Sunshine Coast Hinterland Times

There’s a saying that when the going gets tough the tough get going. Under its new president John Moore, the Montville Chamber of Commerce, is certainly taking a tough approach to Range business  in 2009. John spoke to the Hinterland Times about the challenges of retail trade in Montville.

Rents are often the key to the personality of shopping strips like Montville. These days retail floor space in Montville ranges from $350 a square metre to $600, figures that according to John Moore are high but tend to weed out the inefficient, the unmotivated and the retail copy cats.
“Any retailer who comes to Montville” says John Moore,” with a nice little range of stock, (available anywhere on the Coast)and open their doors expecting people to flood in, need to think again! Retail in Montville is every bit as difficult and as challenging and demanding as retail in Sunshine Coast Plaza. You’ve got to be on your game.”
John believes the face of Montville is slowly changing as new retailers demonstrate skills in product choice, innovation and marketing.  He cites a number of people who are showing the way.
“Some of the best examples are Shiralee Cooper of  Illume Creations, with a world class range of art in glass, created by her sister Tina and Blessed Earth, owned and operated by Raithe and Radha Handiman, with a unique range of Certified Organic wool and cotton products, available only in Montville.
“In the food area there’s Zana’s who are always looking for an edge and a marketing ploy, like their recent “Pay what you think it’s worth lunch menu.” It has worked very well and was simply saying we’re different.
We must retain and work to improve this creative village atmosphere and promote those people who want to bring in ideas that are a little bit different.”
John accepts that many people hark back to the good old days when Montville was visited for its old world charm and its artisans in workshops and potteries. He says retailers want to re-build that village artisan concept and through the Chamber, they are working with Council to see how that can be achieved. Does that mean Montvilleans are learning from the past?
“No question”, says John.” From the Chamber’s point of view, as well as retailers and local residents, there was a sense that we had lost our way, and we are keen to get back to having Montville as a village retail precinct with an enormous bank of creativity throughout all art genres.
“For example, Ron Geyl has been a fantastic supporter of the arts and of Montville for 30 years. I know that Ron has a development beside Poets Cafe which I understand will include an active pottery where we can say once again, come and see potters at work”.
John Moore is full of praise for Councillor Jenny McKay who is working closely with the Chamber to resolve the future of the Russell Family Park, not just for locals but for the whole of Sunshine Coast.
“Jenny McKay has been a little gem. Any time we’ve raised a question or gone into negotiations, I have found this lady is a grassroots, on the ground, get it done, type of lady. I couldn’t speak more highly of Jenny McKay and her staff”.
John Moore has the optimism of the Irish. Born in Belfast, he has worked around the world in manufacturing, management, service, entertainment and hospitality industries. But John knows that optimism on its own will not win the day. You need your feet firmly on the ground and he is delighted to have retail advisory expert Richard Hill on his new Chamber committee.
“We now have a very experienced man on board who can give retailers advice on product range, advertising , promotions or whatever it may be”.
“The Chamber is working not just for the retailers but for the landlords as well”, adds John. “ The best thing a landlord can have is a strong  business retailer who is making good profits. So we are asking them to become more involved because a healthy Montville benefits everyone.”
John says it is the Chamber’s job to enhance the tourists’ perception of Montville and hopefully enhance their experience of Montville  when they come to visit.
“And that’s not by saying we want it to be bigger, because we don’t”, John insists. “Do we want more shops in Montville? No we don’t, except for those who already have approval rights to develop”.
The future for Montville and the Range generally hangs firmly on the accommodation industry.  As John describes it, 75-80 per cent of the market for Range beds comes from Brisbane people heading north with an attitude of:  “let’s get the hell out of Brisbane to the mountains and nature” attitude.
Next year the Montville Chamber will market Montville, not only as a place to shop and to eat, but also for its natural attractions. For that reason the Chamber is supporting the Festival of Walks being organised by the Blackall Range Business and Tourism Association. In case Queenslanders haven’t already heard the Montville message, the Chamber will also print about 30,000 brochures for distribution from Brisbane to Noosa.  And as John Moore says,
“This is the best place in the world but we should never take it for granted”.