MCU14/0106 Appendix J - Retail Needs Assessment

     On average, customers visit Noosa Civic an average of six times per month (i.e. more than once a
      week), with primary trade area customers visiting most frequently (twice a week). Secondary south
      east customers visit the least frequently (once a fortnight).

     Most customers travel to Noosa Civic by car and stay an average of one hour and 9 mins. Tourists
      are also likely to visit the centre by car. The location of Noosa Civic means that those tourists without
      a car, and/or not familiar with the area are unlikely to be visitors to Noosa Civic.

     Average spend is moderate at $71 among all customers.

     Approximately half of customers are drawn to Noosa Civic for convenience type shopping, and 58%
      shop for groceries when at the centre, spending an average of $56.

     A third of customers are drawn to Noosa Civic for non-food shopping and two thirds of these shop as
      follows:

         36% shop for fashion, and spend an average of $57;

         26% shop for homewares, which is relatively high, although average spend is moderate at $31;
          and

         10% shop for leisure and general goods, such as toys, sporting equipment and newsagency
          items. The average spend for these items is $27.

     Woolworths and Big W are important assets for the centre with most customers visiting at least one of
      these stores.

     The compact nature and strategic location of the anchor tenants means there is a good level of cross
      usage between the majors and speciality shops. The exception to this is the foodcourt and
      surrounding specialty shops which attract low levels of visitation. This is an area of the centre which
      clearly needs to change.

     Customers in the primary trade area are naturally the most frequent visitors because nearly all are
      shopping at Noosa Civic for food and grocery shopping. In comparison, shoppers in the secondary
      south east are far less likely to do food and grocery shopping at Noosa Civic because Coolum is
      more convenient. For these shoppers, Big W is the main drawcard to Noosa Civic. Secondary south
      east shoppers are stronger critics of the centre compared to other areas, and additionally they prefer
      to shop locally (in Coolum) or prefer to drive to Sunshine Plaza because they are more confident they
      will get what they need.

     Noosa Civic’s key non-food attraction is Big W, and the fashion retailers targeted towards the younger
      market (e.g. City Beach, Supré and more recently Ice Design).

     Tourists are extremely unlikely to come across Noosa Civic by accident, and are generally referred
      there by someone else such as a friend or relative who lives locally, or from someone at their place of
      accommodation. Woolworths and Big W would be of interest to tourists for groceries and non-food
      basics.


2.5         THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
The proposed expansion of Noosa Civic, which is the subject of this assessment, is responsive to the
needs of the trade area in the short to medium term. The expansion will comprise the following
components and will be located predominantly in the following precincts of the Noosa Shire Business
Centre (refer Map 2.3):

     B1 Business (Retail Centre and Business);

     OS7 Open Space (Environmental Drainage); and

     E1 Employment (Technology based R&D, Business Offices and Civic).




26     NOOSA CIVIC
                                                                                                                         URBIS
                                                                  NOOSA CIVIC - RETAIL NEEDS ASSESSMENT DEC 2014 MASTER - FINAL