Wholesale+Market+History

The Wholesale Market

The Wholesale Market is Melbourne’s last remaining wholesale market. Opening in 1969 it is the youngest market.

This market is very unusual in the way that it does not sell direct to the public. The market sells to the retail distributors. The retail distributor then sells the produce at their stall, shop etc. They also run in a very tight schedule: market vehicles arrive at the market area as early as 7pm. By midnight, all may enter the market but the buyers. At this time vendors begin to set up stalls, stack and sort produce and get ready for the long day ahead of them. Produce deliveries must cease by 4:30am. At 5:00am, buyers are allowed to enter the market to assess the produce, seeking out cheap and quality things. During the next hour buyers are allowed to make arrangements to buy produce from the vendors, they cannot take away any produce until 6am. Most selling is over by 9:00am but selling must end at 10:00am. All buyers must leave the market by 10:15am and growers must leave by 11:00am. Delivery to stores may continue until 2:00pm. The market then closes at 5:00pm.

On the 1st of April 1978, the Melbourne Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market Trust (MWFVMT) took over the market responsibility from the Melbourne City Council. The Council did not treat the market very well and was not very popular. The area was of covered in thick mud, off cuts and sometimes blood from the meat and as you can imagine, it was not a very pleasant place to be. After the MWFVMT took over, the number one issue on their agenda was the state of the market. They took care of it immediately, after a couple of months the market had regained popularity and was back on track.

In 1979, only 10 years after opening, the market became the ‘Central Market of Melbourne’, controlling the economic success of the other markets. The Central Market is a job given to a market rather than a location. Being the central market, they sold their produce to other marketeers from markets such as the Queen Victoria Market.The success of all other markets depended on the Wholesale Market getting the produce. However, the larger Footscray Market took over the Central Market job as it was much easier to access.

In 1980 the MWFVMT began to write plans for development of the Market. They have two plans to improve the market. The 1st is a rail siding in the north-east corner. An extensive loading area was to be built to hold all unloaded containers. Produce entering the market was incredibly streamlined. The 2nd plan is to build a service station complex; it will include self-service food supplies, take-away food supplies and a truck car park. This area was built in hope of increasing revenues, and it did its job fantastically.

After the new development finished, the market popularity boomed. Many more consumers rushed towards to market. With the new influx of people, the rail siding helped tremendously in supplying new produce. The service station was also a huge hit; it was a nice way for consumers and marketeers to get a break from the hectic market.

Years later, the market continues to thrive, develop and grow into a massively popular place and a fantastic for retailers to buy.