What's selling in: Warrnambool
Naomi Davey, sales consultant at womenswear boutique Flirtini Pink, describes Warrnambool's retail scene as continually evolving.
"The mix of fashion is definitely getting better but we still have some improving to do," she says. Flirtini Pink – which stocks "a bit of everything, from very casual stuff to more dressy clothes" - is certainly doing its bit to raise the bar for local fashion however. It stocks a range of on-trend labels including Seduce, Blue Juice and One Teaspoon, with prices starting at $50 and rising to $240 for a top-line dress.
Given Warrnambool's location on The Great Ocean Road, around 200 kilometres from Melbourne, the store is kept on its toes by the outside influence of visitors. "A huge percentage of our customers are tourists. We [also] get a lot of people from Colac and other nearby towns where the shopping isn’t as good," says Davey, adding the seasonal nature of business creates a fluctuating retail cycle.
"We're busy at the end of the year, during the summer holidays when there are a lot of visitors around, otherwise we can sometimes get pretty quiet." A spokesperson for the local branch of womenswear chain Blue Illusion agrees autumn and winter – with the exception of May, when the local racing carnival attracts an influx of visitors – are challenging, particularly given current petrol prices and high interest rates. Business remains solid however, due to a unique store experience, strong customer service and good product.
"We try to keep manufacture in Australia as much as possible and we use a lot of European designs and fabrics."
Blue Illusion also secures repeat business from local customers through its Lifestyle Club loyalty program. Members are treated with a $25 gift voucher on their birthday and gift-with-purchase rewards.
Jarrod Neil, store manager at Pitstop menswear, says business is good all year round for his target market.
"There’s a little bit of competition with other menswear shops around but there’s only one place to shop, and that’s us."
He attributes Pitstop's staying power to its strong service and wide range of labels, with the strongest sellers including high recall brands Industry, Mossimo, Gazman, Wrangler and Jag.
By Ellen Haveckin