A letter from the president
Dear fellow traders and professionals,
I hope your year is off to a great start and that you made the most of the busy summer trading season.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that November sales recorded a 3 per cent increase while December saw a 4.6 per cent rise, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday key in boosting sales. Each year these sales rise in popularity which is why we increased our advertising at this time; reminding customers offers were available in-store. It’s important to note the impact this sales period has on profits and cashflow for December and January, and businesses need to plan accordingly.
We’re kicking off the year with promotions for key retail periods like Easter and Mother’s Day, and our unique CamberWELL-BEING event in May. This health and wellness event attracts visitors to the precinct so all traders can benefit by getting involved and promoting the day in their marketing.
Our digital strategy drives traffic to the website through engaging articles and content, which improves SEO and helps customers discover more about your business. We’re advertising the Camberwell Junction brand campaign online, while our social media promotes
Marketing snapshot
A year in review
It’s been a busy year filled with exciting marketing activities and events. Some of the standout moments included our Christmas Family Day, which brought a festive and lively atmosphere to the precinct. Visitors enjoyed photos with Santa, live music, roaming entertainers, face painting, balloon modelling, and more. We also celebrated another successful year of the Camberwell Culinary Awards, a campaign designed to showcase and promote our vibrant food and dining scene. Additionally, our collaboration with the Rotary Camberwell Sunday Market led to unique activations, including Kylie and Dannii Day. This event attracted a fantastic crowd and provided a great opportunity to cross-promote the shopping precinct. Here’s a snapshot of the marketing activities we completed in the past year:
• Produced promotions, including advertising and competitions, for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Christmas
• Collaborated with Rotary Camberwell Sunday Market to run activations, including Kylie and Dannii Day, to draw people to the area and cross-promote the precinct
• Created and distributed 12 x detailed monthly newsletters to our email database
events and individual businesses via videos. Keep your details updated on our website and check you’re receiving our regular newsletters to stay informed.
We continue to engage with Boroondara Council to improve the precinct’s cleanliness and amenity, and contribute towards graffiti removal. We have contacted them about the closure of Reserve Rd, and the impact this has on traffic flow and parking. While the Camberwell Junction Structure Plan is still held up by the state government, we’re lobbying council to begin some of the placemaking initiatives identified in the plan.
We welcome Kathryn Campbell of Hats Off Handmade Headwear as a new committee member, and Di Gillies who has been appointed Vice President. Di has worked closely with the association in her previous position as a councillor and we look forward to her support.
For the latest updates and business resources, visit the Trader Portal at camberwellshopping.com.au. If you have offers or promotions, share them with our manager Kerry Daly so we can help spread the word: info@camberwellca.com.au
Regards, Henk Kelly-Kobes President, Camberwell Centre Association
• Created unique content including ‘Meet a Trader’ business profile stories and short-form videos for social media, as well as guides for seasonal fashion, New Year, back to school, food and dining, Black Friday, and Halloween
• Ran regular Business Forum events (free for traders to attend)
• Produced 3 x issues of The Camberwell Citizen newspaper with 30,000 copies of each issue distributed to local homes, shops, and key locations
• Refreshed several SEO articles to improve our online profile and search engine performance
• Ran our second Camberwell Culinary Awards campaign, which included a competition, to highlight the food and dining category
• Advertised on radio stations Magic 1278, 3AW and FOX FM
• Advocated and petitioned for traders at local council on key matters such as parking, dining parklets, and other support where required
• Delivered regular updates to traders including quarterly email and print newsletters.
Our online marketing activities continue to yield strong results. Here’s a snapshot of Camberwell Junction’s digital audience numbers:
• More than 8000 email addresses in our subscriber database
• More than 174,000 visits to the websites over the past year
• More than 9800 followers on social media.
CamberWELL-BEING
CamberWELL-BEING is back this year, shining a spotlight on the health and wellness businesses in the Camberwell Junction precinct. Taking place on Saturday, May 31, this exciting event will offer a fun and interactive day where shoppers can register to follow the Wellness Trail for a chance to win fantastic prizes.
On the day, participants will collect a branded tote bag from our HQ event booth, which will include a Wellness Trail Passport. As they explore the precinct, they’ll visit participating businesses, discover what’s on offer, and collect stamps in their passports. Once completed, they’ll return to the booth to enter the Wellness Trail competition, with a chance to win prizes generously donated by our traders.
We strongly encourage traders to take part in the Wellness Trail – this is a fantastic opportunity to welcome new customers, showcase your products and services, and entice visitors to return with special offers. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a fantastic community event.
