Southeast Queensland retailers reveal the devastating impact snap lockdowns have on the industry
Some resemble ghost towns, others are just scraping by, but a select few are still somehow thriving. Here, southeast Queensland retailers from Ascot to Ipswich reveal the true impact of the snap Covid-19 lockdowns.
Moreton
Don't miss out on the headlines from Moreton. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A housing boom and a stockmarket surge but what about retail? Shopping strips across the southeast have weathered four snap lockdowns over the past 14 months.
Vacancy rates in some pockets has soared to nearly 20 per cent while other areas have been able to ride out the Covid storm, suffering minimal damage with tenants moving on and not renewing leases.
Business owners can apply to access a $5000 grant from the State Government but it is far from a quick process and the payments not immediate - leaving many wondering how they will survive.
Here is a snapshot of the health of suburban shopping strips in and around Brisbane.
ASCOT
Simon Penrose has been involved with the Brisbane North Chamber Of Commerce for more than 20 years.
The current president says he's never seen anything like the effects of the pandemic.
“There’s a lot shops over there (Ascot) that have really suffered and there seem to be a lot of vacancies there at the moment,” he said.
“There have been a few places that have shut.
“In general, I was talking to a business owner and they would have had their turnover drop by 95 per cent with the last lockdown.
“When your turn over drops by that sort of amount it does have a gruelling effect on everything in the business, that’s for sure.”
LOGAN
Shopping strips across Logan have ridden out the brunt of the pandemic with a high rate of “churn” in the market but a fairly static vacancy rate over the past year.
Logan Chamber of Commerce vice president James Stokes said most shopping strips were surviving but commercial vacancy rates had risen and were about 10 per cent.
Mr Stokes said Beenleigh’s Main St, had customers and retailers concerned with major road works coinciding with the Covid lockdowns, forcing many retailers to close temporarily or cut back trading times.
Although no shops have closed permanently in Main St, a computer retailer and coffee shop Luv a Coffee have both experienced a serious drop off in custom.
Beenleigh’s last surviving big major bank NAB closed its doors and the Beenleigh Mall Service Bar was another casualty of the year of lockdowns.
In Springwood, many of the Arndale Centre’s new restaurants remain vacant months after works were completed.
“A-class office space, even though it is limited, remains vacant in some parts of Springwood,” Mr Stokes said.
“The turnover rate for tenants leaving and not renewing leases is double what it was this time a year ago.”
Shopping strips at Logan Central had also experienced a high rate of market churn with retailers such as CBA in Logan Central Plaza closing one day and a small trader opening in half the floor space the next day.
At Loganholme, tenancy rates dropped along the Pacific Highway and also slightly at the Hyperdome. The iconic 24-hour nearby Foodworks supermarket is still vacant three months after the last tenants left.
Shoppers at Windaroo will have to wait for at least six months before their popular shopping strip is back on track after a fire gutted the place in June.
Shopping centres at Chatswood Hills and Holmview have both kept vacancy rates down below 5 per cent with high demand for retail outlets at both venues and plans to expand.
Success stories have been at Woodridge’s Station Rd shops, where the weekend Global Markets have allowed retailers to cash in on seven-day trading.
But three shopping strips have suffered during the pandemic with raids on the sales of illegal tobacco at Woodridge, Logan Central and Kingston.
A new shopping strip, complete with pet centre, gym and discount store, opened at Yarrabilba last week.
WESTSIDE
PADDINGTON
Paddington’s historic Terraces retail strip was hit hard by last week’s lockdown as many locals were Brisbane Grammar School and Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School families forced to isolate until at least midnight Thursday (August 12).
Latrobe and Given terraces were very quiet when Quest Community News visited, with coffee shops and a hardware store the only busy outlets.
Lingerie franchise Acte 3, which opened only a few months ago, turned to doing fittings via Facetime and Zoom, manager Fiona Lane said.
“We’ve been around for 30 years and have two other stores, but they’re both in Sydney and they can’t carry us now because they have been affected,’’ she said.”
“But the locals have been fabulous. They’re most of our customers and in the first three days of lockdown they were happy to pay over the phone.’’
Leith Anderson-Reid, who has owned Jewels NY for 15 years, said government help hadn’t been wonderful but she did not expect a handout.
“They can’t save everyone. I took JobKeeper last year, I didn’t want to but my husband said I may as well since I have been paying taxes all my life,’’ she said.”
“Crystal sales have been really good, I guess because people want to add value to their homes at the moment and can’t justify splashing out on jewellery for themselves, but handmade jewellery has been good.
“We don’t do a lot of online. Who wants to pay $5000 for a ring online?
“It has been hard, but Paddington will always survive, we just need to let people know we’re here.’’
