A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear fellow traders and professionals,

These have been challenging times for our community in Camberwell. As a retailer, I have felt the frustration experienced by many of you on a personal and professional level.

Victoria’s second lockdown has been extremely challenging and tested us in different ways. Most businesses have been forced to close again, but many of you are trying new ways to keep trading. My family and I have been able to continue trading with email, phone, or click-and-collect orders, as well as me playing delivery man when necessary. We are glad we built up a local database so we could share when things changed, as well as new products and promotions via email and social media.

I know many of you have also kept going over the past few months too, working all hours to serve takeaway meals, prepare online orders, and keep customers happy. Our marketing team has also been working hard to keep traders and the wider community informed of important changes since the COVID-19 pandemic started. We have shared COVID-19 alerts on the Camberwell Shopping website, and have continued marketing to keep engaged with our community.

I hope you have been checking the Trader Portal on our website. There are links and articles to help you understand what support is available from the government (for both businesses and landlords) and how to get mediation if you are struggling to make it work. There are also links for free webinars about online trading, tax issues, and other relevant tips. We are also lobbying on your behalf for more help for our small businesses at a local and state level.

If you need help or advice, please contact the association and get in touch with our manager Kerry Daly. Remember to send her your offers to share through our marketing, and to let us know if your circumstances change. Email: info@camberwellca.com.au

Take care of your wellbeing and let’s look to the future.

Regards,

Henk Kelly-Kobes President, Camberwell Centre Association