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Tag: Auckland

  • Normanby Fine Wine & Spirits debuts in Auckland with a twist on wine retail

    Normanby Fine Wine & Spirits debuts in Auckland with a twist on wine retail

    Auckland recently welcomed the latest innovation in wine retailing, the Normanby Fine Wine & Spirits experience-driven concept store. Situated in Mount Eden, the store ushers in a new era of retail, reimagining the traditional wine and spirits shopping experience with the introduction of fresh food and beverages.

    The store has been masterminded by seasoned wine connoisseur Liz Wheadon, who has infused the space with a unique hybrid appeal. It operates as a retail store, wine bar, and café, supplemented with a private tasting room and an art gallery interior.

    At Normanby Fine Wine & Spirits, customers can browse a selection of over 1300 wines, spirits, sakes, and craft beers. Many of the items in their collection are exclusive to Normanby, a testament to the strong industry relationships they’ve cultivated with producers over the years.

    Liz Wheadon, who also doubles as the director of wine at Webb’s, shared the inspiration behind the store. She emphasized that the vision was to design a place that hadn’t previously existed, where choosing and buying wine, spirits, and sake could be an enjoyable, approachable, and genuinely intriguing experience, regardless of a customer’s taste or budget. She further echoed the team’s enthusiasm for introducing this innovative approach to fine wine and spirits retail.

    The store has been tastefully designed, complete with art pieces and furniture, all curated by The Estate at Webb’s and available for purchase. During the day, the café serves coffee, pastries, and light meals. In the evenings, the wine bar offers pre-batched cocktails crafted by Theo Tjandra, a past mixologist at Panacea.

    The private tasting room, named La Cave, can accommodate up to 15 guests and can be booked for intimate events, custom experiences, and private celebrations.

    Looking ahead, the brand plans to extend the unique retail concept of Normanby Fine Wine & Spirits to various regional locations throughout New Zealand.

    Questions & Answers

    What does Normanby Fine Wine & Spirits offer customers?
    They offer a unique retail experience, selling fine wines, spirits, sake, and craft beers. The concept store doubles as a café serving light meals, coffee, and pastries during the day, and in the evening it becomes a wine bar offering pre-batched cocktails.

    What are some unique features of the Normanby Fine Wine & Spirits store?
    The store operates as a café and wine bar, in addition to being a retail store. It also houses a private tasting room and an art gallery interior, offering curated art and furniture for purchase.

    What are the brand’s future expansion plans?
    The brand plans to extend the retail concept to various regional locations across New Zealand, introducing the Normanby Fine Wine & Spirits experience to a wider audience.

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  • Costco and DoorDash to deliver groceries to the doors of Aucklanders

    Costco and DoorDash to deliver groceries to the doors of Aucklanders

    Costco has teamed up with DoorDash to deliver its range of groceries and household essentials to homes in Auckland at bulk-saving rates.

    The partnership will enable Costco members and non-members to get everything from toilet paper to fresh fruits and vegetables or premium poultry and meat delivered to their homes.

    “We’re always looking for ways to make everyday shopping easier, and our partnership with Costco means Aucklanders can now get incredible value and quality delivered straight to their doorstep,” said DoorDash New Zealand GM Bradley Thomas.

    To launch the new partnership, New Zealand customers will receive NZ$20 off their first Costco order when they spend $150 or more.

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  • AirAsia X adds three new routes

    AirAsia X adds three new routes

    AirAsia X confirms its latest services to Melbourne (Tullamarine), and Perth in Australia and Auckland in New Zealand will launch on 1 November 2022.

    The three new services boost the airline’s routes to 13. It is already serving  Sydney, New Delhi, Seoul, Tokyo, Sapporo, Osaka and Honolulu, as well as London, Dubai and Istanbul.

    AAX will recommence its services to Melbourne (Tullamarine), Perth and Auckland (via Sydney) with three weekly flights starting in November and gradually increasing to daily flights by the first quarter of 2023.

    On the AirAsia Super App and website, the starting fare to Perth is MYR 499, to Melbourne  MYR699 and Auckland MYR999 (inclusive one-way economy). Premium Flatbed fares start from MYR1,999 to Perth, MYR2,999 to Melbourne and MYR5,999 to Auckland.

