By Renee Wood
Healesville businesses have enjoyed a healthy re-opening to trading on the Melbourne Cup long weekend.
The shopping strip was a hive of activity from Saturday through to Tuesday with locals and visitors enjoying the easing of restrictions.
Crumbz Craft owner Kay Trembath said it’s great to finally welcome customers into the store.
“It’s just lovely to have our doors open and listening to the buzz of the cars and people walking by,” she said.
Country smart owner Russel Key said Saturday 30 October was the best day of trading, the first day retail could open in three months.
“Looking at our sales figures, it doesn’t take very long to be up on what the 2019 figures were,” he said.
Verso Books co-owner Nina Sturgess said the shop usually doesn’t open for the Cup public holiday but decided to do so with restrictions easing and in response to feedback from previous years.
“Last year there was a bit of feedback that a lot of the shops weren’t actually open last year, so we thought we need to kind of change that,” she said.
“I think the main struggle in town at the moment is on some of the long weekends a lot of traders aren’t open and the wait times for people to get food can be quite challenging.”
Shop owners believe the restrictions on international travel and people wanting to support local are helping to boost trade following a long closure period.
“We’re getting a bit of a shot in the arm for local business, which just helps everything go along like employment,” Mr Key said.
However, the retail industry is finding it hard to find willing staff due to the pandemic, with the casual workforce pool shrinking, lockdowns forcing job cuts and those affected switching industries.
“It’s always difficult to get good staff but it’s seems to be more difficult in this period, and the loss of international students and travellers suddenly makes a difference,” Mr Key said.
Also in a matter of weeks retailers will have to monitor vaccination statuses.
Currently unvaccinated and one dose Victorians are allowed to visit shops, up until the state reaches 90 per cent fully vaccinated.
Ms Trembath said it will be a challenge.
“I think when shops need to be fully vaxed customers only, that might be difficult to monitor,” she said.
