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The mood at the Port Moselle market in Noumea was rather somber. Despite the presence of new customers thanks to police reinforcements, all exhibitors regretted a loss of turnover ranging from 40% to 80%.
The consequences of the crisis have not spared the Noumea Municipal Market. Marie, manager of a fish shop, keeps smiling, but times are tough. Its turnover fell by 80% in July.
In order to cope with the crisis, the company on the Moselle market has had to reduce orders and even the prices of some products. “We will trust our elected officials, the country, France, that they still want to help us, and we will try to maintain our position so that our customers and our employees can continue to enjoy this economy.”
Adapting and hoping for better days is also the strategy of this fruit and vegetable producer and marketer, who has altered his harvest to limit losses. “Because of the riots, we dare not grow mung beans””, revealed the trader, who estimated that she had lost 50% to 70% of her turnover.
Exhibitor Sophie Masson suffered the same loss. “I have cancelled orders with local and external suppliers because it is difficult and we avoid having inventory without reason.”
On weekdays, there are almost no people in the aisles.
This is also a worrying situation for artisans, who are going through a crisis even worse than during the coronavirus pandemic. “Before the crisis, my customers were tourists coming on holiday, tourists visiting family. They are no longer here”, regrets Aurélie Baron, who has been organizing exhibitions for twenty years. There are also Australians (cruise ship passengers), those on missions… We no longer have cats there. On weekdays, there are almost no people in the aisles.”
Romane Wakanumuné also runs a craft stall at the market. His boss had to close his other sales point at the ferry terminal due to a lack of cruise ship passengers. The activity is able to survive here thanks to new customers. “Our clients are police officers, they are leaving and we are trying to make money off of them.”
The result: a 40% drop in sales, but no drop in day rates for stands. Exhibitors pay almost 50,000 francs per month for outdoor venues. This partly explains the number of empty stands and spaces at the Moselle Harbour market.
Reporting by Caroline Antic-Martin and Gaël Detcheverry
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