Paddington Hardware, a landmark on the Terraces for 43 years, has been one of the few almost pandemic-proof businesses, with foot traffic dipping slightly during lockdown.
“We’re back to what we were before. We did a lot more deliveries during lockdown but we don’t do a lot of online,’’ manager Gary Dwyer said.
“It has been slower this time than last year (the March, 2020 lockdown).’’
Paddington Business Group founder Karen Harley said while many businesses had done it tough since March last year, the strip was looking up.
“When I formed the group four years ago I counted 56 for lease signs,’’ she said.
“There are only a couple now.’’
She said her group, Councillor Peter Matic and local federal MP Trevor Evans had delivered a lot of improvements including street art, seating, fairy lights on street trees and a Christmas Festival last year which was a success despite a Covid crowd limit of 2000 people.
The popular Lights of Paddington festival, where all the strip’s fashion boutiques get together, had to be cancelled last year due to Covid but was at this stage still scheduled for next month or October this year.
“We’ve got funding for a Tastes of the Terraces event, although it’s delayed at the moment, and there will be a Paddington festival where streets will be closed off, probably early next year.’’
CLEVELAND
Business has gone from tough to an outright struggle in Cleveland, according to a business owner fighting to keep her spirits up.
Preferring not to be named lest she cast a shadow on a business community already doing it tough before the pandemic, the women’s fashion and homewares store owner could not hide her dismay.
Having traded in the picturesque locale for the better part of a decade, she is now investing what little free time she has to complete a digital marketing course in the hopes of beefing up online sales.
“It is tough; I don’t know how many will survive this,” she said.
“It is worse than last year because of all these little lockdowns.
“There was (government) help last year; they were fighting for us.”
Pointing out the store window, she notes, “You can see out there, there is no one around and I don’t know what the answer is”.
Except for the odd couple wandering past, foot traffic is sparse.
There are numerous barren shopfronts plastered with for lease signs put up last year.
Yet despite the forlorn outlook, the business owner reports locals have been generous to keep their town centre’s heart beating.
“So it is hard but we have loyalty (from customers) and people don’t want to see businesses close down,” she said.
“Everyone is struggling but trying to stay positive at the same time.
“So often you hear from customers, ‘we don’t want anything; we just want to help’.”
VICTORIA POINT
A business owner at Victoria Point Shopping Centre says trade is appreciably down despite the seemingly bustling atmosphere, even late on a weekday.
Having traded from his store for almost four years he is adamant he does not want his name shared.
“It is quiet and there is too much business duplication,” he said.
“It is really up to centre management.
“There are lots of empty shops; they (centre management) need to attract more people.”
WYNNUM
The retail strip in Wynnum’s CBD has reached new heights this year as the suburb continues to build on the recent development boom on the bayside.
A long way from the more than 32 empty shop fronts on the strip, which includes the popular Edith and Florence St as well as Bay Tce, Wynnum Business general manager David Bateson said the retail scene in the area was now thriving.
Mr Bateson said there was now around 10 sites which were for lease in the CBD.
“Wynnum has come a long way from the dark times of a few years ago, where a lot of shops were empty,” he said.
“We had the whole Wynnum Shopping Centre empty then but now HamBros have done an amazing job filling that and now a lot of people are working from home also, so they’re going to local businesses for things they need.”
Just this year, there have been almost 20 new businesses open in the area, including a pin ball bar, a men’s clothing shop, a chocolate shop and more.
“The only thing that has slowed down the progress a little has been the snap lockdowns but even with that, Wynnum has coped pretty well,” Mr Bateson said.
Even with a prime site on Bay Tce becoming available after M4A1 Gel Blasters decided not to renew their lease, Zac Dean from James Dean Commercial real estate already had four offers on the site, which he expected to be snapped up quickly.
BULIMBA
Formerly one of Brisbane’s busiest retail strips, Bulimba experienced a downturn before the Covid pandemic hit but bounced back late last year after the opening of several new businesses.
However, a restaurant owner on the popular Oxford Street believed businesses could not continue to cope with these snap lockdowns unless more assistance came from the government.
Jeanie Smith, who owns Amante Tapas and La Quinta along with her husband Nev Smith, also said businesses were coping because of the amount of support from local residents.
“Firstly, personally we wouldn’t even have got this far without local support,” she said.
“It’s very clear regulars are making a point to order takeaway and dine regularly and support local businesses.
“With four snap lockdowns this year I don’t think small business with high rents in this street will survive much longer without government assistance.
“Even when lockdowns are over the street is quieter, rightfully so , this is serious .
“Quick business decisions need to be made for survival but will that be enough? We have reduced our trading hours for the moment for example.”
Mrs Smith also said she hadn’t seen any businesses close on the strip yet but believed it would not be long if the snap lockdowns continue.
CABOOLTURE
Brett Barker runs a cafe on Beerburrum Road at Caboolture.
