Rowville’s Stud Park Shopping Centre comes under fire from shoppers

Shoppers have accused management at a Rowville shopping centre of pushing out beloved smaller retailers in favour of coffee shops, banks and nail salons. But there’s two new stores luring health and sustainability-conscious buyers.

Readers are calling for improvements to Stud Park Shopping Centre. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Shoppers are calling for improvements to Stud Park Shopping Centre, with smokers, dangerous concrete pot plants and a poor mix of retailers heading the list of complaints.

Rowville’s Kim Kinniburgh contacted Knox Leader worried about the future of the centre.

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Ms Kinniburgh said she feared centre management was pushing out beloved retailers.

“It’s not a good enough mix of shops and they pushed out people who have been there a long time who really made the place,” she said.

“I’ve got young children and I used to love going up there when I was a kid and getting a shake from Wendy’s or a doughnut from Donut King and now it’s not somewhere I’d go,” she said.

On Knox Leader’s Facebook page Sandra Dunbar said management was getting too greedy and not giving customers who have supported it for years what they want.

“How many coffee shops and banks do we need?” she said.

Jo Anderson called on management to remove the massive cement pot plants in the carpark, while others wanted a crackdown on smokers outside the Gloria Jean’s entrance.

Chemist Warehouse and Target were among the retailers customers wanted introduced.

Centre manager Michael Degering said tenancy changes were a normal part of the management and evolution of shopping centres, and additions to the centre included fruit and vegetable shop Henrys Mercato and The Source Bulk Foods.

He said after feedback from customers, a number of concrete planter boxes had been removed from the carpark and the rest would also soon go.

“In terms of concerns raised about smoking at Gloria Jeans, we appreciate the feedback from our customers and continue to work through this with the retailer in line with the required guidelines,” Mr Degering said.

“Our priority is to ensure a safe and positive experience for our customers and feedback is always welcome to ensure we continue to offer the best possible mix and experience that suits their needs.”