Unique business shifts to Wandal after CBD issues

“It’s great that the developments are happening for our community, but unfortunately the closures have made it really challenging for us.”

Danielle Hempseed at Lilly and Lotus.

THE popular floristry and event styling team at Lilly and Lotus has bid farewell to its CBD location on East Street, due to the recent Rockhampton art gallery development limiting access to the store.

Following the start of development late last year, the business experienced a number of challenges, including parking difficulties and the obstruction of the Quay Lane entry point behind the store.

Of the move, founder, Danielle Hempseed says that while the East Street location was a great spot to introduce her business to Rockhampton almost three years ago, the site no longer catered to the business’ multi-faceted operations.

“Since the start of the gallery developments, it’s become increasingly difficult for our team to access the alleyway behind our store, which is really important for the event side of our business,” she says.

“It’s great that the developments are happening for our community, but unfortunately the frequent alleyway closures have made it really challenging for us.”

While the Art Gallery developments are a big reason behind the move, Ms Hempseed admits that it has also been a while in the making, with the “atrocious” CBD parking proving problematic for staff members.

The high demand for carparks had even deterred a number of customers from visiting the store, she claimed, with the issue instead proving a logistical nightmare for the pick-up and delivery of orders.

With the store now located on Murray Street in Wandal, the site offers a vast difference to its former; increased physical space to cater to the growing business, cheaper rent, and significantly easier access to the shopfront.

“It’s a beautiful store, and a great home to help the growth of our business,” Ms Hempseed said.

With the store now in its sixth year of operation, Ms Hempseed says 2020 will bring big things for Lilly and Lotus, with the relocation perfectly timed to suit the demands of Valentines Day.

“It’s going to be a very exciting time for our team”, she says.

Rockhampton Regional Council was contacted for comment, but did not respond by time of a publication.