Brisbane City

To address the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the retail sector, Brisbane City Council (Council) took a proactive approach by developing a new citywide strategy (the strategy) aimed at charting the future of retail in the region.
To prepare the groundwork for the strategy, Council enlisted HillPDA to prepare a ‘Future of Brisbane Retail’ position paper and a supporting technical report. These reports presented a thorough analysis of the challenges and opportunities in Brisbane’s retail sector, which Council used to shape the strategy.

More specifically the position paper and supporting technical report, provided:

• An in-depth understanding of the underlying retail drivers that shape the industry
• A thorough assessment of the future demand and supply for retail by type, with careful consideration given to the changing nature of retail and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Discussions on the implications of emerging new operating models and their impacts on floor space and space allocation. These discussions were informed by targeted stakeholder analysis and trend analysis
• Short-term priority actions that could be taken to support the industry as well as longer term strategies to sustain it.

Our value add

HillPDA used two methods to forecast retail space demand and assessed three growth scenarios across Brisbane’s key retail markets (i.e. residents, workers, and tourists). The forecasts accounted for current trends as well as insights gained from the targeted stakeholder engagement. This approach enabled HillPDA to provide Council with tailored recommendations to bolster Brisbane’s retail sector and adapt to changing conditions.

Services:

• Retail supply and demand analysis
• Industry and retail trend analysis
• Stakeholder engagement
• Centres strategy development.

Client: Brisbane City Council
Project year: 2020

For more information, contact Aneta Ramos, Senior Consultant