    Guests flying to Kuala Lumpur can also enjoy all-in value fares one way from AUD209 from Perth, AUD359 from Melbourne, and NZD499 from Auckland in economy class.

    AAX also flies from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney with all-in fares from MYR899 (economy) and MYR2,799 (Premium Flatbed) one-way.

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  • Auckland Airport to build outlet mall with 100+ stores

    Auckland Airport to build outlet mall with 100+ stores

    Auckland International Airport has posted an after-tax profit of $464.2m for the year to June 30, while also announcing plans to build a retail precinct with 100 stores that is expected to create 500 new jobs.

    Although its after-tax profit was up 139 percent on the previous year’s $194m profit, the airport made an underlying loss of $41.8m, its first full year underlying loss in history. The underlying loss was in line with the guidance the airport gave at the start of the year.

    The airport says underlying profit is how it measures its financial performance because it removes revaluation changes that can distort financial results or where one-off transactions, both positive and negative, can make it difficult to compare profits between years.

    The airport also recorded its lowest number of international arrivals and departures since 1972, with just 600,000 passengers, including transits, down 93 percent on the previous year.

    Total passenger numbers were 6.4 million, down 59 percent on the previous financial year.

    Shares in Auckland Airport closed at $7.10 on Wednesday. During New Zealand’s alert level 4 lockdown at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, they dropped to about $5 per share.

    The new retail precinct would involve the development of a 23,000 square metre-plus outlet centre on undeveloped land at the north-eastern edge of the airport.

    “Premium and lifestyle brands” will be sold “at often heavily discounted prices”, the company said.

    The airport’s general manager of property and commercial Mark Thomson said there was a gap in the market for a purpose-built fashion outlet centre and the airport had been exploring the concept for several years.

    “It will be the first of its kind in New Zealand, offering an exciting new shopping experience for Kiwis and travellers arriving at and departing from the airport,” Thomson said.

    “Many New Zealanders will be familiar with visiting this type of bespoke fashion outlet shopping centre on trips overseas.”

    A start date for construction was not given.

    Thomson said development would be influenced by the strength of the retail market and the recovery of aviation.

    Auckland Airport chief executive Adrian Littlewood said the 2021 financial year had been a year like no other for the company, and it was giving permanent staff $1500 in airport shares to thank them for their efforts over the past year.

    “Covid-19 changed our business overnight bringing constant upheaval to almost every part of our operation,” Littlewood said.

    “But throughout all the uncertainty of the past 18 months, our team’s determination to get the job done and go the extra mile for New Zealand has never faltered.”

    The airport had taken steps to strengthen its financial position including reducing operating expenses, repaying $425m in US private placement borrowings, and getting bank approval to renew a $700m loan, he said.

    The airport last week said it would start work on a $1 billion-plus project to merge its domestic jet operations with its international terminal early next year as one of four anchor projects being advanced.

    Four major projects are still on hold including its expanded international airfield and taxiway capacity, new cargo precinct, new international arrivals area and a second runway.

    Auckland Airport held more conservative assumptions than those of the International Air Travel Association, which was forecasting global travel to fully recover and exceed pre-pandemic levels in 2023.

    Littlewood said a full recovery may take longer.

    “Our financial performance is strongly linked to passenger volumes, so our recovery will be greatly influenced by the return of domestic and international travel and changes in border settings.”

    There were encouraging signs with vaccination programs ramping up in New Zealand and around the world, he said.

    “But we expect to see further volatility in domestic and international travel in the short term, with the global aviation market gradually rebuilding in 2022.”

    Due to uncertainty in the market, Auckland Airport would not provide underlying earnings guidance for the 2022 financial year, Littlewood said.

    Investment in transport infrastructure projects and upgrades would continue and was expected to cost between $250m and $300m in the 2022 financial year.

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  • Online supermarket concept Supie to launch in Auckland

    Online supermarket concept Supie to launch in Auckland

    Online supermarket Supie is set to open its virtual doors in Auckland next month, aiming to change the way Kiwis shop for groceries.

