Big retailers like Kmart had ‘little impact’ on Ashburton CBD
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Large retailers popping up outside Ashburton’s CBD have had little impact on spending in the town centre, according to a new report.
Infometrics was commissioned to analyse how major retailers operating outside the CBD zone were impacting central economic activity, and the wider Ashburton economy.
The report was in response to the Ashburton District Council recognising the potential impact of new retail developments on the CBD.
The developments include the River Crossing precinct, which opened at the end of 2022 with Kmart as the anchor tenant.
On the other side of SH1, Briscoes shifted out of the CBD to set up next to a new Rebel Sport in April, with a Chemist Warehouse opening next door.
Infometrics analysis found that, to date, the value of electronic card spending in Ashburton's CBD has been relatively consistent since October 2021.
“Given inflation over this period, this suggests a slight pullback in real spend per transaction, however, there is no clear effect associated with the opening of Kmart,” the report said.
Total spending, excluding fuel, grocery and alcohol, in Ashburton’s CBD rose 5.6% between the first half of 2022 and the first half of 2023, ahead of the national increase of 3.2%.
Infometrics also found there was little evidence that the introduction of new retailers outside of the CBD hurt overall retail employment.
As of February 2023, there were 1570 people employed in retail in central Ashburton (the CBD area and the fringe retail centres), up 60 people from February 2022.
The report suggested the rise was likely driven by Kmart's opening and associated hiring activity.
Kmart is understood to have added 100 jobs between February 2022 and February 2023, but the net growth being less, a net 55 jobs, “could suggest that other department stores and leisure retailers have either been unable to replace staff lost to Kmart or have otherwise reduced their staffing”.
The report concluded that spending had been similar to before big box retailers moved in.
“Overall the retail sector is under a degree of stress nationally, reflecting the cost of living pressures being borne by households, and the flow on effect to their spending.
“With spending eroded by still-high inflation, modest nominal growth in sales could translate to a decline in real sales.”
The report cost $4000, with data costing $2325.
A report on the impact on the wider Ashburton economy has not yet been received.
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.7% Summer
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36.7% Winter
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1.6% Other - I'll share below
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