News & Discussion: CBD Retail

[ghs]

Harris Scarfe has gone into voluntary administration but will keep trading through at least Christmas while they look for a buyer.

Have to say, the city store looks completely dead whenever I happen to go into it. Aside all the other challenges for retail atm and department stores in particular, I often wondered if the loss of a ground level presence in Rundle Plaza was a significant detriment.

Something seems suss as they were only sold to a local investor a few weeks ago....

How do you know that Ben ?

Who's going to buy a business which is on the road to liquidation ?

I imagine H & M starting up had an effect on Harris Scarfe.

[Ben]

Harris Scarfe has gone into voluntary administration but will keep trading through at least Christmas while they look for a buyer.

Have to say, the city store looks completely dead whenever I happen to go into it. Aside all the other challenges for retail atm and department stores in particular, I often wondered if the loss of a ground level presence in Rundle Plaza was a significant detriment.

Something seems suss as they were only sold to a local investor a few weeks ago....

How do you know that Ben ?

Who's going to buy a business which is on the road to liquidation ?

I imagine H & M starting up had an effect on Harris Scarfe.

https://powerretail.com.au/news/best-le ... gro-funds/

https://www.smartcompany.com.au/industr ... eivership/

[Patrick_27]

Harris Scarfe has gone into voluntary administration but will keep trading through at least Christmas while they look for a buyer.

Have to say, the city store looks completely dead whenever I happen to go into it. Aside all the other challenges for retail atm and department stores in particular, I often wondered if the loss of a ground level presence in Rundle Plaza was a significant detriment.

Something seems suss as they were only sold to a local investor a few weeks ago....

How do you know that Ben ?

Who's going to buy a business which is on the road to liquidation ?

I imagine H & M starting up had an effect on Harris Scarfe.

H&M would have had zero impact on Harris Scarf, particularly when you consider how limited their offering is at the Rundle Mall store. Harris Scarf's demise overall is because they don't have any brand identity; when you think of David Jones you think of high end clothing, homewares and accessories, when you think of Myer you think of it as a lesser, cheaper alternative to David Jones but still not cheap enough to be tacky (middle of the road). Harris Scarf? They're just a mismatch of all sorts, trying to be middle of the road but failing. No doubt they have struggled in the Mall since they lost their ground level space, but I still believe another brand could make a go of that space and it turn a healthy profit.

If Harris Scarf do end up closing their Rundle Mall store, I can see Target relocating there from Rundle Street. Whilst Target as a brand aren't doing well either, Wesfarmers haven't got to the stage of closing stores but rather rebadging them as Kmart. Big W would also suit the space but considering Woolworths are closing stores across the country, I can't see them opening up any new stores in SA anytime soon.

[Algernon]

Harris Scarfe has gone broke about 5 time in my life. The shocking thing is that someone always comes and rescues this loser company.

[Eurostar]

Harris Scarfe has gone into voluntary administration but will keep trading through at least Christmas while they look for a buyer.

Remembering that they’ve gone broke before (in 2001), I reckon they’ll probably keep going in some form or another. But if not, that’s a significant space to have vacant.

Have to say too, the city store looks completely dead whenever I happen to go into it. Aside all the other challenges for retail atm and department stores in particular, I often wondered if the loss of a ground level presence in Rundle Plaza was a significant detriment.

I am sure someone like Aldi would love to be above Coles in Rundle Place. Can't imagine Spotlight would want to try again with a city store.

[ghs]

I have no sympathy what so ever for retailers such as Harris scarfe and radio rentals. If you look at what has happened in the
US and how popular Amazon is, you don't need to be a genius to work out that the same thing is going to happen in Australia.
Facebook marketplace is also a popular tool, where people can buy second hand goods for only one third of the price of what they
would pay in Rundle Mall.

The writing has been on the wall for at least 10 years and retail outlets need to be able to adjust their business models accordingly.
If Jeff Bezos was here in Australia he would be laughing at how hopeless our retail outlets are.

[how good is he]

Yes the retail landscape has changed and will continue to do so. While your points are all valid/true you overlook the impact of the thousands of retail jobs being lost (maybe 1800 at Harris Scarfe) and is there anything to replace that retail employment void? Its great that our kids/the next generation can buy things cheaper online but if they have no jobs or money is it really progress? Sure there is a massive transfer of wealth to Bezos and co but is it at the expense of the masses?

