Top US retailers Skechers, Pivot to open at Logan Hyperdome before Easter

High rents, vacant stores and the imminent phasing out of JobKeeper has not deterred two top US retailers heading to southeast Queensland.

Actor Rob Lowe is an ambassador for Skechers, which is opening a store at the Hyperdome.

High rents, vacant stores and the imminent phasing out of JobKeeper has not deterred two top US retailers heading to southeast Queensland.

California beach-style shoe retailer Skechers and Pivot, which sells international sporting brands and workwear will open at the Hyperdome before Easter.

High rents continue to plague stores at the Logan-based centre, where a massive space vacated by Woolworths in November remains unfilled.

More than 20 store spaces are boarded up or vacant with the major hole being in the middle of the centre where Woolworths used to be.

The Hyperdome, where two US brand stores will open before Easter.

It is estimated that there are about 165 small store spaces at the shopping centre, which first opened in 1989.

Management were unavailable to answer questions on the vacancy rate, which retailers said had increased since the end of last year and during the COVID lockdowns.

In January, three major women’s fashion outlets closed their doors at the Hyperdome renewing calls for an overhaul in management and leasing deals.

Fashion retailers Katies, Noni B, and Rockmans shut after Mosaic Brands, which also owns Crossroads and Rivers, with outlets at the Hyperdome, said in August it had been in talks with landlords to renegotiate leases.

Retailers at the Hyperdome did not want to give details about rents at the centre but one said there were concerns as the JobKeeper program is set to be wound up on March 28.

The payment until then is $1000 a fortnight for all eligible employees who, in the four weekly pay periods before the reference period, were working for 20 hours or more a week on average.

It is also for business participants who were actively engaged in the business for 20 hours or more a week, and $650 a fortnight for employees who were working for less than 20 hours a week on average.

However, two new stores are set to open within the next month.

Skechers shoe shop, will bring its California beach foot fashion to the Hyperdome in time for the Easter rush.

Skechers to open before Easter at the Hyperdome.

When the retailer opens at the centre, there will 11 shoe and foot stores including the Foothaven, The Athlete’s Foot, FootLocker, Novo Shoes, Platypus Shoes, Williams, Rivers, Happy Feet steam massage, Spendless Shoes and Foot Masters Shoes.

Skechers utility boot became a style icon during the 1990s grunge era but now sells a wide selection of styles that meet the footwear needs of men, women and kids.

OTHER RELATED STORIES

HYPERDOME OVERHAUL

HYPERDOME OPEN AFTER COVID CASE

HYPERDOME DRUG HAUL

HYPERDOME KATIES STORES CLOSE IN JANUARY

Movie star Rob Lowe along with athletes including Joe Montana, Sugar Ray Leonard, Howie Long and pro golfers Matt Kuchar and Brooke Henderson wear the brand.

The Skechers store will open opposite the popular Athlete’s Foot and next to homewares retailer Ishka, which battled its own demons at the centre last year.

Ishka closed all its stores in Victoria last year and initially announced it would close its Hyperdome outlet, blaming the fallout from the coronavirus making trading difficult.

But it was able to keep open five stores at Morayfield, Carindale, Browns Plains, Hyperdome and Robina.

Also opening soon is Pivot, which stocks sport, lifestyle and workwear footwear and apparel in brands such as Nike, Adidas, Asics, Puma, New Balance and some Skechers branded items along with Hard Yakka, FXD and SAINT Workwear.

The store will sell football boots for kids, weekend casual clothes or workwear.