Greater Hamilton’s retail stores enjoy a local catchment of 25,000 customers, with the innovative use of online trading extending this reach beyond the region.

The Southern Grampians Shire Council has developed its own Retail Development Strategy based around the principles of supporting activity centres, supporting traders and their organisations, and providing a clear retail development framework designed to increase the diversity of retail product, help retain expenditure in the local economy, create new jobs and enhance seven-day trading.

Substantial community and private investment has been undertaken within the Hamilton central business district, which serves as the major regional retail and business hub. The town centre has approximately 102,000 sq m of non-residential floorspace of which 40,000 sq m is retail and nearly 5,000 sq m (5% of the total) is vacant.

Coleraine has the largest retail sector of the smaller towns.