[nath91]

Writing has been on the wall for a while. It’s what happens when your only customer base is essentially 50+. Can tell you now, generally speaking, no female between 18 - 40 would be shopping much at Harris Scarfe, only their grandmothers would. They’re the ones going to Seed, Country Road, H&M and Zara , for clothing and even homewares (and obviously Kmart for cheap homewares).

Suburban stores like TTP, West Lakes and Marion shouldn’t be too hard to eventually convert and fill, Rundle Place is a challenge given you rely on only 2 escalators at each end and 1 lift. They clearly learnt nothing from the disaster that is the Myer Centre.

Some possible ideas for what I’m sure will be vacant space in a few years:

TK Maxx
Uniqlo
Zara
Office works
Baby bunting
Muji
Relocated Target
IKEA small format store
Pottery Barn/West Elm
Goodlife gym
Anaconda
Cinema/Leisure (HOYTS, bowling, holey Moley, escape rooms etc)
Convert some to Office Space

[Nort]

Cinema/Leisure (HOYTS, bowling, holey Moley, escape rooms etc)

That would be a perfect use of the space, something that brings people into the mall and the way the building is setup it would have good visibility.

[citywatcher]

Something seems suss as they were only sold to a local investor a few weeks ago....

How do you know that Ben ?

Who's going to buy a business which is on the road to liquidation ?

I imagine H & M starting up had an effect on Harris Scarfe.

H&M would have had zero impact on Harris Scarf, particularly when you consider how limited their offering is at the Rundle Mall store. Harris Scarf's demise overall is because they don't have any brand identity; when you think of David Jones you think of high end clothing, homewares and accessories, when you think of Myer you think of it as a lesser, cheaper alternative to David Jones but still not cheap enough to be tacky (middle of the road). Harris Scarf? They're just a mismatch of all sorts, trying to be middle of the road but failing. No doubt they have struggled in the Mall since they lost their ground level space, but I still believe another brand could make a go of that space and it turn a healthy profit.

If Harris Scarf do end up closing their Rundle Mall store, I can see Target relocating there from Rundle Street. Whilst Target as a brand aren't doing well either, Wesfarmers haven't got to the stage of closing stores but rather rebadging them as Kmart. Big W would also suit the space but considering Woolworths are closing stores across the country, I can't see them opening up any new stores in SA anytime soon.

A flagship Big W store in the Mall might be worth a try
I liked the quality of Harris Scarfes wares but their prices weren't competitive , but that may have been because their products were better than you'd get in other places.

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[SRW]

Cinema/Leisure (HOYTS, bowling, holey Moley, escape rooms etc)

That would be a perfect use of the space, something that brings people into the mall and the way the building is setup it would have good visibility.

I think this is a better fit for (and only way to save) the upper levels of the Myer Centre.

[citywatcher]

Cinema/Leisure (HOYTS, bowling, holey Moley, escape rooms etc)

That would be a perfect use of the space, something that brings people into the mall and the way the building is setup it would have good visibility.

I think this is a better fit for (and only way to save) the upper levels of the Myer Centre.

A walk around the bigger city shopping precincts would provide plenty of ideas I just think they put it in the too hard and it's only Adelaide and not worth the time and money basket

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[Nort]

Cinema/Leisure (HOYTS, bowling, holey Moley, escape rooms etc)

That would be a perfect use of the space, something that brings people into the mall and the way the building is setup it would have good visibility.

I think this is a better fit for (and only way to save) the upper levels of the Myer Centre.

I miss that Dazzeland space as much as anyone, but the top levels of Myer Center suffer from being so far out of the way that people basically forget they are there.

[Eurostar]

The Myer Centre should be knocked down and rebuilt with retail and eateries on ground level, London Tavern on second floor with balcony, then floors of offices/apartments/hotel rooms on levels above.

If Big W did move into mall it should be a combined Woolworths , Big W store. I remember a restaurant used to be in basement before the previous upgrade maybe this time it should be on ground or above the shop.

Rundle Mall has nice views of the hills, we should have alfresco dining and balconies in the mall to take advantage of that especially at night time.

[Ben]

Australian Geographic and the shoe store on ground floor have now closed too (replaced by the temporary art gallery that pops up in dead shops). Myer centre is in a sad state. Who would have thought that paint job and new tiles wouldn't have brought in more people It needs to be completely redesigned, the layout is clunky.