Broadie blues at the mall

IT’S the real Broadbeach blues – retailers in the visitor hub’s Oasis mall are calling for rent relief citing lagging foot traffic.

Surf Parade restaurateurs and cafe owners have decried tough trading in recent times after nine months of city council road works and a flat Commonwealth Games.

Now Oasis mall tenants say a general retail downtown nationally is not being helped by one end of the shopping centre being blocked off. The beachfront end of Oasis is blocked while popular Liar’s bar is refurbished.

Those spoken to by the Bulletin said foot traffic had also been hit by mall access via some alfresco restaurants now being closed off too.

The closure in January, last year, of the monorail from The Star island site to Oasis had also hit numbers, they said.

Some Oasis retailers say they have already decided to close whilst others have said they will make their decision once rent negotiations with management are held.

One tenant said most shop owners wanted rent relief.

“If there are so many shops vacant you need some sort of rent relief.”

Another said: “We’ve gone through two years of hell.

“They did the awnings out the front, they did the entrances and now they have blocked off one end. It has affected trade badly.”

One glum retailer said management had been reasonable

to deal with and understanding about drops in trade whilst another said any rent increase, even if inflation based, would kill them off.

Oasis first floor tenant Atash Gallery and Persian Rugs owner Michael Rudd had no complaints: “If you have a product that people want, they will come and buy it.

“If you don’t, they won’t. I’m very happy with everything,” he said this week.

Flynn Gallery owner Lynne Flynn said her shop - selling everything from art, boutique fashion and knick-knacks was “going quite well”.

But she said more big name tenants like Cotton On on the first floor would help lift trade.

Oasis Broadbeach Shopping Centre management failed to respond to Bulletin texts or emailed questions.