With Father’s Day fast approaching, it’s a great time to shop and dine locally to celebrate the special person in your life while supporting small businesses in Melton.

Minister for Small Business Natalie Suleyman and Member for Steve McGhie are encouraging Victorians to support their local traders when buying gifts or making plans this coming weekend.

Father’s Day is a significant opportunity for small businesses with a Roy Morgan report commissioned by the Australian Retailers Association finding that Australians will spend $820 million this Father’s Day.

The top three categories are food and beverages (34 per cent), clothing, shoes and sleepwear (15 per cent) and books, games and music (15 per cent).

Going out for a meal is always a popular choice, with data in 2022 showing that Victorian venues experienced a 49 per cent increase in average spend on Father’s Day.

Victoria is home to more than 701,000 small businesses, making up 97 per cent of Victoria's business population, employing more than 1.4 million people and generating more than $406 billion in income.

The Allan Labor Government knows the importance of supporting small businesses, and provides business advisory services and capability building support to ensure small business owners have the confidence to establish, operate and grow their business.

This includes support through the Small Business Toolkits program, Business Victoria’s digital channels, and the Small Business Bus, now in its 14th year of operation.

For more information about the services available to Victorian small businesses, visit business.vic.gov.au.

Quote attributable to Member for Melton Steve McGhie
“I encourage the Melton community to think local this Father’s Day and support our brilliant small businesses in Melton, because when small businesses thrive, so does the community.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Small Business Natalie Suleyman
“Victoria is home to some of the best restaurants and cafes in the world, so what better way to celebrate Father’s Day than choosing a special gift from a local shop or treating dad to a meal at your favourite local café.”