Fresh off completing Pienza Neutral Bay, developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-element">Central Element</a> is preparing its next move in the coveted Lower North Shore suburb.&nbsp;

Central Element (CE) has lodged plans for an eight-storey apartment building at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/54-64-barry-street-neutral-bay-nsw-2089">54–64 Barry Street</a>, a 1,659 sqm site just south of Military Road and the Neutral Bay town centre.

The $52 million development will involve the demolition of four detached homes across four lots to deliver 45 apartments, including eight affordable housing units to be managed by Bridge Housing. The mix will comprise six one-bedroom apartments, 24 two-beds, and 15 three-beds. The apartments will sit above three basement levels with 62 car parking spaces and 50 bicycle spaces.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/mhn-design-union">MHN Design Union</a> (MHNDU) has returned as architect following its work on Pienza, again shaping a mid-rise form with a clear street presence. The design features a lower four-storey podium element that responds to surrounding context, with upper levels recessed to reduce perceived bulk. Communal open space is proposed both at ground level and on the rooftop, the latter including an outdoor kitchen and swimming pool.

“The building has been designed with a lower four-storey element and with building materials commensurate with the character of the area,” Beam Planning noted in its submission to the North Sydney Council.

<img alt="Barry Street, Neutral Bay Nsw 2089" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3a28ab3a-b8ba-4476-81cd-e4a8bb84f3a7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Barry-Street-Neutral-Bay-1327x742.png?VersionId=hlgvxszAWXIHgHtdR5HiwIKiSli2lLZV" />

Bridge Housing will manage the affordable units for a period of 15 years, as required under the Housing SEPP’s incentive provisions.

MHNDU’s design report further highlights the site's strategic location just 250 metres from key bus stops and 1.3 kilometres from North Sydney CBD, positioning it for transit-accessible housing supply. In their planning justification, the design team emphasised the site’s compatibility with emerging local character and scale.

Central Element has a solid apartment pipeline spread all over Sydney. They recently completed&nbsp;Pienza, 37 apartments just 500 metres away from the new project, and are currently building Ethos Chatswood, Ballamac House in Coogee, and Bianca on the harbour in Drummoyne.

They have plans for future projects in Mosman, Bondi Beach, Greenwich, Lavender Bay, along with a tower on the edge of Hyde Park.

Joel Robinson

First look: Central Element unveils second Neutral Bay apartment project

Real estate investment fund Wentworth Wentworth Equities is soon to launch a "Los Angeles-inspired" residential, leisure and lifestyle precinct in Brisbane’s Hamilton riverside ahead of the predicted Olympic-led population explosion for the city.

Drawing its style inspiration and name from Los Angeles’ renowned The Grove, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/hamilton-grove-19-hercules-street-hamilton-qld-4007">Hamilton Grove</a> will feature three residential towers and a vibrant street-level public precinct with curated luxury lifestyle, retail and dining offerings.

The first of the three towers, to launch in March 2026, will comprise 61 apartments, in the same building as a premium hotel.<img alt="Hamilton Grove" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d227fe61-8392-45b7-b386-9133f29a249f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-01-19%20at%209.10.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=HTCV35HZ4h84jQCmHwhsdIPN0ctO5d7Z" />

Wentworth Equities Executive Chairman Sameh Ibrahim said the precinct will be unique in its appeal to both residents and the wider community.

“Hamilton is already one of Brisbane’s most sought-after riverside suburbs and for good reason,” Ibrahim said.

“Where else in the world can you walk out of your front door and have everything you could possibly need at your fingertips? The city is just around the corner, the airport is only ten minutes away, you have the river and green spaces right there and premium retail and dining on your doorstep."

Wentworth Equities acquired the 7637 sqm Hercules St site in 2014, when Ibrahim said he had a "very clear vision" for the precinct, but ultimately it wasn't the right time to develop. He said Hamilton was still very much an "emerging precinct."

“Since then, Hamilton and surrounding suburbs like Ascot and Albion have significantly grown and matured into a precinct that aligns with our vision for Hamilton Grove. Brisbane as a whole has so much to offer in the way of lifestyle appeal, but as it stands it is so widespread – you go to Howard Smith Wharves for fine dining, you go to James Street for shopping, you go to West End to walk along the river – but what if you could go to Hamilton Grove for everything?

“Our vision is a precinct that brings together the best of Brisbane into one central space abundant with culture, class and culinary experience – a place that a lucky few will get to call home, but the rest of Brisbane still get to explore and experience at their leisure.”

<img alt="Hamilton Grove" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="46550990-8aeb-44d4-bb47-150cdca96529" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-01-19%20at%209.10.50%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=bmCkApPKY_Bj3z02Q8vI7Kyo_caJXOnv" />

Experienced civil engineering contractor Mainland Civil has been appointed to commence early works for the project, adding Hamilton Grove to their extensive portfolio where it will join other iconic Brisbane developments including Queens Wharf, 300 George Street, Infinity Tower and 1 William Street.

Construction on Tower One is scheduled to commence in early 2026 with completion expected in late 2028.

Fast Facts 
 
• Three residential towers and a vibrant street-level public precinct with curated luxury lifestyle, retail and dining offerings. 
• Construction on Tower One is expected to commence in Quarter One 2026, with completion expected in late 2028. 
• 7,637 square metre site at 19 Hercules St, Hamilton (part of Economic Development Queensland’s 304 hectare Northshore Hamilton Priority Development Area). 
• 61 waterfront residences and skyhomes in the first tower, ranging from two to five bedrooms. 
• Hamiton Grove will be officially launched in March 2026.

