A Queen's land: Retailers swoop on sunshine state

Queensland's latest designer shopping destination has capitalised on the state's lucrative resources boom.

QueensPlaza, a Brisbane-based complex which completed its first stage of development in 2005, has unveiled the second phase of expansion with Zimmermann, Gorman, G-Star, Aesop and department store David Jones signed to open within the next year.

The Plaza's biggest retail coup, David Jones, is set to open its doors in February 2008 and will position itself as the company's flagship store for Queensland.

Centre manager Paul Kelly said due to demand, no further commercial spaces were currently available for prospective retailers.

Womenswear brand Zimmermann, which along with Gorman, G-Star and Aesop unveiled its Brisbane store late last month, said the market was well suited to its brand of clothing and swimwear.

"Brisbane has long been an important retail destination for us as the climate and lifestyle has always had a great synergy with the easy, summery style of the Zimmermann girl."

Simon Fonteyn, director of retail leasing specialists leaseinfo.com.au, said the Queensland market was proving to be a strategic one for retailers. He said as southern leasing continued to deteriorate under soaring occupancy costs, more and more businesses would push the drive north.

"New South Wales has not achieved the same levels of retail sales growth in comparison with Queensland and Western Australia over the last five years because Sydney has no resources boom to drive demand. "[Even] vacancy rates are starting to creep up in regional shopping centres in NSW as poor sales performance and higher rental increase are failing to attract retailers."

Kelly said QueensPlaza, which is bound by Queen Street Mall, Edward and Adelaide Street, had experienced a boom in traffic since opening in 2005 with an annual traffic rate of approximately 10 million. He said this was expected to increase as advertising campaigns for the new crop of retailers switched into full hear.

"Each individual store is [also] in the process of executing their own marketing plans that all largely consist of an e-campaign aimed at their Brisbane VIP customers."

On completion, QueensPlaza will offer up to 80 retail outlets which include national and international designer fashions and David Jones' flagship store.