Brad Pettitt - Remember Freo Markets?

This week I sat with yet another group of people who have been financially and emotionally traumatised by FMPL. The majority were long term successful operators and I found it particularly poignant that some spoke of knowing Jamie Murdoch as a child, working for his dad who had the lease at the time. It’s hard to imagine that that small boy would become the man who would so easily and clinically wipe them out.

The sense of betrayal was probably greater than the confusion and anger that they felt. Some of these people had not only backed the Murdoch bid on the lease renewal but they also actively wrote letters of recommendation and rallied on their behalf.

Even as the rents and outgoings skyrocketed and they witnessed the conflict, evictions and the loss of friends and colleagues they still believed it was all probably a part of a higher plan. They trusted the Murdoch’s and offered support and loyalty.

When it comes to retail it’s really just a matter of convenience, location, cost and value for money. Retailers come and go and that’s a fact of life. Buying an apple at the supermarket and comparing it to buying an apple from Scottie at the Freo markets is hardly an earth shattering event – so what’s all the fuss about?

It's about community and it’s about belonging. Sure, you shop at the markets and yes it is a commercial venue and of course it must be financially viable and competitive. Shopping centres are light, spacious, organized, structured and well facilitated. You will pay more for products but the advantage is fast and efficient service and it’s perfect for quick in and out shopping.

Market shopping is almost opposite that style. Market shopping is an outing, relaxed browse or exhibition. Going to the markets is not a task – it is somewhere to go or something to do. People don’t necessarily go with a set plan or list of what to buy. They want to be surprised; to find something unusual or a bargain or a treat.

People can rush into a supermarket in their lunch hour but in the markets they want to wander around, talk with shopkeepers, catch up on the news on the street, people watch, try products, smell exotic fragrance and aromas, sample foods, listen to a cacophony of sound, be teased and entertained, to buy without pressure or slick sales spiels, grab an ice cream or a beer and watch the busker and the passing parade of interesting looking characters.

In short, they want to be a part of a community, to feel comfortable and to feel like they fit in as individuals not as something attached to a credit card. For tourists or out of towner's it is an exciting place. Veteran stallholders might not speak all languages but they do speak the language of “welcome stranger – how can I assist you”.

Like cab drivers and barmaids around the world these are the people who know where to go, how to get there, what is safe. These people are the ones you trust, people who still take the time to ‘shoot the breeze’ with the customers. Locally though, it is so much more than that.

I heard about a lady the other week and I think she summed it up nicely. She just said “What has happened to the markets - it feels like it has lost its soul.” She went on to say that she has come to the markets every Friday after work (for more than 10 years) to buy her veg from Scottie, grab a pancake and then wander over to the antique shop to chat with the owner who she befriended many years ago.

And this is the Magic that the Murdoch’s don’t understand and will never replicate again. There are thousands of locals who came because Penny Banister knew their name, Herman teased them as they walked by, Phil talked astrology, Col knew his horticulture and many said it was the best stall there, Richard stocked their enviro friendly products and knew what he was talking about, Marilyn had warmth and kind words, people like Mary Cole were just loved and admired, people like Milton, who could have retired years ago, is held up as an example and all the locals know and respect him.

We expect to see Ed, Gerry, Gloria, Sue, Angelo, Liz, Richard D, Bob the others who prefer not to be mentioned, but you won’t see them and you won’t hear laughter coming from the magnet shop, or de-stress in the bonsai shop, joke or haggle with the veggie guys; in fact you won’t hear much laughter at all.

There are so many more; many go back twenty or thirty years. They have seen each other go through tough times and celebrated marriages and births and grieved together more than a few times. They have watched children become adults and now some of those children have taken over the family business. For many people this has become the second family or the community’s family, something which evolved over many years and it is this that held the secret of the markets former success.

An accountants’ mind might argue that this is business and that the markets are not there for the psychology or wellbeing of the community. It’s about profit. And this is the fundamental flaw in their thinking - because loyal, repeat custom is profit. This is your free multi million dollar advertising, marketing and customer base. This is why your apples are better than any other apples. You can bank on that!

That guy from Singapore who dropped into Ed’s shop to buy a cheap postcard left with a few good tips of where to eat, catch a bus or find good accom. Mostly what he left with was a reason to tell his friends and his family about the friendly helpful people at Freo markets. He might be the guy who will post his holiday pics on his facebook or blog. He might be the guy who comes back a week later with a bunch of new friends he met at the backpackers. He might be the new unofficial Singaporean representative for a holiday in Fremantle. He might have only bought a $2 card on the day, but his word of mouth might be bringing in exponential dollars for years to come.

What really infuriates me is that Fremantle council knows this. Fremantle markets have been a magnet for tourist, an incubator for new business and innovative ideas, a community meeting place, the local town crier, and financially in their own words ‘the jewel in the crown – the icon’. The money in their parking metres, the prosperity throughout the CBD, the week end boom-time is their commercial bread and butter. When the markets go the dominos fall and businesses (rate paying businesses) will be effected and leave.

