Billionaire Nigel Austin’s Pakington St vision grows with new Country Road store
Last year’s closure of beloved local grocer The Village Store has paved the way for the arrival of a famous fashion retailer on Pakington St’s rapidly changing strip – and now its opening date can be revealed.
The transformation of Pakington St into Geelong’s premier fashion and beauty strip shows no sign of slowing down, with one of the country’s best known brands set to soon open its doors.
Country Road will add to its Geelong CBD, Torquay and Lorne outlets when it opens in the former home of The Village Store at 324-326 Pakington St, Newtown.
The property’s refit has been ongoing for weeks and more recently the company’s name has appeared on a revamped facade.
A Country Road spokeswoman confirmed the store would open on Thursday December 18.
“The location was selected due to the great mix of the evolving retail landscape on Pakington St, as well as the opportunity that this space presented to be transformed into an inspiring retail experience for the local community,” the spokeswoman said.
For some, the closure of The Village Store continues to be a sore point almost two years since it was forced to close following a significant rental increase soon after the building was purchased by billionaire Cotton On founder Nigel Austin.
“We would’ve liked to stay but we couldn’t afford any major increase in rent, like a lot of businesses, and they made it clear they wanted the building back, so that really finalised the process,” business owner Daniel Anderson said at the time.
Mr Austin owns several properties at the southern end of Pakington St and has made a concerted effort to transform the area into a fashion and beauty hub.
In August, Mr Austin’s daughter, Sky, opened her first Luv Sky jewellery store in what was previously a vacant laneway next to Country Road’s new home.
And just last week, beauty giant Mecca launched its second Geelong outlet at 340 Pakington St, next to fashion labels Kookai and Ena Pelly, in the former home former K & M Paints.
The presence of the brands is being used as a lure by real estate agents to attract other businesses to the area.
In a lease listing for 8/343 Pakington St – the home of Speakys surf shop until it closed last Christmas – agency Darcy Jarman wrote: “With Mecca and Country Road opening just metres away, now is the ideal time to establish your presence in Geelong’s most coveted retail strip.”
Meanwhile, wine store Blackhearts & Sparrows Geelong, at 332 Pakington St, will close on December 31.
In a post to social media, the owners said the lease was coming to an end and they had decided to shut.
“Thank you for a wonderful 5 years, we’ve loved every moment of it,” they wrote.
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Originally published as Billionaire Nigel Austin’s Pakington St vision grows with new Country Road store
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