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Aussies around the country are being encouraged to get online and support Victorian business after the snap lockdown.
The cost of the Victorian lockdown is growing by the day and is set to be more than $1 billion in terms of lost retail trade, said Paul Zahra, CEO of the Australian Retailers Association.
Victorian businesses need all the help they can get at the moment, he added.
“While government support isn’t forthcoming just yet, the best thing people can do is support them through their online offerings,” he told news.com.au.
“Online and click and collect is still available in Victoria and we encourage people to use those options for getting the goods and services they need. Most retailers have an online sales platform, so if there’s items you would normally buy in store — check out the online purchase, collection and delivery options they might have.”
Last year, the website Click for Vic was launched to connect people with Victorian businesses selling everything from food to wine and fashion to homewares showcased.
It features the likes of skincare products from Olieve & Olie on the Mornington Peninsula and hampers filled with local produce designed by The Cape Kitchen on Phillip Island.
There are hand painted pots, planters and vases created by Ivy & Coco Studio in Bakery Hill and jigsaw puzzles, prints and books with images of favourite Melbourne icons from photographer Chris Cincotta.
The Click for Vic website also includes a digital version of a country market and is home to more than 250 stalls including fresh produce, drinks, arts, crafts and homewares from across regional Victoria.
For bush businesses, there are over 150 rural and regional Victorian businesses listed on the Spend With Us marketplace. It includes products like natural pet remedies from Carma Critta, wine boards and pot hangers from Handmade Happiness and Australian made hoodies and shirts from Espire Clothing.
The Turia Pitt co-founded Spend With Them, which promotes businesses on Instagram and was set up to support business affected by bushfires and subsequently COVID-19, is also featuring local creators across the country, including Victoria.
On the ground, the Victorian Chamber of Commerce has launched a campaign for Victorian couples to celebrate Valentine’s Day properly, two weeks later on 28 February to provide a much-needed boost for hospitality venues and florists blindsided by the sudden circuit breaker lockdown.
It estimates that restaurants have lost $100 million and florists $36 million from having their businesses shuttered.
“We are encouraging all Victorians to reschedule their original plans for 28 February to provide hope and support for our hardest hit sectors which are once again paying the cost for failures in our state’s hotel quarantine and contact tracing systems,” said Paul Guerra, chief executive of Victorian Chamber of Commerce.
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