Thursday 31 October 2019
Stall For Sale
A stall with the following locations is up for sale -
Tuesday D23-24
Thursday RK11-12
Saturday W21-22.
Contact Luisa on 0414 349 766.
Sunday 27 October 2019
Heard Under The Sheds – 27/10/2019
Many Traders
have expressed delight at the return of the International Jehovah’s Witness
Conference to Melbourne on 22nd November. The global economy has
probably declined since they were last here in 2014 but the impact was so huge
then, we should expect a boost. The busy day last time was the Thursday before
the conference and you can read the report from 2014 here - https://www.victraders.com/2014/10/traders-claim-best-sales-day-of-year.html
A Trader
said his week was made with a phone call from an international tourist hoping
to find his product in Sydney but eventually flying to Melbourne because they “Just
had to have it.”
These customers really stood out as they wandered the market on Sunday. Thanks for the photo Mino.
More happiness for Traders this week with an ABC Report that Plane Trees would be gradually removed from our streets.
A Trader
says a $300 sale at 7:30 am one day this week has put an end to his plans for a
sleep-in with the new hours.
Lekhraj Chaudhary, winner of Strong Man Of India. |
Our Traders
are a law abiding lot but if any Trader did decide to take on one of our Security
Officers they should know that a new recruit to the security team is also India’s
strongest man. No joke!
Our market
storage boxes are big heavy, cumbersome, lumps of steel – right? Well, this rather
untidy display is the result of the box blowing over in Saturday’s extreme
weather. Westerly winds can be a real force.
Black Elvis has been a noted celebrity at QVM over the years and it was great to see him back on Queen St. on Sunday as he took part in a celebration for Indigenous women. In our photo he is seen speaking to a group of Italian women, and conversing in Italian of course.
Guru Pete
gives us a horse tip each Saturday which is recorded on the QVM Traders
Facebook page. In Pete’s absence this week, Michael Mallon gave us a tip for
the Cox Plate and Te Akau Shark ran third, paying $4:00. Pete’s apprentice is doing well.
Retail Articles Worth A Read – 27/10/2019
Amazon
Almost Killed Target. Then, Target Did the Impossible | Inc.com
https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/amazon-almost-killed-target-then-target-did-impossible.html
https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/amazon-almost-killed-target-then-target-did-impossible.html
Globalization
Is Ending. Here’s How to Prepare for What’s Next
https://www.barrons.com/articles/globalization-is-ending-heres-how-to-prepare-51571652900
https://www.barrons.com/articles/globalization-is-ending-heres-how-to-prepare-51571652900
Stop
Pitching Your Products and Services. You Have a More Valuable Commodity to Sell
| Inc.com
https://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/stop-pitching-your-products-services-you-have-a-more-valuable-commodity-to-sell.html
https://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/stop-pitching-your-products-services-you-have-a-more-valuable-commodity-to-sell.html
3 Big
Reasons People Still Shop in Person (Instead of Just Buying Everything On Their
Phones) | Inc.com
https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/3-big-reasons-people-still-shop-in-person-instead-of-just-buying-everything-on-their-phones.html
https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/3-big-reasons-people-still-shop-in-person-instead-of-just-buying-everything-on-their-phones.html
Top
Instagram Marketing Tips for Business
https://readwrite.com/2019/10/21/skyrocket-your-instagram-marketing-with-business-tips/
https://readwrite.com/2019/10/21/skyrocket-your-instagram-marketing-with-business-tips/
Netflix
Co-Founder Says Entrepreneurs Should Constantly Remind Themselves That 'Nobody
Knows Anything' | Inc.com
https://www.inc.com/carmine-gallo/netflix-co-founder-says-entrepreneurs-should-constantly-remind-themselves-that-nobody-knows-anything.html
https://www.inc.com/carmine-gallo/netflix-co-founder-says-entrepreneurs-should-constantly-remind-themselves-that-nobody-knows-anything.html
