There's a wave of change sweeping over the small retail market in Byron Bay, if comments by local shop owners are anything to go by. Situated along the coast in the far north east of New South Wales, Byron Bay is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state and regularly sees its resident population swell by three or four times the norm in the summer months and during certain events, such as the recent Blues Festival.
The influx is good news for the retailers in the town, who have recently struggled against the number of large chain stores, such as Quicksilver, Witchery and Rockmans, which are setting up shop and snapping up market share which was once spread across local boutiques. Julie Murray, co-manager of Skally Rags on Jonson Street, which is one of the oldest fashion boutiques in Byron, says the arrival of these chain stores is affecting the retail environment in the area as smaller local shops struggle to compete with the big brands flooding in. “Skally Rags has been operating in Byron for 34 years,” she says. “Summer is always a good season and festivals like the Blues Fest and Splendor in the Grass are always good for sales, but we've [the smaller stores] seen a downturn in retail, definitely. “Yes, that is a global thing, but also the chain store businesses which have come in are taking business away from the smaller boutiques." Alex Lev, co-owner of fashion boutique Fairy Floss on Jonson Street, agrees and says the mounting number of chain store retailers popping up in Byron Bay is the biggest change he's seen since in the 12 years since he set up shop. "We've been in the same spot for 12 years now and unfortunately the independent, designer outlets are disappearing and instead come the chain stores, making Byron look just like any other town, without the originality factor or any creative local individual produce,” he says. “Plus, they are the only ones that can pay the rent these days.”
Sass Glesner of Meshh on Lawson Street, which stocks labels such as Otto Mode, Sadie, Night Tiger and Mylee Carlye Collections, says the high rental costs and the soaring Australian dollar combined with online shopping is also making life harder for small businesses in Byron. “The biggest challenges to operating a successful fashion boutique in Byron Bay are the extraordinarily high rents, and the economic impact of conducting business in a town that relies so heavily on tourism for its income when we are experiencing times of record Australian dollar rates, which has fuelled a major shift to online shopping,” she says.
Karene Wodiske, owner of boutique Nami, which stocks labels such as Alice McCall, Bec & Bridge, Oscar, Ebony Eve and Religion, says the winter months are also hard to get through, but the summer season more than makes up for it in sales. “The challenge can be getting through the quiet months in winter and being a tourist town we thrive during school holidays. Byron gets around two million tourists per year but 1.2 million are backpackers!” Shopping in the town of Byron Bay is split between three main streets – the beach-front Jonson Street, Lawson Street and Fletcher Street. Each street has its charm, but Jonson has historically had the upper hand in retail. However, according to some retailers in the area, including Wodiske, change is taking place.
“Nami has been trading for nine years, but I moved from Jonson Street over three years ago, and I find it a much better position now on Lawson Street,” Wodiske says. “It's a very busy spot.” Glesner of Meshh boutique agrees. “We have seen many changes in the past four years,” she says. “Lawson Street has firmly established itself as the preferred shopping destination for locals and visitors wishing to bypass the cloned, High Street-style shopping that is developing in Jonson Street via the increased presence of chain stores. The Lawson and Fletcher Street precinct is now becoming more well known for its unique, locally owned boutiques.” However, Murray of Skally Rags on Jonson disagrees. “It's beach-front and that's all there is to it,” she says. “Because it faces the beach, it attracts attention and it is premium real estate.” And for that, the retailers on Jonson and Byron Bay in general, pay a very high price – “$1500 to $2000 a week”, according to Murray.
