Overview

Melbourne Market is Victoria’s wholesale fruit, vegetable and cut flower trading centre, one of six central fresh produce markets in Australia.

Operating from a purpose-built facility on a 67-hectare site at Epping, the Market provides the critical link between growers, wholesalers, retailers and the fresh produce supply chain.

Approximately, 2,750 businesses use the Market as a base, buying and selling fresh produce in the early hours of the morning for distribution across Victoria and Australia.

Over 2,000 individual fruit and vegetable buyers, representing independent greengrocers, supermarkets, restaurants and food processors, source their produce direct from the Market. Many more receive deliveries and consignments from the Market.

Up to 120,000 square metres of warehousing space provides for the integration of supply chain logistics within the Market itself, and is the largest warehousing precinct of any central market in Australia.

Wholesale fruit and vegetables

The fruit and vegetable market has two sections: the trading floor and the buyers’ walk.

The 12,500 square metre fruit and vegetable trading floor has capacity for 330 stands. Stand holders set up their stands at the start of trade and pack up at the end of trade.

The buyers’ walk contains 156 permanent stores that are leased by store holders. Store holders display and store produce in these stores.

Fresh cut flowers

Victoria produces around 40 per cent of the national market for cut flowers, so the flower market is an important place of trade for fresh flower growers.

The flower market was designed to maintain cut flowers in optimum condition for sale throughout Australia and for export. Around 60 stand holders, occupying 140 stands, supply fresh flowers to over 700 floristry businesses.

Benefits of the Market at Epping

The Melbourne Market is fundamental to Australia’s fresh produce industry.

The Market at Epping is in close proximity to Melbourne’s freeways, allowing easier inbound delivery from farm to market and outbound delivery locally, interstate or overseas.

This gives the Market significant food handling and logistical advantages and will open opportunities for traders to export. Being able to consolidate operations within the Market has the potential to reduce handling, transport and labour costs.

To minimise its environmental impact, the Market is equipped to harvest and treat rain and stormwater, generate solar electricity, and allow better management of waste towards a recycling target of 95 per cent.

Extensive consultation, observation and international benchmarking has delivered a market that is modern and efficient. It is underpinned by the idea of establishing new environments that allow businesses to conduct their tasks more easily, safely, and with the ability to manage costs more appropriately.