Need some ideas? Here’s how your business can get involved:
• Organise an activity, event, demonstration or special guest for the day.
• Offer a free session or class on the day to introduce your business to new customers.
• If your business runs private classes or consultations, host an open day to give people a taste of what your business offers.
• Create a special offer on your products and services like a discount or a ‘buy one, get one free’ deal on the day or during the months of May and June.
• Give away free samples, such as a taste testing of health foods or a sample of a cosmetic product. Consider offering vouchers to bring people back into your store.
• Hire promotional staff to engage trail walkers at your business or roam the precinct and invite guests into your business.
• Provide gifts, vouchers, or products for inclusion in the official event sports bags.
• Donate prizes to the Wellness Trail competition.
Still stuck for ideas but want to get involved? Chat to us and we’ll be happy to help.
Contact Kerry Daly by phoning (03) 9813 4190 or emailing kdaly@camberwellca.com.au
The Great Camberwell Easter Hunt
The Great Camberwell Easter Hunt returns this year, encouraging shoppers to find golden eggs hidden on posters in shop windows across the Camberwell Junction precinct for a chance to win a $500 shopping voucher. The more eggs they find, the more chances they have to win, driving visitors to explore multiple shops. The competition will be supported by digital advertising and social media to maximise engagement.
This year, the Easter Bunny will visit the precinct on Saturday, April 12 and Sunday, April 13 to meet shoppers and spread holiday cheer. Traders can take advantage of this by snapping photos in-store or in the precinct with the Easter Bunny to share on their social platforms. We hope you get involved and make the most of this exciting Easter promotion!
Mother’s Day
For Mother’s Day this year, we’re running a competition called the Marvellous Mum Awards. Entrants can submit an idea for an award they’d give their mum for a chance to win $500 to spend in Camberwell Junction. Ideas can range from fun awards like the “Kindest Karen Award” to the “Best Parallel Parker.” The competition encourages creativity and will be promoted through a series of custom graphics across digital advertising and outdoor marketing. We’re also launching a broader branded campaign, highlighting Camberwell Junction as the go-to destination for Mother’s Day gifts and experiences. You can support this by promoting the competition and sharing your Mother’s Day offers with us. We’ll feature them on our website and in our marketing efforts.
Love-struck shoppers boost sales for Valentine’s Day
Shoppers spent a record $535 million on Valentine's Day this year – which was 15 per cent more than last year. This is the first-time spending on Valentine’s Day has surpassed $500 million. Youngsters embraced the event this year, with people aged 18-34 making up the majority (27 per cent) of shoppers. Most of the Valentine’s Day spending took place across Victoria and New South Wales, with an average spend of $150-171 per person. Flowers, food, chocolates, and experiences (dinner/ trips away) were among the most popular gift choices. (Data provided by Australian Retailers Association and Roy Morgan).
Prevent crime in your store
Victoria Police and Boroondara Council recently held a Retail Traders Community Forum to share details about how you can prevent crime in your store.
In the event of a crime, it’s important to report it. Here’s what you should do:
1. In case of an emergency, call 000 immediately and provide clear details about the incident.
2. For non-emergency crimes, such as shoplifting, vandalism and fraud, report the incident by calling the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 or online at police.vic.gov.au
3. Report all crimes. Even if an incident is minor, it’s important to report it. Small crimes can be linked to larger patterns of offending, and reporting helps police track criminal activity and allocate resources.
4. Share information about suspicious behaviour with fellow retailers and call Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000.
Marketing calendar
What’s coming up?
MARCH
✓ Camberwell Business Forum (March 20)
✓ Autumn sales and promotions
✓ Easter promotions begin, including Great Camberwell Easter Hunt
✓ Labour Day (March 10)
APRIL
✓ School holidays (April 5 – 21)
✓ Easter (April 18 – 21)
✓ Easter activation (April 12 – 13)
✓ Anzac Day (April 25)
MAY
✓ Mother’s Day (May 11)
✓ CamberWELL-BEING (May 31)
Networking events
Meet other traders, professionals and community members to share ideas and issues.
TRADER AND BUSINESS FORUMS
The next Camberwell Business Forum will run on March 20, so please save the date and stay tuned for further details. The free event is open to all retail and service-based businesses in the local area.
Visit camberwellbusiness.com.au to secure your spot.
The Camberwell Business Forums offer local businesses a great opportunity to meet and network. Drinks and nibbles will be provided. Guest speakers and topics for future events will be posted on camberwellbusiness.com.au. Events are FREE for Camberwell traders.
