What's selling in Townsville, QLD

Townsville, located on the east coast of Australia, is the second largest city in Queensland and is the main commercial centre of the northern region. The Townsville area has the second largest regional economy in the state, with the public administration, mining and finance sectors making the strongest contributions.
The town's CBD offers a cosmopolitan atmosphere with great dining, culture, heritage and recreational activities.
Julie Nicolson, owner of women's boutique Ruby Brown, says Townsville is currently thriving with many housing developments currently underway, particularly in the town's CBD.
"Townsville is booming at the moment. There are a lot of apartments being built. The housing industry is just astronomical," says Nicolson.
"I spoke to one real estate agent and they said they can't look at building any more houses until three years time because they're totally committed until then."
The number of people moving up to Townsville from the south, particularly Sydney, is on the rise as people search for a more relaxed and affordable lifestyle.
"We have a lot of inner city apartments being built and a lot of them are being bought by people from down south," says Nicolson.
The town's main mall will also be refurbished in the coming year which will attract more small businesses to the area.
"There's arguments that it should be opened up to traffic or just re-vamped," comments Nicolson.
"There's a lot of vacant shops in the mall so if they do it up more will move in."
Ruby Brown caters to women aged 20 and up in casual and after five wear. Brands include Rene Derhy, Carmels, Trent Resort, Balu and Dusk. A selection of bags and jewellery is also available.
Enza Castorina, owner of women's boutique Senso Fashion, says Townsville is a major service centre to the northern Queensland region and doesn't rely on tourists to boost the local economy.
"Townsville is not much of a tourist town," says Castorina. "It's more for working class people. Tourism is not a major industry here like it is in Cairns and other cities."
Senso Fashion caters to women of all ages, stocking brands such as One Teaspoon, Pepe Jeans, Seduce, Wish and Cooper Street.
Kim Rogers, owner of children's boutique Precious Little people, also says retailers don't rely on tourism to increase sales.
"Townsville has a broad income base and has got the services such as the Army and Air Force based in the town," says Rogers.
"There are also a lot of people that work on the mines who fly in and out of the town on a regular basis."
Precious Little People stocks a wide selection of children's wear from brands such as Fred Bare, Guess, Quiksilver, Roxy and Hula Girl.

LOCATION: 1443km north of Brisbane.
POPULATION OF THE REGION: 140, 000.
ATTRACTIONS: Reef HQ (the world's largest living coral reef aquarium), Billabong Sanctuary (Australian wildlife sanctuary), art galleries, museums, the Strand beachfront promenade, Great Barrier Reef and Magnetic Island.
STORES: Ruby Brown, Senso Fashion and Precious Little People.
BRANDS: Pepe Jeans, Seduce, Wish, Cooper Street, One Teaspoon, Balu, Dusk, Fred Bare, Quiksilver, Roxy and Hula Girl.