Yes Liz for a long time, south of Worswick St, it was secondary even tertiary from a retail point of view.
I surmise that that was a result of the heavily used transport links in the 30s-60s. Bus transport was mainly into Worswick St....and who ever turned left at the top to shop? And both Haymarket and Marlborough Cres were distances away.
The trains mainly came into Central and fed a different part of the city.
As a result no retail of any import! In fact I never remember ever having to enter a building on the lower area except
to visit the B of E when it relocated briefly from Grey St in 71 but was shut in 97.