How did the market initially cope with the move and how settled are the traders now?

The market coped very well with the move generally. A date was set well in advance for the move to take place over a specific weekend. At the last minute several tenants’ fit outs had not been completed to their satisfaction by their chosen contractor - but the move had to go ahead despite protestations of the “unready”.

I think it is fair to say that this was the right thing to do in retrospect as everybody did move and managed to trade from the Monday as planned. Our tenants had to pay for their own stand fit out (there was a fit out fund in place, which paid out approx £5,000 per single unit) and fit outs varied from basic to up to £200,000 so most of our tenants have invested heavily in this market and have been working hard to make it a success.

We have been in the new market for two years and everybody has settled in very well.

What are the advantages of the new site?

Of course, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages but I would be lying if I said everything is perfect! We now have a modern, clean building designed to be compliant with current and ongoing legislation relevant to our industry - for example temperature control, energy saving criteria, hygiene and food safety. There are better conditions regarding lighting and drainage which was a particular problem on the old site and health and safety standards have improved.

The move prompted our tenants to reassess their business needs and as a result many have upgraded their technology and cold store requirements and have been able to reinvigorate their business. The improved conditions have attracted more importers to the market.

We have a great recycling facility which has enabled us to cut costs in waste disposal. We have recently leased a pallet chipper to dispose of broken pallets and are able to sell the chippings instead of paying to have the broken pallets removed. Not forgetting it is a much more pleasant environment for our all important buyers. The produce stands are all in one hall whereas on the old site the buying area was far more spread out.

And the disadvantages?

We are on a smaller site than the old market. This resulted in less room for buyer parking and at times, especially in the first few weeks after the move, caused traffic congestion and some chaotic mornings. I would hasten to add that this situation has been alleviated by reducing the size of the staff parking area and making a considerable part of this space available for buyer parking. We have also installed an additional exit barrier.

We have been working hard with the London Borough of Hounslow Market managers, Richard Day and Steve Couch, to address any problems as quickly as possible at monthly joint liaison meetings. After the first six months this problem improved considerably and at the time of writing, one of our busiest periods, the situation is under control with the help of market constabulary directing traffic, particularly at the weekend.

Having the smaller site and the fact that we all now have to have any cold storage inside our stands, most of our tenants are working in less space than before and that in itself has caused problems at times.

It is a testament to the success of the market that there are no empty stands. A few have changed hands in the last two years but we continue to attract a waiting list of potential new tenants.

An “oversight” in the new build, especially in the light of restriction of space for tenants, is the lack of provision of a useful canopy at the back of stands to protect produce that inevitably has to be left outside during trading hours. We are now sampling a couple of solutions to this problem.

Despite vigorous attempts by the Tenants’ Association to extract money from our landlords and developers of the new market this has been in vain and the cost of any canopies will probably have to be met by individual tenants. Any scheme adopted will have to be uniform.

How does your proximity to Heathrow Airport contribute to the market?

We are ideally placed for airfreighted imports and have attracted several import agents to take up office space within the market. The location is good for agents and tenants to move imports to other markets and distribution points around the country.

What are the main challenges for you personally and the market as a whole?

The challenge for our Tenants’ Association has been to reinvent WIMTA to meet our new situation. Prior to the move the main objective was focused on the actual move. We have had to address the problems associated with the move as they have arisen and on the whole, with feedback and co-operation from our members and close liaison with market management we have been able to facilitate the necessary changes. A very important role of the association is to monitor our service charge which has not increased since the move but there was an expectation that there would be a reduction being in new premises. We are hopeful that a reduction will be achieved within the next financial year.

The main challenge for the market as a whole is the ongoing dominance of the supermarkets and to adjust to the requirements of our changing customer groups (our location attracts multi-ethnic groups - who are wholeheartedly welcomed to our market) and adapt to these changes.

What differentiates you from other wholesale markets?

We think that location is key. Our location is ideal to serve west London and a huge affluent area to the west as there are no other sizeable markets in the west until Bristol and Birmingham. We have very good access to the motorway system and proximity to Heathrow. We are the most modern market in the UK and have strong specialisations in Asian and Arab produce.

What is the perception of Western International in relation to other wholesale markets?

I think you would have to ask the other markets that question. All of the London markets are working together within the Association of London Markets to promote and improve our industry. Pressed for an answer I would say that we have a strong retail/secondary wholesaler base rather than foodservice as at New Covent Garden Market. Being a little smaller than others leads to a more welcoming and friendlier environment for our customers. We have made a good start on composite sales - for example - eggs, dairy foods, rice, bread - and are very strong on offering ethnic produce.

Are you working on any initiatives relating to the environment and healthy eating we should know about?

Indeed we are - 80 per cent of all waste on site is being recycled and we are looking into ways of improving this figure. In July this year the whole market will have changed to electric fork lift trucks. More UK produce is being sold in the market thanks to the efforts of our business development manager, Peter Clarke. Schools visits are being arranged by the market management and encouraged by the Tenants’ Association.

What do you think of the current state of wholesaling in the UK?

I think the situation is fairly stable considering the current economic situation. UK growers are showing more interest again in wholesale. There is a need for tightening of credit control especially in foodservice, and although this does not directly involve the market there is a knock on effect to suppliers. There is a need to encourage more young staff into the industry.

How do you see the future for the market?

I think Western International Market has excellent prospects for the future. We will continue to keep costs under control for our tenants and encourage new business to the market by continuing to listen to our customers and offer them what they need.

We must look into the possibility of the development of a composite market with our landlords as to be a one stop supplier for fresh food wholesalers.