Latest Retail News – 27/10/2019
Latest Retail News – 27/10/2019
1. Global survey identifies importance of faster shipping in retail.
2. Federal Treasurer says stimulus not on agenda for Government.
3. ANZ survey says Australians feel worse off than a year ago but confidence is on the rise.
4. BP pulls M+ rated magazines from its shelves in campaign to reduce sexual harassment.
5. Fashion icon, JAG, to focus on standalone stores.
6. Kogans exclusive brands prosper.
7. Flight Centre fined for misleading promotions.
8. Priceline sales up 2.4%
9. Nestle introduces plant based burgers to Australia.
10. JB HiFi sales up 4.7% in first quarter.
11. Harris Scarfe tops customer satisfaction ratings in discount department store category.
Great News – Plane Trees To Go
Melbourne’s
Plane Trees have been blamed for excessive allergy reactions for locals and
visitors with City Council at last deciding they should be replaced.
Known as
London Plane Trees, these irritant producing trees are to be slowly replaced
with other species, including Australian eucalypts. We have campaigned on
Victraders for a number of years to have the trees removed from around our
market as many Traders suffer from their air-born irritant fibres, particularly
in Spring. Our photo was originally published with an article back in 2017 - Plane Trees Are A Real Problem.
Plane Trees On Queen St. |
The
following comments are from an ABC Report this week - University of Melbourne
allergy specialist Jo Douglass said plane trees fibres could affect people who
did not normally suffer from allergic reactions and hayfever.
"The
particles from the plane trees are just an irritant, and the fibrous nature of
them is such that it irritates people's eyes and nose," she said.
Professor
Douglass said eucalyptus and other native trees would be a good choice for the
city because few people were allergic to them.
Personalising For Every Trader
A new
portable printer start-up came to our attention this week, and in this world of
personalising for retail, we thought this could be an opportunity that every
Trader might consider.
Personalising
has been a big thing since gold foil printing and diamond tip engraving were
introduced decades ago. The ability to make your product that little bit
special with a personalised message or logo has added value for many retailers.
More
recently laser engraving has become popular and some of our Traders at QVM have
installed laser machines. At least one of our Traders has a business built
around personalising leather goods with stamping of names or initials.
The problem
with these methods is that they generally require specialised equipment but the
portable pocket sized printer featured in the article below is a general use
printer that can print on a variety of surfaces including cardboard, leather,
metal, plastic, fabric, wood, textured surfaces, and even skin.
It may be wise to see how the reviews come in after the product launch but this is certainly one to keep an eye on.
Here is the
link - https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/princube-indiegogo/
Christmas Shopping Has Changed – Traders Be Prepared
A report in
Inside Retail this week suggests there are new influences in Christmas buying
and we are suggesting that Market Traders need to be on the front foot.
One of the biggest
new influences is Black Friday which has become a major buying period embraced
by all major retailers. Black Friday is a sort of Christmas lead-in with lots
of hype. What Black Friday does
differently is concentrating buying into one frantic day. It is a major
promotional period and your customers are likely to take a big interest in what
is available.
The point is
that, if you have a website or social media exposure, this would be a good time
to ramp up your promotion by posting on Facebook and Instagram. It makes sense
to be out there with the big boys when consumers are really active. You may not have the online presence of the big players but why sit back and let them have all the fun.
Black Friday
in 2019 occurs on 29th November and you can start promoting your
specials anytime.
Here is a
link to an article in Inside Retail Australia - https://www.insideretail.com.au/news/international-retailers-rethink-black-friday-strategy-201908
Have Your Say – click here.
QVM In The News - 27/10/2019
From grey to green: Melbourne deals with its urban heat issues
But one of the city's most ambitious and controversial projects to date is to convert the 1.5 hectare open-air car park at Queen Victoria Market into ...
|
Your weekend in Melbourne October 26 to 27
FOOD Queen Victoria Market's Deli Lane becomes an indulgent hub for the Holey Cheese Festival, with pop-up traders selling toasties, traditional ...
