UK wholesalers visit Australian counterparts and compare operations
Covent Garden Tenants Association chairman Gary Marshall visited Melbourne Market in December, talking to his Australian counterparts about the opportunities and challenges facing the wholesale market sector.
Marshall met with a group from Melbourne Markets operator Melbourne Market Authority, led on the morning by chief operating officer Syed Shahed and operations manager Seini Malu.
He also met with his contemporaries at Fresh State - a member organisation representing the interests of Melbourne’s wholesalers and associated service industries - chairman Shane Schnitzler of Produce Time, executive member Michael Barker of Barkers, and full-time Fresh State CEO Jason Cooper.
Marshall said he was taken by the size of Melbourne Market as he took in the 93,000m2 of warehousing on a tour of the site in Epping, Victoria
“There are obvious differences between the way Melbourne Market has been developed and what is happening at New Covent Garden Market, most notably the sheer amount of space that they have in Epping compared to the comparatively cramped environment we work in being so close to the centre of London,” said Marshall
“Talking with the traders, it was interesting to hear that many of the talking points are similar to the issues we discuss at home.
“For instance: the antisocial hours and impact that has on attracting young talent; dwindling face-to-face trade; increasing operating costs; and the lack of flexibility in their newly built market to adapt to market requirements. What seemed like a good idea 20 years ago does not necessarily reflect what works now in this fast-changing world – that’s something we can definitely resonate with in Nine Elms.”
