Retail industry

Retail In Parramatta

The City of Parramatta’s retail trade sector is worth $1.3 billion. It employed 10,945 workers in 2019–20. With more than 200,000 square metres in retail floor space and the equally largest Westfield in New South Wales, Parramatta is already a major retail destination.

More than half of Parramatta’s retail trade sector opportunities are outside food and beverage, and fashion retailing. Food and beverage retailing comprise 27% of the retail trade industry while fashion retailing captures the remaining 19%. 

Parramatta’s retail strips extend beyond Westfield and into the CBD and surrounding neighbourhoods. Destinations such as Eat Street on Church Street, Carlingford Court and  Winston Hills generate significant retail activity for the City. 

Although employment in Parramatta’s retail sector has declined over the last 15 years, this is on par with trends across New South Wales. Factors such as online shopping have impacted consumer behaviour globally. 

Despite this, output over the same time period has increased steadily. Parramatta’s growing population, increasing visitor economy, expanding workforce and investment boom are driving the retail trade industry.

The visitor economy in Parramatta

Around 1.28 million people visit Parramatta each year. This provides significant retail opportunities in the City. 

Major music festivals, sporting fixtures, cultural venues and recreational activities already make Parramatta an attractive tourist destination.

This includes several major Council-sponsored events that are estimated to have brought more than 250-thousand visitors annually:

• Parramatta Lanes
• Naidoc
• Winterlight
• Sydney Festival
• Christmas
• New Year’s Eve
• Australia Day
• Lunar New Year

Population and employment growth

Future Retail Sector Growth and Parramatta's Population

Parramatta’s retail trade sector is projected to remain a robust and growing industry due to three key drivers of growth:

• Population growth
• Employment growth
• City developments

In 2016, Parramatta had 240,000 residents. By 2036, this figure is expected to increase to 444,839.  Western Sydney’s population was 1.9 million in 2016. By 2036, this figure is expected to increase to 3 million. 

By 2021 an extra 22,000 workers are expected to be employed in Parramatta. In the short term, this will create 2000 retail and wholesale employment opportunities, supported by construction workers who are also consumers.  In the longer term, 72% of all employment growth (or 16,000 jobs) will be distributed among white-collar industries, which creates a demand for a diverse retail mix. 

By 2036, 113,000 extra jobs are expected to be created in the Parramatta region. 

City developments

The City of Parramatta is undergoing unprecedented growth. Here are some of the major developments in the City that are expected to impact and stimulate the local economy:

Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) is expected to bring in more than 1 million visitors per annum by 2022. The University of Sydney and University of New South Wales campuses will attract a young and vibrant student population. 

Bankwest Stadium successfully opened in April 2019 with sell-out events attracting 30,000 visitors to the City Riverside Theatre redevelopment to expand and upgrade the existing theatre offering in Parramatta. 

Light rail, Metro West and WestConnex infrastructure developments improving accessibility into and within Parramatta. More than 21 mixed-use developments are in the development pipeline, which would add an extra 170,000 square metres of commercial space to the CBD, of which, 5-10%  could have retail use.