Small Town Retail: Anything But Dull

Do you remember the childhood story of the city mouse and the country mouse?

It goes something like this. City mouse is a somewhat blinkered rodent with a significant superiority complex which is turned on its head upon discovering that city living is not - gasp - better, richer or more sophisticated than country mouse’s life in the slower lane. 

Likewise, regional and city retail sectors can often feel like they are in a similar predicament. Shopping in the big smoke can begin to feel like a hamster wheel rinse-and-repeat exercise in bland, ubiquitous chain stores and vapid shopping malls offering identical experiences in different locations. It isn’t until city dwellers escape into some of the regional areas that they discover independent retail businesses offering the truly unique products and experiences that they crave in their urban dwelling.

Take, for example, the small towns scattered throughout the Flinders Ranges region of South Australia. Leaving Adelaide and winding up through the dry, dusty landscape, you could be forgiven for thinking that everything had upped and left during a drought which has gripped the area for the last nine years. 

But, turning off the highway into some of the small, historic towns, which are stunningly preserved, offers an insight into thoughtful, creative retail which is flourishing. These tiny towns provide not just a string of pit stops on the way to the beautiful national park, but destinations worthy of independent visits. 

Hawker, in the foothills of the Flinders, throws out surprise after serendipitous surprise. A stunning art gallery anchors the town, with a vast collection of artworks by renowned local landscape artist Jeff Morgan on display. The little gallery hums with life and creativity as tourists mill around appreciating floor to ceiling representations of the stunning, rusty-red desert. 

In a seamless flow of symbiotic business strategy, the same visitors move on into the funky Flinders Food Co across the road. With spacious, wooden interiors reminiscent of high-end inner city chic and unique products paying homage to local produce (think quandong cheesecake and golden wattle soda), this is a cafe which bucks the idea of rough, tough outback hospitality. They even have a range of trendy merch! 

Right next door is the timelessly restored local pub, with a classic vintage front worthy of its own Baz Luhrman feature film. Dusty tables and chairs lounge iconically under a big, wooden verandah overhang. But the menu? Delicious curries, gulab jamun and the odd kangaroo schnitzel thrown in because… country. 

Add a gaggle of almost-staged emus pecking at the grass in the park across the road, and this truly is a little place with a big, creative, trendy heart. 

The lesson? Urban retail can also return to a sense of discovery, excitement and unexpected reward. Collaboration and synthesis between businesses in a similar location and unique products with heart and story can bring a zing back to the high street with the added bonus of increased footfall and, more importantly, a lighthearted feeling of fun. Come on, city mouse, show us your squeak!