From CBD to suburbia: Why Australia’s fashion and retail entrepreneurs are flocking to suburban shopping centres
Announcement posted by Invigorate PR 16 Jul 2025
Australia's rising generation of fashion designers, retail innovators and independent brands are turning their backs on the glossy chaos of city mega-malls and choosing community-driven suburban shopping centres as the smarter way to build their businesses.
According to Vicki Leavy, general manager of JMK Retail, today's entrepreneurs have seen enough headlines about retail giants being crushed by excessive rents, rigid leases and impersonal city landlords.
"They don't want that. Retailers are tired of high-pressure, high-risk CBD environments," Leavy said.
"They still want exposure, community and the ability to grow with reduced risk and more flexibility. That's where suburban centres like ours come in, we offer all the access without the corporate stranglehold."
JMK Retail is at the forefront of this retail revolution, operating a portfolio of strategically located shopping centres that offer the flexibility, foot traffic, easy carparking and affordability that modern retailers crave.
"We've created a retail launchpad for Australia's next big brands," Leavy said.
"Our centres support both local startups and established city-based names looking to connect with real customers without the stress and financial strain of being in a major city mall.
"Our leasing and pop-up enquiries are up 200 percent over the last three years. That is a huge shift in the retail sector.
"Our launchpad service is the first of its kind in the country and it is something that we will see many centres across the country offering routinely as a normal part of retail services. Over the last 20 years we have incubated many successful businesses using our innovative model.
"Our retail launchpad services are affordable and flexible and include a temporary site either in a store or on centre floor, marketing support, retail mentoring, free parking and priority access to longer term sites."
With the rise of work-from-home lifestyles and hyperlocal communities, shopping behaviours have shifted. Australians are now choosing convenience, connection and community over sterile mega-malls and retailers are following.
JMK Retail centres offer everything from short-term pop-ups and showrooms to longer leases and flagship opportunities. Tenants benefit from free parking, loyal local foot traffic and the kind of landlord relationship that prioritises partnership over power plays.
"We work with our tenants, not against them," Leavy said.
"When a brand launches in one of our centres, they're not just leasing space, they're building a relationship between the business and the community and laying the foundations for long-term success. If we have successful businesses, we have successful centres, which is the ultimate shared goal.
"Retail launchpad services are redefining what it means to grow a retail brand in Australia and showing the country that retail doesn't need to start in the CBD to make it big.
"The future of retail is personal, local and powerful. That's what we offer and that's why brands are choosing the hyper convenience of local power centres with customised services and offerings for retail startups.
"Retail isn't just about homewares either, it includes food and dining options too. Our launchpad service also applies to our casual centre based dining precincts. These precincts are also experiencing strong growth in response to changes in the way families eat out."
JMK Retail centres
JMK Retail is one of Australia's oldest and most successful shopping centre developers, owners and managers with sites located across Queensland. JMK Retail own and manage a variety of retail properties ranging from food orientated precincts, retail strip, neighbourhood and sub- regional centres. Their centres are in key locations, anchored by long-term tenancies with nationally identifiable retailers that incorporate a wide and varied range of retailers who are primarily focused on traditional retailing, day to day household needs, dining, finance and services, medical, health, fitness and beauty.