SEASONED retailers in Leederville believe the area’s appeal lies in the independent streak displayed by the stores and entertainment outlets rather than the chain operators that have come to dominate other high street precincts.
SEASONED retailers in Leederville believe the area’s appeal lies in the independent streak displayed by the stores and entertainment outlets rather than the chain operators that have come to dominate other high street precincts.
Between them, Andy Montgomery and Paul Fitzroy own four Leederville retail outlets, the oldest dating back to 1987 and the newest opening in October 2009.
Paul Fitzroy opened Black Plastic 24 years ago with, in his own words, “$1,000 and a certain amount of enthusiasm”.
Having grown up in Melbourne in the 1970s and ’80s, he drew inspiration for Black Plastic’s eclectic mix of gifts, cards and homewares from the independent retailers of Prahran and Fitzroy.
Mr Montgomery came later to Leederville, establishing Urban Records a decade ago, which housed clothing retailer Elroy in the back half of the store.
When Elroy moved to Mount Lawley in 2003, Mr Montgomery and Mr Fitzroy formed a partnership, opening clothing and homewares store Urban Depot in the vacated space.
More recently, Mr Montgomery opened Hunter Store, selling the shoes, bags and jewellery that couldn’t fit into Urban Depot’s already crowded repertoire.
Both men belong to a growing community of independent retailers trading in suburbs such as Mount Lawley, Fremantle, and most recently, Northbridge.
Mr Montgomery said many of these retailers, including himself, were against chain stores invading their shopping strips, as had happened on King Street in Perth.
Once a hub of independent boutiques, King Street is now dominated by big international brands including Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., and Prada.
“We’re against the chains coming in, they’re emerging out of the shopping centres,” Mr Montgomery told WA Business News.
“On Beaufort Street, you’ve got Guess, Witchery and Mimco now, and that makes life difficult because the rents go up and you get the bigger operators coming in.”
Mr Fitzroy said independent retailers offered a much more personalised and unique experience compared to the “homogenous and sterilised” one offered by chain stores.
The Urban stores are an example of successful late-night trade, bolstered by Leederville’s thriving restaurant scene and the nearby Luna Cinema, but Mr Montgomery also credits some of that success to the quirky range of goods his stores offer.
“You can come here at 9:30 on a Tuesday night and get a last-minute birthday present; get a card, and a CD, or a gift ... and we’re open,” he said.
But he acknowledges that late-night trade can be a gamble, and it’s a matter of perseverance.
“The late night trading takes several months to make people aware. You can’t just do it for a few weeks,” Mr Montgomery said.
Mr Fitzroy has abandoned evening trade after moving Black Plastic around the corner to Carr Place to escape Oxford Street’s rising rents almost two years ago.
He says being off the main drag now makes late-night trade unviable.