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Plastic bag-free CBD
“We're proud that Queen Victoria Market went plastic bag and straw free in May this year.” “The ban has received overwhelming support with 80 per ...
|
Al dente at the market
The Queen Victoria Market will also turn into a cheese-lovers dream this month when the Holey Cheese Festival returns for its second year.
|
Wendy Hargreaves: Melbourne's coolest ice cream shops
Fourth
generation gelato maker Sam Navagero and his wife Ranjit buy fresh
fruit, nuts and dairy from neighbouring traders at the Queen Vic Market to ...
|
Market plans “a recipe for congestion”
... continue to express concerns over the City of Melbourne's proposed road and traffic changes as part of its renewal of Queen Victoria Market (QVM).
|
How to Eat Your Way Through 24 Perfect Hours in Melbourne
If you follow Google Maps to Queen Victoria Market, it will deposit you in the midst of the retail sheds where most stalls sell clothing and trinkets to ...
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The Eater Guide to Melbourne
On the southeastern edge of the continent, gracefully aging Victorian ... A local's guide to the best bites at the revered Queen Victoria Market ...
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How to Eat Everything at Australia's Greatest Market
Like its grand Victorian facade, the name “Queen Victoria Market” evokes something regal. But step over the threshold and you'll be greeted by a ...
|
Dimitria, 35th Sister-Cities Festival builds bridges between Melbourne and Thessaloniki
Watch as Queen Street is transformed into a bustling Thessalonikian ... Takes place at the Queen Victoria Market, Queen Street, Melbourne.
|
Why driving to the city could get more expensive: Commuters may be slugged $10 to enter CBD ...
Melbourne drivers could see the charge during commutes through the Hoddle Grid, Docklands, Southbank and Queen Victoria Market. But those ...
|
Sunday 20 October 2019
Heard Under The Sheds – 20/10/2019
Heard Under
The Sheds – 20/10/2019
A child was
seen thumping his fists on an ATM in String Bean Alley saying “Give me the
money”.
One of our
Traders visiting Europe was surprised to find that the reported closure of
shops in Poland on Sundays has in fact been overwhelmingly adopted by retailers.
Apparently the opportunity for an overworked society to have a day of rest is
proving popular with many. Our Trader thinks it is an interesting counter to
the global push for 24/7 access for customers.
A Trader
says we should change the name of our current season. Un-predictable weather
and sales suggest Spring should now be called Bipolar.
A customer
took a young Labrador dog into the meat hall as part of his special training as
an assistance dog and said it was like taking a child to Disneyland for the
first time. The sights and smells were a little overwhelming.
Another
Trader noted that Chapel St. retailers are advertising about their pet
friendliness on radio claiming the first and largest shopping precinct to
welcome pets. Regular visitors to QVM would know we have been doing that for a
long while.
A Trader
asks - “If we required 36 hours notice
of single day absences would that make it easier for market staff to curate our
market and fill the gaps?”
Who are the
people with iPads interviewing customers around the market?
Our GIF
shows the Night Market seating for Hawker 88 at 4:30 before opening and then at
7:00 with a good crowd in. (Thanks for the photos Mino)
A customer asked a Trader where he bought his breakfast each morning. The Trader started to direct him to the normal food outlets when the customer stopped him and said "No, I want to know where you buy your breakfast. I reckon the experienced Traders will know where the best value food is."
Latest Retail News – 20/10/2019
Latest Retail News – 20/10/2019
1. Myer to open Harry Potter store in Melbourne.
2. Bunnings to launch Marketlink online in November.
3. Salvos, Vinnies, and Red Cross team up with store in major Sydney Shopping Centre that accepts clothing to reduce textile landfill.
4. Coles, Aldi and Woolworths pledge to end customer abuse of staff.
5. Strandbags owner invests $8m in new luggage start-up.
6. Nick Scali foot traffic and sales plummet in first quarter.
7. Reject Shop says same store sales grow.
8. Aldi opens three new stores in China.
9. David Jones opens its first standalone food store in Chapel St. South Yarra.
10. Frank Lowy gets out of Australian retail property industry.
11. Clothing retailer Hallenstein Glasson selects pre-loved clothing from around the world at its first vintage concept store in Australia.
