Dandenong Market stallholders demand high rent be reduced or they risk going out of business
STALLHOLDERS at Melbourne’s second oldest market are threatening to pack up and leave, saying rents are now more expensive than Chadstone shopping centre.
South East
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DANDENONG Market stallholders say they may have to pack up and leave, with their annual rents now about $36,000 a year.
A group of 27 retailers have signed a petition calling for their costs to be cut, as they are struggling financially in the tough retail climate.
Sports shoe trader George Noori, who has run a stall at the market for more than 25 years with his brother, said times had never been tougher for small businesses.
Mr Noori said their fees were higher per square metre a day than Chadstone shopping centre’s.
He said things were so bad last year they pulled the pin on their Queen Victoria Market stall, and were considering doing the same at Dandenong.
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“It is getting less busy here, the rents are too high and we can’t compete with big department stores,” Mr Noori said.
“We’re close to not surviving.”
He said a lot more stallholders than the 27 signatories were disgruntled, but many were scared they may lose out if they added their names to the petition.
Dandenong Market general manager Jennifer Hibbs said they were meeting with traders to discuss individual circumstances.
“Recognising that retail across Melbourne has been difficult in recent years the market has kept any fee increases in the last 24 months to less than CPI in most instances,” Ms Hibbs said.
“At the same time it has responded to requests from traders for more security, advertising and other services.
“It is not possible to continue to improve services at the market for traders and customers without some increase in stall fees.”
Greater Dandenong councillor Jim Memeti, who has had a poultry shop at the market for seven years, said it was “always preferable for rents to be as low as possible”.
He said he hadn’t signed the petition as he believed food and meat trading was still strong, but realised “some retailing is a bit difficult at the moment”.
The council said they had no role to play in operational matters, and referred questions to the Dandenong Market board.