    The membership-based supermarket will house more than 2500 products sourced from local growers and food producers. Supie also offers sustainable delivery where all packaging is recyclable or reusable. The brand implements zero-waste ordering methods which ensure its customers receive the freshest produce.

    “The majority of the time, when you order your product is still in the ground,” the company says on its website.

    Founded by Sarah Balle, Supie is expected to compete directly with traditional supermarkets, providing a smart and more accessible solution for Kiwis during the post-Covid era.

    “We’re a small team of passionate Kiwis with big ambitions to make a true impact,” said Saral Balle. “We believe food is the most powerful force for change.”

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  • H&M opening fourth retail store in Auckland

    H&M opening fourth retail store in Auckland

    Swedish fashion giant H&M announced it will open its fourth store in Auckland at Westfield Newmarket on December 12.

    The 2300sqm store, the retailer’s ninth store in New Zealand, will have two levels and will feature a range of apparel and accessories for men, women, youth, kids and baby, as well as the retailer’s home concept.

    “We are thrilled to be a part of the much-anticipated Westfield Newmarket.” said Daniel Lattemann, Country Sales manager for H&M New Zealand.

    Lettemann said they are also delighted to be able to finally offer a second Auckland location for their H&M home concept.

    “We have seen such a demand since launching the concept in our Commercial Bay store last year,” he said.

    According to H&M, recruitment for approximately 50 employees is underway.

    The fashion retailer, which entered the New Zealand market in 2016, now has seven stores nationwide located in Sylvia Park, Commercial Bay, and Botany Town Centre in Auckland, The Crossing in Christchurch, Queensgate in Wellington, Tauranga Crossing, and Chartwell Shopping Centre in Hamilton.

    The recently announced store opening is the eighth and is set to open in Westfield Riccarton on November 7, 2019.

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  • Sephora confirms Auckland Flagship Opening This Year

    Sephora confirms Auckland Flagship Opening This Year

    Beauty retailer Sephora has confirmed long-standing rumors of an Auckland flagship set to open on Queen Street in 2019. While the retailer launched a local online offering in 2015, the bricks-and-mortar location will be Sephora’s first in New Zealand and is part of a larger push into Asia that will see Hong Kong and Korea added to the brand’s retail locations.

    “We believe that New Zealand will be a key market in building Sephora as the most loved beauty community in Asia, and the world,” said the president of Sephora Asia Benjamin Vuchot.

    “This expansion to a new market will allow Sephora to continue to amplify global beauty trends locally, elevate what our clients expect of the in-store experience and bring fresh, digital touch points to the retail environment to create a virtual, client-centric cycle.”

    Prior to its official announcement earlier this week, Sephora posted a series of job ads on Seek in April, looking for assistant store managers, category coordinators, stockroom managers and supervisors to fill out the Auckland flagship.

    The positions all indicated that prospective employees would need to be available for a recruitment event between May 7 and 8, pointing to an opening in the near future.

    Sephora interim general manager of Australia and New Zealand Pedro Coutinho said the store would be a beauty destination “like no other.”

    “We are so excited to introduce our renowned service offering, a suite of the most sought after beauty brands from around the world and a fun place for our clients to experience and explore their own beauty journey,” Coutinho said.

    “The Sephora client is the future – our customers are ahead of the trends, up to date with the latest brands and they want new products, now. We’ve listened to what our online clients want from Sephora, and this new Auckland location will help us deliver it.”

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  • Easter spending up 4.6 per cent over Last Year

    Easter spending up 4.6 per cent over Last Year

    While nationwide spending was down year-on-year over the week to Easter Monday, the holiday period performed better compared to its 2018 counterpart, according to nationwide spending data from Paymark.

    The seven days to Monday, April 22, 2019, saw spending increase by 4.6 per cent compared to the Easter week in 2018, which ran to April 2. This is down slightly from the 4.9 per cent year-on-year spending increase in 2018.

    Gisborne saw the strongest growth at 14.6 per cent, followed by Marlborough at 13.3 per cent, when comparing Easter periods.

    Spending was also up across clothing and footwear stores (13.8 per cent), and liquor retailers (9.9 per cent).

