Sydney suburban shopping strips are on their knees as retailers close their doors in the downturn

While the retail downturn has hit big retailers and smaller outlets in suburban malls, the once thriving shops on main streets throughout our suburbs have been devastated.

In strip after strip in Sydney's inner wow items west, an increasing number of shops are boarded up, some for years, with everything from clothing stores to fruit shops disappearing.

From Homebush to Leichhardt landlords are running wow gold up debts because they cannot find tenants to rent their shopfronts. Some are prepared to make a massive loss just to sell.

"It is survival of the fittest," economist Craig James said.

But lifestyle changes are also conspiring against the local shops. "In the past Australians had a lot more time to go to their local shopping strip buy fruit and vegetables here, some meat there, and then go down the road for their liquor and bakery items," Mr James said.

"But the way we shop has changed. We are increasingly time poor, more members of households are working and for convenience they go to these super centres where everything is in one place."

On New Canterbury Rd in Petersham, a former fruit shop has been gathering dust for years as the landlords can't attract tenants. Owners Theodoros and Sophie Tsanidis relocated to bigger premises more than 10 years ago. Since then, two tenants opened and closed fruit shops but the premises have been abandoned for four years.

Next door, a former physiotherapist that has been wow items on the rental market at just $370 a week since June 2010 and an old chicken shop are both boarded up, covered in graffiti.

"In its day, this area was very busy but we just seem to be getting pushed out by everybody else," Mr Taylor said.

"We are surrounded by big shopping centres Broadway Shopping centre, Ashfield, Marrickville Metro, Burwood, Birkenhead Point and Leichhardt Marketplace where you can park easily and get everything in one spot."

On Marrickville Rd, a butcher, a medical centre, a chemist and a sports store sit abandoned.

The ones that have survived - such as Christina wow gold Calligas of Lamia Super Deli - are hanging on, by a thread. She says fewer customers mean businesses are scrambling to cover high rents and electricity bills.

"There are fewer people coming in and people are spending less," wow gold she said. "At the same time, our rent has doubled to almost $1500 a week in the past five years and our monthly power bill has almost tripled to $2000. We survive, but just."

Only three customers had walked into Nuna children's clothing and accessories on Marrickville Rd by 4pm on Wednesday, when The Sunday Telegraph visited.

"If we could get out now we would but we have signed a lease for three years," said owner David Ng. "The sales aren't enough to cover rent so at the moment it is coming out of our pocket."

Marrickville Mayor and Chamber of Commerce president Maurice Hanna said the problem was simple; parking.

"Parking on Marrickville buy wow gear Rd has not increased in the past 20 years," he said.

Rival shopping centre Marrickville Metro wants to increase the number of car spaces it has from 1700 to 2400, a move that would further hammer local shops.
source:http://www.buywowgold.nl