Prahran Market: Opinion divided over conditions for traders

FORMER stallholders at Prahran Market have launched a stinging criticism of high rents and falling customer numbers – but market executives say it has never been more successful.

Ex-traders have issued stinging criticisms of conditions and Prahran Market. Picture: Greg Scullin

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FORMER stallholders at Prahran Market have launched a stinging criticism of high rents and falling customer numbers.

Market executives, however, say it has never been more successful, and customer numbers had increased by 20 per cent since 2011.

But four former stallholders have told the Leader they were unhappy with conditions, with some saying they were intimidated by management, particularly general manager Christopher Young.

It meant traders were reluctant to voice concerns in case their leases weren’t renewed.

Peter Heristanidis co-owned Delicatess for 15 years and said his market experience was “a life of hell” by the time he sold his business in November.

He claimed market management was slow to fix things such as nearby water leaks.

“I went for two years without hot water in my shop,” he said.

“We’re paying premium rents and there’s not enough traffic coming through the door. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.”

Several current traders have defended the market, saying business is good.

Pam Wilson co-owned Rumbles for more than a decade with her husband, Paul, and said patron numbers never recovered after the produce hall was closed for renovations in 2013.

She also said several traders had left the market due to difficult working conditions.

“If you try to say anything you’re shut down,” Mrs Wilson said.

“There used to be a playground at the market, and when they did this massive expensive revamp of the produce area, they lost (removed) the playground. So those families stopped coming.”

Angelo Polydoras owned the Cheese Shop Deli for 13 years and said he had trouble selling his business because the market “has got a reputation for not being a good place to be”.

When he finally sold his store in May, he said he was forced by the market to sign a contract that made him the new business owners’ guarantor for the next seven years.

He’ll now have to foot the bill if the current business owner fails to pay their rent, he said.

“There’s no real accountability beyond the board.”

And Claude Grech, who owned the former BackHaus Bakery at the market, said he opted to break his five-year lease and leave early because business was so bad.

“The traffic at Prahran Market was absolutely awful,” he said.

Prahran Market board chairman Roger Clifton said Mr Polydoras’s claim that he was forced to be a guarantor for seven years was “incorrect”, and the market operated strictly within the requirements of the state’s retail tenancy legislation.

He also said any operational issues, such as leaking water pipes, were “expeditiously attended to” and Mr Young had the “absolute full confidence” of the board and Stonnington Council.

“Overall (customer) numbers have increased by between 3 to 4 per cent per annum, amounting to 20 per cent since 2011,” Mr Clifton said.

Other traders defended the market and Mr Young.

Gary McBean, who owns Gary’s Quality Meats, said his business was thriving and the rent increases each year were “standard”.

Naheda Hassan, who owns Naheda’s Choice, said she recently chose to open a second business at the market because trade was performing so well.

According to her experience, customers found the market a good place to shop and Mr Young had brought about changes at the market “for the better”, she said.

“Our sales have lifted, we’ve found a lot of people coming through the market,” she said.

And longtime trader Damian Pike, the market’s Mushroom Man, said he was “dumbfounded” to hear other traders had expressed concerns about Mr Young.

“I’ve never heard him (Mr Young) raise his voice,” he said.

Stonnington Council chief executive Warren Roberts said the council would not comment on staffing issues at the market.

“The Prahran Market is managed by an independent board of directors,” Mr Roberts said.