    Compared to the exact same week in 2018, rather than last year’s East period, spending in the Canterbury region was down 7 per cent, with Kiwis spending a total of $125.1 million in the region over the week.

    Wellington brought in $106.2 million, a 5.9 per cent drop, while Auckland brought in $454.1 million – a 6 per cent drop compared to the same period in 2018.

    Auckland made up about a third of the spending in the country, with Paymark recording $1.19 billion spent over the week (0.8 per cent down on 2018), though the region was far outstripped in terms of overall growth.

    The Bay of Plenty saw spending grow to $92.9 million – a 14.5 per cent increase year over year. Gisborne enjoyed 19.6 per cent spending growth to $11.7 million, while Otago brought in $76.6 million, or an increase of 7.1 per cent.

    According to Paymark, grocery, fuel and hospitality providers, drove almost all of the spending increase.

    “This year these merchants recorded $43 million more spending (up 15.7 per cent) outside of the three largest Paymark regions,” Paymark said.

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  • Sephora opening New Zealand Flagship Store

    Sephora opening New Zealand Flagship Store

    Sephora is looking to fill a number of retail roles in Auckland, suggesting the beauty retailer is looking to open its first bricks-and-mortar store in New Zealand in the near future.

    Listings for assistant store manager, category coordinator, stockroom manager, supervisor, beauty and studio artists and retail assistants have been uploaded to job site Seek over the last month, claiming the retailer is opening its first New Zealand flagship store this year.

    The most recent listing notes that job seekers should be available and flexible to attend a recruitment event between May 7 and 8, pointing to a relatively quick opening window.

    The store will likely be located on Queen Street, Auckland, and is currently being fit out for the brand’s arrival. An internal elevator, lightning fixtures and elaborate signage are among the changes being made to the site.

    Sephora has been contacted for confirmation, but has not yet responded.

  • Kiwis confused about sustainability talks

    Kiwis confused about sustainability talks

    Despite the growing support for sustainable business practices in New Zealand, most Kiwis say the way businesses talk about their social and environmental commitments is confusing.

    That is the finding of the latest Colmar Brunton “Better Futures” survey, which asked 1000 consumers about their attitudes and behaviours around sustainability and environmental record.

    Eight-three per cent of respondents said the way businesses talked about their social and environmental commitments was confusing, which is 11 per cent more than the previous survey found.

    At the same time, there is still too much “greenwashing”, or companies jumping on the bandwagon to gain consumer support, without really being sustainable.

    “Those are two aspects of the same issue,” Francesca Lipscombe, New Zealand Ecolabelling Trust general manager, said.

    “On the one hand, companies get away with unsupported claims which may not breach the Fair Trading Act but they’re still misleading and unhelpful.

    “On the other hand, companies who are genuinely doing the right thing don’t promote their good works enough.”

    According to the survey, only two brands got more than 1 per cent recognition as being sustainable brand leaders: the Malcolm Rands-founded ecostore, named by 5 per cent of people, and Fonterra, which scored 3 per cent awareness.

    “New Zealand organisations do a much better job of communicating their sustainability efforts internally than they do of letting the public know,” Lipscombe said.

    At the same time, there is ample opportunity for sustainable brands to communicate their actions to consumers, since 86 per cent of Kiwis surveyed said it was important to work for a socially and environmentally responsible company, up from 72 per cent in 2018.

    “Even more tellingly, 90 per cent of respondents – up from 83 per cent last year – said they would stop buying a company’s products or services if they heard about the company being irresponsible or unethical,” said Lipscombe.

    Another strong finding from the survey was the emergence of plastic waste as the issue consumers are most concerned about.

    Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) rated it the number one problem, compared with 63 per cent last year.

    The survey also found eight out of 10 Kiwis had dispensed with single-use plastic supermarket bags in favour of reusable options – a huge jump on last year’s figure – 30 per cent, while 85 per cent agreed that reducing disposable packaging in general was the right thing to do.

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  • Superdry to open second New Zealand Store

    Superdry to open second New Zealand Store

    Sports fashion brand Superdry has revealed it will open another store in New Zealand in Queenstown. The date for the opening has not been disclosed, but brand general manager Antony Hampson said Brand Collective, which holds the licence for Superdry in Australia and New Zealand, is actively looking for locations in the area. According to Hampson, Superdry could roll out more stores in the country depending on how the market responds to the brand.