"LA-inspired" Hamilton Grove to launch on Brisbane riverside

There’s a quiet patch of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/hawthorn-vic-3122">Hawthorn</a>, between the bustle of Glenferrie Road and the curve of the Yarra, that rarely sees change, and even more rarely, new apartments. But that’s exactly where <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pomeroy-pacific-quattro-corp">PQD</a> is planting Kooyongkoot: a deliberate, 18-residence answer to the question of what downsizers actually want.

“This is something this pocket of Hawthorn has never seen before,” says Fil Gacesa, head of sales at PQD. “<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kooyongkoot-hawthorn-1-kooyongkoot-road-hawthorn-vic-3122">Kooyongkoot</a> will deliver just 18 large-scale apartments in the heart of Hawthorn. It is the true definition of resort-style living.”

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/59D7VxzltmM?si=1iCzRD7FRneKryfv" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

That scale is central to the story. It’s what allows for two dedicated lift cores, short corridors, and a generous lightcourt that draws natural ventilation and sunlight into every residence. It’s also what makes room for the sort of amenity usually confined to high-density towers: a fully equipped wellness centre with infrared and traditional saunas, yoga and pilates studio, cold therapy shower, and treatment room. There’s a golf simulator, car and dog wash stations, and extensive storage too, not bolted on, but baked in from the start.

But more than the checklist, it’s the design intent that carries weight. “This project has been many years in the making,” says Mark Pomeroy, Director of PQD. “Not just in planning, but in listening, to what our buyers and the local community are looking for”.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355289]

That listening shows up in the materials, oak floors, natural stone, V-ZUG appliances, and in how space is handled. Penthouses feature private rooftop terraces with pools. Terraces and garden residences embrace outdoor connection. Inside, the layouts skew large and open, geared for hosting, not just housing.

Architecturally, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cera-stribley-architects">Cera Stribley</a>’s approach is grounded. There’s no reaching for spectacle here. Instead, the building offers a sculptural calm, anchored by landscaping from Eckersley Garden Architecture.&nbsp;

“We wanted to create spaces that feel expansive, serene, and meaningfully connected to daily life,” said founding partner Chris Stribley elsewhere.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355304]

That sentiment, calm, connection, echoes in the location itself. Kooyongkoot sits just a short stroll from Central Gardens, Fairview Park, and the Rivoli Cinema. Tram lines and schools are close, but the street is tucked, quiet, and leaf-lined.&nbsp;

“Residents of Kooyongkoot will be a short stroll from Fairview Park, Central Gardens, and the Glenferrie Road retail strip," Gacesa notes, "but you're also cocooned in this peaceful pocket behind extensive landscaping by Eckersley Garden Architecture.”

Kooyongkoot is set for completion in late 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=102717]

Staff Writer

The project that said no to compromise: Inside Kooyongkoot, Hawthorn

When long-time Ivanhoe locals Graeme and Catherine, decided it was time to downsize, they weren’t necessarily in a rush.&nbsp;

Like many in their stage of life, they had started thinking about apartment living, but anticipated making the shift in two to three years.

That timeline changed when they visited <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/candela-ivanhoe-40-upper-heidelberg-road-ivanhoe">Candela</a>, a new boutique development by <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/salter-brothers">Salter Brothers</a>. The project ticked all the boxes they were looking for: location, quality design, and long-term lifestyle benefits, which prompted them to bring their decision forward.

“It was the right place at the right time,” they said. “We knew immediately it ticked all the boxes, and we didn’t want to wait.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=358855]

Their decision to downsize was driven by a combination of practical needs and lifestyle considerations. Their existing home, while much loved, had become increasingly difficult to maintain. It spanned multiple levels, included extensive front and back gardens, and was starting to show the wear that comes with age.&nbsp;

They were looking for a more manageable lifestyle, one with less upkeep and more freedom. A brand-new apartment with no maintenance requirements and the ability to simply “lock up and leave” gave them peace of mind and a greater sense of control over their future.

Financially, the purchase made sense as well. The available stamp duty savings, strong price-to-value offering, and timing of the settlement suited their plans, making the transition smoother and more cost-effective. The apartment's design and inclusions further supported their choice.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=357493]

The layout was both functional and flexible: three bedrooms, a butler’s pantry, a separate laundry, and a large open-plan living area. It gave them the freedom to host a family, accommodate guests, or set up a home office. The expansive balcony and elevated views added to the appeal, providing a sense of openness and connection to the outdoors.

“It just had a really good flow,” Catherine noted, something they found lacking in many other apartments they’d considered, particularly in the established market.

Candela’s boutique scale was another deciding factor. With a smaller number of residences and a top-floor penthouse position, the couple felt the development offered the privacy and space they were looking for, without feeling isolated.

“We liked that it wasn’t a huge development. It felt well-balanced, modern but still with a sense of community, not overwhelming,” they said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=357508]

Equally important was the ability to remain in Ivanhoe, a suburb they know well and have deep roots in. After 46 years in the area, proximity to local parks, shops, and familiar faces mattered just as much as the apartment itself.

