Council recently completed the 2025/2026 Business Health Survey, receiving a record 864 responses from local businesses - a 34 per cent increase from 2023.
This strong response provides valuable insights into the evolving needs, challenges and priorities of the City of Stonnington's business community.
A business snapshot has been developed to share these findings and will be used by the Economic Development Team to guide Council business support services and inform our business development events calendar for the next 12 - 24 months.
Key survey insights:
- Industry & Business type: Retail and hospitality continued to account for 50% of responses; bricks-and-mortar responses doubled this year to 69%.
- Employment outlook: 32% of businesses plan to hire in the next 12 months (down from 59% in 2023); while only 6% expect to reduce staff.
- Business sentiment: While overall sentiment is down, 52% expect improved performance in the next year; 37% anticipate stability.
- Challenges: Economic downturn (70%), reduced consumer spending (52%), rising overheads (43%), and high rent (41%).
- Staffing: 71% cited difficulty attracting skilled employees as the ongoing biggest staffing challenge.
- Priorities for making business easier: Improved public spaces, amenities, streetscapes (62%), better customer experience in precincts (40%), and precinct activations (35%).
- Council Business support priorities: Priority areas remain grant funding (38%), clearer communication about council business services (31%), destination marketing (28%), and facilitating precinct activations (35%).
- Upskilling needs: Priority topics identified: grant funding opportunities (47%), finding new markets (35%), marketing/ branding (33%), digital marketing and design (26%) and artificial intelligence tools (21%).
These insights will help Council refine its programs, services and event offerings to better support Stonnington businesses.
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