One hundred and fifty kilometres north-west of Melbourne lies Bendigo, the third largest urban centre in the state of Victoria and home to approximately 140,000 people and over 800 retail establishments.
The city is steeped in history, including the fact that Sidney Myer’s first “Myer” store was established there in 1901. Myer still resides on Pall Mall Street where it was first set up, but since then Bendigo's fashion district has flourished and other shopping strips, such as Bath Lane, have provided locals with other options through an array of classy boutiques.
Tony Kean Jewellery, which specialises in custom-made designer jewellery, has been in operation since 1995. Current owner Kate Blackwood took over the boutique in 2007 and says it's the vibe of Bath Lane that keeps her business and customer base buoyant.
“Bath Lane is a unique location with high-quality goods and a cosmopolitan feel, where the majority of the shops are owner-operated, and this tends to attract people that are interested in my products,” she says.
Travis Harling of SoHo Boutique has been in business six years and stocks labels such as Metalicus, Bettina Liano, Uscari and Piper Lane. He says the location and fashionista feel of the lane with an affordable price tag is also a huge plus for retailers.
“It's Bendigo’s premier boutique strip, so certainly a destination for the fashion conscious,” he says. “At the same time, clientele is also very diverse, and the rents are affordable.”
Owner of jewellery store Mobo Concept & Design Faye Pedri and owner of womenswear boutique Karma Kamelon, Gabby Cox, agree. “The rents are very competitive and the atmosphere and village-style ambience of Bath Lane is beautiful – what more could you want,” Cox says.
Karma Kameleon stocks scarves, jewellery, handbags, shoes, belts and apparel from brands such as Sunnygirl, Luka, Lily Whyt, Mika & Gala and Spicy Sugar. Cox says sales are fairly regular, with the busiest months at the beginning of a season and February the slowest month overall for most retailers.
Late night shopping on Fridays in Bendigo also allows shoppers to indulge in a spree before the weekend, but “sometimes if the weather is really lousy, shoppers stay indoors”, Cox adds.
However, even during the colder seasons, retailers along Bath Lane band together and get creative to boost sales and attract clientele. “We just hosted our 'Activate Autumn' fashion event in-store and this year we'll have these events at least every 10 to 12 weeks. I work in conjunction with other businesses in Bath Lane and support any initiative to get as much exposure as possible.”