Mass exodus as Zarraffa’s, ANZ, Sanity shut at Beenleigh Marketplace
A major shake-up is underway at a southside shopping centre after three major businesses – including a bank – closed their doors in the past month.
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A busy southside shopping centre is facing a major shake-up after an exodus of four traders including three major high-profiled retailers in the past month.
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ANZ, Zarraffa’s and entertainment store Sanity have all ended their leases at Beenleigh Marketplace in the past month.
The fourth store to shut was Blooming Marvellous Florist which closed a month ago when its lease ran out.
The departures started after the ANZ Bank shut shop and cleared out late last month, leaving a prime shopfront empty.
That was followed by last weekend’s closure of the Zarraffa’s coffee shop, which was in the best spot in the centre, next to the front door.
This weekend, music lovers will shed a tear as entertainment store Sanity closes its doors for the final time.
The lease for the store, a favourite at the centre for more than a decade, runs out on Sunday and centre management chose not to renew it.
A Beenleigh Marketplace spokesman said the shake-up was to be expected and traders did not extend their leases.
“There is always movement in retail and there’s no denying times are tough at the moment,” she said.
“But there’s not an exodus and there’s no gaping hole as we have new retailers moving in.
“Three big traders have left but we have four coming into the centre.”
Zarraffa’s said its lease ran out and increased rents had nothing to do with the closure and it had not been pushed out of the centre.
Chief executive Marnie Sheldon said the franchisee was focused on catering to the fast-food market.
“The franchisee recently opened a drive-through store in Eagleby, which is in line with the company’s move to expand to more convenient sites,” she said.
The coffee giant closed stores without drive-throughs at Pacific Fair and at the Hyperdome but opened its modern Kiwanda restaurant and headquarters at Eagleby last year with plans to add a daily fresh produce market to the site.
Coffee lovers at the Marketplace will still be able to pick up their favourite brew when Cafe 63 opens this month, two months after rival Stellarossa opened across the road.
It will also mark three months since another outlet in the popular coffee chain was forced to close on Racecourse Rd at Hamilton after enduring a lull in trade blamed on the coronavirus.
Fit-out work for Cafe 63 has started opposite employment agency Maxima at the entry to the centre with plans to open next month.
Apparel retailer Cotton On Mega and Australian stationery and craft retailer Kaisercraft, will also soak up the floorspace with opening dates to be announced.
Cotton On Mega, which signed a lease allowing it up to 10 years, operates eight brands including Rubi, Typo, Cotton On LOST, Factorie and Supré.
It will spread out across the Sanity store site, Jade Furniture and the old Mcarvery store.
Jade Furniture, which sells beds and mattresses, will move and reopen near Big W in September and Mcarvery has already moved into the food court.
Kaisercraft will open between Big W and Spendless Shoes.