More than 40 Hobart small businesses have been able to tap into the wisdom and experience of one of Australia’s leading retail marketing researchers in just two years.
The City of Hobart’s 2024 Business Grant Program has resulted in 27 local small businesses in the Hobart LGA receiving up to $2000 in financial support to improve their visual merchandising and overall retail marketing.
Aiming to foster a vibrant and thriving business community by assisting stores to stand out, attract shoppers, and generate more sales, the City of Hobart enlisted the expertise of Dr. Louise Grimmer, one of Australia’s leading retail marketing researchers, advisors, and academics.
Dr. Grimmer provided each business with free, expert, evidence-based advice on their visual stores and physical shopfronts.
Each grant recipient had the opportunity to book a one-on-one consultation, including a physical store review and an online store audit.
Dr. Grimmer (below) delivered tailored reports with recommendations for improvements to their physical or virtual shopfronts.
The benefits of the program include improved brand awareness, creating a more positive shopping experience for customers, and fostering a more vibrant retail landscape.
Tassie Makers Market’s Nadia Calvert used the grant to fund a mural print on both the external and internal walls of her store, featuring artwork by local artist Michelle Evans, serving as a perfect extension of the store’s ethos, and celebrating local creativity both on its walls and through the local handcrafted goods inside.
“It’s definitely had an impact on our store’s visibility, and customers comment on it daily,” Nadia said.
The Teddy Bear Shop’s Rebecca Kay (main picture) used the funding to create an inviting store entrance with lighting, foliage, and, naturally, bears.
“I think this is a fantastic initiative from the Hobart City Council,” Rebecca said.
“Our new entrance has been beneficial for our brand, creating more opportunities for photos and social media presence, ultimately leading to more visitors.”
Other grant recipients implemented various improvements, including enhanced signage, plants and greening, display units and bespoke cabinetry, lighting improvements, music speakers, graphic design, website development, digital assistance, and online advertising.
The program which also ran in 2023/2024, has now assisted up to 40 small businesses with shopfront improvements.
The 2025/2026 Business Grant Program is set to launch in June.
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