“We didn’t want to give up the community we’ve known for decades. Candela allowed us to upgrade our lifestyle while staying in the place we call home.”

With a Walk Score of 90, the village location supports a convenient, connected lifestyle. <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/ivanhoe-vic-3079">Ivanhoe</a> Station is just a eight-minute walk away, and the neighbourhood offers access to parks, cafes, restaurants, and schools along Upper Heidelberg Road, all within easy reach.

Beyond the apartment, the couple also saw value in the broader vision for Candela, one that integrates residential living with public spaces and local amenities.&nbsp;

The development introduces 58 new apartments as well as a mix of commercial and social spaces that integrate contemporary architecture with the suburb’s existing character.&nbsp;

At ground level, residents will find a charming café and a lifestyle wellness centre, perfect for unwinding and rejuvenating. Meanwhile, the rooftop garden offers a stunning vantage point for residents to enjoy breathtaking sunsets, host gatherings, or enjoy barbecues with family and friends. It's not just a place to live; it's a vibrant community where every moment is an opportunity to connect and create lasting memories.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=342]

Why Ivanhoe locals are choosing to downsize to Candela

Mark and Roy Makari are expanding their presence in Sydney’s South West with a second major proposal for Leppington, this time envisioning a 900-dwelling mixed-use development just 850 metres from their previously lodged tower trio on Fifth Avenue.

Project management and construction management firm Creative Vision filed the plans for the&nbsp;multi-building project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/230-rickard-road-leppington-nsw-2179">230 Rickard Road, Leppington</a>. The proposal seeks to establish a new focal point for the precinct through a high-density, transit-oriented development supported by diverse land uses.

According to the Scoping Report prepared for the Department of Planning, the scheme includes around 900 apartments across multiple towers, including 135 dwellings designated for affordable housing. A mix of market and subsidised apartments will be supported by ground-level activation through retail and office space, a childcare centre, and a hotel, forming a comprehensive urban precinct.

<img alt="Mixed Use Development 230 Rickard Rd Leppington" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="34797362-f3dc-4d84-8235-2657fc5f3bde" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Plan.png?VersionId=Uzckrz9tUpDQl5lX1_WMhjnv16bsr8wG" />

The Design Report by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/studiosc-0">Studio SC</a> notes that the project “intends to deliver a high-quality, high-density built form that supports the vision for the Leppington Town Centre, integrating mixed-use outcomes and public domain upgrades.” The development is expected to be delivered in stages, although a precise timeline is yet to be confirmed.

The project will be assessed through a future State Significant Development Application, with the Scoping Report indicating the team will seek design excellence via a competitive process or through an expert design review panel. Early massing diagrams suggest a series of mid- to high-rise buildings framing a central landscaped spine, with emphasis on pedestrian permeability and public space.

The planning documentation flags a strong sustainability agenda, stating that the development will “respond to the urban heat island effect, incorporate water sensitive urban design, and prioritise active transport”.

<img alt="Mixed Use Development 230 Rickard Rd Leppington" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="369d7b54-1279-4cde-88ec-dcb215594414" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Podium_1.png?VersionId=QArL7B2kkLt63vl5xvL0FNV_ardAlez4" />

The proposal follows in the footsteps of the Makaris’ nearby Fifth Avenue site, where they’ve submitted plans for three towers comprising nearly 500 apartments, with 10 per cent dedicated to affordable housing. That project features commercial podiums, a childcare centre, and a new public park that would occupy more than a third of the site.

Both developments are situated within walking distance of Leppington Train Station and fall under strategic precinct plans promoting higher density housing. The town centre is undergoing substantial transformation, driven by state government planning reforms aimed at fast-tracking housing delivery.

Together, the two projects represent a combined ambition of nearly 1,400 new homes across just under two kilometres of central Leppington.

First look: 900-home mixed-use precinct planned for Leppington

Shopping

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Seasonal adjustments for department store sales have delivered a bit of a wild ride in recent years, and this month's Retail Trade figures recorded a monster -6.2 percent decline for the sector in July. 
It's not the first time we've seen a 'far out' reading for department store retail (last time the figures snapped back the following month) - but we'll have to wait until next month to see whether that happens again.
In any event, this contributed a flat result in seasonally adjusted terms, for just a +0.1 percent increase in trend terms.
Excluding the department stores reading retail turnover would have been up by +0.4 percent for the month, so we'll have to wait and see what next month brings. 
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 <div>Year-on-year retail turnover growth has sagged over the past year to just +2.7 percent, to now sit well below the half decade average.</div>
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 State versus state <div>The powerhouse states New South Wales (-0.2 percent) and Victoria (-0.5 percent) unusually both recorded negative results in July, possibly because department stores have their head offices in Sydney and Melbourne, though nobody really seems to know if that's why.</div>
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<div>The only decent monthly results were seen in Queensland and South Australia.</div>
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 <div>Over the past year the opening of a new IKEA in Canberra was the spark to create the strongest retail turnover growth in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), while the southern states have fared relatively well over the year to July. This month's surprise negative result knocked the quarterly and annual figures for NSW and Victoria quite hard.</div>
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<div>Note how demand in the the resources rich Northern Territory has fallen away in tandem with Western Australia, where iron ore and LNG construction projects have recently transitioned to production.</div>
 Department stores crunched <div>Erm, and then there's this. Maybe everyone stopped shopping for a month and there's a rebound pending, or perhaps the timing of revenues being booked is a bit of a lottery. Leaving aside the department stores outlier, it's become clear that the household goods boom that piggy-backed off rising house prices as now ended. </div>
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 <div>Food retail turnover was also weak in dollar terms, in part reflective of soft food prices and intensified competition from low cost supermarkets such as Aldi.</div>
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 The best performing sector of the year has been clothing and footwear. 
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<div>The wrap</div>
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<div>A rubbish result! We won't know until next month whether department store retail turnover was an anomaly, but it was an inauspicious start to Q3 for retail trade!</div>
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PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of <a href="https://allenwargent.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">AllenWargent</a> property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">blogger</a>. 
His latest book is <a href="https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/Books/General-Interest/Four-Green-Houses--and-a-Red-Hotel/1015/productview.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Four Green Houses and a Red Hotel</a>.
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pwargent-M4siyDbqQY

