After nearly a decade of serving the local community, The Markets Wanniassa is closing its doors. Owner Fiona Lester cited an inability to negotiate a reasonable rent, ongoing shoplifting, and reduced customer spending due to cost-of-living pressures as key factors in the decision.
The store, located at the Wanniassa shops opposite Coles, began as a pop-up in December 2016 and became a permanent fixture in March 2017. It sold handmade and Australian products from hundreds of local artisans, as well as Fiona's own clothing and jewellery.
Fiona described the community as the best part of the shop. 'All of the connections, all of the people, I will really miss that,' she said. She noted that she kept the store open longer than she should have for the sake of that community.
The business was a family affair, with husband James and their three youngest children—Olivia, 20, Matilda, 17, and Eddie, 15—all helping out. Olivia served as store manager. Fiona and James were known as Mr and Mrs Market, and the children as the Mini-Markets.
Fiona observed that customer spending fluctuated with interest rates. 'As soon as they go down, we are busy within the hour,' she said. Shoplifting was also a persistent issue, with a recent incident caught on Coles' security cameras.
Despite the closure, Fiona plans to continue selling homemade products in some form. She expressed gratitude to the community, saying, 'A huge thank you to our community for supporting us and helping make our business what it is.'
