Well, there is no need to guess the
hot topic under the sheds this week - proposed changes to trading hours have
largely drawn negative responses from traders, particularly those who feel
their home/family life will be compromised.
Of course the proposed hours are
intended to correct another serious compromise forced on traders - reduced
earnings caused by changed consumer preferences and extreme competition.
We know that some, maybe many, traders will be unhappy with 5pm closing on Saturdays and Sundays. Some open stand
traders will be lucky to leave their stalls before 7pm after packing up. By the
time they get home, organise dinner............ well, you get the picture.
It is true that many of our fellow
retailers out in traditional shops already cope with those sorts of hours. It
is also true that clawing back some of our lost business may involve some
change (read sacrificing current lifestyle).
But perhaps the biggest unknown is
whether the later weekend trade will actually generate extra business. There is
a graph showing peak weekend pedestrian times in the city (see below - the vertical redline is placed at 5pm) which
seems to support later weekend trading but will that translate to business at
QVM?
Interestingly, there appears to be
little argument with 9-3 on weekdays (food is 7-3). One of our long term
traders says she is prepared to consider 9-4 on weekends and she might have a
few friends.