Retail flat again (far out!) Pete Wargent

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GUEST OBSERVERS
Shopping is something we all do, albeit some more reluctantly than others. It is the modern version of hunting and gathering – how we provide essentials and food for our families. We seem to do it effortlessly, moving from aisle to aisle, from store to store, paying little attention to the process. Indeed, many shop on auto-pilot, while their minds are occupied with other things.
As shoppers, we take for granted the shopping landscape. Yet, unlike the natural landscape where our ancestors hunted, our modern shopping centres have been purposefully designed.
But does the purpose-built environment really control everything shoppers do? Research paints a different picture.
<h2>What about the power of marketing?</h2>
In Ancient Greece, shopping revolved around the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/agora" target="_blank">agora</a> (a market and meeting place) where merchants sold their wares from small specialist stores or stands. Much has changed since then; we have refrigeration, plastic packaging, cars and the ability to store food for longer, which means we buy more at once. In response, retailers got bigger and bigger, moving from small corner stores to larger supermarkets, hypermarkets and malls.
The shopping mall might seem like the very icon of consumerism, a nefarious attempt to capture shoppers’ money. The mall was actually an attempt to return to the concept of the agora as a public space that invited people to gather together and socialise.
In late 1930s, <a href="https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-gruen-effect/" target="_blank">Victor Gruen</a>, the designer of the first shopping malls, envisaged urban spaces where people would gather and a community could form. This was the first <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruen_transfer" target="_blank">Gruen Transfer</a>, where old-world architectural forms were transferred to modern commercial spaces.
<a href="https://www.citylab.com/design/2015/02/remembering-americas-mall-maestro-jon-jerde/385423/" target="_blank">Jon Jerde</a>, who followed Gruen to becoming an influential mall designer, has his own transfer named after him – the Jerde Transfer. This is about transferring a real urban experience into a sanitised and safe “theme park” to shop in.
Somewhere between the first idealistic malls and the later behemoths, the current concept of the Gruen Transfer kicked in: shoppers’ movements shifted from a determined stride (to a particular store) to an aimless wander in an almighty mall. And the concept of impulse buying was born. Perhaps the concept was given currency in the 1980s, where the idea of all-powerful marketers driving desire came to the fore thanks to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosser_Reeves" target="_blank">Rosser Reeves</a>.
Store owners liked to think that by having the perfect shop window, outfitted just so, they could influence customers so much that they’d have no choice but to walk in and buy, buy, buy. Yet recent research (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698917304769) has found we can predict store sales based on the number of people who walk into the store, and that number depends on foot traffic outside the store. This mathematical regularity suggests the main driver of a store success is its location.
<h2>Lessons from the supermarket</h2>
Some might think that surely this is wrong, that it’s those crafty marketers and their clever tricks (based on the information they collect about us) that really influence purchases. So, let’s have a look at the marketers’ home turf – the supermarket.
A typical supermarket stocks over 30,000 items and yet a typical household buys just <a href="http://herbsorensen.com/herbsorensenauthor" target="_blank">300 or so unique products per year</a>. That is, they walk past roughly 29,700 products on shelves without putting any of these in their baskets.
That’s assuming those shoppers actually walk past the shelves in the first place! Despite a quarter of shoppers claiming to traverse every aisle on a shopping trip, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Siemon-Scamell-Katz/e/B00P22ZGEG" target="_blank">less than 2% of shoppers actually do</a>.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/222323/original/file-20180608-137315-1gry32x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/222323/original/file-20180608-137315-1gry32x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/"> </a>
So, where do shoppers go? US-based shopper scientist <a href="http://herbsorensen.com/herbsorensenauthor" target="_blank">Herb Sorensen</a> suggests that shopper movement follows natural patterns, driven by primal instincts. Rather like “stay out of caves because bears live there”, the patterns he sees are people being less likely to go all the way down an aisle when it’s stacked too high, and avoiding crowds. One aspect of this has been coined the “<a href="http://www.madetomeasuremag.com/the-butt-brush-and-other-retail-research-insights" target="_blank">Butt Brush Effect</a>” – shoppers don’t like standing in a spot where other people walking behind might accidentally brush against them.
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The ‘butt brush effect’: people do not like to be touched from behind and will even move away from products they’re interested in to avoid it.
Shoppers are naturally attracted to empty spaces. They prefer a wide pathway around a store or mall that allows them to see into the distance and avoid getting too close to other shoppers. Thus, the most common route around a store is the perimeter of the store, known as the “racetrack”.
From that main route shoppers can see down each aisle and duck in and out to get the items they need. Naturally, the shelves at the ends of aisles, known as “endcaps” or “gondola ends”, are the most valuable, simply because more people go past products <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698917307257" target="_blank">placed here</a>. So these products get seen (and bought) by more people than products hidden away in the aisles.
Someone might argue stores use placement of key items like milk at the back of the store to “lure” shoppers to follow the “racetrack”. However, this is also done for a much more practical reason – milk is often stored at the back because it needs to be constantly restocked without breaking the cold chain (that is, from refrigerated truck to a store fridge). Much the same reason explains the increasing use of the two-way fridge – shoppers take bottles from the front, and staff restock from the back.
So, do mall and store environments influence shopper behaviour? Yes, to an extent. But, in most cases the best thing a retailer or a marketer can do is just get out of the way and let the shoppers do their thing.
In the <a href="https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/99/06/06/reviews/990606.06oconnt" target="_blank">words of Paco Underhill</a>, one of the <a href="https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/u/underhill-buy?mcubz=1" target="_blank">originators of shopper research</a>:
<blockquote>
No amount of merchandising can deter a shopper from his or her mission. The best you can do is go along for the ride.
</blockquote>
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RghUwYUHDUA?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" width="440" height="260"></iframe>
Paco Underhill explains how retailers plan to influence our shopping, but says we need not be completely at their mercy.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/svetlana-bogomolova-11555" target="_blank">Svetlana Bogomolova</a>, Associate Professor of Marketing Science, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180" target="_blank">University of South Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bill-page-456801" target="_blank">Bill Page</a>, Senior Marketing Scientist, Ehrenberg Bass-Institute, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180" target="_blank">University of South Australia</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/shoppers-movements-might-come-down-to-fears-of-caves-and-the-butt-brush-94162" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Do new shopping environments influence what shoppers do?

