Cost of living pressures for customers and all-time high rent costs are hitting businesses hard, especially in suburban shopping areas like Oakleigh.
However shop owners in the south-east Melbourne suburb are saying that local council is making it even harder for them.
Mikey Koupsoupias, from Oakleigh Music Centre told Neos Kosmos times have changed.
“We struggle. It’s not like five or six years ago. It’s not the same,” he said.
“The rent is expensive. I’ve got three shops here and it’s not the same like it used to be Oakleigh. Before it was pumping, now lots of shops are empty.”
The Chester St shop owner claimed the council are using private parking inspectors to book people and that it’s not good for the shops.
Neos Kosmos will be reaching out to Monash City Council to follow up if these claims are true.
Parking has long been an issue for the Oakleigh area, with one woman, Tass, sharing what she has seen in all her years in Oakleigh.
She said at times she has seen four ticket officers at once, something “unheard of, even in the CBD”.
Paul Manolis from Paragon Meats, located on Portman St also shared his complaints about the parking in Oakleigh.
“You stay two minutes over and parking inspectors are on the ball. Issue here is no parking and if you do find parking, you’ve only got an hour to shop,” he said.
“That’s not enough for the elderly to come in and out of the butcher, the deli, the fruit shop, the supermarket.”
Many business owners also have issues with the changes to smoking laws in the last few years and blame that for also driving customers away.
This is not a council ruling however.
State Government legislation covers smoking in outdoor areas where food is eaten and bans smoking in outdoor dining areas of restaurants, cafes, take-away shops and licensed premises in areas where food is consumed, including on footpaths, balconies and in courtyards.
One concerned local said it’s heading the way of Acland St in St Kilda and Bridge St in Richmond. Shopping strips getting driven into decline.
He said Oakleigh is losing what it is renowned for and what it was built upon, which is its coffee culture.
One business, who wished to remain anonymous said Oakleigh is now seeing what other areas started to see, despite it having persevered for so long.
“There is a noticeable difference in foot traffic. Now there’s empty shops in Eaton Mall, I’ve been in that area for 20 years there’s never been an empty shop,” they said.
“It’s definitely not making it enticing for new businesses to come into the area. It’s very unattractive. It’s not inviting or appealing.
They said while business trading conditions as a whole are not what they used to be, Oakleigh has always been different.
“It’s always bucked the trends it’s never been affected by these trends. This s the first time and that’s because the council, they’re not helping us, they’re making things harder for us.”
Neos Kosmos will be reaching out to Monash City Council for a follow up story.