So don’t tell me that the little second hand bookshop is insignificant!

And stop telling me about cheap rent. The mere pittance of your so called ‘low cost environment’ translates into millions of dollars for you and the Murdoch’s. Rent was never, ever, a gift or charity nor was it cheap if you break it down into how limited the facilities and spaces are. It was to some extent just smart business - with you and the Murdoch’s cashing up in dollars by saving them a few cents. You gave them crumbs but you ate the loaf and asked for more.

If you want to talk about dollars and cents try some real number crunching. Take the markets out of Freo and work out an advertising, marketing and promotional campaign to bring people and business back to Freo.

While you are now budgeting for the mammoth restoration work of the bricks and mortar we are still wondering why the ratepayers are forking out the millions to repair what should have been maintained and repaired throughout the last lease. Why has council not been doing thorough annual checks on the building? You are the custodians aren’t you? Why are the Murdoch’s not being bought into question about the neglect of the building or being accountable financially?

My question to Fremantle council is why they are investing this kind of money in the building if the business within the building is in such a vulnerable state? Cynically, I could assume that council will be paid rent by the Murdoch’s until the lease expires no matter what happens. But, that will be cold comfort if you lose business and reputation throughout the entire CBD. It’s time that both parties stopped thinking in terms of real estate; this is not just about rent and both of you had better work that out fast.

The council screwed up badly and they know it. The X mayor couldn’t cope and ran away and hid. The new mayor said it’s a matter of mediation and that he would be having talks…no one has heard anything more than his airy comment about moving on. We might as well move on, but let’s move on from the point that we all know that mistakes were made, litigation and intimidation played its part, personality conflict hindered communication, time and money and effort is still daunting but all of that is getting bigger and bigger and it is not going away.

You can blame the recession and you can blame the stallholders association and you can blame bad press, but truth is truth, and no one is fooled. It’s costly, stressful and acrimonious now, but it will be more so, if everyone refuses to get real.

No matter how much you didn’t want to hear what the stallholder association was saying they did at least keep it contained. If you think that removing them put it all to bed then you are delusional. You don’t have a rational voice speaking on behalf of the collective stall holders or the ratepayers. What you have now is countless angry voices rising up to meet you.

Facts:
At least thirty businesses have been forced out of the market – legally robbed by your error. More are leaving this week and more in months to come.
New casual tenants are either refusing to sign on or are being offered subsidized rents.
Vacancy rates this Christmas were the highest it has ever been.
People who have re-signed have been backed into a corner and many are just trying to hang in long enough to be able to sell out or get out debt free or break even.
Customer traffic is declining rapidly
Stalls are currently empty
Morale and atmosphere is depressing
The place looks shabby
People are getting sick from the lack of air cond.
Advertising is minimal or ineffective
Christmas trade was so bad some paid rent out of pocket
Wednesdays ‘trial’ was embarrassing and grossly overstated and misleading
Most of the promises in the original proposal have been broken
The operating strategy is a joke
The working group is ….can’t even describe that
Tagliaferri and council promises have been broken
Stallholders are too fearful to speak up
Members of the association have been victimised and evicted
Stallholders have been warned not to speak to the press of even each other about their grievances.
People have been told they can no longer sell established products or deal with established suppliers.
Stall holders have been ‘advised’ to sack their own employees
Part time jobs have been lost
New people are being bought in with competing products and favourable advantages creating conflict and resentment between them and established businesses.
People have been given notice without reason and by a note being left on their counter

The stallholders are obviously bitter and angry and devastated but it’s now the customers who are only footsteps from your door. You won’t hear them coming but more importantly, you won’t even notice as they walk away.

Of course I could be wrong and this might just be my point of view and maybe the stallholders and customers might just be of the same mind. Perhaps Jamie Murdoch is the only one who really understands. Apparently he thinks so as he sent out this masterpiece last week in a newsletter:

2009 was a difficult year for retail… We’ve had feedback…For example…our research…Our statistics….When speaking to our customers we have learned …
Well, it’s been tough but we fared pretty well by comparison.

But this:

“2009 was a difficult year in terms of relationships with some stallholders and, sadly, some Councillors. Things were not made easier by some very one-eyed reporting by the Fremantle Herald. But the biggest disappointment of 2009 was seeing outgoing stallholders, who have always claimed to have the interest of the Markets at heart, handling their departures in a way that was clearly designed to damage Fremantle Markets, with no regard to the harm their actions might do to the business of loyal stallholders.”

I wonder if Freo Council is living in the same alternate Universe. Mayor Pettitt, is that how you see it? Troublemakers and paparazzi?

Go to latest Sonya Green post:
http://sonyagreen.blogspot.com