A letter from the president
Dear fellow traders and professionals,
While interest rates have dropped, it’s still challenging times. It’s therefore important to think about ways you can attract customers to your stores. Customers are usually happy to spend on perceived value rather than sale items, so think about ways you can inspire them via merchandising, offer added value packaging of products, and ensure your sales team know how to explain the ways your products can enhance your customer’s lives.
Staff training can help you achieve better sales. To support traders, the association is offering limited training grants for online courses run by the Australian Retailers Association. The short courses cover topics on sales, customer experience, merchandising and more.
Our vice president Di Gillies and I have attended meetings with Boroondara Council, including with the CEO and department directors, and represented on an advisory committee with councillors and trader groups to determine priorities for supporting the shopping precincts. We’ve also been following up on the council’s closure of Reserve Rd to ensure the best outcome for neighbouring businesses and submitted feedback on the council’s draft budget 2025-26.
In this newsletter we share updates about our promotions and encourage you to get involved. This
Marketing snapshot
Our latest campaigns have brought plenty of buzz to Camberwell Junction, with exciting promotions for Easter, Mother’s Day, and the return of CamberWELL-BEING.
To celebrate Easter, the Easter Bunny made a special appearance at Camberwell Junction over a weekend, delighting shoppers with meet-and-greet moments. The festivities also included our popular annual competition, The Great Camberwell Easter Hunt, which encouraged participants to spot golden eggs hidden on posters throughout the precinct. The campaign was promoted through digital advertising, social media, printed posters, and online editorial.
Mother’s Day saw the return of the Marvellous Mum Awards following a successful run last year. Shoppers were invited to share what award they would give their mum for the chance to win a $500 shopping voucher to spend in Camberwell Junction. The campaign was supported by online editorial, digital advertising, and outdoor posters.
We also welcomed back CamberWELL-BEING – a celebration of health and wellness in our precinct. Held on Saturday, May 31, the event featured the Wellness Trail which showcased local
winter, the Camberwell Culinary Awards returns, inviting customers to vote for their favourite local eateries. To enter, they must make a purchase at a participating food business, which helps drive sales and inspires people to explore our diverse dining options in the precinct. We’ll feature winter dining in our marketing so share your specials with us. We’ll also promote winter fashion and homewares and entertainment that’s available to keep families engaged during school holidays.
Our regular marketing activity continues and includes trader profiles, SEO articles to boost online visibility, updates to our website to showcase new businesses and events, social media content, business networking events, and new issues of The Camberwell Citizen newspaper.
Regularly check the Trader Portal at camberwellshopping.com.au and ensure you’re on our database. This is how you can keep informed about government updates, business support and council news. And don’t forget to send your offers and promotions to our manager Kerry Daly so we can share them: info@camberwellca.com.au
Regards, Henk Kelly-Kobes President, Camberwell Centre Association
wellness-focused businesses and gave attendees the chance to win prizes worth more than $5700. The event was well-received and offered a valuable opportunity for traders to engage with new and existing customers.
Our online marketing activities continue to yield strong results. Here’s a snapshot of Camberwell Junction’s digital audience numbers:
• More than 8200 email addresses in our subscriber database
• More than 124,400 visits to the websites over the past year
• More than 9500 followers on social media.
Camberwell Culinary Awards is back this winter
The Camberwell Culinary Awards returns as our flagship winter campaign, perfectly timed to attract customers who prefer indoor dining during the cooler months. This initiative shines a spotlight on our vibrant food scene, boosts awareness of local dining venues, and strengthens the Culinary Awards as a much-anticipated annual tradition.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The campaign invites the public to vote for their favourite meal or beverage across a range of categories, including best coffee, best brunch, best sweet treat, best drinking spot, best casual dining, best fine dining, best takeaway and best healthy option.
By voting, customers go into the draw to win a major prize, along with a selection of minor prizes. To enter, they must purchase a meal or drink from a participating business, keep their receipt, and upload it with their entry. Each unique receipt counts as a new entry, so customers can vote as many times as they like.
HOW DOES THIS SUPPORT TRADERS?
The awards are designed to drive foot traffic and spending across Camberwell Junction’s food venues. It’s a valuable opportunity to boost exposure and connect with both regular patrons and new visitors.
HOW YOUR BUSINESS CAN GET INVOLVED
If you run a food business within the precinct, we encourage you to participate and make the most of the campaign’s promotional reach. All food businesses are automatically eligible for inclusion, but here’s how you can maximise your involvement:
• Let us know you’d like to be featured – we can provide an official campaign poster for your shopfront.
• Share your special offers, promotions, or seasonal deals so we can feature them on our website.
• Consider offering a themed lunch special, set menu, or grab-and-go deal during the campaign.
• Encourage your customers to vote for your business in the awards.
The Camberwell Culinary Awards is a fantastic way to celebrate local hospitality, connect with the community, and drive sales during the winter season. The campaign will be supported by a comprehensive mix of advertising and marketing, so don’t miss out!
GOT ANY QUESTIONS?
