September was such a yummy month, with our community getting behind Waffle-licious for the search for the best waffle in town. A huge congratulations to Samuel Pepys on taking out the top spot, and a big thank you to all the businesses who participated and helped make the campaign such a success.
We’re also very excited to welcome Lucy, our new Digital Marketing Coordinator, who has joined the Launceston Central team part-time. We’re looking forward to having her creativity and expertise helping us showcase everything happening across our city centre.
It’s also wonderful to see The Lounge reopen under the ownership of Ghostlight Creative. The team has been busy organising events and creating even more reasons for people to come into the city. Make sure you check their socials for all the events happening.
Preparing now for busy Christmas season
Looking ahead, we are working closely with the City of Launceston to make Christmas in the City 2026 a magical, vibrant and busy time for our CBD businesses, locals and visitors. We hope your Christmas preparations are well underway and that you’ll join us in celebrating an amazing Christmas in the CBD. In addition the shop window decoration trail, we are so excited to introduce Twilight Shopping on three Thursdays in December, from 5pm to 7pm. Please see the EOI details below for information on how your business can get involved and please drop us a line if you have some ideas we can assist you with.
October is shaping up to be just as exciting. City of Launceston will host the fantastic new event called Little Food Fest at Civic Square on 14 and 15 October. We’ll also welcome a range of events into the CBD as part of the Tamar Valley Writers Festival, commencing on 16 October.
Wishing everyone a successful October and strong trading ahead. As always, please reach out to the Launceston Central team if there is anything we can assist with or if you have any questions.
PS - If you haven’t seen the cool art installation pod at Civic Square it is certainly worth a visit. Congratulations to Interweave for creating such a gorgeous art installation.
Warm regards,
Gab Dicarlantonio
Chief Executive Officer
gab@launcestoncentral.com.au
New businesses in CBD, more coming soon
Here are the latest openings from September, with a preview of more to come
Every month, Launceston Central welcomes new businesses into the CBD. As a new ongoing feature of the business update newsletter, we will highlight the latest openings. See the list below and say hello to your newest neighbours.
Lower Ground Café | Hospitality | The Arches, Charles St
Sarchen Beauty | Services | 135 St John St
Goal Rich Barbers | Services | 62 Charles St
COMING SOON:
Devils Den | Retail (office space now open) | 150 Cimitiere Street
Sip n Dine | Hospitality | Penny Royal Adventure Park
Marlo | Hospitality | 172 Charles St
Christmas season EOI now open
We are ready to spread the festive cheer with our Christmas campaign. See details below to join.
Christmas is less than 90 days away, and Launceston Central has big plans for activating the CBD, from Black Friday to Boxing Day. This year's campaign is designed to entice both local and intrastate shoppers into the CBD, encourage more in-person shopping over online purchasing, add to the fun and festive atmosphere, and linger longer in the city centre.
While the primary focus is on shopping, we know shoppers love to spend on food, drink, and services during the busy holiday season, too. Every business is welcome to join the Christmas season campaign, in whatever way works for your business. Learn more below, followed by a link to submit your EOI:
THURSDAY NIGHT TWILIGHT SHOPPING
3, 10, 17 Dec from 5–7pm
Join fellow retailers and entice after-work shoppers with the return of Twilight Shopping! For three nights only, Twilight Shopping activations will feature:
Live music throughout the CBD
Shop-to-win $$$ giveaways every night
Our promotion of happy hour specials and evening events
Tas Pol to provide presence in mall and additional patrols during the activations
What do shoppers get? Free entertainment, free street parking, a chance to win, and to enjoy Launnie's hospitality after shopping.
SANTA'S WINDOW TRAIL GIVEAWAYS
28 Nov–25 December
Help us spread Christmas cheer in the CBD by decorating your shop window! We are focusing on getting shoppers beyond your window–and into your shop. Every participating business will be featured on the trail map, and we will also highlight your top gift item on our website. Each shop will also receive a limited number of 'stocking stuffers' to give away to the littlest shoppers. Reward customers who are shopping local, and get the word out about your must-buy gift items!
LET US HIGHLIGHT YOUR SALES AND EXTENDED HOURS
Running a Black Friday sale? Want to host happy hour during Twilight Trading? Tell us!
We know the holidays are full on. Rather than adding another to-do to your Christmas wish list, let us promote what you already plan to do! Share details about sales, special offers, and any other limited holiday promotions, and we'll include them in our marketing.
This week: sporting events bring increased visitation to CBD
Have you noticed extra visitors in sporty gear? Here's why.
With three national sporting events taking place this week in northern Tasmania, local businesses might be seeing extra foot traffic in the CBD from participants and their families visiting interstate. Here are the details:
U13/U17 Australian National Badminton Championships (26 Sep–2 Oct) Approximately 500 participants are in Launceston for this competition.
Australian Transplant Games (26 Sep–2 Oct) Approximately 800 participants are in Launceston; this is the first time the Transplant Games have been hosted in the state of Tasmania.
Australian Junior Squash Championships, Devonport (27 Sep–3 Oct) Approximately 500 participants will be in Tasmania for this competition. While it is well outside of our area, many attendees may be travelling in and out via Launceston and may spend additional time in the city during their trip.
Want to learn more about how major events impact our local economy? Visit Northern Tasmania has recently released the Northern Events & Festivals Infrastructure Strategy, endorsed by the Tasmanian State Government this September. Please see the link below to learn more.
Plan ahead and make sure your business is compliant
From 1 October 2026, businesses will no longer be able to add a surcharge to payments made using eftpos, Mastercard, Visa or American Express.
While this change may require some adjustments, preparing now can help make the transition smoother for your business. A good first step is to review your current payment systems and identify where card surcharges may be applied. This could include your point-of-sale system, online checkout processes, invoices and payment terminals. Checking these areas now can help you avoid disruptions when the changes take effect.
It's important to note that other surcharges, such as weekend or public holiday surcharges, can still apply, provided customers are clearly informed before making a purchase. Some businesses may also choose to offer discounts for specific payment methods, such as cash or PayID. If you do, ensure customers can easily understand which payment methods qualify and how much they will save.
To help you understand your obligations and prepare for these changes, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) provides practical information and resources. Visit the link below for more details.
