Retail

Lygon St might see fewer stores “dishing out pasta” after Covid-19 has left one in five shopfronts empty on the iconic strip.

The property trust has sounded a warning for big mall landlords and the broader economy amid uncertainty over pandemic shutdowns.

The cinema chain owned by billionaire businessman Alan Rydge has called on the federal government to reintroduce JobKeeper while Freedom Furniture has stood down staff in NSW

Private investors are scrambling to secure essential services properties able to trade during COVID-19 lockdowns, ahead of a $65 million portfolio auction.

COVID-19 has fuelled demand for service stations as investors chase “pandemic-proof” businesses, with several fuel assets up for grabs as part of a $165 million portfolio auction of essential services properties.

Private investors targeting retail assets have snapped up a Bunnings and two Coles-anchored shopping centres in regional Victoria for almost $80 million in total as sales activity ramps up.

A first-time Chinese investor has paid $4.5 million for a Victorian shopping plaza as regional assets attract international interest.

A regional Victorian Coles and a smaller-format Melbourne Woolworths have fetched record prices as investors target “pandemic-proof” supermarkets.

Investors’ increased appetite for Bunnings investments during the coronavirus pandemic is expected to drive strong competition for an Adelaide warehouse that has hit the market for $45 million.