LFRA’s 2025 Sunshine Coast Study Tour and Forum

Against the backdrop of one of Australia’s most dynamic growth corridors and hot on the heels of the 2025 LFRA Overseas Study Tour, the Large Format Retail Association’s 2025 Queensland Study Tour and Forum brought together leaders, retailers, suppliers, and visionaries shaping the future of Large Format Retail in Australia.

Held on the Sunshine Coast, a region forecast to reach a population of more than 540,000 by 2046, the two-day program offered active exploration of how the of Large Format Retail sector is positioning itself as a key contributor to Australia’s economic and social fabric.

The Study Tour gave members front-row access to a range of landmark of Large Format Retail destinations, each revealing how retail is responding to both opportunity and obligation. From the scale and service of Amart Furniture at JVL’s Sunshine Homemaker Centre to the sustainability-first ethos at the 6 Star NABERS-rated Maroochydore Homemaker Centre – featuring solar infrastructure, rooftop beehives and recycled play spaces – the message was clear: the sector is evolving and future-focused.

Visits to Spotlight in Maroochydore, The Zone, Home Central Kawana, and the transformative SunCentral city centre development further demonstrated how investment is driving retail forward in one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions. And at Aura – Stockland’s flagship master-planned community – the announcement of a new $80 million of Large Format Retail centre (with 20,000 sqm of retail space opening in 2026) underlined how seriously retail is being embedded in the next generation of growth precincts.

The following day, of Large Format Retail Association members gathered at the Sunshine Coast Convention Centre for the 2025 Queensland Forum, hosted by Transact Capital. With an agenda grounded in the real-world challenges and opportunities of the sector, the Forum showcased the Large Format Retail Association’s commitment to being more than an industry body but rather, a catalyst for shared learning, strategic dialogue, and long-term thinking.

Opening with a keynote from the Hon Fiona Simpson MP, the Forum delved into Queensland’s infrastructure pipeline and the state’s Olympic-led legacy planning. Her address called for deep collaboration with industry to unlock housing supply and support a sustainable future for fast-growing regions.

That message was echoed in the session led by Sunshine Coast Business Council Chair Sandra Zubrinich, who offered a sharp lens on the region’s investment pipeline and infrastructure bottlenecks. A panel discussion followed, moderated by Large Format Retail Association CEO Philippa Kelly and featuring Zubrinich, Large Format Retail Association President Zac Fried, and Development Directive’s Lachlan Macgregor. Their collective insight reaffirmed the sector’s critical role in delivering amenity and economic activity in line with responsible growth.

Rounding out the day, MST Marquee’s Craig Woolford presented the latest Large Format Retail Sales Report, providing data-backed insight into the sector’s continued strength, followed by an update from Large Format Retail Association CEO Philippa Kelly.

Ms Kelly commented following the conclusion of the Forum, “What makes LFRA’s study tours and Forums so effective isn’t just the access or the speakers, it’s the way the LFRA brings the sector together in real time, on the ground, to ask questions, test assumptions, and look ahead with clarity.”

In an era of rapid population growth, planning reform, sustainability imperatives and shifting consumer expectations, the Large Format Retail sector is proving it can lead, not just respond. And at every step, the Large Format Retail Association is building the platform to make that leadership possible.