12. Hong Kong street front rents plunge 50% due city unrest.
13. Woolworths trials 20c paper bags for forgetful shoppers.
14. Major retailers look at systems to treat food waste including machines that convert waste into fertiliser overnight.
QVM In The News - 20/10/2019
Melbourne: 72 hours on a Budget
Queen Victoria Market is a great place to buy cheap food and souvenirs. Most people don't haggle but I's suggest you do because it does work.
|
The space between architecture
Famously located at the “corner of Third and Fairfax” since 1934, the market is like an open-air version of Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market in terms ...
|
Community vision for Melbourne's new public open space
It will complement the Queen Victoria Market and be a drawcard for the precinct through community events and activities. “Large open spaces like ...
|
Buying Is All About Emotion – Just Thinking Out Loud
Just
thinking out loud
You might
think it is cognitive reasoning that determines what people buy. But an article
in Inside Retail this week suggests it is not the consumer’s conscious mind
that determines what they buy, it is the part of the brain which controls
emotions.
That part of
the brain, called the Limbic System, works much quicker than the cognitive
reasoning part and often makes a decision before we are fully aware of it.
Could that
explain why consumer confidence is so important to the level of retail sales?
When times are really tough, when consumer confidence is really low, when the news out there is all bad, do those
conditions inhibit emotional responses, and therefore inhibit buying?
Here is a
link to the full article - https://www.insideretail.com.au/news/the-limbic-system-the-cognitive-mind-and-the-user-illusion-that-misleads-201910#daily
Tuesday 15 October 2019
From The Archives - Michael Mallon Interview
Back in 2011, the most popular Victraders articles often involved interviews with Traders and this one got a lot of readership. It was an occasion when Tony Pierrakos filled in for the Editor. Michael Mallon can be a funny man and we suspect that Tony got the best out of him.
Interview With Michael Mallon - 5/6/2011
Name? - Michael
What do
you do/sell at the market? -
Giftware
How long
have you been at the market? - 35 years.
What do
you like best about the market? - Not being here.
Worst
moment? - Waiting for Tony to take this photo.
Past
jobs? -
Bus driver.
Sporting
interests? -
Horse racing and rugby.
If you
were CEO for a day? -
I'd move my neighbour Tim Moore a few stalls away.
One
thing nobody knows about you? - If I tell you everybody will know.
Favorite
food? -
16 sausage mix, my own personal recipe, recipe available at a price.
Favorite
drink? -
Red wine.
Favorite
TV show/ movie ? -
Groundhog Day, and Melbourne cup carnival.
What is
the best piece of advice you've ever been given? - Don't work at the market.
If you
had your Sunday arvo free from the market, what would you do ? - Try find the sod that told me
to work at the market.
If you
were given a 2 week free holiday anywhere around the world, where would you
choose to go? - Spain, I
think.
Thanks
Michael
Interviewed
by Tony
Sunday 13 October 2019
Heard Under The Sheds - 13/10/2019
Money
matters 1 - a customer asked the Trader if they could pay by card and they were
told “Yes, as long as you spend $10.” For some reason the customer was upset when the
Trader refused to accept a card for a $1 purchase. With a standard EFTPOS
charge of around 30c (in this case 30%) we are on the Traders side.
Money
matters 2 - a customer wanted to purchase a $13 meal on card and was told
“Sorry, you must spend $20 for a card transaction.” That’s a bit rough, and
here we are on the customers side. Incidentally it cost the customer $2.50 to
go to the nearest ATM for cash.
A
customer says he is going to buy a Tattslotto ticket after his luck in finding
no queue at the American Donut Van on Queen St. around noon on Saturday. Most
Traders wouldn’t regard that as good luck.
Like
many Melbournians, Traders are well known for their sporting interest but
kick-boxing between a Trader and a customer this week wasn’t the sort of draw-card
our market needs.
Warmer
weather is the time for walking in the sun, attracting tourists, showing off
summer clothing, and unfortunately, pervading smells. Our first day of 20plus
degrees in a while and Traders in C (or is it D Shed) placed covers over a
nearby drain on Sunday in an attempt to reduce the unpleasant smell.
