By Jess Malcolm
THE drought is not yet having a dramatic impact on retail spending in Mildura, with traders quietly optimistic ahead of the Christmas shopping period.
“I think that while people are very aware of the financial impacts the drought is having on our region, they are making plans for Christmas trade as per usual,” Mildura City Heart manager Danielle Hobbs.
“Mildura residents are making the most of the festive season using it as an opportunity to come together, support each other and enjoy.”
Mildura Central retail manager Lexi Golding shared a similarly optimistic view, citing the positive impact of tourism in the region would lead to a “really good” trading period over the next few months.
“We rely heavily on tourist numbers over the Christmas period, from the Riverland and Broken Hill,” Ms Golding said. “We still expect them to travel down and spend money at this time.”
While small business owner Ryan Hammerton isn’t anticipating a “blockbuster” festive season, he is also hopeful.
“We’re retaining an optimistic outlook, based on the level of foot traffic over the past couple of months,” he said.
And when it came to a long-term outlook, Mr Hammerton said he wasn’t concerned due to Sunraysia’s ability to bounce back in tough times.
“I think people are generally cautious but this occurs with reasonable frequency in our region,” he said. “We have been impacted with a range of weather events which have harassed our primary producers for decades, but their resilience is incredible.”
