According to
the Herald-Sun overnight, Lord Mayor hopeful’s pollster Gary Morgan, and academic
Sally Warhaft, want to make the upcoming city election all about stopping QVM development.
When are
these people going to get it? Our market can’t be left as it is. It is slowly failing.
We need professionally designed adjustment to meet the needs of consumers in
2018 and beyond. Fortunately the CoM has high level professional designers on
the job.
There is a
plan for recovery, and yes, it will be done within a traditional building
framework. The city is going to carefully dismantle, repair, and re-install
heritage sheds so they will last another 140 years for goodness sakes. In the
process they will at last offer a work safe environment for traders and
customers. The only substantial changes above ground will be a lift well
occupying the space of approximately 3 double stalls, an underground access
ramp for vehicles, and thicker roofing panels to offer some heat protection in
summer. Check out the artist’s impression showing how the market will look from
Peel St. after the renewal. Does that look like a market destroyed?
What will
destroy our market is traders leaving because the market is no longer relevant
to consumers. No consumers, means no business, means no market. We need to show
consumers that we are relevant to modern shopping, will be available when they
want to shop, can safely offer fresh, clean, well stored produce, and can even
engage in online access. And of course we will do all that with the continuing
ace card of professional personal service from stallholders.
The New
Market Pavilion although temporary will be a great marketing tool. Showcasing our
best products, and experimenting with things like trading hours, produce
presentation and a whole range of sensible innovations for one of the world’s
great markets. We can pretend that there isn’t a global retail revolution going
on or we can grasp this opportunity to showcase what we can do.
Traders have
been screaming for greater promotion of our market. What we have can only be
flogged so many ways. What we can offer with improved facilities, a showcase pavilion
and a bit of innovation, has great potential.
This is not
about destroying our market, it is about making it more relevant to modern
consumers, and ensuring the one thing (and probably the only thing) that will
protect QVM into the future – strong business based relevance to modern shoppers.
The changes proposed by CoM are modest. It would be nice if all these outside
voices could grasp the business reality of trading at an old market in the
middle of new consumerism. The very thing they are trying to save is at risk
from their “do nothing” attitude.
By Greg
Smith (39 years trading at QVM)