    “For now, it would just be Auckland and Queenstown so we have representation across both the North and South islands,” he said.

    Superdry announced earlier this month it will open its first store in New Zealand in April in the heart of Auckland’s Queen Street shopping district.

    The 193sqm store will be split into two levels, with the menswear department on the first level and a glass staircase leading consumers to the womenswear section on the second level. The Superdry Auckland store will also offer a selection of Superdry Snow, which features fashion forward, technical alternatives to traditional snow gear.

    “The store will incorporate the latest Superdry fit-out which involves a more digitised experience for our customer and clearer layout,” Hampson said.

    “There will also be a strong emphasis on our snow collection which is going from strength to strength and of course we will continue to ensure we present the product categories we are most renowned for: fleece, jackets and t-shirts.”

    Hampson said the brand is confident it will deliver strong sales, given the demographic there. He said the climate suits the brand as well.

    “The brand is not new to the market, we have a healthy wholesale business and strong partnerships with a number of key retail partners over the past 10 years,” he said.

    “We know there is demand for the brand and we feel that the opportunity is now to present the full collection of products to the customer base there which is what a concept store gives us the ability to do.”

    Superdry is also in the process of bringing over its e-commerce operation to run out of Melbourne to improve its speed of service. It is currently run out of the UK.

    “This will enable us to communicate consistently to our customer base both in Australia and New Zealand,” Hampson said.

    In a tussle for leadership of the company in the UK, former CEO and co-founder Julian Dunkerton and the board have each made disparaging remarks about the brand’s performance of late, alternately laying the blame for slowing sales on misguided strategy and undifferentiated product that no longer appeals to customers. But Hampson said it doesn’t directly affect Superdry stores in Australia and New Zealand.

    “Superdry is operated under Brand Collective Pty Ltd who has the license for Superdry within Australia and New Zealand, so this doesn’t directly affect us here.

    “UK retail has been tough in general with a much warmer than expected summer which has had an impact on high street sales, particularly in those winter product types which Superdry is synonymous with,” he said.

    “It is important to note that the brand is still very profitable and is continuing to stay true to its values around innovation, quality and design. The product is evolving for the better.”

    Superdry UK announced last December it may close or relocate some of its stores after its annual profits came in £30 million ($58.2 million) below expectations.

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  • Mecca Maxima to launch in Auckland

    Mecca Maxima to launch in Auckland

    Cosmetics brand, Mecca Maxima, will open its first Auckland store in the first week of August.

    The 263sqm beauty emporium will stock over 50 global brands in makeup, skin, hair and fragrance categories. It will have 12 stations for makeup applications and skin consultations.

    After first launching in Christchurch then Wellington, the Auckland store will be the first of many to open in the region.

    “New Zealand, you have embraced us with open arms,” said Jo Horgan, Mecca founder. “I have been nothing but humbled by your response to Mecca Maxima and I am very much looking forward to opening more of our stores in this beautiful part of the world and delivering more of our inimitable beauty experiences to you.”

    Mecca Maxima Auckland is the sixth in New Zealand’s Mecca store network of Cosmetica and Maxima beauty destinations, with the company planning on significantly expanding its footprint over the coming years.

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  • DHL Express Launches Expanded Auckland Facility

    DHL Express Launches Expanded Auckland Facility

    DHL Express has opened an expanded facility at Auckland Airport to cater to growing demand for trade in and out of New Zealand.

    According to DHL, the new NZ$15.3 million (US$11.2 million) Auckland Gateway measures approximately 5,000m2 and doubles the processing capability of the previous facility.

    “International trade via imports and exports now comprises approximately 60% of New Zealand’s overall economic activity and is growing,” said Ken Lee, CEO of DHL Express Asia Pacific. “DHL Express is proud to facilitate trade for local businesses via our international network that connects New Zealand with over 220 countries and territories globally. The most popular trading partners for goods moving in and out of this Auckland-based facility include Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK and USA — with all trade lanes showing solid performance in recent months.”

