Windsor businesses unite to save retail hub

It’s no secret the town has been struggling, and vacant shops have not done the George Street strip any favours in the past. Some have claimed rents are too high, and others have blamed online shopping, but regardless of the reason, there is a growing group of entrepreneurs that believe providing consistently high-quality goods and services will attract the customers. If you build it, they will come.

Slowly and steadily, new and interesting shops are opening in Windsor - from the mall, right down George Street past the Hawkesbury Valley Way intersection. Many shop-owners are young, and all have something in common: they truly believe the town is heading in the right direction.

Gourmet Cupcakes and Donuts is brand new. Owner Kylie Ravens from Wilberforce has her finger in a number of pies: she’s a mortgage broker and financial planner in Windsor, and also owns two old-school bakeries called Buns and Beans (in Wilberforce and Glossodia).

Her latest venture in the mall is designed for people - like her - who have a sweet tooth, and nothing but a decadent cakey fix will do. “In theory I shouldn’t be alone in my desire for good cupcakes and donuts!” she said.

“I’m sitting at work during the day and it gets to about 2pm and I want something delicious and really, there’s nowhere I can get that in Windsor.” There is now.

She’s banking on mostly takeaways: a special little treat people go out of their way to walk or drive for. This includes crazy milkshakes: a loaded donut or cupcake combined with a milkshake with as many toppings as you can think of.

One of her personal favourites is a donut with Mars Bars, Crunchies and caramel popcorn on top. They also have one filled with custard and topped with Nutella, cupcakes with glittery macaroons on top, and cronuts.

“I’m just taking a crack at something I think other people will want, too. Hawkesbury has to get behind the local businesses more - they say they want it but they’ve got to put their money where their mouth is and actually get behind it. Fingers crossed…” she said.

She’s employing three and hopes to keep doing so.

Down the road, Emma Barbagallo opened her clothing shop One of Three Boutique on the first of this month. A local all her life, she wanted to save others from having to travel to buy high-end clothing.

She stocks “designer labels at affordable prices”, including brands like By Johhny, Backstage Clothing, Apero Label and Riders by Lee.

“My Mum owns a local business and this pushed me to start my own,” she said. “[We’ve had an] amazing response so far. Over 100 customers shopped with us on our opening night.” 

She said she saw an “area of opportunity” for a store like this, and “the more businesses which open, the better.”

Darren Pead, owner of Guy Stuff Gifts & Collectables in the mall, has been promoting Windsor since he opened the shop in 2010. He runs the I Love Windsor Facebook page, which has over 4,800 followers.

“We were already using Facebook and Instagram to promote our own business with great results, so we thought it would be a great idea to do the same for Windsor,” he said.

“The aim of the page is to promote the beauty, history and scenery of Windsor to as many people as possible. Also to promote the businesses (big and small) that are in Windsor.

“There’s a lot of people who want to complain and put Windsor down, so we wanted to do the opposite.”

Mr Pead is also the owner of Lollies’N’Stuff in the mall, and said he is working with Council’s committee to rejuvenate the area: “I am fully aware that the mall needs renovation, repair and modernisation ASAP.”

He said his aim is to see all the shops in Windsor occupied - both in the mall and outside.

“I do believe the tide is turning for Windsor and it has been for quite some time, it’s just that people are finally noticing,” he said.

Hawkesbury Council manager strategic planning, Andrew Kearns, said: “We want to encourage local economic development so we have to improve the magnetism of our town centres.”

Council conducted a survey earlier this year, asking locals what they wanted in their town centres. Mr Kearns said the results for Windsor indicated residents valued the historic buildings and the visual character of Windsor, they liked the cleanliness, the security of the mall, they wanted improvements to buildings and public spaces, and they wanted more activities and entertainment in the evenings.

“Council will play a pivotal role in shaping future development and it will assist businesses in responding to local challenges and alert them to new opportunities,” said Mr Kearns.

“In 2018 and beyond, Council is aiming to deliver projects that enhance the local business environment and local business leaders are concerned about the competitiveness and long term viability of local retail precincts.

“Through Council’s Draft Operational Plan 2018/2019, we have various plans and project which are relevant including: Connecting our Community; The Destination Management Plan; Regional Strategic Alliance; Events Strategy; Town Centres Master Plan. Please refer to the Plan on Council’s website for further details.”

Windsor Business Group (WBG) president, Kathleen Smith, said she was heartened to witness the recent rallying together of Windsor businesses in support of the Hawkesbury Hotel, which announced last month it was struggling financially and would have to close its doors if things didn’t pick up.

“We’ve all been watching what Peter [Fricker] and Dave [Wilkins] have been doing with Hawkesbury Hotel and we’ve just been amazed by the transformation of that place. They spent so much money fixing it up,” she said.

She said during her four years in the WBG she had noticed things “shifting - both good and bad.”

She said new businesses helped to bring people to the area, however there were still property-owners that “just don’t seem to care their properties are vacant” and were not making their properties attractive to renters.

“It’s of real concern that it’s not going to shift more towards success if they don’t do anything about that.”

She said WBG is throwing resources into events that do well, including the Christmas lights event, and the markets at Windsor (third Saturday of the month, 8am-1pm at McLeod Park) for which it offers no lock-in contracts for stall space.  

“We’re helping people try different avenues of making money from that. We do not have imported products on our stalls - the whole thing is to make it, bake it or grow it.”