Huge line-up on opening day for Westfield Mt Gravatt’s new Uniqlo store
A huge line-up of people thronged the opening day of a cult Asian retail giant, with a major lifestyle attraction coming to the Westfield centre in July as well. It is all part of a seismic shift in our shopping centres as customers switch to online sales.
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A huge line-up of people thronged cult Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo on its opening day at a southside shopping centre, with traditional drummers and special offers luring hundreds through the doors.
The Westfield Mt Gravatt (formerly Garden City) outlet opened on May 30 and was only the fifth in Queensland, the 38th in the country and the first on Brisbane’s southside.
Funlab attractions Hijinx Hotel and Holey Moley were also scheduled to open at the shopping centre in July, building on a trend to turn major centres into lifestyle precincts.
The “fun-tainment” venues will occupy the space vacated by David Jones in January 2023, after 52 years of trading in the suburb.
Westfield Mt Gravatt Centre Manager Nathan Bond believed Uniqlo, known for its puffer jackets and other distinctive clothing, would appeal to the centre’s demographics.
“We know our customers will love the wide range, the quality and the famous brand experience that Uniqlo has to offer,’’ he said.
“An important part of the Westfield experience is how we continue to evolve (to meet) our customer’s needs.’’
Shopper Tiffany said she took the day off work so she could be first in line.
“Uniqlo is my favourite brand and I’m so excited to have one so close to home. I’ve been waiting here since 8.15am this morning,” she said.
“It’s fantastic to have big stores like this coming to shopping centres in the suburbs and not to need to go into the city to experience great shopping.
“Working in the city, the last thing I want to do on my weekend is go back into the city to go shopping.
“I would normally have to go into Uniqlo on my lunch breaks, but there just isn’t enough time to have a proper look and actually try stuff on”.
Linda said she valued the convenience of having a large shopping centre that was not in the CBD.
“It’s great to have everything we need right here at Garden City without needing to travel into the city,” she said.
“The centre is just a short trip down the road for me to grab everything I need — groceries, clothes, library, you name it”.
Funlab, which also owns Strike Bowling and Archie Brothers, said it was giving southsiders the chance to experience “the epitome of fun competitive socialising” after the success of its Hijinx Hotel brand at Westfield Chermisde and on the Gold Coast.
Funlab CEO Michael Schreiber said the Westfield Mt Gravatt opening provided southeast Brisbane residents fun for all ages.
“Funlab venues are the perfect place for people to get in touch with their childlike sense of wonder and get lost in a world of immersive and unique fun best experienced with friends,” Mr Schreiber said.
“Close to Griffith University, our new entertainment precinct is perfect for uni students looking for somewhere to let loose and take a break from the books.
“Combining a hit of mini golf, a quick play challenge and a quirky cocktail is a great way to break up a packed week.”
Regional Manager Customer Experience of Scentre group, Kylie Doulman, said the were always looking to bring new experiences to its Westfield centres.
QUT School of Business Professor Gary Mortimer said shopping centres had evolved into destinations rather simply shopping experiences.
He said shopping centres were home not only to retail stores but also entertainment venues like Timezone, cinemas, restaurants, libraries and even hireable office spaces and transport hubs.
“We are no longer simply going to a shopping centre for provisions like groceries or a new outfit, we go there for many reasons,” Prof Mortimer said.
“We seek social value by connecting with friends and loved ones.
“We go there for entertainment, to grab a meal, go to the movies or even fun like ten pin bowling.
“We’re seeing modern shopping centres today become almost this hub for a community, built around transport corridors with interchanges, bus terminals and even train stations embedded in them”.
However the increase in traffic could present a dampener on the experience, he said.
“The location of Garden city is a questionable. It’s great for attracting people from all over the southside but it means that traffic around the centre and parking can be a nightmare, particularly at peak times,” he said.
“Having only one interchange to the motorway on Logan Rd means that traffic from Kessels Rd has to circle around Garden City, further impacting traffic.
“But I do have to say that Garden City is a great place, besides the traffic and parking.
“It attracts a good demographic. It’s is a great place to meet and get everything you need.
“You can spend a whole day in here comfortably”.
Prof Mortimer said centres such as Westfield Chermside had been described as islands of shops surrounded by a sea of carparks.
“But shopping centres have continued to evolve as populations have spread into the suburbs,’’ he said.
“That was driven by greater access to transportation, with the cost of personal vehicles becoming lower.
“In the 60s and 70s, we would get on a train or a bus and head into the city to do our shopping, but get our groceries from local stores within walking distance.
“The arrival of flagship stores in mega shopping centres signals a tiering effect.
“Centres like Pacific Fair, Sunshine Plaza, Garden City and Chermside will be tier 1, while smaller, regional shopping centres like Brookside, Mount Ommaney will be in tier 2.
“Places with a supermarket and few little shops like a bottle-o, pharmacy, takeaway shop or a cafe, will be in lowest tier representing the local centres in most suburbs.
The departure of Myer from the Myer Centre (now Uptown) has seen a change in the CBD away from the shopping destination it once was, with many describing the former drawcard a “ghost town”.
“Brisbane CBD is a really interesting place at the moment from a business perspective and is going through its own evolution,” Prof Mortimer said.
“If we think about retail, as it stands, Brisbane City is already too saturated.
“You can see that when you wander through the mall, particularly the top end where you can see a lot of vacancies.
“We’ve got a very strong retail offer with Queens Plaza, Wintergarden and the Edward Street precinct and that is only going to become more evident with the amazing retail and entertainment offering coming to Queen’s Wharf.
“Uptown have opened up the old Myer space for immersive experiences and exhibitions such as Dopamine Land, but I think that is a stopgap, short term solution.
“These types of activations are a point in time experience. Once you have been, there’s little incentive to go back.
“There will be plenty of foot traffic during the school holidays, and that will be it, whereas with a retail offer, there’s constant changes.
“I believe Uptown would really benefit from pivoting away from a retail only space to become a health hub with specialists, allied health and possibly even a private hospital.
“There is a vast amount of parking underneath the old Myer Centre, and extensive public transport connections, so it would be perfect for the ageing population in the city.
“Bringing all of the specialists rooms into the CBD, giving them brand new fit outs in a multi-level, airconditioned and well situated with secure parking would be a great solution to the space.
“And you’re not cannibalising the existing retail offer, which is already present at Queen’s Plaza and soon to be at Queen’s Wharf”.
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