[COM] Harbour town

[how good is he]

Today’s AFR - The Rich List Lewis family's Lewis Land Group is splashing out $35 million on a master plan upgrade to its outdoor outlet shopping centre, Harbour Town Adelaide.

The upgrade is timely as retail sales in South Australia have grown 3.3 per cent in the year to June, above national average growth, Colliers International's latest retail research shows. Reflecting the trend, the 130-outlet Harbour Town Adelaide at 727 Tapleys Hill Road, West Beach, only has a 0.5 per cent vacancy.

"Harbour Town Adelaide is a core asset for the Lewis Land Group and we want to ensure we are continuing to evolve in the dynamic retail sector," Lewis Land Group chief executive officer Chris Calvert said.

"Lewis Land Group is committed to ensuring Harbour Town Adelaide remains the premium outlet offering in South Australia."

Growth in South Australia's retail economy has come from cafés and restaurants, food and other retail categories. Vacancy in Adelaide's main retail strip, Rundle Mall, fell to 2.8 per cent in June, from 4.2 per cent in September 2016.

Furniture and homewares retailer Domayne opened its first store in South Australia in March.

New tenants

Lewis Land recently secured Polo Ralph Lauren as a tenant at Harbour Town Adelaide – which is adjacent to Adelaide Airport – in addition to other new tenants this year such as Peter Alexander and Calvin Klein Underwear.

When completed, the upgraded centre will offer a new food area, new social spaces and more parking. Works are expected to start in 2018.

The group also recently expanded its Gold Coast Harbour Town centre – one of four in Australia including Adelaide – along with co-owners Lendlease and The Future Fund.

[Mpol03]

Perfect as the centre looks tired and pales when compared to the Gold Coast (as an example). Glad to here we're doing well for them to invest.

[The Scooter Guy]

The former Red Rooster (next to Maccas) has now been repainted into different colors.

Could this be a new Oporto?

[how good is he]

There are earthmoving trucks and piles of fill on the vacant land on Tapleys Hill Rd, I assume it will join Woolworths to the left of the round-a-bout. This seems to be where the new shops/extension and car parking is going.

[Ben]

I thought it was just an upgrade, not an extension?

[how good is he]

Yes the AFR calls it an upgrade/upgraded centre but it could be just their term for an extension.

[rev]

When completed, the upgraded centre will offer a new food area, new social spaces and more parking. Works are expected to start in 2018.

There's a smallish crane on site, mobile crane I believe, and some work going on around one of the entrances.

[pushbutton]

Harbourtown in the Gold Coast is currently undergoing an upgrade which also includes a small extension (more restaurants).

The main feature of the upgrade is much higher quality paving.

[Mpol03]

This will really help give the older part of that centre a needed lift. I hope they can do the same with ours. It’s looking tired.

[TitsOut]

The Airport Rd (West Beach) Lease may be with Peregrine Group. If painted Black & Yellow it'll be a "Guzman Y Gomez" fast food drive thru outlet.

Peregrine own the franchise rights in SA (hopefully does better than their $hitty Moe's Dog & Shake across the road) :/

#Westbeach #McDonalds #Airport #Harbourtown #Drivethru #Peregrine #Oporto #GuzmanYGomez

The former Red Rooster (next to Maccas) has now been repainted into different colors.

Could this be a new Oporto?

[Ben]

There’s an article on Adelaide now I can’t read but says this woolworths is closing.

[mattwinter]

Woolworths will close the doors to its Harbour Town store next month as it instead diverts money to other nearby stores.

The supermarket’s parent company, Woolworths Group, confirmed it would shut up the West Beach shop on June 30 as it instead focused on other western suburbs outlets.

All 45 employees will be offered new positions at nearby stores including at Glenelg, Brighton and Hilton.

A Woolworths spokeswoman said the closure of the store was not connected to the opening of a nearby Aldi on Sir Donald Bradman Drive.

Woolworths’ South Australian general manager Karl Weber said despite the closure, the supermarket chain would continue its “significant investment in South Australia”, such as a $57 million expansion of its Adelaide distribution centre.

Further questions were asked as to the success of the store.

It came as it was announced West Beach Drakes Foodland had cut back its opening hours after being found in breach of the state’s shop trading laws.

Small shops are allowed to trade 24 hours, whereas larger stores are restricted.

The West Beach Drakes Foodland has posted a notice to customers saying the store “has been trading with its current opening hours since 1978”.

It tells customers that a cutback in hours, which started on Monday night, was forced by “current trading hours legislation”.

Mr Drake had unsuccessfully sought an exemption from the laws and the store had been trading from 7.30am to 10pm, seven days a week.

It has now been cut back to 9pm on weekdays and 5pm on weekends, as well as opening at 11am on Sunday.

I'm guessing a lot more people go to harbour town for the clothes than to do the weekly grocery shop?

[how good is he]

It will be interesting what goes in its place and if Woolworths is still committed to a long-term lease for the space. If so, its options may include a Big W or a Dan Murphys?

[pushbutton]

Woolworths seems to do fine at Harbourtown in the Gold Coast.

[The Scooter Guy]

It will be interesting what goes in its place and if Woolworths is still committed to a long-term lease for the space. If so, its options may include a Big W or a Dan Murphys?

A large shopping centre would be pretty useless without a supermarket.
Foodland might be better due to their lower prices and self-branded items.