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Mercato on Byron is set to be the ultimate fusion of urban chic and coastal cool with its new and innovative approach to shopping, dining and entertainment. 
Collers International Retail Leasing team has been appointed to secure tenants in conjunction with Raine &amp; Horne Byron Bay.
Offering the latest in sustainable design and technology, Mercato on Byron will be set over <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-nsw-byron+bay-502821410" target="_blank">two levels of 7,895 sqm on Jonson St</a>, with open dining spaces and room for outdoor markets, galleries and performances.
It has been designed with natural aesthetics of the surrounding environment in mind. 
The use of sunlight, vertical gardens and trees, stone, timber and recycled materials feature heavily.There are also provisions for solar electricity, and rainwater harvesting and re-use.
Mercato on Byron aims to be the first regional one-stop shopping complex aimed at achieving a Five Green Star design rating, with retail, F&amp;B and entertainment all located in one location.
It’s a community-based environment for tourists and locals alike, offering a friendly family-focused entertainment precinct, fresh food, casual dining and a place to meet for a drink or to socialise.
Mercato will be anchored by a new 3,400 sq m Woolworths store on the ground floor. The current 2,000 sq m Woolworths store welcomes 35,000 customers a week. This is expected to increase to approximately 50,000 customers once the size increases to 3,400 sq m.
Tenants have been attracted to Mercato because of the high foot-traffic and buzz that’s being created around the development. The new tenants will include a new nine-cinema Palace Cinema complex, restaurant Beach and Beef, Zaza Kebabs, Crispy Fried Chicken, Bed, Bath and Table, The Don Traditional Barber, and a handful of boutique speciality retailers.
The project is a joint venture between Wingate and Azzura and is expected to be open in time for Christmas 2018.
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Byron Bay's new shopping precinct seeking tenants

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/78184/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Research shows consumers value speed when it comes to shopping. Australian retailers need to react or they will lose.
A recent survey shows that Australians are feeling more time-poor than ever, with 45 percent of women and 36 percent of men feeling “always” or “often” rushed, or “pressed for time”. Meanwhile, research has identified that almost one in four shoppers (23 percent) are willing to pay a premium for “same day” delivery.
In other words, consumers’ expectations are changing. Speed is becoming a point of difference, a new front of competition, between retailers. And many Australian retailers are lagging behind.
When a quarter of your customers are willing to pay a bit extra to have their online purchases delivered that afternoon, it is surprising more retailers are not investing in the “last-mile” – from the warehouse to the customer.
<h2>The threat</h2>
The advantage physical stores always had over online was immediacy. Walk in, grab it and go. While online retail had an endless range of choice and often lower prices, shoppers had to wait.
But “same day” delivery undermines that, combining the convenience of online shopping with the immediacy of bricks n’ mortar.
New retailers and logistics companies are selling us time and convenience just as much as they are selling products or services. Take Ur-bit, a delivery provider operating in Sweden, Paris and London; shop online and get them to pick up and deliver to your home, office, and even your car.
Many in the US and UK have teamed up with third party providers like Lyft and Uber to achieve a same-day delivery. British supermarket Sainsbury’s has more recently begun trailing an app allowing shoppers to order up to 20 products and have them delivered in an hour.
Meanwhile, Australian supermarkets are still only offering next day delivery, with up to 3 hour delivery windows. Although admittedly, Coles has started trialling same-day delivery in some Melbourne stores.
<h2>The opportunity</h2>
While Australian retailers are threatened by speed, it is also an incredible opportunity. Australian retailers may not be able to complete against the likes of Amazon on product range and price, but speed may level the playing field.
Australian retailers have struggled with this since they started selling through multiple channels – stores, online and catalogues. In most cases today, Australian retailers are still pushing products to stores from warehouses, unpacking them, only to have those same products re-packaged and forwarded to a customer’s home.
This isn’t very cost effective, and it also doesn’t work in a context where stores are shipping smaller, individual orders directly to customers’ homes.
What Australian retailers should be focusing on is building fulfilment centres, such as The Iconics’ new facility. These are facilities that are located close to customers, making it very quick and easy to deliver to homes and offices. No repacking required.
The construction of such fulfilment centres has become something of an arms race among online retailers, led by Amazon. It’s time for Australian retailers to join in.
But its not just speed that can give an advantage. In the past, delivery was dominated by a few companies, but today there are myriad new players who offer more than speed. They can arrange not only when a product is delivered, but how it arrives in a customer’s hands - with flexible locations and timing.
Customers’ expectations for flexible, fast and cheap same-day delivery is both a threat and an opportunity for Australia’s major retailers. It is currently unclear who will win this race, but retailers must wake up to the demands of customers. Their competitors already have.
 
