Last weekend, we visited Broadway Shopping Centre. The mall is in the southern end of the Sydney CBD (Central Business District). Public transport isn’t as good as comparable centres downtown. Buses are the only proximate means; otherwise, you’d have to drive. Target and Kmart, two major department stores, anchor the edifice. A full-service Coles is on ground level. Furthermore, a 500-seat food court is located on level two. A 12-screen Hoyts complex sits adjacent to the food court. There is also JB-HiFi on level two as well as an Apple Store at the top level.

Lost on Broadway

This trip to Broadway was centred around Marcs. I was after this rugby top which had an owl badge. The mall houses the only Marcs standalone store in the CBD. Alas, there was no rugby to be found. When I tried to tell the sales assistant that it had a collar, he seemed lost.

‘You mean like a chunky collar?’

‘Not really. Is that menswear over there?’ I spied a discount rack further along.

‘Yes,’ he replied. Instead of confusing the guy even more, I went over and examined the rack. No sweater.

• 

• 

• 

Off Target

We then ducked into Target and browsed. Finding nothing of interest, we headed to Dotti. Signs proclaimed, ‘fifty percent storewide.’ Upon further inspection, we gathered that the store was closing for good. My companion grabbed an acrylic sweater, which used to be fifty bucks; a steal at over seventy percent off.

Typo and Just Jeans

After this, we had a look at Typo. There were signs saying $2 selected styles. The outlet featured an array of notebooks. While they had nice designs, I thought that they were rather thin for my purposes. My companion ended up buying a pouch. The whole pencil case range was reduced. I picked up one of them but judged that it was too roomy. Sandwiching these two encounters was Just Jeans. The store was hawking forty percent off, but their range was sophomoric. Furthermore, the ones worth buying were out of sizes. I wistfully think back to the days of Jeanswest in the centre. I bought a few shirts here and they were very reasonable. I also collected shorts and scored a maroon knit jacket. The shop has long since been gone.

The Big Buy

Our next stop was Cotton On. They had a sale rack that I noticed, which featured some jumpers. This peach-coloured fleece one caught my eye. It was half price at twenty bucks. I also sighted this slim tapered jean in grey colour. I’ve been on a lookout for such an addition. There was still about eight of them left, in different sizes. I tried on a couple of them. Both items looked good, so I didn’t think twice about the purchase. The denim used to be $60. Therefore, I got a total of sixty percent off.

Stretching your dollars

We then ventured into K-Mart. I got three notebooks for six bucks. Later, I’d realise that they were just the same sheet count as Typo’s. We also grabbed this plug extension for three bucks. We had a look at some manchester but decided to hold off for now. We then headed to The Reject Shop where we bought some beverages and candles. Along the way, we passed by Industrie. Business has not been good for the brand; there was no one nearby. The same applied to Yd. I thought of having a browse, but the lack of window shoppers convinced me that it wasn’t worth it. I see these two menswear stops as the most likely to leave. For womenswear, next after Dotti would be Witchery.

Gourmet eats

H&M was the one we forgot to visit. The store is a recent addition, only opening in late 2016. The centre bought off what used to be office space and added Calvin Klein, Sephora, Victoria’s Secret, and the former. Last year, I purchased a five-pack of socks here. The food court was likewise upgraded in the reshuffle. Some new tenants opened shop, including Mexican and Malaysian eateries. The dining has a more upmarket feel. This was all part of the $55 million major refurbishment, which commenced the year prior.

The food court has a fair range. Apart from the aforementioned cuisines, there is also Chinese, Thai, Turkish, and Aussie fare. Moreover, sushi is available downstairs; Boost Juice; T2 and Chatime for the tea lovers. There are the usual cafes. What’s missing are the biggest names in fast food. Instead, it’s mostly mid-tier and gourmet fare. If you’re after pizza, burgers, or McNuggets, you’ll be disappointed. Once, they had this spin the wheel promo. If you order from the food court, you were eligible to try your luck and win prizes. When my turn came, I found the wheel heavy but managed to win some free sushi.

Meanwhile, the Coles used to be our primary stop for groceries. Usually, we’d stock up after Mass, before taking the bus back home. The renovated supermarket looks radically different than the one we used to frequent. The layout, deli, bakery, and checkouts have all been made over. I recall buying some apparel from Rebel Sport. I used to have a look at their shoes. They have a big store at the front. My companion commented that they have stayed on despite COVID. They’ve been around since my first visit.

Outdoor sale

Over at Aldi, I twice had a shopping spree during their annual outdoor sale. In July 2017, I was there before they opened, along with a dozen eagle-eyed shoppers. I grabbed two sets of thermals, snow gloves, and a down vest. I was prepping for my snow day. The next year was similar as I spent ninety bucks on thermals. Aldi occupies the space that Bi-Lo vacated. Above Aldi, there is also a Harvey Norman and a Dymocks bookstore. Both are long-time tenants. The Telstra store near the former has been around for a while.

Circa 1998

Indeed, Broadway has been trading since 1998, when it repurposed the site that was part of the former Grace Bros. The next building, also formerly Grace Bros, was converted into student housing. The centre added another floor in 2007. Mirvac has owned and managed Broadway since that year. Apart from the anchors and mini majors, the edifice houses some 100 specialty stores. Among these are Specsavers and House on ground level. There is also a post shop and some bank branches on the same level. Hype DC on the first floor is a recent inclusion. As for Hoyts, we watched Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland there. The theatre was packed.

Life happens

I recall going to the complex with family on Boxing Day. Compared to Pitt Street, Broadway was more laid-back that day. We scored Tefal cookware at Target for half price. As mentioned in my Top Ryde post, the bold travelators are the first thing you’ll notice upon entering the structure. To begin with, there are two escalators from street level as the mall sits atop the ground. Upon entering, the twin travelators stand out. To be fair, they are standard in the centre, even in the upper floors. As per above, I did not really intend to browse this complex. Impelled by a chance at nabbing a rugby top, I was glad to wander in Glebe. As a wise man once intoned, ‘Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.’