IN an attempt to catch the corporate market, popular Welshpool boating and fishing store, Mariners World, has moved half of its operations to a new Hay Street location.
IN an attempt to catch the corporate market, popular Welshpool boating and fishing store, Mariners World, has moved half of its operations to a new Hay Street location.
Trading under the name of City Boat and Tackle, the new store, which opened on Monday, is located in the 500sqm basement of 790 Hay Street, formerly the home of The Golf Shop.
Darryl Black, joint owner of the 23-year-old family business, said the move would fill a need in the central business district.
“We don’t believe the recreational boating and fishing market is catered for in the city,” Mr Black said.
“We regularly have city office workers driving out to our Welshpool premises during their lunch hours to have a browse through our products, so we decided to bring the products to them.
“There are a lot of products that we sell and our customers often like to come in two or three times to look at and feel the products before they buy them. This new location will make that much easier.”
The move comes as the retail sector continues to pick up momentum. State retail turnover again increased for the month of April, up $13.6 million from March, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
And the recreational goods sector has enjoyed the shopper spending, with the sector’s seasonally adjusted turnover increasing by $3.1 million in April.
City Boat and Tackle is also well placed to take advantage of growing shopper numbers in the city’s west end.
The precinct, defined as west of William Street up to Milligan Street, was the only area of 72 surveyed in the 2001 WA Real Estate Institute Pedestrian Survey that recorded any growth.
REIWA commercial chapter Steve Carulli said the survey had found there were more shoppers in the west end at the expense of shopper numbers in the eastern sector.
Colliers Jardine research manager David Cresp predicted the west end would grow in its popularity as major projects such as the Woodside building filled with office workers.
This, in turn, eventually would push up west end rents, which he estimated were now sitting between $500/sqm and $800/sqm for street level retail premises.
The move, according to Mr Black, was not a recent decision. He and his brother Brent had been considering splitting the business operations for some time.
City Boat and Tackle will sell fishing tackle and boating accessories, but the sale of boats and some accessories will remain at the better-suited 8000sqm Welshpool premises.
Trading under the name of City Boat and Tackle, the new store, which opened on Monday, is located in the 500sqm basement of 790 Hay Street, formerly the home of The Golf Shop.
Darryl Black, joint owner of the 23-year-old family business, said the move would fill a need in the central business district.
“We don’t believe the recreational boating and fishing market is catered for in the city,” Mr Black said.
“We regularly have city office workers driving out to our Welshpool premises during their lunch hours to have a browse through our products, so we decided to bring the products to them.
“There are a lot of products that we sell and our customers often like to come in two or three times to look at and feel the products before they buy them. This new location will make that much easier.”
The move comes as the retail sector continues to pick up momentum. State retail turnover again increased for the month of April, up $13.6 million from March, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
And the recreational goods sector has enjoyed the shopper spending, with the sector’s seasonally adjusted turnover increasing by $3.1 million in April.
City Boat and Tackle is also well placed to take advantage of growing shopper numbers in the city’s west end.
The precinct, defined as west of William Street up to Milligan Street, was the only area of 72 surveyed in the 2001 WA Real Estate Institute Pedestrian Survey that recorded any growth.
REIWA commercial chapter Steve Carulli said the survey had found there were more shoppers in the west end at the expense of shopper numbers in the eastern sector.
Colliers Jardine research manager David Cresp predicted the west end would grow in its popularity as major projects such as the Woodside building filled with office workers.
This, in turn, eventually would push up west end rents, which he estimated were now sitting between $500/sqm and $800/sqm for street level retail premises.
The move, according to Mr Black, was not a recent decision. He and his brother Brent had been considering splitting the business operations for some time.
City Boat and Tackle will sell fishing tackle and boating accessories, but the sale of boats and some accessories will remain at the better-suited 8000sqm Welshpool premises.