Retail shake-up hits Bendigo: How openings, closures and online shifts are reshaping the local job and talent market

Bendigo’s retail sector is in the middle of a talent shake-up. In the past six months, at least three major new stores have opened at the Bendigo Marketplace on High Street, including a 2,000-square-metre Kmart and a Uniqlo outlet, while a heritage menswear shop on Mitchell Street closed its doors after 42 years. The net effect on the local labour market is not simply a gain or loss of jobs, it is a fundamental shift in the kinds of skills employers need and the types of roles on offer.

A two-speed market for workers

The new openings are creating hundreds of entry-level and casual positions, but they are also pulling experienced retail staff away from smaller, independent retailers. A survey conducted by the Bendigo Business Council last month found that 68 per cent of independent retailers in the city centre reported difficulty finding and retaining experienced staff, up from 42 per cent in 2023. Meanwhile, larger chains are offering $31.50 an hour for weekend casual work, nearly $4 above the award rate, attracting workers who might otherwise have stayed with local shops.

The shift mirrors a national trend. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, retail employment in regional Victoria grew by 4.2 per cent in the year to May 2026, but the mix has changed: part-time and casual roles now account for 73 per cent of all new retail hires, compared with 61 per cent five years ago. In Bendigo, the split is even more pronounced: the Bendigo Job Hub reports that 81 per cent of retail vacancies advertised on its portal in June were for casual or part-time positions.

From the Mall to the Marketplace, and beyond

The geographic shift is also affecting where people want to work. The Bendigo Marketplace and the new retail precinct along Williamson Street, anchored by a recently opened Chemist Warehouse and an Aldi, are drawing job applicants away from the traditional retail strip on Pall Mall and Mitchell Street. A local recruitment agency, Golden City Staffing, told The Daily Bendigo that the number of applicants per vacancy on Mitchell Street has dropped by 30 per cent since January 2025, while applications for roles at the Marketplace have doubled.

Beyond the big chains, the rise of online radio stations and e-commerce fulfilment hubs is creating niche roles. The Bendigo-based online retailer Country & Co, which operates from a distribution centre on Marong Road, has hired 14 new staff this year, including three digital marketing specialists and two logistics coordinators, roles that barely existed in Bendigo retail three years ago. Similarly, the Bendigo Art Gallery recently launched an online gift shop, requiring a dedicated e-commerce manager.

The practical question for local job seekers is simple: which skills are now in demand? The Bendigo Business Council runs a free monthly Retail Skills Workshop at the Bendigo Library on Hargreaves Street; the next one is on 24 July and will focus on digital merchandising and customer analytics. For employers, the Bendigo Regional Chamber of Commerce is lobbying the state government to fund a retail apprenticeship program, citing the 40 per cent turnover rate in the sector as unsustainable.

What happens next may depend on whether Bendigo’s independent retailers can adapt fast enough, or whether the talent exodus to the big boxes and online fulfilment centres becomes permanent. The city’s retail workforce is being reshaped, not just in size, but in kind.