The changing face of Queen St: what it once was, and where it is going

Thursday, 26 July 2018

Auckland's Queen St has taken many faces over the years.

Go back 100 years, and you'd find record shops, fur coat makers, hat makers, and book stores, tobacconists, barbers. There were huge china shops.

These days, it's all about the fast-fashion and the luxury brands.

And while this seems like a big leap, shop owner Roger Marbeck​ says without it, Queen St would have taken a turn for the worst.

**READ MORE:

* Auckland changing from 'large town' to thriving city with $14 billion of building underway

* Increasing demand for Queen St retail space** 

Marbeck runs one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the street, Marbeck Records.

It was founded by his grandfather in 1934, and has largely remained in family hands since.

Marbeck describes the early days of Queen St as a mecca for New Zealand shoppers.

There was a 'bustling retail atmosphere', in amongst a few pubs, and plenty of hotels, he said.

Retail in the area began to grow when shop owners started opening late nights on a Friday, and opened for half a day on Saturday.

However, this also led to a number of large department stores moving in, and in the process snapping up the traditional stores.

But the big turning point for Queen St was in 2008 when the international luxury brands, 'your Dior's, your Gucci's and all the rest', set up shop, Marbeck said.

'That's been a real biggie, to rejuvenate the heart of the city, otherwise it would still be languishing a little bit.

'It's definitely added so much gloss to it, added a lot of panache,' he said.

'We've never had this much pulling power in Auckland before.'

At the same time, there were a 'heck of a lot' of $2 stores on Queen St, as well as other similar retailers.

'And in a very short while, they all just vanished, they disappeared, and better retail came in.'

Not long after that, more office towers started to go up, and more businesses wanted space along Auckland's 'Golden Mile', he said.

'Retail is all well and good, but you've got to have a customer base to go with it to make it healthy.

'It's expensive being a retailer on Queen St, that's for sure, but it always has been because it is the jewel.'

Moving forward, Marbeck believed more international retailers would see the value in setting up shop on Queen St, in turn boosting business for other retailers.

'When you start getting these big brands from around the world coming in, it adds a fizz to the whole place and gets carried along.

'You need that bam going up the main street to create the image. It's perception, that's what retail is all about.'

In addition, Upper Queen St need to go through a resurgence, he said.

'It's gone through some transformations but there's quite a few buildings up both sides that will probably get rebuilt over the next 10 to 15 years.

'That will be the next area that people eye up, because as you go up the hill, it's got magnificent views, and there's lots of apartments up there, so there will be a lot more opportunities.'

Auckland city centre business association Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck agreed, saying there was an opportunity to create a hospitality scene in the art precinct around Aotea Square.

Queen St was 'historically important' for Auckland, as it acted as the key link between the waterfront, the city's golden mile and the financial district, she said.

It was one of the city's most iconic streets, and a premier shopping destination for tourists and locals alike, she said.

'It's a significant part of the city and it has been for a very long time.'

However, Queen St has not been without its changes, she said.

'There was a time where people perceived it as being pretty flat, but in recent years we've had the arrival of luxury international brands, and it's just continued to strengthen.

While the retail mix had changed, particularly at the lower end with convenience stores being forced out, there were some businesses which 'are standing the test of time'.

'There's some pretty unique, special things that have been here for some time.'

Beck believed Queen St would continue to evolve as more people lived and worked in the city, and as more developments got underway.

'What we'll see is an increasingly, exciting diverse destination that's easy to get around, very attractive and appealing to be in.

'Queen St is and will remain an important part of Auckland's heart, and that's in a way, by virtue, of where it is.'

Queen St's growth plan

By the middle of next year, an extra 10,000 people will pour into Queen St every day.

This is because of the multimillion-dollar development going up on the site of the former Downtown Shopping Centre.

The complex will tie four existing buildings to a new 39-storey office block with 100 shops and restaurants at the bottom of Albert and Lower Queen streets.

Precinct Properties retail development manager Michael Sweetman said the reason for the investment was down to the waterfront end of the city embracing change.

This follows on from the influx of luxury brands which moved in between 2008 and 2014.

'What that has done for Queen St is it's created an aspirational layer which is more international,' Sweetman said.

'It's not somewhere where the Kiwi shopper shops every day, but it creates a halo of quality that can spill onto other retail offers and make an overall more compelling offer,' he said.

'Contrast that back to when you only had a food court and $2 shops, it's just not right.'

Ten years ago, Queen St was 'pretty empty'. 'She was ropey,' he said.

'But now you are seeing people out late at night, you are seeing a lot more families and apartment dwellers embrace Queen St.

'It's definitely more vibrant, and the more you offer, the more people come.'

The who's who on Queen St

Queen St will always be the place where big name retailers want to be seen, Metro Commercial agent Nathan Male says.

It's home to Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton.

Cosmetic retailers Mecca is about to open its biggest store yet, and fast fashion giant H&M is only a month out from opening its biggest New Zealand store.

Australian shoe brand Hype DC would also be opening a store in Auckland soon. It will be its first in New Zealand.

There are also rumours that Sephora and Uniqlo are eyeing up potential sites along Queen St.

Male said Queen St was a prime area in Auckland that would continue to be attract international retailers wanting a presence in New Zealand.

Retailers were drawn to the three main precincts of Queen St, which have been established over the past 10 years.

They were the luxury block, which runs from the waterfront to Shortland St' the mainstream fashion retail block which runs from Shortland St to Victoria St and the youth retail block, which runs from Victoria St to Wellesley St.

Prior to that, retail was 'a bit more homogenous, a bit more mixed in', he said.

'That last section, the youth retail block, has become difficult as there has been a number of leases expire, that retailers have been reluctant to move into that area – because of the drift towards the water and also because that part of town has become very popular with homeless people.

'It's become a very serious issue in the top part of Queen St and retailers are starting to vote with their feet, as are customers.'

Meanwhile, competition remained strong for space in lower Queen St, as retailers wanted to be surrounded by the cluster of luxury retailers.

Looking ahead, Queen St would continue to be the primary spot for any brand that was to be in New Zealand, Male said.

'You'll see companies whose brands need to have a flagship presence, they will still want to make statements on Queen St.

'It's all about the profile on the main street on New Zealand, the busiest street in the country.'