9th International Public Markets Conference - Fiona Whitworth

FIONA WHITWORTH

Wholesale-Retail Interactions: from Producer to Consumer

Director of Strategy Queen Victoria Market

Sustaining market trading in a growing city’s market place

26 March 2015 Fiona Whitworth, Director of Strategy

Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne Australia

Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne Australia

Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne Australia

“Our vision for a renewed Queen Victoria Market is a thriving and diverse market place, positioned to adapt to meet the changing needs of our growing population while staying true to the core values that make it loved by locals and a must see for tourists.”

Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal Strategic Brief February 2015

Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal

Plans are underway

Strategic Brief, February 2015 Draft Master Plan, March 2015

Summary of Draft Master Plan, March 2015

“…the ambience, the traders and the passion for their product, the freshness and specialty of each stall.”

What do you value about QVM? Community feedback November 2013

QVM Today

• Continuously trading since 1878 • 7 hectares (17 acres) of central city • Over 600 market traders trading on a daily basis • Day market open 5 days a week • Day market closed Mondays & Wednesdays • Seasonal night markets

Facts

“No power, no protection from weather. Trying to run a modern day business in an ancient environment is very difficult. It makes it very hard for us to keep up with competition.”

Queen Victoria Market Trader Sweeney Research Survey August 2011

QVM Today

• Sustaining scale of market trade • Declining ‘traditional customer’ base • Customer expectations • Our heritage listed sheds • Open air market environment & climate • External factors influencing supply

Challenges

Ambition

To maintain and grow a diverse, abundant, large scale, fresh fruit & vegetable offer in the heart of Melbourne.

• Sustainability – economic, environmental, social • Viability of market trading into the future • Growth and expansion • Diversification • Adaptability

Queen Victoria Market: Planning for the future

Key considerations

Early Queen Victoria Market c.1907

Queen Victoria Market: Wholesale & Retail

From 1878 to 1969: Melbourne’s main wholesale market, with retail trade allowed after main wholesale trading time

wholesalers

growers

retailers

business customers

consumers

merchants

Queen Victoria Market 1950s

The new Melbourne Wholesale Market, c1970s

“The new building was to have 21 acres under one roof and be one of the largest market buildings in the world.” Building a mammoth Excerpt from ‘Melbourne Markets: The Story of Fruit and Vegetable Markets in the City of Melbourne’, Colin Cole, 1980

“The departure of the Fruit and Vegetable Market to its new premises at the end of 1969 left the old Victoria Market site tenanted only by a popular retail market … and the opportunity to redevelop the vacated site ...” Markets Planning Associates The Victoria Centre Proposal, 1969-71

‘Concept C’, The Victoria Centre Proposal, 1969-71

“The past and present are united in this market complex. The buildings should be restored and every encouragement given to the continued functioning of this important community service.” National Trust of Australia Submission for the Preservation of Queen Victoria Market, 1973

Queen Victoria Market: Retail public market

From 1970s to present: A public retail market, with limited (largely unquantified) trading to hospitality customers

wholesalers

growers retailers

business customers

consumers

merchants

Queen Victoria Market Car park 2014

Various proposals to upgrade facilities

Queen Victoria Market: Retail public market

From 1970s to present

“The new Epping site is a fresh start. It is bigger, safer, more accessible and better equipped. The huge 70-hectare site offers over 100,000 square meters of warehousing space, and a separate 60-hectare site adjacent to the Market provides plenty of room for potential future expansion into a fresh food precinct.” Melbourne Markets The New Epping Market (website)

“The City of Melbourne will make the largest investment in its history to preserve and renew the Queen Victoria Market…Investing now will ensure that the Queen Victoria Market is part of our city forever…” Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Robert Doyle Media release 31 October 2013

“Let the market decide. People are wonderfully creative. They will come up with all kinds of things that you can’t believe. Just make it easy for them to do it. And make sure it is not someone’s fifteenth formulaic hospitality outlet’.” Community feedback on renewal plans Consultation May 2014

Queen Victoria Market: The future

A new strategic vision

• Customer expectations • Increased potential to service hospitality customers • Expand opportunities for market traders, current and future

Queen Victoria Market: The future

Drivers for change

“Australians are shopping more often, we’re planning less, and people are using it also in a way to budget. Rather than one big shop in a week or over a fortnight, as they traditionally did, they’re spending more often in smaller amounts.” Grant O’Brien, CEO of Woolworths (major Australian supermarket) The Age Newspaper, 18 February 2015

Queen Victoria Market: Future possibilities

Inner Melbourne’s hospitality sector has experienced major growth in the last decade.

• Diversify market trader ‘types’ • Introduce fruit & vegetable casuals or day traders • Showcase weekly regional farmers markets • Explore opportunities for provedores, agents, distributors • Wholesale + retail coexisting again?

Queen Victoria Market: Future possibilities

Expand opportunities for fruit & vegetable market trading

Queen Victoria Market: Future possibilities

Market of Markets: Introduce new trading opportunities for growers and other suppliers. Provide on site services to cater to business customers.

wholesalers

growers

retailers

business customers

consumers

merchants

growers

merchants

Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne Australia

Thank you

For further information: qvm.com.au participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au