Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry release survey asking what stores and brands people want to see in CBD

Albany locals have been given the opportunity to submit their ideas for which stores, cafes and franchises they would like to see fill the empty buildings in the Albany CBD in a newly released survey.

Put forth by the Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the five-question survey hopes to discover the gaps and opportunities presented by the retail and hospitality sectors in the city centre.

ACCI chief executive Kristen Pyrz-Brown said the survey aims to measure the community pulse on potential future businesses.

She stressed that having a “vibrant and tenanted” main street is vital to small communities and encourages the recirculation of money back to locals.

“It creates local jobs, every business owner, even the franchisees live and work in our community,” she said.

“There is a greater chance of incidental purchases happening as well which flows from shop to shop.

“Someone may come to York Street and surrounds to buy a birthday gift from one place, then head to another for the card and wrapping, grab some flowers whilst they’re there and a coffee to-go, simply because it’s all in one location.”

The two-minute survey asks respondents their age, gender, employment status, what category of business they would most like to see and to list any specific brands or franchises they would particularly enjoy.

Ms Pyrz-Brown said having multiple different businesses in one place translates into higher purchasing rates, with high-traffic areas like York Street providing an ideal spot for entrepreneurs.

“Consumers are notorious for wanting convenience which is why the mega malls in metro areas work so well,” she said.

“Ensuring that there are a broad range of retail and hospitality outlets on the main street(s) means more people are attracted to the ‘one stop shop’ nature of getting everything they need in a small radius.

“We would love to see more entrepreneurs attracted to take up space on York Street and create a greater buzz for the city.”

The survey is open until November 12.