WHAT IS NEXT ? The project will now enter a new phase in 2025 , with more data and resources being made available to city retailers to continue to make the case for change . As the weather warms up and daylight-saving kicks in , it is the perfect opportunity to engage with the retailers to encourage them to trial a shift in their hours . The business precinct associations that the City of Melbourne work closely with will assist in getting this message across , along with another paid marketing campaign via Broadsheet to get more visitors into our retailers after 5pm .
The Mainstreaming Twilight Trade project has laid the foundation for a more vibrant , bustling Melbourne after dark . As foot traffic continues to grow in the evening , there is a clear opportunity for retailers to rethink their traditional trading hours and align with the city ' s evolving lifestyle . Whether through special events , live music , or simply staying open a little later , the potential for twilight trading is evident .
Pictured above : Media coverage of twilight trading in Melbourne
Melbourne is a city that comes alive at night , and as more businesses embrace this new model , it is likely we will see even more opportunities to shop , dine , and explore the city after the sun goes down .
A dedicated microsite was created , called Twilight Traders , which hosts listings of businesses within the municipality that have extended trading hours .
A follow up survey was conducted to test again if perceptions on Twilight Trade had changed from the initial survey which found 44 per cent were sceptical or undecided . The sentiment had improved with fewer sceptics and universal support for exploring or implementing twilight trading hours .
The key take away is that businesses are willing to make the changes to their hours if they feel it is viable to them and their business . It is important that council continues to support city businesses and provide them with data and analysis that is easy to interpret in order for them to make data driven decisions , which we are seeing with the quarterly Melbourne Economy Snapshot . As council ourselves , if we are advocating for our businesses to stay open later , our services also need to keep up with that , with our libraries now extending their hours to operate until 7pm . There have been continued discussions about how to make the city safer and cleaner for visitors to experience , with further investment in improving the street scapes and amenity . Contributing to this , our Shopfront Activation Program successfully activated 67 shopfronts , with retail vacancy at 6 per cent in the central city core , the lowest retail vacancy in the country , displaying how successful the retail industry is in Melbourne .
The key take away is that businesses are willing to make the changes to their hours if they feel it is viable to them and their business . It is important that council continues to support city businesses and provide them with data and analysis that is easy to interpret in order for them to make data driven decisions ...
REFERENCES
Australian Retails Association Research Report https :// www . retail . org . au / twilight-trade
Future Melbourne Committee March 5 https :// www . melbourne . vic . gov . au / meeting / future-melbournecommittee-05-march-2024-0
Melbourne Economy Snapshot https :// www . melbourne . vic . gov . au / melbourne-economy-snapshot
North and West Melbourne Live at Errol Webpage https :// www . northwestmelbourne . com . au / live-aterrol-st
Paperback Bookshop “ Marriage Proposals , Tattoos and Twilight Trading at Paperback Bookshop ” https :// www . melbourne . vic . gov . au / news / marriageproposals-tattoos-and-twilight-trading-paperbackbookshop
Twilight Traders website https :// www . twilighttraders . com . au /
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MADELINE JOVANOV Madeline Jovanov is an Australian Certified Economic Developer ( ACEcD ) working as a City Economy Coordinator for the City of Melbourne , working on initiatives to enhance the city ' s economic growth and resilience . With a focus on retail development and revitalisation , Madeline works closely with key stakeholders to support Melbourne ' s dynamic economy . Madeline has a background in Tourism and the Visitor Economy , with qualifications from Monash University in Public Relations and Marketing .
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