Gary Mortimer is an Associate Professor, Queensland University of Technology and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gary-mortimer-1322" target="_blank">here</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Aussie retailers need to adapt to a world built on speed: Gary Mortimer

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/72644/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Sound is everywhere. In urban areas, it forms part of how we feel about and negotiate various social settings. 
The space we focus on here is the retail environment. Based on interviews with shoppers about the kinds of music and sounds encountered, we are examining how and why the acoustic dimension can either heighten or diminish the shopping experience.
When successful, music in retail spaces stimulates positive corporeal and other sensory responses in shoppers. The other side of the coin is that a majority of interview participants reported unpleasant musical experiences in retail situations. 
Interviewees who liked to hear music when shopping reported that it added a sense of rhythm to what they were doing. It made the experience feel more dynamic or lively than otherwise might have been the case. 
Some shoppers reported being so energised by the music that they worried they might engage in conspicuous behaviour such as dancing, singing and other conduct not usually found in retail settings. One participant said she was so responsive and captive to music in the shops that she feared being considered a “public weirdo” by retail staff and other shoppers.
Those who had negative responses to music included consumers who sensed that the music played in certain stores was “discriminatory”. This was because it seemed aimed at particular gender or age groups that excluded them.
Volume was another important source of disquiet. The greater the volume, the greater the imposition these shoppers felt. 
Some shoppers avoided altogether “noisy” or “loud” retail spaces. Others reported getting through the shopping experience faster than they would have liked. And some resorted to the “privatisation” of their aural experience by using personal musical devices.
<h2>In what ways does music offend?</h2>
But why should music and sound be contentious in retail settings? There is a long history of people using music and sound to augment the experiences of events like festivals, community and religious celebrations, as well as markets and fairs.
One possibility is that consumers are concerned that retail atmospheres are designed to manipulate them into buying things through music and other forms of sensory conditioning, such as lighting, smell, temperature and colour schemes. However, this doesn’t really explain why some consumers reported feeling dislocated or not “at home” in retail environments. 
Music and sound can often offend shoppers for other reasons, we suggest. Following the insights of microsociologist Erving Goffman, we think the acoustic environment of retail shopping is a complex “interaction order”, which is more fragile than we realise. 
We contend that music and sound can impinge upon what Goffman termed the “territories of the self”. This refers to the physical and mental space that the individual expects others will provide to them. Thus, music that is perceived as “noisy”, “loud” or “annoying” – as reported by the interview subjects – threatens the boundaries that the individual seeks to protect, and expects others will observe.
Unlike vision or touch, sound is much more difficult to control or protect oneself one from; sound spills across thresholds and enters into situations where it is unwelcome. 
Equally, when interview subjects reported annoyance at retail environments starting to resemble nightclubs or pubs, they were highlighting concerns about what Goffman called “frame disputes”. Music can counteract “situationally appropriate” framing, if the shopper comes to feel that the acoustic environment is not providing the right scripts, cues or definition of the situation.
<h2>Can and should retailers stop the music?</h2>
So how might retailers respond to the kind of “territorial offences” that some of our interview subjects identified? 
Some have reacted to the frictions generated by sound, and other types of sensory overload, by introducing “quiet hour shopping”. As one Adelaide lifestyle website reported, at Frewville Foodland:
"The lights will be dimmed, music and pager messages switched off, volume of the ‘beeps’ on the check-outs lowered, there will be no coffee grinding and strong smells will be reduced where possible."
We applaud attempts to creatively redesign the shopping experience and to provide consumers with sensorially enriched retail environments. However, we would caution against simplistic understandings of the impacts of sound on the retail experience; nor do we condone seeing music and sound as something that should be avoided. 
It is true that humans possess a limited capacity to process auditory information. At worst, this leaves scope for exploitation in the form of sonic torture and sonic weaponry. But it is also true, as our respondents reported, that music and sound can enrich experiences by enhancing the mood, tempo and liveliness associated with certain activities. 
The last thing we want is for all retail spaces to sound the same. As experimental composer and Zen Buddhism practitioner John Cage noted:
"There is no such thing as an empty space or an empty time. There is always something to see, something to hear. In fact, try as we may to make a silence, we cannot."
We tend to be annoyed because, when we bump into them in the supermarket aisle, sounds don’t say “excuse me”. However, if Cage is right and there is no such thing as a silent retail space, we might as well as learn to share supermarket aisles with sounds beyond our control and sounds not on our playlists.
Michael Walsh is assistant professor of Social Science, University of Canberra and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-walsh-147733" target="_blank">here</a>.
Eduardo de la Fuente is senior lecturer in Creativity and Innovation, James Cook University and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eduardo-de-la-fuente-161803" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Contested spaces: you can’t stop the music – the sounds that divide shoppers

