Malls expected to reel from new central Christchurch shopping centre

Friday, 8 September 2017

Philip Carter talking with staff about last minute preparations for opening of The Crossing in central Christchurch.

The Crossing shopping centre in central Christchurch is expected to deliver a blow to suburban malls.

Mall management specialist, Evan Harris at Colliers International said big queues were expected outside the H&M shop, whose staff had arranged for porridge to be delivered to hungry shoppers while they waited for the doors to open.

Tour of the $140 million Christchurch CBD Crossing development with Philip Carter, owner of The Crossing in central Christchurch as it prepares to open.

He said The Crossing would tempt many shoppers away from suburban mall.

Contractors were still swarming over the centre ahead of this weekend's opening. It is larger than its predecessor and has some exclusive tenants such as H&M.

The $140 million Christchurch CBD Crossing development.

One of the last retail spaces to be refurbished in The Crossing, showing a contrast between the heritage decor and the modern seismic bracing typical of most post-earthquake Christchurch buildings.

* More new fashion tenants announced for Christchurch's retail precinct**

Developer Philip Carter was busy overseeing final work on the site with the only blot on his landscape the receivership of Topshop which leased a space, and in which he has a shareholding.

H&M's regional manager Hans Andersson with some of the wares on offer at The Crossing.

H&M's regional manager Hans Andersson was in town to share the last-minute opening preparations.

'When I was here a couple of weeks ago I was a little sweaty but it's all come together nicely and we'll be watching closely to see how it goes.

This photo of Colliers manager Evan Harris was taken in 2010 when the central city was cordoned off and demolitions were under way before rebuilding could begin.

'It's very difficult to predict what people will want to wear in a year's time. It often depends on a new trend or a new movie and you have to be able to move quickly to order it,' Andersson said.

He declined to reveal H&M's future plans, but said New Zealanders could expect more stores given the company's multiple outlets in other countries. In the short term the company was happy with its trading in Auckland (Sylvia Park) and Wellington (Queensgate).

Central business owners' spokesman Paul Lonsdale said the central city had a streetscape that malls tried to emulate with limited success, plus the hospitality precinct on Oxford Tce overlooking the Avon River.

'Fat Eddie's has already opened there. I don't think the suburban malls have got their heads around the critical mass in the centre of Christchurch,' Lonsdale said.

Savills, the leasing agents for The Crossing, and the ANZ Centre over the road, said it was the first development to open in the CBD with sufficient mass of international and local retailers to truly compete with the malls.

Savills agent Ryan Geddes said Christchurch shoppers were experiencing 'mall fatigue' and were hanging out for a new shopping experience.

'There's a large section of the population who have never experienced a fully-functional CBD shopping.'

The Crossing was a key indicator for the success of the entire central city retail area, Geddes said.

It would attract a residential and commercial population back to the city and a catalyst for further rebuilding.

He said dozens of Australasian and New Zealand chains were waiting in the wings and talking to Savills about re-opening in the central city.

'Usually they look at historical trading data before deciding to lease but that hasn't existed for the past six years, so they're waiting for The Crossing's opening to bring customers on weekends as well as weekdays.'

Savills was also leasing food and beverage spaces on the ground floor of the Hoyts development on Colombo St over the road from the bus exchange.

The Oxford Tce hospitality area The Terrace would cement the night-time customer base and provide a difference the suburban malls could not compete with, Geddes said.

It is the largest privately owned development in Christchurch's central city covering 44,000 square metres, comparable with many malls, offering 55 tenancies including a Fresh Choice supermarket, and a first-floor bridge that links with Ballantynes department store over Colombo St.

The Crossing creates the impression of numerous, individual buildings and streetscapes.

Westfield Riccarton is embarking on partial redevelopment of at least one large site, while the owners of Northlands have yet to release long-awaited plans for upgrading.