He opened Revolution Espresso Lounge two years ago and had only been trading for three months before Covid-19 struck.
“It’s just Struggle Street right through,” Mr Barker said.
The 43-year-old said they were almost finding their feet again when lockdown hit.
“It took eight months for the people to start coming back again, they were just scared,” he said.
“Lockdown again now so it’s dead again. We watch nobody walk up the street.
“The business, it pretty much fell out the bottom. There’s nothing left.
“We pretty much only have the regulars that come in, there’s no extra visitors in the area.
“Everyone wants to stay at home, no-one wants to wear a mask out.”
REDCLIFFE
“A bit cautious at the moment”, that’s how Redcliffe Chamber of Commerce’s vice president Brad Flynn has described traders in the peninsula area.
“Accommodation places are really suffering because they obviously get a lot of interstate travellers and with lockdowns, it’s had a pretty big effect,” he said.
“With hospitality (businesses) they’ve been hit hard again with the four square metre rule.
“The food and wine festival was cancelled recently and that had a massive effect on a lot of businesses that were involved with that.
“The feedback I’m getting, is that everyone is very cautious.”
Mr Flynn says he fears it will stay that way until Queensland hits its vaccination target.
“No one can do any planning,” he said.
“It’s the simple things for hospitality businesses, like getting food delivered when we get a date but we can’t be guaranteed we’re going to open on that date so they often can’t get supplies in.
He said the peninsula had had an “interesting” experience during the pandemic period with Australians forced to holiday at home.
“There’s a lot of businesses that have done really well … Redcliffe got rediscovered so on that front for the last 18 months it’s been good for a lot of businesses.”
Mr Flynn said other government assistance packages had allowed residents to continue to support local businesses.
“However, at the moment there is uncertainty, there’s no more promise of support from the government,” he said.
“I know of businesses that were really struggling and had State Government assistance and of course local level government have been fantastic.”
BEAUDESERT
Beaudesert is back to business, with locals saying the streets and local businesses are buzzing with activity.
Beaudesert Chamber of Commerce president David Kassulke said he wasn’t surprised by how quickly the town had bounced back.
“Beaudesert is well placed and a beautiful area,” Mr Kassulke said.
“It’s been fairly busy since the lockdown was lifted.
“Everyone is out and about.”
Local cafe owner Kylie Teterson said her cafe, Bean to, has been as busy as ever.
“We’ve been having our usual 5am morning rush, our midmorning rush, and our midday rush,” she said.
“I’ve got a team of 14 local staff and they’ve all been very busy this week.”
Despite the looming effects of a recent Covid-19 lockdown, a new business has also managed to find success.
David Brezac said he opened his new business, Liberty Service Station Beaudesert, around midday on Tuesday.
“It’s been good to be able to go ahead with the opening and give five Beaudesert locals new jobs just a couple of days after the lockdown ended,” Mr Brezac said.
“Since opening we’ve been nuts. Just flat out and busy.
“I’ve gotten lots of positive feedback and we’ve felt very welcomed by the community.”
Scenic Rim Regional Council Mayor Greg Christensen said it was good to see parts of the region starting to bounce back.
“Beaudesert is very much at the heart of the Scenic Rim,” Cr Christensen said.
“It’s a foundation town with lots of service based businesses so it’s bouncing back incredibly.
“It may take a little while longer for our more tourism based communities, such as Mount Tambourine, to see the same level of activity.”
IPSWICH
Businesses in Ipswich are struggling to keep afloat amid sporadic Covid lockdowns, with many forced to cut staff and close up shop.
Ipswich Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Phil Bell said plenty of business owners had been forced to reach into their own pockets to keep their doors open.
The reality is the duration and sudden impact of it means that business owners are significantly into their own personal savings and reserves if they weren’t already,” Mr Bell said.
“All of the costs remained around overheads and (for many businesses) the revenue stream simply ceased to exist immediately.”
Mr Bell said the tiny $5000 government payment was not enough to cover the electricity bill for many businesses.
“A $5000 grant is probably not enough to overcome a week’s worth of losses,” he said.
“When restrictions are lifted, people need to make an even stronger commitment to buy a meal, lunch, dinner, get takeaway – those things are even more important after a significant lockdown.”
More Coverage
Grieving widower’s death sparks calls to tighten euthanasia laws
A coroner’s inquest into a grieving widower’s death, after he took the lethal substance initially intended for his wife, has revealed significant flaws in Queensland’s Voluntary Assisted Dying scheme.
‘Hoppy campers’: Magical break for parents as kids with disabilities ‘vanish’ for holiday fun
Koalas, kangaroos, magicians, and discos made for unforgettable adventures for kids with disabilities who ‘vanished’ into holiday fun at five camps statewide, while parents enjoyed a rare break.