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<div class="section">GUEST OBSERVER</div>
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<div class="section">With barely 30 shopping days left till Christmas, the latest signs from the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment survey point to a more downbeat holiday spend than a year ago but with plans still in slightly better shape than other 'post GFC' years. <div class="layoutArea">
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The November Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment survey included an additional question on plans for spending on Christmas gifts, asking: “will spend less, about the same, or more compared to last year?” The results show consumers taking a more restrained approach in 2016 with 34% planning to 'spend less’, 52% 'the same’ and 14% ‘more’. That compares to a 30%:53%:17% mix in 2015.
<a href="/images/2016/11/23/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-23%20at%209.05.31%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/23/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-23%20at%209.05.31%20AM.png" alt="">
 
The simplest summary measure of intentions is an index based on the net balance of responses, i.e. 100 + %more – %less. On this basis, the 2016 reading is 79.9, down from 87.0 in 2015. That in turn followed five successive years of readings in the 77-79 range, a disastrous 66 reading in the depths of the GFC and a record high 91 during the consumer boom in 2007.
<a href="/images/2016/11/23/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-23%20at%209.06.41%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/23/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-23%20at%209.06.41%20AM.png" alt="">
 
All up that places 2016's read down sharply on 2015 but still a touch above the lacklustre results over the previous five years. Going by the retail sales results in those years this looks to be roughly consistent with a 1.5-2%yr rise in per capita spending. With population growth tracking at 1.4%yr, total retail sales will likely be up about 3-31⁄2%yr – a 'so-so' year compared to the 5% gain in 2015.
<a href="/images/2016/11/23/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-23%20at%209.07.42%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/23/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-23%20at%209.07.42%20AM.png" alt="">
 
The survey detail shows the biggest cooling off vs a year ago has been in NSW, with spending plans notably firmer in Vic and improving marginally on last year for consumers in SA, Qld and WA. That said, spending plans in SA and the 'mining states' are still tracking at markedly weaker levels than in NSW and Vic. By sub-group, the biggest pull backs vs a year ago have been amongst 18-34 year old's, those on lower incomes and females. Those with annual incomes in the $60-100k were notably more positive, both compared to previous years and with other groups.
The picture from Consumer Sentiment more generally also shows a 'lukewarm' lead-in to the holiday period. Sentiment is tracking at similar levels to last year but with views around family finances notably softer.
<a href="/images/2016/11/23/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-23%20at%209.08.37%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/23/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-23%20at%209.08.37%20AM.png" alt="">
 
Casting our gaze back further, over the entire 42yr history of the survey, the sentiment lead-in to Christmas 2016 is in the middle of the pack – a long way above the bleak recession years in the early-90s and early-80s and deeply unsettled GFC year in 2008 but also a far cry from the 'golden' years in the mid-80s, the early to mid-2000s and the post GFC bounce in 2009. We will leave it to readers to draw parallels with weather patterns, cricket performances and the like. 
Matthew Hassan is senior economist with <a href="https://www.westpac.com.au/" target="_blank">Westpac</a>.
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Australian consumers setting up for a 'lukewarm' Christmas spend: Westpac's Matthew Hassan

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Asia Pacific millennials are more likely to spend their time and money on leisure activities and experiences like travel, entertainment and dining than previous generations.
Millennials shop online—at an average of 4.7 days per month —but only physical bricks-and mortar venues, particularly shopping centers, provide them with the experiences and social elements they require.
Millennials visit shopping centres for purposes other than buying products, such as to dine out, banking and visiting exhibitions, at an average of three days per month.
However, slower economic growth and a desire to save money for purchasing a home may inhibit future spending on leisure activities, suggests CBRE research.
“Millennials represent the fastest source of spending power regionally and serve as the most influential demographic framing future trends in real estate through their lifestyle behaviour, requirements and priorities of living, working and play,” said Dr Henry Chin, Head of Research, CBRE Asia Pacific.
“In order to leverage on millennials’ spending habits, retailers are recommended to increase the experience-based element of their offering and focus on providing an environment for visitors to socialise and relax.
"In addition to increasing F&amp;B, cinema and entertainment elements in their shopping malls, retail landlords should consider organising more live events to attract millennials.
"However, they should also carefully manage their tenant mix to ensure they still cater to other generations,” added Dr Chin.
In Australia, 70 percent of non-food purchases are made in store.
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Millennials spend 4.7 days a month shopping online: CBRE