The
recent shortage of car park vouchers on Fridays (generally none left after
7:00am) is apparently explained by the works in C and D sheds which has taken
away the parking spots in the laneways. One Trader asks how many vouchers are
taken by Traders with legitimate need to carry stock and how many are purely
for convenience parking.
A
Trader says there is one really good reason we should all work to eradicate the
vacant stall syndrome. It is called “Protecting The Brand”. The Queen Victoria
Market is known around the world and more famous than David Jones or Myer.
Clearly we need to show our best face at all times.
A
Trader in String Bean Alley reports that one of his elderly customers joked “A
string bean is a string bean but a pea is a relief.” And that qualifies as our bad joke of the week.
The
Melbourne Marathon has once again drawn complaints from Traders as they
struggled through road barricades to get to the market on Sunday morning and
wondered what impact that would have on customers.
There
was some concern that climate change activists might target QVM as part of
their guerrilla campaign. But, apart from a few activists located around Queen
St. on Friday, they appear to have left us alone, at least for now.
And
finally the tale of a stolen pair of ear-rings which a Trader thought might
have been taken by a woman customer on Friday. The customer returned the next
day and, you guessed it, she was wearing the stolen ear-rings. Our Trader was
too amused to get upset but she did report the matter to security who we
understand escorted the customer from the market.
Market Entertainment - Hunting The Guru
With at
least 7 or 8 large groups of school children coming through our market on
Friday, one of our traders (thanks Darren) suggested we could take an idea from Disneyland and
create a mystery hunt to entertain young visitors.
Apparently
Disney have small Mickey Mouse figures dotted around their Disneyland complexes.
Visitors are given a book to record their sightings of these figures and of
course social media plays a part in the process.
The school
groups that visit QVM are often given a list of tasks to perform during their
visit and extending that activity to any visitor might be worthwhile. Of course
we need a celebrity to focus on and who could be better than our own Guru Pete.
We decided
to take on the “Hunting The Guru” concept and placed small stickers around our
market. Below are close-ups of the stickers. See if you can work out where they
were placed.
Answers can
be found here – Hunting the Guru Locations.
Articles Worth A Read – 13/10/2019
Many articles about retailing come across our desk each week and here are four that we thought were worth a read.
Can You Teach Entrepreneurship? - https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/339851
Bed Bath
& Beyond Respond To Competition - https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/target-walmart-ikea-were-killing-bed-bath-amp-beyond-heres-smart-surprising-announcement-bed-bath-beyond-just-made-in-response.html
Four Ways To
Make Prices Seem Lower - https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/323876
Shopping
Centre Vacancies In US Reach 8 Year High - https://www.foxbusiness.com/real-estate/shopping-mall-vacancies-reach-8-year-high-amid-demise-of-department-stores
Latest Retail News – 13/10/2019
Latest Retail News – 13/10/2019
1. RBA says international retailers significantly impact on Australian prices.
2. Some green shoots but retail continues to disappoint.
3. ANZ survey says latest rate cut impacted negatively on consumer confidence.
4. Coles launches 30 minute meal plans.
5. Chemist Warehouse opens first store in China.
6. Nestle introduces Starbucks coffee range for Australian homes.
7. Country Road moves into fashion rentals.
8. UBS says Coles & Woolworths experienced price inflation in September indicating positive trend.
9. Egg farmers call on retailers to increase prices.
10. Michael Hill shows strength in first quarter.
QVM In The News - 13/10/2019
The new North Melbourne: No longer a working-class enclave, but its old spirit isn't too far away
The Queen Victoria Market,
which sits just over the Victoria Street southern border, is ripe for
any foodstuffs that Errol Street's IGA supermarket fails to ...
|
17 things you can only do in Melbourne
If you're at Queen Victoria Market for a whole day, the menu of the day may look like this: 1) starter doughnuts, 2) main course doughnuts, 3) dessert ...
|
Coming Soon: A Dedicated Portuguese Tart Store for Thornbury
The success of a pop-up at the Queen Victoria Market convinced them to open a permanent store. “There are some characteristics that you have to get ...
|
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