Meal vouchers a positive step to revitalise Sydney CBD

Friday 18 June 2021

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has welcomed the NSW Government’s announcement of $100 meal vouchers for use on Fridays as a positive step to help revitalise the Sydney CBD.

Consumers will be able to bundle four $25 vouchers together in one transaction – a key recommendation from the ARA, which will attract more people and families into the city.

ARA CEO Paul Zahra said the vouchers will help generate more foot traffic through the CBD and deliver flow on benefits for retailers.

“The Sydney CBD isn’t the thriving hub it used to be, with people choosing to work from home and a lack of tourists preventing retail businesses from trading at their full potential,” Mr Zahra said.

“Small businesses in particular are in deep pain, and while the CBD office occupancy rate has been steadily improving, there aren’t as many people doing the things they would be normally – like grabbing a coffee from a nearby café, shopping during their lunch break or having dinner and drinks in the city after work.

“Friday’s have been identified as low attendance day for city workers around the country and we support the growing focus nationally around Friday promotions to help stimulate visitation – as we have with ‘FOMO Fridays’ in Melbourne and ‘Fridays in the City’ in Brisbane.

“There is a strong link between hospitality, events and retail and the meal vouchers are a fantastic way to get people back enjoying the best of what the Sydney CBD has to offer. More people dining out means more people out and about in the city supporting our retail businesses and reforming positive habits around CBD experiences.

“The ARA has been working closely with the NSW Government on ways to revitalise the Sydney CBD, including the use of meal vouchers, and we thank them for their leadership and focussed support for businesses.

“Today’s announcement builds on the successful Dine and Discover vouchers, which delivered a much-needed boost for the economy, as well 200,000 accommodation vouchers for hotel stays in the city, which are due to be rolled out soon.

“The reactivation of the Sydney CBD is critical for our national economic recovery, and we congratulate the NSW Government for their strong leadership and support for business.”

/Public Release. View in full here.