Sydney’s iconic Glebe Markets’ new owners are beefing with the old ones because they keep insisting to their followers that the markets are closed — killing business for the new company and stressing out stallholders.
The drama began when Glebe Markets announced it would close down in February. Panic ensued, but crisis was averted when Organic Food Markets stepped in to take up the reins and continue the markets for future generations of Depop girlies.
Except it looks like the usual market-goers missed the memo, with reports that the markets — rebranded Markets at Glebe because of trademark issues — are only getting 10 per cent of the foot traffic they used to. Which isn’t being helped by the original owners, David and Naomi McCumstie, who have been posting to their Instagram every Saturday reiterating that the Glebe Markets are CLOSED — yes, in all caps.
Because the markets are technically no longer called Glebe Markets, Google says Glebe Markets are closed, and the old owners insist that the markets are dead. At least, their markets are dead — a technicality probably lost to their followership.
However, there has been backlash about it on online, with one TikTok creator accusing the McCumsties of “sabotaging” the new markets.
@vintagebyted Glebe markets sabotage from the from the former owners. #glebemarkets
The team over at Organic Food Markets reckons the old owners are being “unfair” and have accused them of creating confusion for both customers and stallholders.
“The markets are running every Saturday at Glebe Public School,” Stephen Choularton, the director of Organic Food Markets, told news.com.au.
“This is where Glebe Markets were and you will find many, maybe most, of their regular traders still there.
“We understand the shop owners are frustrated.
“The footfall has reduced on Glebe Point Road and turnover is down.”
One pair of shop owners, Steve Cushla and his wife, sell pottery at the markets and told news.com.au their stall was their entire income and livelihood, so the lack of traffic has left them struggling.
Another stallholder told the publication she used to make $1000 every week, but with the markets so quiet lately, she only made $30 on a recent Saturday.
@x8ty1aa haul ??? #videodiary #pinterest #4u #glebemarkets #fashion #y2k #aesthetic #fypシ #minivlog
Stall holders also noticed that when the OG owners left, they took all the toilet paper with them. Someone had also pressure-hosed all the signage and markings off the walls and ground, causing havoc as stallholders tried to figure out where TF they were meant to set up.
David and Naomi McCumstie, for their part, insist they are totally within their rights to say the markets are closed because the new markets are not called Glebe Markets. They reckon their Instagram posts claiming the markets are closed are “truthful and honest” because, well, they’re right.
“We’re protecting our trademark,” they told news.com.au.
“It’s not our business to promote their business for them.
“I don’t want people turning up and going ‘oh, this is not Glebe Markets’, or saying ‘Glebe markets is lame’.”
I mean, “not promoting” a business and saying the markets are closed are probably not the same but go off.
“Glebe Markets is a brand, it’s not still going,” the couple added.
“What is inside the grounds is not Glebe Markets. Glebe Markets is no longer in that location.”
They also admitted to taking the toilet paper rolls with them when they left, though they claimed the pressure-hosing had nothing to do with them.
“When we left we took our supply of toilet paper. We finished up as you would,” David McCumstie said.
“It didn’t belong to the school, part of that was our toilet roll hangers and toilet paper.
“It wasn’t my job to say I’m going to leave you toilet paper, or here is the toilet rolls. They’re grown adults, they run multiple markets within the school grounds.”
I mean, yes, this is completely true — but it doesn’t change the fact that staff where left with nothing to wipe with.
The whole thing is messy and petty AF, but at the end of the day, there’s a silver lining: now is a great time to head to the Glebe Mark— sorry, Markets at Glebe, because a) you can spend guilt-free knowing you’re uplifting a community that’s desperately in need and b) it won’t be super busy.
Get that vintage denim, girlies!
