Cheung’s Cake and Cafe, Happy Valley: Co-owner Helen Moc says her 12-year-old business has lost about 80 per cent of its customers, including vital Xmas party catering. “On the second day [of the closure], we baked half our normal amount and threw half out. The next day we made half of that again and still threw half of that out. Every day we have lost thousands of dollars. We are now down to one-eighth our normal production and we still have food left over.” Ms Moc said that if the closure continued into the New Year “we would then have to close down”.
Autographed Memorabilia, McWhirters: Owner Corey Hamilton says the closure was “simply the end of Christmas for me”. He described his daily sales as “miserable” with the potential daily passing customer trade of 3500 to 4000 people a day reduced to 600. “The losses mean I will not be renewing my lease next year under any circumstances.”
McWhirters Farmers Markets: Owner Nick Criticos said: “We are down about 40 to 50 per cent of our sales or about 150 to 200 customers a day.”. He has calculated his daily losses at between $1000 and $2000 as day and “it’s very bad” to have to dump stock as a result.
Rocky’s Newsagency, McWhirters: Jason Somerville, partner of new owner Angel Yin, says they are seeking legal advice as to how to recover their losses over the period of the closure. Having bought the business on 24 October he said: “Just when we were getting used to how the business was run, we’ve lost 3000 to 3500 people a day.” The couple estimated they had lost tens of thousands of dollars in trade in the first 10 days of the closure alone.
TOP: McWhirters trader Corey Hamilton with a deserted centre passageway outside his Autographed Memorabilia shop. One of the closest traders to the barricaded Walton’s section, he has suffered as much if not more than most others.
ABOVE: Proving some goodwill does exist at Christmas, the Valley Malls market people provided free stall space to give Corey Hamilton (left) and Jason Somerville (Rocky’s Newsagency) at least a chance to recoup some losses.
