A number of
Traders have commented positively on the news that QVM is to be the hub of next
year’s Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. One Trader said ”How could you hold
it anywhere else? This is Melbourne’s food place.”
A report
this week suggested that students unable to attend school because of illness
could send along a robot to record classes. A Trader asks if the idea could be extended
to serving at market stalls?
A Trader
tells us that while some QVM Traders are urging for longer lease/license
periods there are some retailers in the wider retail sector seeking shorter
than 5 year terms so they can maintain flexibility.
A number of
Traders have received early Christmas cards this week. It turns out that they
all came from longtime customers Robert & Maggie who shop most weeks at the
market and will soon be retiring to a coastal town in eastern Victoria. Giving
Christmas cards is not normal customer behaviour but Robert & Maggie are
pretty special. They will be missed.
A Trader
returned recently from a trip to Vietnam where he noticed the rise of
supermarkets since his last visit. He said food was cheaper outside the
supermarkets but consumers seemed to like the price stability and the consistent
quality.
One of our
food Traders in the upper market got a bit of a shock this week when advised his rent would rise
significantly. There can always be a potential for conflict between managements
view of the value of a site and a Trader’s view of its profit potential. Let’s
hope this one sorts out OK.
Our bad (but
irresistible) joke of the week continues the tape measure theme – “A sad tape
measure went to his friend for encouragement saying “I just don’t feel like I
measure up….” His friend responded “Don’t worry, you’re just over extended.”
A Trader
liked a quote he heard this week which relates to the retail revolution – “There
is no path – We are all trailblazers.”
Last week’s
article about banning Trader parking outside stalls caused one Trader to
comment – “We need an alternative cost effective option and some surety. Remove the current
quota system for the market car park, and guarantee all legitimate Traders a
spot, and maybe we can live with a fee.”