A well-meaning social media post backfired on Integrity Real Estate, Shoalhaven City Council and Lorna Jane this week.
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Small business owners in the Nowra CBD were incensed by Integrity’s post which applauded council for providing a retail space on Kinghorne Street to Lorna Jane free of charge for four days.
Local business owners aired their grievances via the Shoalhaven News Facebook page on Tuesday, in a post which has since been deleted.
Some shopkeepers were fuming the pop-up would be in direct competition with local stores that stock Lorna Jane products and activewear, others were outraged at council for providing the space free of charge.
“I don’t know why council would be assisting a multinational company, I would have thought council would be looking to help small businesses,” Nowra CBD Business Chamber Chairman Scott Baxter said.
“Council's talking about supporting farmers out west, but where is the support for local shopkeepers?”
A council spokesperson told Fairfax Media council was within its rights to provide the space free of charge.
“In any case if a property owner has trouble renting a shop, the owner may provide a rent-free period to at least activate the shop front and it encourage a potential full time tenant,” council’s spokesperson said.
“It is a way of trying to attract new businesses and people to our area. The property has not been leased since November 2017. Waminda recently used the space to display art.”
Council’s response didn’t sit well with the Business Chamber.
“Council staff will make every excuse under the sun, but it doesn’t pass the pub test; it's not fair,” Mr Baxter said.
“They do not understand multinational corporations don’t do pop-up stores to test the market, they already know their market.
“It's a national company coming to dump surplus stock in our town, they have no intention of setting up business here.”
On Tuesday night, the information changed.
Integrity’s post from the morning had been deleted, and a new post popped up in its place.
On Wednesday Integrity, council and Lorna Jane spokespeople told Fairfax Media the premises was never offered to Lorna Jane free of charge.
“It was an honest mistake by the girls in the office,” Integrity director Peter Russell said.
“The post was incorrect, certainly it (the premises) wasn’t donated. Council wouldn’t donate the skin off a custard tart.”
A Lorna Jane spokeswoman said the pop-up was a brand-building initiative, designed to create more demand for their products, and effectively boost business for local retailers who stock Lorna Jane.
“It’s a community event, we will be letting people know about where Lorna Jane is stocked,” she said.
“We’re only there for a short amount of time.
“We will hand out details of where you can buy the brand post-event.”
But local retailers are still seething according to Mr Baxter, who also is in the real estate industry.
“It doesn’t matter whether they’re (Lorna Jane) paying rent or not, they end up paying next to nothing,” he said.
“Why promote them in our town?”
He believes those who already stock Lorna Jane products have every right to feel cheated, and does not believe the pop up will benefit them.
“I know where I'd be putting their stock now, I'd be putting it out the back room out of sight,” Mr Baxter said.
Kinghorne Traders owner Catherine Shields said the gaffe couldn’t have come at a worse time for retailers in the Nowra CBD.
“It’s insensitive,” she said.
“Retailers are doing all they can to stay in business by sharing overheads and creating a lively shopping area.
“We’re pretty resilient, but August has been a particularly bad month for retail in the CBD.
“Why give a national chain store a leg up when the space could be offered to a local startup or some local artisans?”