Christmas shopping: Cheap parking a gift for savvy shoppers

SHOPPERS will be searching for cut-price parking, as well as bargain gifts, this Christmas, With major retail centres charging up to $60 a day, here’s where to go to avoid pricey parking.

• Retailers hopeful of strong Christmas spending
• How to avoid blowing your Christmas budget
• Where to shop without the parking cost
• Southland shoppers, workers protest new parking fees

CHRISTMAS shoppers will be searching for cut-price parking — as well as bargain gifts — as major retail centres charge up to $60 a day.

Melbourne Central is among a growing list of shopping centres that have introduced paid parking, charging as much as $16 an hour.

QV is also costly, with drivers forking out up to $60 a day.

Consumer Action Law Centre chief executive Gerard Brody said parking fees were a “grudge cost”.

But he said savvy shoppers were likely to avoid pricey parking and urged shopping centres that charged to “think twice”.

Frances Mudford uses Eastland’s valet service. Picture: Tony Gough

“It comes down to the rule of the marketplace — supply and demand — and shopping centres feel as though they can charge for parking,” Mr Brody said yesterday.

“Some of the prices in the city are eye-watering. But consumers can make a choice, and they can choose to go to centres without parking fees. It could lose them customers.”

Chadstone, Northland, Highpoint and Fountain Gate are among the major centres offering free parking.

Shoppers at Eastland, Doncaster and Southland can also duck fees if they are in and out within three hours.

Victorians are tipped to lead this year’s Christmas shopping splurge by tipping $12.7 billion into retail coffers.

But finding a park remains an issue for almost 60 per cent of Australian shoppers, an Aussie Farmers Direct ­survey found last year.

It ranked as more stressful than long queues at cash registers and battling large shopping crowds.

Chadstone trialled a parking assist app to find a spot last year. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Chadstone — Australia’s largest shopping centre — has 10,000 free car spaces.

It will add another 800 off-site during the Christmas period, with shuttles to the centre from December 14.

Eastland shopping centre, in Ringwood, has also attempted to put the brakes on the carpark carnage by offering valet parking (pictured below).

Shoppers can text the valet service — an additional $10 or free with purchases totalling more than $300 — to fetch their car.

Eastland general manager Steve Edgerton said the service meant shoppers no longer had to search or fight for a spot.

“Guests who use our valet parking are welcomed to Eastland as VIPs,” Mr Edgerton said.

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@moniquehore