Treetop Toy Shop gives something for buyers to play with
Much-loved Treetop Toy Shop is a beacon of joy for kids in Brunswick in Melbourne’s trendy inner-north, selling toys, clothing and books, and now, it’s seeking a new owner to come and play.
Occupying a prominent position on Sydney Road, the two-level character retail building sits on a substantial 606-square-metre landholding, which is a rare offering on the popular shopping strip.
“Opportunities of this nature are rare, particularly on the longest continuous retail strip in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Knight Frank senior sales and leasing executive, investment sales Paul Lillis. “You’ve got a sizeable landholding with a character two-level retail building, secure income and development upside, all in the heart of Brunswick’s busiest strip. Freeholds like this are tightly held.”
Securely leased to Treetop Toy Shop with fixed 3.5 per cent annual increases and options to extend until 2037, the purchase also guarantees long-term income.
“It offers something different to the usual retail offering,” Lillis said. “Locals often mention it as one of those stores that genuinely adds to the character of the strip.”
Investor interest to date has come from buyers drawn to both the immediate income stream and the strategic landbanking potential afforded by favourable planning controls with Commercial 1 zoning, with a preferred maximum height of 19 metres.
“The common theme we’re seeing is investors recognising they’re securing a well-established tenancy today, while positioning themselves for future upside,” Lillis said.
The timing of the sale, he adds, is also deliberate. The current owners have seen the asset perform strongly and are choosing to capitalise on market conditions while reallocating capital elsewhere.
Sydney Road itself continues to evolve, balancing renewal with authenticity. Once viewed as a traditional suburban strip, it has matured into a true inner-city lifestyle precinct, supported by dense residential growth, strong public transport links and consistently high foot traffic.
“It’s changed a lot over the past decade, but it’s kept its soul,” Lillis said. “The multicultural heritage is still there, now layered with a thriving food and bar scene and new residential development. From an investment perspective, the fundamentals have only strengthened.”
