Bathurst CBD shop vacancies remain at a concerning level

The number is only set to grow, as Kings Antiques prepares to shut its doors in the coming months, and another business on the same block of George Street, Mooi Plants, is also closing down.

Bathurst Business Chamber president Paul Jones said the business community is concerned about the vacancy rate in the CBD.

He pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as one issue contributing to some of the vacancies.

"From a chamber of commerce point of view, it's a bit worrying that there's empty shops around," Mr Jones said.

"Some of the businesses closed during COVID and didn't reopen, so things like the travel agents that were here. They got severely knocked about by COVID.

"And the other big issue businesses are experiencing is finding staff, and that just makes it incredibly difficult to even think about opening a business."

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He said the difficulties finding staff, along with the increasing costs to operate a business, are the main concerns for business owners right now.

They are also facing challenges from the growth in online shopping, which could see more bricks and mortar retail businesses close.

Mr Jones said the community has a role to play in preventing closures by frequenting local businesses instead of always shopping online.

"I think they need to think local first and try and support the local businesses," he said.

But, he said existing businesses also need to adapt to the changing landscape of retail and keep up with the times.

Prominent Bathurst businessman Peter Rogers is among those who holds serious concerns about the CBD's future.

In recent times, he has counted more than 20 independently-owned businesses that have closed without being sold to new owners, and nearly as many franchises that have left Bathurst while retaining stores in nearby regional centres.

As the owner of multiple commercial premises, Mr Rogers can confidently say that inquiry from potential tenants is significantly down, making it difficult to fill the vacancies.

He has a shopfront on Howick Street opposite the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum that remained vacant for two years, and required the rent to be dropped by 50 per cent to be able to lock a tenant in.

Meanwhile, the Regency Jewellers premises on the corner of Howick and William streets, also owned by Mr Rogers, is still without a tenant after close to 12 months.

"There's just been a complete and utter shortage of even interest from people," he said.

"There's no one even interested because when you come to our CBD its dead, so why would you even want to open a shop? That's the biggest issue.

"And then when people go to open a business, it's just the expense and cost of doing everything that puts them off as well."

He thinks some of Bathurst's biggest problems are a lack of marketing and there being no real drawcard in the CBD, saying Bathurst is no longer seen as a shopping city.

"People don't pull in off the highway and say 'We're going to go to Bathurst for the weekend and go shopping', so we've got to get back to that," he said.

If marketing improves and there's more things to attract people, he thinks some changes could start to be seen in the Bathurst CBD when it comes to business.

"I think we're dead without a real big shake-up," Mr Rogers said.

It's not all doom and gloom for local business, though.

Mr Jones thinks the partnership between IBM and Charles Sturt University (CSU) could have a positive impact on businesses in the CBD, as could the growing population.

"Bathurst's population is growing, so that helps the existing businesses here because the customer base is always growing," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Rogers said the proposed Bathurst Integrated Medical Centre (BIMC) could also reinvigorate the CBD if it goes ahead.

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