord Mayor if there were any plans to change the sheds A-M in the top end of the market to which the Lord Mayor replied “the sheds will be retained”. He further added that CoM would aim to double or triple the volume of sales at the market by creating a “great gathering point” and a “hugely successful commercial venture”.

Traders can expect to see lots of press and more detail over the next 24 hours.

Here are some links if you want to catch up now - ABC News. Herald Sun. The Age

Have Your Say – click here.

Traders Meeting Considers Music Week Again

A traders meeting held in the Food Court on Thursday heard from QVMAC Trader Representatives and QVM Management in relation to the Melbourne Music Week event commencing mid November.

Much of what was reported at the traders meeting in J shed back in September was repeated at this week’s meeting with more detail on the nature of the marquee to be assembled in Therry St. as well as some results from the trader preference applications for those traders who are being relocated.

A couple of resolutions were presented by traders and these will be published on Victraders once the draft minutes have been approved.

Have Your Say - click here.

Latest Retail News – 12/10/2014

Latest Retail News – 12/10/2014
1. Mirvac to buy Sydney’s Birkenhead Shopping Centre.
2. Plans By Coles & Woolworths to roll out smaller CBD outlets worries convenience association.
3. Aldi to ramp up presence in WA and SA.
4. Owner of KFC Pizza Hut etc. shows third quarter profit rise.
5. Lorna Jane cancels plans for sale of business.
6. Giant US Homewares chain, Williams Sonoma opening in Melbourne.
7. Rip Curl profit rises with Asia US expansion.
8.     McDonalds plans new gourmet burger service.

Adversarial Approach By Traders May Have A Price

Last Thursday’s Trader’s meeting was seen as uncomfortably adversarial by a number of traders. The meeting was attended by management and involved a presentation on the upcoming Music Week Event. Traders seeking to make their point about any issue at QVM need to carefully tread the line between reasoned argument and grandstanding if they are to achieve the maximum response from negotiations.

A “them and us” approach probably has little point here and yet a number of traders continue to pursue that course. There is a lot traders want from management and fortunately the signs for effective negotiations are quite good as two recent issues have shown. The single day absences for SL License holders and the options sorted out for the Music Week Event have both reached a reasonable conclusion.

One item on the trader’s wish list is for QVM to collect subsidies for the Traders Association. Those subsidies will allow the employment of an executive Officer/Negotiator to handle our affairs in a more professional way than is possible with part time representatives. QVM are not obliged to collect subsidies but if we can show that a professional traders association will oil the wheels and benefit both parties we may get their approval. If on the other hand we show our association as being unreasonably adversarial we may not.

A Traders Association that doesn’t show professional intent may be severely restricted in its operation.

Have Your Say - click here.

Music Week Video 2014 Taken Under The Sheds

The official launch video for Melbourne Music Week has been released and below that video we show the 2012 event video which might help us understand the format and the variety of music on display.

More Trader Recipients At Lord Mayors Business Awards

Many traders featured in this years small business awards presented by Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle, at Melbourne Town Hall on Wednesday night with representatives from the fresh food areas as well as specialty merchandise including three members of the Pham family. Some more photos follow - 

 

 

 

 

Have Your Say - click here.

COMMENTS:

12/10/2014 20:10:15. Commendations. "Hearty congratulations to all those commended. You do the Market proud. Best wishes for a long and successful career at QVM". Jan Cochrane-Harry. CEO.

On A Positive Note – QVM Expansion

Small business people don’t really like uncertainty in their lives and renewal at QVM is bringing plenty of change. Articles like this one are designed to highlight some of the more positive aspects of the future.

Publicity about QVM renewal earlier this year contained dialogue around “expansion” of our market. Back in October 2013 the Lord Mayor talked about “an expanded market precinct”. In April this year QVM talked about an “expanded retail offer”.

Given that QVM renewal involves giving up a small parcel of land at the southern end of the site the expansion aspect needs more explanation and the answer lays in better use of our current facilities, in particular, introducing attractive trading opportunities when the market is not currently operating.

Back in August we published an article about re-invigorating trading hours (http://www.victraders.com/2014/08/new-trading-hours-back-on-agenda.html). There has been much discussion about the market trading over 7 days and for longer hours each day. Obviously it is not intended that every trader would trade all those hours but that the market would operate in different ways at different times. In other words QVM could become a series of markets within a market.

