Incoming councillor flies flag for retail

Retail is still the biggest employer of people in the South West despite hardships the industry faces worldwide.

That is according to Census workplace data and the June 2018 Gross State Product data.

But president and founder of The Retail Co, Cheryl Kozisek, says more people needed to shop locally and more marketing was required to keep the industry and employment alive.

She was recently elected as a councillor with the City of Bunbury and said she hoped it would give her the opportunity to achieve more outcomes for the retail sector.

“The council are very much on board with The Retail Co and revitalising the CBD. I now get to work a bit more closely with that group,” she said.

Since the decline of the retail industry in 2015, Cr Kozisek said the main challenges retailers faced was rent prices that were not adjusted appropriately for the current economy, pushing many out of business.

She said more than ever with the development of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road more needed to be done to market the CBD to entice locals and travellers.

“I think Bunbury has a lot to offer. It’s a beautiful city surrounded by water, great buildings and some fabulous businesses doing well,” she said.

“We have to start thinking about our CBD as a shopping centre and marketing it.

“Comments I get from retailers is that people from out of town say ‘oh my God Bunbury is amazing, I haven’t been here for years but it’s amazing’.”

She said the CBD needed more unique retail offerings and no repetition to make it interesting and enticing.