WITH the face of retail changing, leaving a string of shops in the inner city empty, new opportunities are being explored to keep the Mount Gambier central business district vibrant.
The Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce is urging the business sector to come together to drive new opportunities, particularly along Commercial Street’s prominent retail strip.
With many regional centres grappling with a similar dilemma, the chamber is calling for fresh ideas and strategies.
The internet shopping juggernaut has been a major factor in the number of vacant shop spaces.
The chamber, along with Mount Gambier City Council, has secured internationally renowned retail management consultant David West to visit the Blue Lake city next month.
“Council has identified the empty shops in Mount Gambier as an issue,” Mount Gambier Mayor Andrew Lee said yesterday.
“That’s why we have seen suggestions through council whether we are able to do something about it. This is why we are collaborating with the chamber of commerce.”
The mayor said the council wanted to work with the business representative group on the issue.
“I am pleased we are having a retail consultant coming down for the chamber’s breakfast meeting,” Mr Lee said.
“We want to attract retailers to come here and we need to do whatever we can to help them set up a successful business in Mount Gambier – that is our aim.”
While council was yet to consider possible incentives, he said the council needed to help retailers obtain information “as soon as possible”.
Chamber president Lynette Martin OAM called on the wider business community to attend the important breakfast meeting next month.
“We will be contacting real estate agents so they can then contact landlords – we really need anybody with an interest in the central business district to come along to this meeting,” Ms Martin said.
“We need to have a collaborative approach to move forward and keep the CBD as a vibrant inner-city centre.”
Ms Martin said the number of vacant shops was the catalyst to the initiative.
While arguing Mount Gambier’s central business district was a vibrant regional destination, Ms Martin said a blueprint was needed to drive growth and tap into emerging opportunities.
“Mount Gambier City Council has refurbished the CBD and it is a wonderful space with the library, Main Corner and the Cave Garden precinct,” she said.
“We also have a vibrant cafe scene, so we just need to work together to ensure the city reaches its full potential.”
Ms Martin said the city could not only attract new retailers, but service industries could also be housed in commercial precincts.
“The face of retail is changing and we have to embrace that and service industries will be important into the future,” the business leader said.
“We perhaps need to look at a different mix than what we have had traditionally in the heart of our city.”
Ms Martin called on commercial landlords to ensure their properties were well presented.
“We need landlords to work with the lessors to present the shops in the best possible light,” she said.
Ms Martin conceded the online shopping trend was “probably” contributing to the number of vacant shops.
“We are promoting Mount Gambier as a tourist destination so we have to ensure we provide the services tourists require,” she said.
