Trader Information Sessions Tick The
Box – we have reports that Tuesday’s after market session with Chairman, Paul
Guerra, was well attended and showed Paul in a more candid and reflective mood
as he talked about his overseas experiences at markets and the difficulties and
opportunities faced by everyone at QVM as we move to renewal.
The Australian Made presentation on
Thursday was equally well regarded for the opportunities it provided for
Traders even those with just one or two Australian products in their range.
This Thursday it will be the Marketing
teams turn to talk about 2017 promotional opportunities and the new
Co-operative Marketing program.
Box Hire – apparently one trader with
multiple stalls has returned all his boxes to his long term provider as he
takes on a new provider. No doubt there are many aspects of traders operations
that are under scrutiny as we battle tough times.
Bird Stick Shelved – we reported in
this column on 8th July that trader, Lana, had problems with birds
pooping on her stock in J Shed. We are pleased to report that anti-bird spikes
have been installed on at least some of the roosting spots above Lana’s stall
and staff are monitoring the effect on the bird habits.
(We received your message Lana, and yes, the problem is not fixed until it is fixed. We understand that staff will be monitoring the activity of birds over your stall and perhaps using some new strategies to combat the issue. - Ed)
(We received your message Lana, and yes, the problem is not fixed until it is fixed. We understand that staff will be monitoring the activity of birds over your stall and perhaps using some new strategies to combat the issue. - Ed)
Personal Details On Boxes – management
have asked that trader details be clearly displayed on storage boxes to
facilitate contact in the case of stall absence. At least one trader has
expressed concern at misuse of his private trader number. One of our category
managers has suggested that if a trader is concerned about someone else using
their trader number they could leave that off the box but include their full
trading name for identification purposes. The important thing is that staff are
able to clearly identify box users at all times.
Promotional Videos – one of our traders
has described the new videos promoting Australian Made at our market as some of
the best work by our marketing department in many years. The videos about
individual traders are expected to be released soon and we look forward to
showing them on Victraders.
Adjusting To Change – our trader who
refused to pay rent until a receipt was issued (Heard Under The Sheds 8/7/17) has
since paid her rent. She was promised a receipt in the mail and when that didn’t
arrive a copy was hand delivered to her stall by staff. The trader sent it back
because it hadn’t been stamped “Paid” but otherwise this saga is over. Sometimes
change takes a little longer.
Summer Night Market Applications. –
applications for the 2017/18 Summer Night Market have opened and a number of
day traders are once again expected to throw their hat into the ring. The success
of the Night Market has made it a very desirable opportunity for those hopeful
of meeting the selection criteria.
Nostalgia Takes Many Forms – a discussion
between a couple of traders in J Shed about the Spring Rolls available at the
Dim Sim shop in F Shed concluded that they were the best fast food since the
Spring Rolls of the 1960’s. They used to be available at every Fish & Chips
shop in Melbourne long before inferior Chiko Rolls came on the market. Now there is a debate in the making. What
about Boreks and Bratwursts?