PomPom at Forestville: Strategic Retail Activation Done Right

KK
Jul 25
3 min read

I recently checked out PomPom, a casual food concept in inner-city Adelaide, from the successful team behind Whistle & Flute, Just Down the Road, Sofia and Part Time Lover. What struck me wasn't just the quality of the offering and the genuine hospitality experience, but how this activation exemplifies smart retail strategy for a development project. Forestville's $250 million mixed-use project is using PomPom to demonstrate something we often discuss: how thoughtful activation during construction creates genuine value for developers, operators, and future residents. The approach offers practical lessons for navigating today's challenging retail leasing landscape.

The Strategic Partnership

PomPom brings together two of Adelaide's leading food identities: The Chapley Group – the family behind established award-winning supermarkets at Pasadena and Frewville – with the hospitality team behind some of the city's most popular cafe and restaurant venues. Studio Gram, designer of choice for many of Adelaide’s best F&B spaces, brought a thoughtful design approach to the modest warehouse-style space, with warm timber finishes and casual seating that encourages lingering – exactly what you'd want in a neighbourhood food destination.

This partnership combines rare credibility across Adelaide's food landscape. The Chapley Group brings decades of expertise in fresh produce and local sourcing, while the hospitality team delivers proven experience in F&B businesses that stay current with dining trends to deliver strong, holistic concepts. Together, they understand both the operational complexities of food retail and the atmospheric elements that turn casual dining into memorable experiences.

Why This Model Works

Risk Distribution: Established operators reduce execution risk while gaining early market testing opportunities. Both parties share upside without the developer carrying full activation costs.

Market Validation: Real-time customer feedback beats demographic projections. PomPom provides data on spending patterns and preferences that inform permanent retail strategy.

Community Integration: Potential residents experience the development's aspirational lifestyle through shared dining, not just sales suites and artist impressions.

Key Lessons for Developers

Partner with Proven Operators: The Chapley Group's involvement signals quality to potential purchasers while providing operational expertise. Better than competing for established operators after completion.

Design Investment Matters: Studio Gram's involvement indicates serious commitment to a design-focused outcome. Quality spaces establish design standards for future tenants.

Timing Strategy: Activation during construction maintains sales momentum while generating organic marketing during traditionally quiet development phases.

Market Context

Post-COVID consumer preferences favour local experiences over generic offerings. Adelaide's inner-city growth, combined with limited new retail development, creates opportunity for developers who demonstrate authentic community connection early.

The approach also addresses oversupplied retail markets by co-creating concepts aligned with specific project visions rather than competing for proven operators.

Long-Term Value Creation

Strategic retail activation creates lasting competitive advantages. Developments that successfully nurture local food culture become self-reinforcing community hubs, as seen at the highly successful Plant 4 food precinct at Bowden —a mixed-use development where strategic food curation has created a genuine dining destination. Initial activation relationships often translate to permanent tenancy successes, reducing future leasing risk while maintaining community continuity.

For developers in markets with strong local food cultures – Melbourne's inner suburbs, Sydney's Inner West, Adelaide's established areas – Forestville provides a replicable framework for authentic retail activation that serves commercial and community objectives.

The key insight: treat activation as business development, not marketing expense. When executed with authentic community focus and the right partners, retail activation becomes value creation that benefits all stakeholders while establishing differentiation in crowded mixed-use markets.