Empty retail and office spaces in Oamaru's main street are showing no signs of being filled any time soon, which concerns some Thames St retailers.
In early November, the Otago Daily Times counted 12 street-level retail and office spaces in Thames St, between Itchen and Usk Sts, left vacant because of closure or relocation.
That number was now 14, the most recent closure being Riverstone Country's Oamaru store.
The Oamaru Hospice Shop relocated from Thames St to its new premises opposite Orana Park in January.
Tutu Hill Cakes and Gifts also closed recently, but the space was immediately filled by children's clothing and accessory store Rebellious Rose.
Oamaru's Postie Plus store and Oamaru Pet Supplies closed in the second half of last year and both spaces remain vacant.
Several other businesses have either relocated to other Thames St premises or moved to buildings in other streets, including Neat Feet, One Agency, Arm Candy, Waitaki Financial Services (Coquet St) and Vivo Hair Salon (Eden St).
Thames St spaces that have been vacant for more than nine months include the premises between Noodle Canteen and Westpac, next door to Victor Nelson Cycles, the space beside the former Waitaki Financial Services building, another space next to Noel Leeming and part of Macallan House, where Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean's office was formerly based.
Neat Feet owner Katrina Anderson said the number of empty spaces was sad to see.
"I just think it's a shame. It's a shame we have empty shops. We don't need that in a little town. We need our retailers to prosper and I think a lot of that is down to people buying local.
"New types of businesses are awesome for the town, too. I don't know what the answer is for our wee town ... but it's a great town."
Inspirationz owner Jan Nuttall had similar sentiments.
"It doesn't look good in a small town. What else can you say?"
She said people buying online had also had an impact, as had competition within the retail sector.
LJ Hooker Oamaru principal Stephen Robertson said, from a commercial perspective, the market in Oamaru had "probably never been busier".
The company had at least three of the vacant spaces on its books, he said.
"I'm not concerned. The market is buoyant. We've seen inquiries from large franchises to husband and wife teams looking at setting up their own business, That's actually been quite steady. If we didn't have that level of inquiry, then I would be concerned."
