Niche Markets Fyshwick
Around forty specialty traders in 1,500 square metres at the eastern end of the Fyshwick Markets complex, selected on the rule that they must not compete with the fresh food side.
About this market
Niche Markets occupies about 1,500 square metres at the eastern end of the Fyshwick Markets complex on Mildura Street, to the left of the pet shop, and holds roughly forty specialty traders in aisles of small tenancies. The refit was announced in 2017 by the market's owners, Jack, Barbara and Alan Irvine, and the wing opened the following year, built around a stated aim of a vibrant shopping hub of specialty products rather than more of the same.
The rule that shaped the trader list
The interesting thing about Niche is what its traders are not allowed to be. Selection was run on an explicit non-competition rule: nobody who would compete with the existing Fyshwick Market businesses. That single constraint is why the floor reads the way it does, filled with fashion, accessories, homewares, handmade crafts and food categories the fresh food side does not cover. Early interest came from a barber, a burger stand, a biltong and jerky maker, a cheese shop, organic spices and handmade chocolate, and the mix has stayed in that territory.
Market at a glance
The tenancy model is the other departure from a normal retail strip. Spaces run from five square metres up to twenty, with a handful larger, and they are let on monthly terms rather than the multi-year leases a shopping centre demands. That is low enough commitment for a maker or a one-person business to test an idea in a location with existing foot traffic, which is the whole argument for putting a specialty wing next to a busy fresh food market.
Traders here were selected on a deliberate non-competition rule. The managing agent's brief was to avoid anyone who would compete with the businesses in the fresh food market next door, which is why you will not find a second butcher or greengrocer in the Niche aisles.
Good to know before you go
Niche keeps different hours from the fresh food side, opening at 10am on Thursday and Friday and 9am on the weekend, so check the trading hours panel on this page rather than assuming the whole complex runs on one clock. The entrance is at the eastern end of the complex on Mildura Street, near the pet shop, and the main car park is off Mildura Street. Combine the two floors in one trip: the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets next door cover produce, meat, seafood and deli, and Niche covers everything else. Expect the trader list to change, since short leases mean a floor that turns over. This is Ngunnawal country.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is Niche Markets open?
- Thursday and Friday 10am to 5pm, and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm, at 36 Mildura Street, Fyshwick.
- Is this the same as the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets?
- It is the specialty wing of the same complex, at the eastern end, but a separate trading floor with its own traders and its own opening hours.
- How big is it?
- About 1,500 square metres holding roughly 40 traders, in spaces ranging from five to twenty square metres with a few larger ones.