If you’d like more information or want to discuss how your business can be involved, get in touch with our event coordinator via email: camberwell@assemblo.com
Easter events draw strong crowds
Our Easter celebrations were a hit with shoppers, with the Easter Bunny making special appearances across the precinct on April 12 and 13. Both days were bustling with activity, as families stopped to snap photos with the Easter Bunny and his princess helper, creating a fun and festive atmosphere. On the Sunday, we teamed up with the Rotary Camberwell Sunday Market, where the Easter Bunny roamed through the crowd, engaging with the 8000+ visitors who attend each week. This collaboration offered a great opportunity to direct market-goers toward the wider shopping precinct. To encourage this, we handed out vouchers for participating stores and ensured the Easter Bunny continued his journey along Burke Rd and into the junction after the market wrapped up – helping to attract foot traffic into surrounding shops. A big thank you to all the traders who took part and helped make the event a success!
CamberWELLBEING highlights local wellness
On May 31, we held our annual CamberWELL-BEING event, shining a spotlight on the many health and wellness businesses across Camberwell Junction. The event encouraged the community to take part in the Wellness Trail, giving participants the chance to visit local businesses and connect directly with traders. Trail-goers took part in fitness challenges at gyms, sampled nutritious food and drinks, explored medical treatments, and signed up for a range of health and wellbeing classes. Attendees also had the chance to win from a prize pool valued at more than $5700. We were pleased with the strong turnout and engagement on the day and look forward to bringing the event back next year as part of our continued support for Camberwell Junction’s growing wellness sector.
Staff
training grants
The Australian Retail Association’s (ARA) Retail Institute is a leading provider of education and training for the retail industry. They offer targeted courses, designed specifically to meet the current and future needs of the retail industry. The Camberwell Traders’ Association recognises the value of providing staff with professional development. We’ve created an educational support program to offer Camberwell Junction traders the chance to provide training for a member of their staff via an online micro-course run by the ARA in one of the following subjects:
• Sales and service excellence (2 hours)
• Hiring the right staff (3 hours)
• Building customer loyalty (2 hours)
• Managing customer aggression (2 hours)
• Loss prevention (1 hour)
• Social media marketing for beginners (3 hours)
• Sales 101 (5 hours)
• Visual merchandising basics (2 hours).
We have a limited number of placements available. If you’re interested in applying, email Kerry Daly for details: kdaly@camberwellca.com.au
These courses are beginner or intermediate level and can be taken online in your own time. They offer a certificate of completion, which can be added to your resume. We have selected a range of subjects that we think are most beneficial in supporting business growth.
The Retail Institute offers more courses at various levels and they can arrange custom in-house training for your business, if you’re interested in funding your own training programs for your team. Learn more at retail.org.au/retail-institute
Marketing calendar
What’s coming up?
JUNE
✓ King’s Birthday public holiday (June 9)
✓ End of financial year sales
JULY
✓ Winter promotion
✓ School holidays (July 7 – 18)
AUGUST
✓ Camberwell Culinary Awards
✓ The Camberwell Citizen issue #23 available
✓ Father’s Day promotions begin
Trader Portal
Check the Trader Portal tab on the website for helpful advice and resources. Examples of current articles that can help your business include tips and links for improving your digital security, government grants for small restaurants, and a business recycling and waste toolkit.
Visit: camberwellshopping.com.au/ccaassociation-news
Networking events
Meet other traders, professionals and community members to share ideas and issues.
TRADER AND BUSINESS FORUMS
The next Camberwell Business Forum will be held on July 10, so 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 or $25 for non-members, unless otherwise stated.
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
Shop news
Catch up with new businesses, store moves and other news.
A+ MART
620 Burke Rd
A+ Mart, a variety market, has opened in Camberwell Junction. The store houses a range of traders including speciality tea shop Machi Machi, a coffee shop, an Asian grocery shop, and operators that sell fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and Japanese bakery Fuumi Fuumi. A+ Mart is open 7 days a week from 9am to 8pm.
INNOVASKIN STUDIO
756 Burke Rd
New to the precinct, InnovaSkin Studio offers tailored beauty treatments and aesthetic enhancements including IPL hair removal, IPL skin rejuvenation, lip definition, DMK enzyme therapy, and treatments to address fine lines and wrinkles.
KIDSTUFF
648 Burke Rd
Children’s store Kidstuff has relocated to 648 Burke Rd (directly across the road). The store offers unique and prestigious toy brands from around the world, the biggest and best range of educational toys, as well as a delightful range of eclectic gifts and novelties.
MACHI MACHI
620 Burke Rd
Machi Machi has opened in the new A+ Mart marketplace in central Burke Rd. The store offers a range of drinks including milk tea, iced tea, smoothies, tea slush, cream cheese foam, and freshly pressed tea. They also offer toppings such as pearls, jelly and taro balls.
PRICELINE PHARMACY
592 Burke Rd
Priceline Pharmacy in Camberwell Junction is now under new management and they welcome you to meet the friendly team. Pop in store to find all your favourite beauty, hair and health products, and get access to professional pharmacy services.
TAM’S BEAUTY AND NAILS
Unit 9, 460-480 Riversdale Rd
Tam’s Beauty and Nails now has new owners. The salon offers specialist nail services, as well as waxing and spray tanning.
THE GIFT BARGAIN STORE
725 Burke Rd
Discover bargain household goods, stationery and decor at The Gift Bargain Store. They’ve also increased their party supplies including paper serving ware, decorations, costumes and helium balloons.
YUMMY BANH MI
733 Burke Rd
Yummy Banh Mi is a new Vietnamese cafe and bakery located in the heart of Camberwell Junction. Their menu offers classic banh mi, rice paper rolls, vermicelli bun, sandwiches, Vietnamese coffee, and a range of bakery items.
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