Monday, 2 May 2011

Slow start to new Claremont Quarter

By Courtenay McPhee, 8 April  2011

Stores on the Bayview Terrace in the new Claremont Quarter are disappointed in their initial number of customers and sales.

Over a month has passed since the Claremont Quarter opened in late February

“We were expecting a huge increase in customers when the quarter opened, but sales for March are defiantly down when compared to this time last year,” said the manager of the women’s stores Kookai, Louse Allen.

“You could say that we are not doing well at all.”

“There has been a noticeable decrease in the number of transactions in the past month, less people are coming into the store, Cotton On manager, Robbie Cliff, said.

Since the opening of the Claremont Quarter, the famous shopping strip Bayview Terrace, has become more of a cafe strip than a place to shop.

Ellora Stone, a frequent Claremont shopper for many years, said that when she comes to Claremont now, she heads straight to the quarter and may go to Bayview Terrace for a bite to eat.

“Bayview Terrace is one of the last shopping strips in Perth, so it would be sad to see it become a cafe strip, but at the same time there is so much to offer shopping wise in the quarter, so it is easy to forget about Bayview Terrace,” she said.

 “It seems people mainly come to Bayview for the cafes now, rather than to shop,” Mr Cliff said.

Stores such as Smiggle, Alannah Hill and Bed Bath and Table, have moved from Bayview Terrace to the Claremont Quarter, but no new stores have taken their place, as the spaces are still up for lease.

Locals say what fills up these spaces may determine if Bayview Terrace will continue to be a shopping strip or become the Bayview cafe strip.

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