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GUEST OBSERVER
As e-tailing and large format fashion reshape the retail landscape, shopping centres are evolving into community hubs offering a broader range of experiences.
There’s change brewing in the domestic fashion world. Big international retailers like Zara, H&amp;M and Uniqlo are accelerating cycles and smaller retailers need to differentiate their brands to survive.
Fashion retail is not just about the product. If you are a ‘me too’, you’re in no man’s land and highly exposed – it’s increasingly about the experience and how you engage with customers across all channels. And that means owning and building your brand. 
We feel that the industry is seeing more fashion wind-ups at the moment, as businesses without sufficient differentiation are losing customers.
It's quite possible that some fashion retailers are failing, in part, as they try to create an increasing number of collections each year to compete with online or fast fashion – something that puts massive strains on their resources. They can’t keep up with changing consumer preferences and online shopping.
Pressure on the fashion retailers
Sales are transferring to big box fashion retailers. The apparel pie isn’t growing to the same extent, so naturally that’s put pressure on the rest of the fashion category - there’s a re-aligning of the fashion spend. 
Big box fashion has a key operational advantage too, as their gross occupancy charges are substantially cheaper than the average specialty store. 
A typical specialty fashion store has rental costs greater than 20 percent of sales, which means sales don’t have to decline much for profit margins to be decimated.
If they don’t own their brand, provide a great experience and don’t have a sharp business model, they’re in trouble. 
The shift for shopping centres
Failing fashion retailers aren’t a sign that people are necessarily moving away from shopping centres. Instead, customers are looking for something different.
Broadly speaking, total square meterage of fashion retail isn’t dramatically changing, but the mix and composition is evolving. We foresee that there’ll be fewer but larger fashion offerings over the next few years, which will be paired with a sophisticated range of services that put retail and services at the heart of the community. 
We’re seeing demand growth in entertainment, experience and service uses – things that can’t be replicated online.
As long as you can’t go bowling, get your teeth fixed, eat a steak or get a manicure online, you’ve got a potential retail operation. 
This trend is spreading right across Australia. Smaller shopping centres that were largely focused on fashion and food are diversifying to include a broader ranges of categories – which is a great thing. The old concept of one-stop shopping is making a comeback. The customer wins, and so do landlords. Good retail environments always adapt to the times to maintain relevance. 
Leighton Hunziker is director - Retail Services and Occupier Services for Savills. He can be contacted <a href="https://www.savills.com.au" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Fashion funk paves way for retail relevance

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Melbourne's shopping strips are witnessing an emerging trend in that those further out of the traditional 5 km CBD radius are performing well, according to new research. 
Beller Commercial have just completed their first quarter strip shopping research, a matrix of 28 key shopping strips that shows the number of shops, number of vacancies, average asking rent per square metre and yield.
The research is conducted on ground with agents taking to the streets and physically counting the ‘for lease’ signs vacant stores, checking web listings and then the data is put together for the final results.
"It is important to look at ranking and ask, what is showing the most improvement, specifically in terms of low vacancies and rate per square metre?" says a note from Fred Nucara, director of Beller Commercial.
As one goes further out, the satellite villages are servicing well-established, affluent pockets demographic pockets. Also adding to the popularity of these strips are new medium, 4 – 5 level medium density residences which are more prevalent in suburbs such as Glenferrie Road, Malvern, Whitehorse Road, Balwyn and Burwood Road, Hawthorn, according to the research.
"Everyone is taking these ‘villages’ for granted but it is important to take it to the next step as an investor. These burgeoning neighbourhoods are a well kept secret, but they won’t be for long," writes Nucara.
Other top performers that have managed to flip their fortunes are Toorak Road, South Yarra where in September 2014 there were 12 vacancies, today there are only five vacant stores.
Also High Street Prahran, Armadale has seen a drop in vacancies. This can be partially attributed to the completion of new residential apartment blocks, but also rents have come back and are now more affordable to small business operations.
Along High Street, the $600 per square metre is the recently adjusted asking price from landlords and has encouraged a new generation of entrepreneurs to set up shop, the note says.
"The health and wellbeing category is significant and we are receiving regular enquiry from massage therapists, nail technicians, hairdressers and general fitness operators. It is clearly no longer a case of lets build an apartment building and put a café on the street level, new neighbourhoods require services too."
But along with the star performing strips, there are some shockers as well.
"Fitzroy Street St Kilda still can’t shake off its shady identity. With 24% vacancy rate, the Street is lurching through from summer to summer," the note says.
"Fitzroy Street should have more appeal because it close to the beach. It actually has the same feel that Smith Street, Collingwood had a few years ago. I like to think the future prospects are good (new apartment buildings arriving and the infamous Gatwick Hotel currently for sale). Given the length of the strip, it needs to be better facilitated by car parking. Also there are nearby competing areas, where the street vibe is more pleasant such as Albert Park, Middle Park and Acland Street.
"In conclusion, I’m upbeat about 2016 commercial prospects."
Nucara expects the 2015 momentum to continue as interests rates are low and "it’s a great time to both buy and sell". 
Beller Commercial’s Top Ten Performing Retail Strips
Performance and ranking is based on a ‘consistency’ of low vacancy rates, rentals at maximum levels and diversity of retailers/services over multiple research walks.
1. Acland Street, St Kilda
2. Whitehorse Road, Balwyn
3. ToorakRoad, South Yarra
4. CentreRoad, Bentleigh
5. GlenferrieRoad, Malvern
6. Burwood Road, Hawthorn
7. CarlisleStreet, Balaclava
8. ChapelStreet, Windsor
9. Toorak Village, Toorak
10. Smith Street, Collingwood
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