Background_E_Market_Assessment - Shoalhaven City Council ...

Nowra CBD Master Plan – Market AssessmentRouse Hill Town Centre core is divided into four quadrants. Within each quadrant there are malls, streets, andlaneways, some of which are enclosed. The remainder of the future floorspace attributed to the town centre includesfurther commercial and residential floorspace around the perimeter of the core. Rouse Hill Town also incorporates theprinciples of ecologically sustainable design.Convenience ShoppingThe concept of retail convenience for the consumer has expanded considerably, particularly over the past two decades.Previously it meant physical proximity, usually to home. With two income families where partners might work in quitedifferent locations, and where an increasing choice of time-consuming activities compete with shopping, the concept ofretail convenience is becoming far less location-specific and more performance oriented. Consumers want one-stopshopping at hours convenient to them.One response from the retail industry has been the development of ’convenience community centres’. These areusually dominated by a supermarket to meet daily and weekly shopping needs but they also include a range of specialtyshops such as butcher, fruit shop, liquor shop, take-away food, video rental and petrol station. Where they differ fromtraditional neighbourhood centres around railway stations is that a large proportion of their turnover comes fromcommuters in the PM peak on the way home and so they have generally located themselves on the PM peak side ofmain roads. They also provide ample parking and convenient access in and out to the main road.Another response has been the emergence of ‘convenience service centres’ which are petrol stations on main highwaysbut also offering a ‘just-in-time’ shop with a range of groceries and fast foods (e.g. 7 Eleven, Quix, Ampol Shop Stop,BP Shop). Typically the size of the food, groceries and take-away foods component is around 150-500sqm.Highway service centres have been gaining in popularity largely due to convenience and time-savings.Generallythese stores are not the main destination for food and grocery shopping but they offer a range of products for ‘just-intime’shoppers. They can include several operators such as McDonalds Family Restaurant, Burger King, KFC, Quix.Deregulation of HoursOne of the biggest changes the retail industry has made recently to meet the changing needs of consumers is theintroduction of seven day trading. More people are juggling careers and family and increasingly must squeezeshopping in where they can rather than adhere to a standard schedule.Busy shoppers today are also less inclined to spend as much time as they once did wandering through vast shoppingcomplexes. While younger shoppers, and especially teenagers, do stay longer in shopping centres, the trend is towardsa decline in average time spent shopping – particularly in relation to what is considered ‘chore’ shopping – shopping forfood and groceries.In addition, most forms of activity in centres now operate with extended shopping hours. This is evident in Coles andWoolworths Supermarkets which open until 10pm and midnight. K-Mart has commenced operating 24 hours a day/7days per week in some locations, such at Stockland Nowra. Most other K-Mart stores open until midnight on mostnights during the week.Changes in SupermarketsBeginning in the 1980s the suburban supermarket increased in size and diversity of retail offer. The objective was toprovide for a large choice of food and groceries under one roof with one convenient check-out. Over time supermarketsC09143 Page 20 Hill PDA