Christchurch's Bush Inn Centre swaps supermarket for farmers' market

Tuesday, 9 January 2018

The Bush Inn Centre in Christchurch is set to undergo a major redevelopment.

Christchurch shopping malls are undergoing a wave of hyper-expansion with a third new development on the cards in Upper Riccarton.

The Bush Inn Centre will replace its Countdown supermarket for a permanent farmers' market, expected to open in early 2019.

An artist's impression of the Asian food section of the Provedore.

The Provedore will be a range of grocery shops organised into different sections – European, Asian, Indian, Mediterranean, Organic, Halal and health foods – as well as traditional supermarket basics. Briscoes would move into the complex.

Boutique property management company Ganson Group, which manages two malls in Thames and Upper Hutt, is behind the development, which is expected to cost more than $18 million and is due to open in early 2019.

* More focus on food at Bush Inn centre

* Plans for new shops and foodcourt at Christchurch's Northlands Mall

* Westfield Riccarton mall hatches big expansion plan

* Westfield Riccarton mall tenant sour over lease termination**

The Northlands project will add more stores, a new foodcourt and outdoor seating area and a mezzanine level. It will extend the mall across existing car parking and include strengthening work.

Property manager Andy Bell said the mall was adapting the idea of a farmers' market into one available all week and under cover.

'There are some very good farmers' markets around the place, but they are sort of only available on a single short-term basis, one day a week, and they're outside.'

Westfield Riccarton has a consent to add almost another hectare of shops and hospitality outlets, plus more car parks.

Bell said they wanted to challenge the traditional supermarket industry, which was dominated by supermarket giants Foodstuffs (New World and Pak 'n Save) and Progressive Enterprises (Countdown).

People's shopping habits were changing and there was a need to return to the market concept, partly because demographics were shifting, Bell said.

'People are shopping far more frequently. They are younger people and professionals, they're buying just what they need for the next few nights.

'The next day they'll come back and there will be something different.'

'We're offering something that's completely different to what else is available. It's got to be a genuine alternative to supermarkets.'

Ganson Group has tenants secured for half of the Provedore spots, he said. The shop sizes vary from 600 square metres to a kiosk-sized 17sqm.

Bell would not say how many shoppers visit the centre, but there had been an increase.

'Numbers are sensitive, however they have been increasing very steadily particularly as a result of the previous centre upgrade and our recent hospitality development.

'We anticipate a substantial increase as a result of the developments and the unique and alternative offering we will have.'

A new entrance will be constructed behind Smiths City.

Liquor King will close in February to make way for the new development.

Other Christchurch malls are upgrading in a bid to increase and retain shoppers.

Northlands Shopping Centre in Papanui, the city's second biggest, will start work on Monday adding more stores, extend the mall across existing car parking, build a new foodcourt and outdoor seating area, add a mezzanine level and do strengthening work.

Included in the plans are space for two large stores – each between 1000 square metres and 1500sqm – plus some smaller stores.

Meanwhile the South Island's largest mall, Westfield Riccarton, has Christchurch City Council consent to add almost another hectare of shops and hospitality outlets to its complex, plus more car parks at the mall's eastern end.

This is despite the mall's majority owner, Westfield-controlled company Scentre, announcing in 2016 it would spend half a billion dollars making over three Auckland malls, but would not revamp Riccarton.

In August last year Stuff obtained a letter from the leasing manager to a shop owner saying 'a substantial alteration to Westfield Riccarton is about to occur'.

The consent expires next year.