Shopping strips mount a comeback

The humble shopping strip is not going away. We Aussies like our local shopping strips, and the pandemic seems to have reminded us of their strength and pulling power.

With less options such as overseas travel to take our spending dollar, the suburban shopping centre has attracted residents, families and all sorts to eat out like never before.

With more people working from home, either forcibly or voluntarily two or three days a week, the shopping strip has seen an upswing in popularity, perhaps to the detriment of the inner city retail and hospitality sector.

“In white-collar neighbourhoods, restaurants are exceptionally busy,” Cameron Hopkins, Director at Burgess Rawson, told The Property Tribune. “What has happened, is the transfer of some part of the working week to home, and where those homes are, especially in high-end areas, people are eating out more.

“They’ve bought their stuff for their house, they can’t go on overseas holidays, and they still have plenty of discretionary spend left over, so they’re eating out,” he said.