In the top end of QVM there has been discussion about the repetition of the offer – too many stalls selling the same thing, and each aisle looking the same as the previous one. That is a perception that has to be addressed. In the current staging of one to one interviews traders are encouraged to talk about their aspirations for the future, and how they might take opportunities to improve their businesses. Opening up the dialogue, the potential, and the opportunities, will require thinking outside the square by both management and traders.

There is no reason why every current trader cannot be part of a renewed market that brings with it lots of new opportunities. Renewal is not a threat, it is an opportunity.

Have Your Say – click here.

Do We Have Enough Food Outlets At QVM?

The changes in retailing are quite bewildering and while we search passionately for the reasons (because they impact so directly on business levels) some trends are becoming clear. One of those trends is a growing cafe culture and it has implications for QVM.

Real estate commentators talk about "location, location, location" and in the past that has related to things like schools and public transport but as families and work/leisure activities change the location of cafés and restaurants become more critical in buyer's choices. "Walkability" has become the new buzzword in property circles. There is even a website called walkscore.com which measures the number if desirable locations within walking distance of your location.

Saturday and Sunday breakfast outings are becoming more and more common as lifestyles change and the typical family becomes smaller, more attracted to apartment living and "getting out" becomes less about a walk in the suburban garden and more about a trip to the local cafe.

What implications does all this have for QVM? Traders have often questioned the apparent proliferation of ready to go food outlets at the market. F shed has been transformed from a general merchandise aisle to a food aisle over recent years. Do we really need all these food outlets? Well, the answer probably lays in the success of the Night Markets built largely on creative food outlets and the associated entertainment. And the opportunities would appear to be enormous. Imagine our finest fresh food in the F&V, meat, fish, and deli areas being served up in cafés and restaurants all within the perimeters of the QVM site.

Melbourne is becoming a city of apartments, no more so than around our own Queen Victoria Market. With some 3,000 apartments being built per year the increasing supply of apartment dwellers looking for food is likely to be significant.

In a sense, increasing the food component at QVM adds to the competitive strain on many other trader categories. After all, it is just another form of discretionary spending. However, if we can generate bigger crowds at QVM by meeting the needs of more and more customers then logic suggests all participants at the market will benefit.

Dare we say - this is all food for thought?

Have Your Say - click here.

Why Munro’s Site Needs QVM Control

There has been much publicity this week about Munro's corner being put on the market and the potential for this property to become the site for QVM's car park. Its proximity to the market and the potential for offsite construction make this an enticing option under certain conditions.

The disruption that would be caused by an underground car park under A, B, and C sheds (QVM's original preference) has been clearly identified but as a trader pointed out this week "At least it would be under QVM control". This is a valid point because, even QVM's free parking concessions (which many traders consider inadequate) are unlikely to be seen under a totally privately owned car park. City car parks are big money earners and private owners are not going to give shopper discounts just to improve business for traders.

Peter Langtry’s proposal (http://www.victraders.com/2014/10/council-and-vic-market-traders-unite.html) suggested planning controls or City of Melbourne ownership to handle the control issue. It is certainly an attractive option. There are probably a number ways of linking the site's use with the interests of the market but if Munro's site does go solely to private developers then the likelihood of customer friendly parking rates is probably very small - maybe short term, but not long term.

Traders, particularly food traders, consider that our car park is part of the essential life-blood of the market. Can that life-blood be protected with a car park outside of QVM or CoM control?

Have Your Say - click here.

Council and Vic Market Traders Unite!

The following article has been presented by trader Catherine Underhill from McIvors Tea and Coffee Merchants.

"Council and Vic Market Traders Unite!

I never thought I would have that as my headline.

Over the last couple of weeks I have spent a fair amount of time writing to the planning minister Matthew Guy and Melbourne City Council about the land for sale on Therry St.   

On Monday I was heartened to see this: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/council-could-scrap-queen-victoria-market-car-park-amid-battle-for-prime-development-site-20141001-10or7n.html

The article contains a link to a document Council has prepared around their vision for the future development of the site. 

The re-development proposal put forward earlier in the year which includes (most contentiously) the demolition and rebuild of A, B, and C sheds, would no longer be necessary.   While I can understand why management felt this was the only and best option it clearly had no support from traders or customers.  This is hardly a great place to start a huge project. 

The fact that Council wants to   purchase this land is by no means a guarantee that it will happen.  And planning guidelines or overlays are no guarantee either.  You see, with planning all a developer has to do to shift responsibility for approval from Council to State is to put in a proposal that is larger than 25,000 sq. mtrs.   That is about a 6 story building on the site.  No one will propose that for a site that will cost in excess of 60 million.

