As Maitland and Green Hills struggle through one of the deepest retailing troughs in decades, a call has gone out for radical retail reforms, sustainable rents and a local forum to stop job losses, stores closing and regain consumer confidence.
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The call comes from David Bliss, Assistant Secretary for the Newcastle and Northern Branch of the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA).
Mr Bliss was responding to Monday's Mercury report on how the city's job and retail sectors had taken a blow with four major retailers in Green Hills and Maitland set to close and another two teetering on collapse.
The story resonated with Mr Bliss and readers who took to The Mercury Facebook page in an unprecedented response. Late Tuesday the post had reached 222,669 people with 320 comments and 166 shares.
"We are in the midst of probably the largest structural reform in our industry in 30 to 40 years," Mr Bliss said. "We welcome and value better collaboration but unfortunately most of the time unions are perceived as an impediment, but we have a lot to contribute.
"Retailers need to radically rethink the trajectory in recent years of blaming wages and conditions of employment. Cuts to penalty rates have drained money from the pockets of workers, who can no longer spend money in shops," Mr Bliss said.
He said Small Business Council chief executive Peter Strong, recently said that penalty rate cuts had not created one new job or prompted business to give any extra hours to workers. He also said that after Christmas many retailers are re-evaluating profitability and sustainability as vast numbers of jobs have been lost.
"During the 2008 Global Financial Crisis the government took steps to ensure consumer confidence did not crash and put payments of up to $1000 in people's pockets to keep shops open.
He also said that after Christmas many retailers are re-evaluating profitability and sustainability as vast numbers of jobs have been lost.
"During the 2008 Global Financial Crisis the government took steps to ensure consumer confidence did not crash and put payments of up to $1000 in people's pockets to keep shops open.
"The CEO of Woolies at the time observed this kept jobs in the industry. I don't see the current government taking any steps to rebuild confidence," Mr Bliss said.
He said another observation is that unsustainable rents are a leading reason for closures and owners needed to rethink their pricing.
"On the fast food front we have a franchise model designed to provide very large profits to the franchisor, which squeezes franchisees who are then found not to pay people properly, and as a consequence they are not profitable and workers are ripped off," Mr Bliss said.
"Another issue for bricks and mortar retailers are their overheads, which are far higher than online retailers."
He said there was "absolutely" a need for a forum or a collaboration of key stakeholders in Maitland's retail industry which should be instigated by the government.
"This is very important and would ensure everyone who has an interest in the ongoing viability of this industry has a say. We may not all agree on everything but we need to work towards common ground.
"I think the government should always proceed with leadership in a circumstance when a community as a whole suffers through a loss of jobs," he said.
Comments on The Mercury Facebook post included calls for cheaper rent, how online shopping is killing bricks and mortar trade, a call for the return of strip shopping and more parking.
Here are some:
Lisa Seach: Rents are ridiculous, I used to work in a small jewellery shop before the renovations, the owner didn't renew her lease because afterwards her rent was going to be 3 times higher so she opened elsewhere.
Shayne Hinton: As a small business owner rent is only part of the problem. Insurance had skyrocketed and the cost of employees is out of control. Everyone demands high wages because of the cost of living but it is the superannuation and worker's compensation on top that hurts. It cost me over $1800 per employee for a 36 hour week and that is based on $2 per hour above the award wage in my industry.
Cassandra Sohr: Without time limit parking it doesn't allow for a turnover of customers. There are people who park there all day and some use the carpark as a parking station.
Neil Turner: Maitland needs a total rethink. The town centre does not work. Green Hills has parking and everything the shopper needs. Maitland city centre does not.
Georgia Hennigar Bring in shops that people want and listen to consumers.