What the engine says about St Leonards
Demand 9/10: a major Lower North Shore commercial, hospital and office precinct — Royal North Shore Hospital and North Shore Private Hospital, a dense cluster of office towers, a busy station and the new Crows Nest Metro a short walk away — generating a large, affluent, professional daytime workforce on top of a high-income apartment population (median personal income $1,627/week, among the highest in Sydney).
Demand 9/10: a major Lower North Shore commercial, hospital and office precinct — Royal North Shore Hospital and North Shore Private Hospital, a dense cluster of office towers, a busy station and the new Crows Nest Metro a short walk away — generating a large, affluent, professional daytime workforce on top of a high-income apartment population (median personal income $1,627/week, among the highest in Sydney).
Rent 7/10: premium Lower North Shore commercial and residential rents (median residential rent $600/week) — a high-spend precinct where the cost base demands a strong, professional-facing offer rather than a value format.
Demand
9/10
Rent pressure
7/10 (lower is better)
Competition
6/10 (lower is better)
Top 10 retail stores in St Leonards
Ranked by success score (Google rating, review volume, prominence) within ~1500m of the suburb centre — not a directory browse, but incumbents worth studying before you open.
1. Fancy That! Costumes & Balloons
★★★★½ 4.9 (743 reviews)
Consistently high ratings (4.9★) backed by 743 reviews signal repeat demand. Likely the benchmark incumbent new entrants are measured against.
★★★★½ 4.9 (142 reviews)
Strong 4.9★ average with solid review depth — customers actively recommend this retail.
3. Winslow Made to Measure Suits and Shirts
★★★★★ 5.0 (75 reviews)
Above-average 5.0★ rating shows the offer resonates with local trade. Central position captures pass-by and destination traffic.
4. Edgewear Australia Pty Ltd
★★★★½ 4.9 (71 reviews)
Above-average 4.9★ rating shows the offer resonates with local trade.
5. Whitworths Marine & Leisure - Crows Nest
★★★★☆ 4.4 (101 reviews)
Strong 4.4★ average with solid review depth — customers actively recommend this retail.
6. Minuteman Press St Leonards / OnTime Print
★★★★★ 5.0 (45 reviews)
Above-average 5.0★ rating shows the offer resonates with local trade.
7. Aesop Crows Nest
★★★★½ 4.6 (62 reviews)
Above-average 4.6★ rating shows the offer resonates with local trade.
8. Vinnies Crows Nest
★★★½☆ 3.9 (109 reviews)
High footfall visibility — 109 reviews mean this venue is on the local shortlist.
9. Emotif Promotional Merchandise
★★★★★ 5.0 (34 reviews)
Above-average 5.0★ rating shows the offer resonates with local trade.
10. Raymond's Menswear
★★★★½ 4.7 (35 reviews)
Above-average 4.7★ rating shows the offer resonates with local trade.
Why businesses succeed — and fail — in St Leonards
Strengths
- ✔ Strong suburb-level demand signals
- ✔ Relatively stable year-round trade (low seasonality risk)
- ✔ High average customer ratings — the catchment rewards quality execution
- ✔ Café format scores 69/100 (GO band) for this suburb
Risks
- ✖ Premium rent — margins need a high-ticket or high-volume model
- ✖ Several incumbents with 4.4★+ and deep review counts set a high quality bar
Thinking of opening a retail store in St Leonards?
These rankings show existing businesses at suburb-centre level. A Locatalyze report analyses your exact address — expected revenue, costs, profitability, competition within 500m, and investment risk before you sign a lease.
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