So here is what we need to do fast: 

Write to council in support of the plan.  It doesn’t have to be fancy.  Just a simple message of support is fine.   Tell all of your friends, customers, family, whoever to do the same.

Here are their email addresses:

lordmayor@melbourne.vic.gov.au

susan.riley@melbourne.vic.gov.au

richard.foster@melbourne.vic.gov.au

rohan.leppert@melbourne.vic.gov.au

stephen.mayne@melbourne.vic.gov.au

cathy.oke@melbourne.vic.gov.au

ken.ong@melbourne.vic.gov.au

beverley.pinder-mortimer@melbourne.vic.gov.au

jackie.watts@melbourne.vic.gov.au

arron.wood@melbourne.vic.gov.au

rob.adams@melbourne.vic.gov.au

kathy.alexander@melbourne.vic.gov.au

A copy of the proposal that I sent to Council and The Minister is below.  I must acknowledge that the main driver of these ideas is Peter Langtry from the Polish Deli.

Proposal for land use Therry St/Queen St and the Queen Victoria Market:

As you can see this is a sizable parcel of land:6,462sq with a combined street frontage of 162m.  Amazing.  This represents an extra ordinary opportunity for the City of Melbourne to radically alter the market precinct in a positive way, without being hamstrung by graveyards, space limitations and heritage.

Earlier this year a proposal was put forward to the people of Melbourne regarding refurbishment of the QVM.  It involves some positives – green space – and a massive negative.  The idea is to dig up A, B, and C sheds and put in a 712(?) space car park.  Theoretically like for like, but when you factor in the sale of land at the southern end of the market and the on street parking lost to that development the proposal is woefully inadequate.  Furthermore the disruption will have long term deleterious affect on the viability of the market.  Customers lost often don’t come back.  Tourists attending a market only populated by tourists soon leave.  And spread the word.

The availability of the property on Therry St changes all that.  My dream for that site:  A parking lot able to cope with peak demand.  Street level retail, and residential above – but stepped back so as not to overshadow.  How about if the walls of the parking lot were green walls – not ugly car park walls?  How about if the parking lot was designed so that it could be retro-fitted to residential so that when the day comes that we actually embrace public transport we can re-purpose the space.

To that end how about a central bus hub either at the new Franklin St end of the Market.  Or maybe it should be between the sheds and the new green space over the graveyard, replacing the current less than beautiful car park.

The availability of this land means we can invest for the next 100 years not just pull together a sub-standard option that has no support among traders or customers.  We need to bring everyone with us to make it work.  We need to think what will provide for our descendants.  That is what the original founders did, at great expense and with a lot of forethought.

It doesn’t matter how we get there, whether by legislation or by the City of Melbourne buying the land.   We just need to get there.  Council purchase is probably the best option.  After all, that is why we still have a market. "

NEW PROPOSAL

Have Your Say - click here

Trader Videos From Lord Mayor’s Small Business Awards

Wednesday night’s Lord Mayor’s Commendations at Melbourne Town Hall featured 4 special videos on award recipients and two of the videos were about QVM Traders.

Michael Caiafa received a gold award for his 40+ years service in his bread shop and Jodi Brunner a Bronze award for the 14 years service in her Feng Shui shop on Victoria St. 

Click on their names for a link to the videos.

Photographs and Videos - The Lord Mayor’s Commendations 2014 recipient photographs and videos captured by James H.H. Morgan. Contact james@jamesmorgan.com.au  - www.jamesmorgan.com.au

                                                                   

Traders Feature In Lord Mayors Small Business Awards

At last night’s impressive ceremony in Melbourne Town Hall 22 Queen Victoria Market traders received awards for their contribution to Melbourne’s business scene.

The awards recognise and celebrate the longevity and success of individual small business proprietors and this year there were 74 recipients in total. QVM Traders featured in the gold silver and bronze categories.

The evening started with a live opera rendition followed by 4 videos on individual businesses (two videos featured market traders) and then followed the presentation ceremony. There was plenty of opportunity for discussion with a broad range of councillors, business people, family members and past recipients.

More photos and details to come.

Photographs - The photograph of Michael Caiafa captured by James H.H. Morgan. Contact james@jamesmorgan.com.au  - www.jamesmorgan.com.au