Smithton, TAS

Smithton's not the kind of town that national retailers flock to. With a booming agricultural industry and a small population of 3300, the community is a stronghold of local businesses. In fact, if you ask storeowner Jean Marshall she'll tell you "Woolworths" and "Chicken Feed" are the only non-independent chains around.
"There's not enough of a population here for all the big stores," Marshall explains. "You see different shops come and go but they're all mainly locally-owned."
But for the small legion of locals and tourists who flock here, it's this community-driven spirit that makes it unique. And, as storeowner of Lindi Lou Jackie Emmett adds, it's a real boost for local businesses.
"The closest city is about hour an hour away in Burnie so a lot of people here prefer to shop in the area," she says. "The petrol prices are also having a bit of an effect at the moment so it's really a busy little town."
Catering to women aged 20 to 75, Emmett's store is one of three womenswear boutiques operating in the area and stocks labels such as Yarra Trail, Dollina, Bont and Mr K. Making regular buying trips to Sydney and Melbourne, Emmett and her business partner say they try to cater for women of all ages and sizes.
"Our most popular styles are shrugs, gypsy skirts and three quarter pants so it's a good little mix."
Some 20 doors down from Lindi Lou, Marshall gears her small business, Inn World, towards the mature-aged demographic with brands that include Breakaway, Sportswave and Jillian. Celebrating her 25th year of trading this year, she credits much of her success to local customer loyalty and good service.
"Smithton's a fairly stable area so I haven't had any issues since I've been here," she says. "Different people come and go, stores open up and close but there's never been a major development because there's just not the numbers for it."
But that hasn't stopped the tourists from coming. Both Marshall and Emmett say they have a strong foreign clientele with visitors from far and abroad.
"A lot of foreigners stay at the local hotel," Emmett says. "Just yesterday, I had a few guys come in from East Timor to buy some things for their wives!"

Lowdown
Location 135km from Devonport
Population 3300
Stores Lindi Lou, Inn World
Brands Breakaway, Sportswave, Jillian, Yarra Trail, Mr K, Bont, Jump