NANNA’S Kitchen is one Swan Hill business doing well out of a new initiative that is turning empty, dusty shopfronts into eye-catching display stores.
In a win for the Swan Hill business community, the Swan Hill Store Front Initiative aims to transform store fronts into attractive pop-up display shops for would-be CBD businesses.
Whether in or out of lockdown, the project aims to activate the Swan Hill CBD, boost new business, engage consumers and keep the city looking fresh and “alive”.
Swan Hill Inc marketing co-ordinator Kaylee Whitfield said many property owners and real estate managers were happy to get behind the initiative to revitalise and re-energise the city centre.
“We’re showing the landlords, look, this is what we can do, and if the business goes well then they may look at taking up a lease in the CBD,” Ms Whitfield said.
“The idea has been around for a long time – it’s been thought about and brought up but not activated until now.
“We’ve been really lucky in Swan Hill, we’ve got the right traders, we have like-minded people on the committee at the moment.
“The real estate agents are easy, obliging, happy to help and we’ve got some really good landlords.”
Business owner and Swan Hill Inc Traders Committee chair Stephen Colombo said the idea came about as a solution to a problem.
“The question was, ‘We’ve got dirty shopfronts, vacant shops, how do we get people in?’ And it just sort of came up,” Mr Colombo said.
Swan Hill Inc arranges the display stores for businesses, while real estate managers get landlords on board.
If you know a small business looking to get more exposure in Swan Hill, contact Swan Hill Inc.
This initiative is open to businesses in the Swan Hill and Lake Boga areas that are Swan Hill Inc members.