CAMBERWELL BUSINESS CLUB
The Camberwell Business Club meets on the first Thursday of each month (from February to December). Meetings are held upstairs at Deco (211 Camberwell Rd) from 1pm – 2pm sharp, and features a guest speaker. Membership packages are available. It’s a great chance to meet fellow business operators over a light lunch.
Details: camberwellbusinessclub.com.au
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE BUSINESSES
It is difficult to keep up with new operators in the precinct, particularly those in upper levels, so please keep us informed. The camberwellshopping.com.au website is not just for retailers — businesses can use it too.
If your business deals directly with the public or works with other small businesses, please let us know. We can create a web page for you at no cost.
We remind all businesses to check out camberwellbusiness.com.au, where we post local business events held in Camberwell. If you are hosting a local seminar or event, we can also help promote it for free.
Send info to: info@camberwellca.com.au
TRADER PORTAL
Check the Trader Portal on our website regularly. This is where we post helpful advice and resources to support businesses, and current council updates to keep you informed on local issues. You'll also find back copies of newsletters and The Camberwell Citizen. camberwellshopping.com.au/cca-association-news
Shop news
Catch up with new businesses, store moves and other news.
ALLURE ACCESSORIES
Camberwell Arcade, 600-606 Burke Rd
Allure prides itself in bringing the latest European clothing designs and trends direct from Italy to the Australian market. Visit their pop-up store in Camberwell Junction to find a range of clothing, handbags, accessories and more.
AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS LIFEBLOOD
293 Camberwell Rd
Want to make a life-changing donation this year? The Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has opened a donor centre in Camberwell and collects blood and plasma donations – make a booking online at lifeblood.com.au
LOVABOWL
740 Burke Rd
If you love acai bowls, then you’ll love Lovabowl. Choose from their menu of set acai bowls including the basic, gone nuts, pb and j, berry ripe, super, and date. You can also build your own bowl to make the flavours unique to your taste. The store also sells a range of smoothies, toast, porridge, coffee and tea. Gluten free and vegan options available.
MACPAC
586 - 590 Burke Rd
Macpac, a leading brand of hard-wearing, durable apparel and equipment for outdoor adventures, is now in Camberwell Junction. Macpac products are designed, tested and proven in the ultimate outdoor test lab – New Zealand.
MELBOURNE PODIATRISTS & ORTHOTICS
Suite 2, Level 1, 277 Camberwell Rd
Melbourne Podiatrists & Orthotics recently opened in Camberwell Junction. The clinic specialises in all facets of podiatry including custom orthotic prescription and their friendly podiatrists enjoy treating the whole family including children, adults and seniors.
PROSPECT ESPRESSO
2A Prospect Hill Rd
Prospect Espresso has a fresh new look! After undergoing a delightful transformation, they have reopened and invite you to experience their cosy and charming new space. They've still got their same excellent coffee and a delicious food menu, so be sure to pop in and check it out.
VODAFONE
692 Burke Rd
Vodafone’s Camberwell store has been refurbished and offers a fresh new setting. Pop in store to get all your mobile phone, tablet and internet needs sorted.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
PRESIDENT Henk Kelly-Kobes 9882 0032
SECRETARY
Bev Wooffindin Camberwell Secretariat 9813 2707
MEMBERS
Ray Orr Mail Boxes Etc 9813 2200
Wayne Chen
The Gift Bargain Store 0433 159 949
Neil Earle Earle & Company 9882 0233
George Keskerides Terry White Chemist 9882 6655
VICE PRESIDENT Di Gillies Former Boroondara Councillor 0438 002 749
TREASURER
Daniel Piciocco Aintree Group 9851 7933
Chris Risteski itsagame 0401 916 082
Brittany Unwin SC Accounting 8840 9188
Kathryn Campbell
Hats Off Handmade Headwear 0455 046 467
If you would like to become a member of the association or take a role on the committee contact the president to discuss.
SUPPORT FOR TRADERS
All traders are welcome to contact precinct manager Kerry Daly to discuss any marketing or relevant issues. Call (03) 9813 4190 or email kdaly@camberwellca.com.au
STAY INFORMED
The trader’s association sends out monthly email newsletters with current business, news and marketing updates to ensure you stay informed about what’s going on in the precinct. If you are not receiving these emails then we either do not have your current email address or you need to check your spam filters. Please contact us if you are having any issues with receiving the email newsletter.
CONTACT US
For further information regarding topics in this newsletter, please contact Kerry Daly Camberwell Centre Association Manager
Lvl 1, Camberwell Place, 793 Burke Rd Camberwell VIC 3124
Phone / Fax: (03) 9813 4190 info@camberwellca.com.au