    Some of the features include high-speed reweigh machines, telescopic extendable conveyors and 360-degreee CCTVs providing 24-hour monitoring.

    Mark Foy, country manager of DHL Express New Zealand, said that the company is committed to helping Kiwi businesses export and import products to facilitate global trade.

    “A key driver for this expanded gateway has been the growth in New Zealand SMEs shipping products internationally via DHL Express,” he said. “This expansion will assist with volume increases from all areas of the country, as innovative Kiwi businesses continue to tap into the global marketplace and reach international customers like never before.”

  • Refurbished building in Auckland’s ‘China Town’

    Refurbished building in Auckland’s ‘China Town’

     

    A building in Mt Eden’s Dominion Rd, now leased to a karaoke and hospitality business, reflects the changing face of the area.

    The 500sq m premises comprising two inter-connected buildings, on 539sq m of land at 654-656 Dominion Rd, is being offered for sale with a new four-year lease to Base KTV Entertainment Ltd. It is producing net annual rental income of $96,000 plus GST.

    Featured in Bayleys’ Total Property portfolio, it is being marketed by Damien Bullick and Phil Haydock, Bayleys Auckland and is for sale by tender — closing on Tuesday, April 12 — unless sold prior by negotiation.

    “This is an excellent freehold investment opportunity in a popular commercial and residential location,” says Bullick. “It is centrally positioned in the bustling Balmoral retail strip, just south of Balmoral Rd, and benefits from a high-profile frontage to Dominion Rd as well as off-street parking for five cars at the rear, which can be accessed off Rocklands Ave.”

    TRUECOMM654 Dom Rd Interior.jpg

    The property is made up of two parts: the original single-level retail frontage on to Dominion Rd, believed to have been constructed in the 1950s, and a more modern two-level adjoining building which was built on the rear of the property in 1993.

    This adjoining building was designed by award winning Auckland architect Pip Cheshire and built by Haydn & Rollett Construction.

    In the mid 2000s the building was converted into a hospitality complex aimed at the local Chinese community with a pool hall, bar and restaurant at ground level, with karaoke rooms in the mezzanine level upstairs.

    China Town

    “This adaptation fitted in with the changing face of Dominion Rd which has become Auckland’s defacto “China Town”, and is now a thriving and eclectic mix of ethnic restaurants, entertainment venues and retail shops,” says Bullick.

    “The current occupant has shown a strong commitment to the property by investing a substantial amount on the refurbishment of the building’s interior to create an impressive, modern tenancy with upgraded kitchen and bathrooms facilities, additional mezzanine floor area and air-conditioning throughout.”

    TRUECOMM 654 Dom Rd another view.jpg

    Haydock says the property’s favourable zoning provides add-value potential. The Business 2 zoning and the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan zoning of Business Local Centre both permit buildings of up to 12.5 metres (three levels). The proposed Local Centre zoning allows for commercial uses on the lower levels with residential above.

    “An increasing number of properties along Dominion and Mt Eden Roads now contain a mix of business and residential tenancies and there could be potential to further develop the site further down the track given its high profile city fringe location which offers handy access to public transport and is a short distance from Mt Eden Village and Auckland’s CBD. A thriving residential market in Balmoral /Mt Eden also adds to the long term desirability of this property.”

    Haydock says there is likely to be further significant development and rejuvenation in the surrounding area following the granting of a resource consent last year for The Warehouse to develop a 1.2ha site near the intersection of Balmoral Rd and Dominion Rd, also bordered by Rocklands Ave.

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  • Prada opens new store in Auckland

    Prada opens new store in Auckland

    Prada recently opened a new store on Queen Street in Auckland, establishing a presence in the city’s prestigious shopping district.

    The new space, designed by architect Roberto Baciocchi, covers a total area of 350 square metres, spread over two floors, and houses the women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, leather goods, accessories and footwear collections.

    The external façade appears as a single large glass wall overlooking the street. The ground and first floor windows are framed by slim black marble profiles.

    The space dedicated to men features masculine materials and finishes: ebony floorboards and walls, palladium and crystal display cases defined by saffiano detailing in bright blue hues and light cotto-coloured leather sofas.