When Fawkner Commons wrapped up operations for 2020 in December we did not know what the following year would look like. A lot of things changed during the pandemic and having had to close the market we weren’t sure what our role in supporting the community would be post-COVID. Throughout the first few months of 2021 we have been investing significant organisational resources to ensure that we are making the most informed decision about our potential return.
In light of this work we’ve done this year we have sadly made the difficult decision to not relaunch our Fawkner market at this stage.
Due to the interruptions of the pandemic, relaunching the Fawkner market would effectively be like starting the market from scratch. For us as an organisation we have a tried and tested two-year market strategy to ensure a market has the time and investment required for impact and ongoing sustainability. We use a detailed feasibility tool to assess potential locations and consider all local factors. Applying this lens to Fawkner has led us to this decision which includes some of the following findings:
1. Since we launched in 2017, we’ve loved our home at Merri Health. While there is potential to return, there are significant factors that would make it a challenging site for an ongoing financially sustainable market. We’ve completed an updated suburb outlet, transport and community organisation mapping, all of which have been factored into this assessment.
2. Just prior to and throughout the pandemic the food outlet environment in Fawkner changed and there is an improved supply of fresh produce for local community members. The normal significant value proposition of affordability and quality that we could bring with our market has been diminished: our cost comparisons show that our prices are now only approximately 12% cheaper than surrounding outlets (against our comparative market standards of between 30-60% more affordable). It is great to see Fawkner produce outlets having adapted during the pandemic in relation to pricing, and one factor we also consider is our impact on local business - we don’t want to take business away from local shops employing local people.
3. Although demand for food relief has increased within Moreland, this is not the customer base we traditionally see at our markets. There are other food relief focussed organisations doing this work in the area already, and the pandemic really saw an incredible collaboration between these organisations to support people where it was needed most.
We’ll review this decision in three months (end of July 2021), allowing for things to hopefully return to an even greater sense of normalcy after the upheaval of 2020. We know there is a lot of movement happening around Fawkner in the food space.
Fawkner has been part of The Community Grocer family for four years now so as you can imagine this decision has not come lightly. We have greatly appreciated the continued support from our customers and partners and it has been a real privilege to serve Fawkner.
If you’ve got any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us on hello@thecommunitygrocer.com.au.
If you’re struggling to afford food in Moreland, follow this link to see up-to-date information on who to contact here.
- The Community Grocer Team