Pakington Street has a real sense of community traders head west

Jessica Benton
TRADERS are moving west of the city in search of cheaper rents, more atmosphere and increased patronage.
Geelong West’s famous shopping strip, Pakington Street, is home to an array of boutique businesses from fashion and food to specialty services and antique warehouses.
The retail precinct has attracted interest from city traders and operators, who have relocated their businesses from Geelong’s central business district and shopping centres.
Boutique owner Darryl Musselwhite moved his business, Pottage, to Pakington Street earlier this year.
Mr Musselwhite said “multi-factored” reasons were behind the move.
“You’ve got higher rents in the shopping centres, there is a lack of personality in shopping centres, and there is no support from centre management,” he said.
“All of this has deterred businesses and there is now a lack of people wanting to go in to town.
“There has been a continual slide of the atmosphere in the city.”
Mr Musselwhite put the blame on City of Greater Geelong for removing bus services from Moorabool Street a few years ago despite the authority reintroducing a bus interchange to the Moorabool Street site.
Mr Musselwhite said the upheaval had “fragmented” the public transport system.
He also criticised the authority for reduced parking and an unsuccessful city centre “revitalisation” project.
Pottage was originally at the top end of Moorabool Street, between Ryrie and Little Ryrie streets, before relocating to Market Square in 2001.
The business moved to Pakington Street earlier this year.
“Pakington Street has a real sense of community and the people are more friendly,” Mr Musselwhite said.
“We’re now able to offer lower prices because we haven’t got the high rents.”
Pakington Street also had more foot traffic and plenty of free parking, Mr Musselwhite said.
“We’ve been reestablishing the business this year and we’re looking forward to Christmas and not moving again.”
Real estate agency Century 21 Wilson Pride also made the move to Pakington Street from their previous Ryrie Street address.
Director Shane Harman said the agency had not looked back since the relocation mid last year.
“It’s been a good move,” he said.
“We were after somewhere that was away from everywhere else and had a bit more of a community feel about it and we’ve definitely found that in Geelong West.”
The Independent reported in September that street traders in other Geelong areas were struggling.
A High Street trader, Vince Albanese, called for a freeze on further retail development, saying shopping centres were killing the iconic Belmont shopping strip.
The former Belmont Traders Association president said the outbreak of new and growing shopping precincts in the city, Waurn Ponds and Torquay had upset independent businesses.
Doran Mounsey, who is part owner of the Nordenfine ice creamery, set up the business’s second shop in Geelong West, choosing Pakington Street over other retail precincts in Geelong, which he said did not have the same “vibrancy”.
“We looked at the whole of Geelong and Pakington Street was the only place that we wanted to open our second shop,” he said.
“We decided on Pakington Street because of the reputation of the area which is renowned for strong foot traffic and a vibrant retail area.
“We felt that Geelong’s city area, especially Moorabool Street, was kind of going downhill since Westfield and the Waurn Ponds shopping centres opened up.
“But Pakington Street seems to keep drawing people here.”
Mr Mounsey and his business partner, brother Jordie, opened the Pakington Street shop in September last year.
Mr Mounsey said the venture had gone “better than expected”, with a successful winter period and the shop enjoying its busiest day of the week on Sundays, when many of the other businesses were closed.
In contrast, a new retail precinct attached to the Woolworths supermarket on Pakington Street had not fared as well.
A number of the shops lining Pakington Street remain vacant, as do other shops surrounding the supermarket at the rear.
Mr Harman said high rent might be to blame for the failed development.
“I don’t know too much about the development, but you don’t have to be a genius to know that what they’re asking must be a bit over the market rate,” he said.
“The shops are the only vacant buildings left on Pakington Street. It’s a sought after area.”