Victorian Market gets a new manager
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PUTTING the “heart” back into the Victorian Market and boosting customer footfall will be the top priorities of its newly appointed manager.
Jo Murray, who has 35 years’ retail experience, was welcomed to her post by Highland Council’s city of Inverness area committee yesterday.
And following her appointment, the market manager plans to focus on transformational projects, events and marketing with the aim of increasing the number of people visiting the historic site in the short-term.
She, and the council, hopes that this will then lead to higher customer spending by the public in the longer term.
“I am very much looking forward to working with the traders so that, with their support, we can bring the heartbeat back into the origins of retail in this great city,” she said.
“As many have voiced, it has been the unloved heart of the city for too long. The traders, the city of Inverness, our community and visitors deserve to have a thriving place to work, shop and visit.
“My 35 years of experience in retail has been extensive and I have the skills to make retail and circulation spaces inviting with theatrical air and taste.
“I see the value of being inclusive of the community and surprising potential customers with visually stimulating and customer-friendly environments to shop and socialise in.
“This is the start of an exciting journey. My appointment has been in the planning for some time and I am sure that what everyone wants is for me to get on with the action plan.”
Part of Ms Murray’s role will also be to act as group secretary to the Victorian Market stakeholder management group which is also supported by the Inverness city area manager.
Inverness Provost, Councillor Helen Carmichael, said: “We are very pleased to have attracted someone of Jo’s retail experience and calibre to this exciting new post that Inverness members endorsed in June this year.
“We wish her all the best in her new job and look forward to seeing a renewed vigour and vitality to the Victorian Market which is an important core of the Inverness shopping experience.”
