NewsBite

Queen St Mall empty as shoppers stay home

The usually bustling Queen Street Mall was near empty this morning with only a small number of shoppers dotting the strip.

'We need to be careful about having too much activity in the marketplace'

THE heart of Brisbane has been turned into a ghost town with retailers suffering a downturn in trade as the coronavirus strikes fear into consumers.

The usually bustling Queen Street Mall was near empty this morning with only a small number of shoppers dotting the strip.

Only a few shoppers could be found in the Queen Street Mall on Saturday morning. (AAP image, John Gass)
Only a few shoppers could be found in the Queen Street Mall on Saturday morning. (AAP image, John Gass)

National Retailers Association CEO Dominique Lamb said there were reports of a decrease in retail foot traffic across the nation.

“After Friday’s announcement by the Prime Minister people are staying away from areas where there is likely to be a large crowd,” she said.

“Retailers are experiencing that people are staying away.”

Queen Street Mall at 10.30am on Saturday. Picture: AAP image, John Gass
Queen Street Mall at 10.30am on Saturday. Picture: AAP image, John Gass

Ms Lamb said the “absolute pandemonium” at grocery stores

“People are bunkering down and preparing for what might be mass quarantine conditions,” she said.

The retail chief said the State Government should consider expanding store trading hours to create smaller crowds.

Queen Street Mall has had a noticeable decrease in foot traffic. Picture: AAP image, John Gass
Queen Street Mall has had a noticeable decrease in foot traffic. Picture: AAP image, John Gass

She said online delivery providers like Domino’s Pizza and Deliveroo had been “run off their feet”.

People were encouraged to still go shopping, but be vigilant and hygienic.

Retailers in Queen Street Mall are hurting as shoppers stay away this weekend. Picture: AAP image, John Gass
Retailers in Queen Street Mall are hurting as shoppers stay away this weekend. Picture: AAP image, John Gass

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queen-st-mall-empty-as-shoppers-stay-home/news-story/2d7b626833548afeda3b83c22f3028b9