Role reversal: Malls in fight for foot traffic against Christchurch CBD ‘experience’
Saturday, 27 September 2025
Shop vacancies and a fight for foot traffic.
It’s a battle facing some Christchurch malls as shoppers choose the central city “experience” over traditional retail therapy.
Since the mid-60s, malls have opened all over the Garden City, with Riccarton Mall (now Westfield) the first to offer a fully enclosed shopping experience in 1965, followed by Northlands Shopping Centre in 1967, Hornby Mall (now The Hub) in the 70s, Linwood City (now Eastgate) in the 80s and The Palms and South City in the 90s.
Malls answered a thirst for shopping, but retail expert Chris Wilkinson said that had changed and consumers were now “buying experiences”.
Trending central city food spots, laneways, Riverside Market, Ballantynes and the picturesque Avon River were attracting people in droves, said Wilkinson, the managing director of First Retail Group.
While many malls, governed by older architecture, hadn’t been able to evolve and create a contemporary feel, Christchurch had been able to essentially “dream of a city centre and build it”, he said.
A Bayleys report in May found Auckland CBD had 13% of retail space vacant, Wellington 5.3% and Christchurch 3.3%.
Wilkinson said customers were going to places that inspired, “places you can go to connect with others like you. That may be South City, but it probably isn’t”.
South City Shopping Centre has lost popular stores including Glassons, Hallensteins, New World and The Warehouse, but welcomed JB Hi-Fi and Chemist Warehouse. Earlier this year, its independent bookstore, Athena Books, went into liquidation blaming foot traffic and overall economic downturn.
Westfield Riccarton has been dramatically renovated since its single-storey beginnings, becoming Christchurch’s largest shopping centre and one of the country’s top-tier malls.
Wilkinson said its success hinged on ensuring it kept evolving and big anchor stores that attracted customers, like Pak’nSave and Kmart.
“Those uber anchors are the ones that have always been the bastion of retail success.”
The Pak’nSave at Northlands Shopping Centre left early last year to open a new store on Main North Rd 1km away, leaving the large space yet to be filled. Five stores at the mall’s south end are empty.
Vacant spaces could have a knock-on effect, Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young said.
As soon as there are a few empty stores next to each other, fewer people want to go and when the lease came up for other stores “they ask themselves whether to stay”.
A Northlands spokesperson said shopping centres naturally evolved over time “with tenant movements reflecting shifts in consumer behaviour”.
“We see this as an opportunity to continually refine and enhance our tenant mix, ensuring the centre remains vibrant, relevant, and responsive to community needs.”
They said they’d adapted their leasing strategy to focus on short-term leases and pop-up stores “that bring fresh energy”.
A few new stores and services, including a yoga centre and a beauty spa, are opening before the end of October.
“The growth of fitness is a big thing in our malls and town centres,” Wilkinson said, and they attracted people “on a regular, habitual basis”.
Young consumers were a “big part“ of leading trends, sharing things with friends on social media - be it a cafe, restaurant or store.
Influencers could drive visitation. Those aged 30s to 50s followed these creators, he said.
“They’re very much on trend with what’s going on, they’re a significant aspect in where people choose to shop and what they choose to do.”
People asked in the central city about what brought them gave reasons including a relaxed environment, ease of parking and the variety of shops.
Phoebe Walker said she found malls busy and “stressful”, choosing the CBD for “new shops which often the malls don’t have”.
Sarah Pont went to malls if she was “on a mission” for something specific, and opted to go to the CBD with friends to shop and for “the experience”.
The Hub Hornby originally opened in 1976, but in the past two decades it’s had many revamps and extensions, with a big box centre on its periphery including The Warehouse, Briscoes, Rebel Sport and Bed, Bath and Beyond and an outlet mall over the road.
It had benefited from Selwyn’s population explosion on its doorstep, Retail at Colliers national director Richard James said.
The Hub’s foot traffic had increased 3.1% in the last 12 months to the end of May attracting “a broad base of customers”.
The mall wasn’t relying solely on location and regularly looked to bring in brands or shops to offer new experiences.
Malls and high streets needed “all the right ingredients” to succeed these days, Young said, including atmosphere, lighting, space, good customer service and quality stock.
And the retail experts agree central Christchurch has hit the nail on the head, and the post-quake struggle to attract people back is history.
“The Christchurch CBD is a great example of a high street type environment working really well” including “beautiful stores, great cafes, bars and restaurants … and Ballantynes being that anchor,” Young said.
Wilkinson said the CBD was just as much about catching up with friends at Riverside Market and The Terrace “or stocking up for provisions” - and less about buying consumer products “because those products are available through a lot more channels now”.
Spring’s warmer weather and blossoms in bloom is motivating consumers to get outdoors, Annabel Turley, chairperson of the Christchurch Central City Business Association, said.
“The city is looking really good, especially this time of year,” she said.
“People enjoy coming into the city - it’s more than just a transactional experience.
“The malls have had their time, it’s now time for the city to shine.”
Westfield, Eastgate and The Palms did not respond to requests for comment.