You may have heard about the departure of the Sushi fast food shop at the
top of F Shed. Rumour has it that another high profile food operator at the
Peel St. end is leaving as well. If you believe all the hype in the press, fast food is the darling of
retailing as shopping centres across the globe push for more food operators in
their shop mix and, QVM have made it clear that this is their plan as well.
Food has been growing in importance over recent decades as consumers embrace the convenience and lifestyle of eating out. Apparently at least some operators in F shed are not part of the boom
and we need to ask why. Much has been done to improve the amenity of F shed
with dedicated seating areas being introduced along the aisle. Customers can
now sit in a more relaxed environment as they take a break from their shopping.
Weather proofing remains an issue for F Shed (as it does for the A Shed
laneway) and hopefully that will be a priority for the renewal team and one of
their first projects later this year.
Like any retailing issue there are many factors involved here and we can’t
help but think that trading hours is one of them. How many Melbourne cafes can
survive on a 6 or 7 hour trading day? Long hours are the norm in fast food and,
while our normal market hours are certainly restrictive, F Shed’s proximity to Peel
St. and, its more public exposure, may give it opportunities for expanded
operation.
As our heading suggests, F Shed requires focus. It will be interesting
to see how QVM handles this issue as possibly one of the first renewal
projects.
COMMENTS:
24/05/2015 19:25:14 Sushi closure "Don't you think the closure of the sushi shop is a sign of what is coming around the corner for a lot of us? Do we jump from the sinking ship or try and find a way to swim? QVM management has made it very clear that solutions are something that we have to come up with until the renewal is complete. I honestly think most business owners can't afford to sit and wait for the renewal to have a positive impact. More shops will close and good businesses will leave." Thanks for your input- Ed.
02/06/2015 22:57:45 F Shed Requires Focus "F Shed traders, like the general merchandise stalls, do not enjoy 6 or 7 hours of viable trading on ANY day. On a good day, at best, 4 or 5 hours more accurately describes the trading window. F Shed needs more people walking its length, not more competing food outlets popping up throughout the market.. Food outlets do not bring traffic. They cater to existing traffic. No one goes to a shopping mall for the food court - they use the food court while shopping at the venue, And every time, EVERY time, management runs a food themed event in the Queen Street precinct, the F Shed traders suffer. These food events happen with regularity, They take trade from the F Shed food outlets - EVERY time - and this lost trade is NEVER made up. F Shed requires traffic . F Shed does not require more food themed events at the Queen Street end." Thanks for your input - Ed.
24/05/2015 19:25:14 Sushi closure "Don't you think the closure of the sushi shop is a sign of what is coming around the corner for a lot of us? Do we jump from the sinking ship or try and find a way to swim? QVM management has made it very clear that solutions are something that we have to come up with until the renewal is complete. I honestly think most business owners can't afford to sit and wait for the renewal to have a positive impact. More shops will close and good businesses will leave." Thanks for your input- Ed.
02/06/2015 22:57:45 F Shed Requires Focus "F Shed traders, like the general merchandise stalls, do not enjoy 6 or 7 hours of viable trading on ANY day. On a good day, at best, 4 or 5 hours more accurately describes the trading window. F Shed needs more people walking its length, not more competing food outlets popping up throughout the market.. Food outlets do not bring traffic. They cater to existing traffic. No one goes to a shopping mall for the food court - they use the food court while shopping at the venue, And every time, EVERY time, management runs a food themed event in the Queen Street precinct, the F Shed traders suffer. These food events happen with regularity, They take trade from the F Shed food outlets - EVERY time - and this lost trade is NEVER made up. F Shed requires traffic . F Shed does not require more food themed events at the Queen Street end." Thanks for your input - Ed.