Overview
If you prefer to shop with a conscience, Melbourne CBD's new retail treasure trove will have you busting out the reusable bags and locking in a shopping trip ASAP. A new permanent showcase of products and services from local social enterprises has launched in the Queen Vic Market, dubbed The Purpose Precinct.
Making its home along the market site's String Bean Alley, the new addition has been dreamed up in collaboration with well-known social enterprises, bike retailer and repair crew Good Cycles, and change-making cafe group STREAT. The new initiative's also being backed by the Victorian Government and Social Enterprise Network of Victoria.
So just what will you find in this new haven of wares that care? Well, The Purpose Precinct is stocked with a rotating range of goodies and offerings from more than 20 different Victorian social enterprises; including beloved brands like streetwear label HoMie and the Indigenous-owned and -operated Clothing the Gaps.
Next time you're hitting Queen Vic Market for your usual haul of fresh veggies and hot jam doughnuts, you'll be able to drop by The Purpose Precinct to shop pantry items, fashion, accessories, homewares and more — all crafted with a conscience from ethically and sustainably sourced materials. Good Cycles is also operating a new bike shop and service centre onsite, continuing its work helping to create employment pathways for young people.
The new precinct's not just a win for shoppers, the planet and the ongoing work of our local social enterprises, but it's only set to get bigger and better. "Our ambition is to see hundreds of Victorian social enterprises represented in the Precinct over the coming years," explains Good Cycles CEO Jaison Hoernel. "All working together not only to create better cites, but also meaningful employment opportunities for Victorians."
The Purpose Precinct isn't the only new addition the Queen Vic Market has welcomed of late. A bunch of venues and retailers have already been opening as part of the site's much-anticipated Munro development, while in August we scored a peek at the latest plans for its groundbreaking new community library and rooftop.
Find The Purpose Precinct at String Bean Alley, Queen Victoria Market, Queen Street, Melbourne. You can see more details over on the website.