Many empty shops at your local mall(s)?

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amiga500

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Topic # 230402 22-Feb-2018 14:28

How is it going at your local mall?

The Riccarton Mall currently has nine empty shops & one 'pop up' clothing shop. The 'pop up' looks very temporary with trestle tables etc.
Apart from the empty shops there is a floor space at the South entrance which usually has some retailer but is vacant right now. There is also a
Meccano shop that could be empty soon if the chain does not get a buyer.

The largest empty shop is the former Rebel Sports that moved out of the actual mall and across the road. This has been empty for a while. Several other shop
have been vacant for a while as well. And there is very little sign of activity such as new shops being prepared. Most of the empty shops
have the lights turned off.

There are two empty shops next to Farmers that are being used as advertising for Farmers & I include these in the nine shops. This is quite clever,
you have to be paying attention to recognise them as empty shops!

The CEO of Meccano has commented that retailing in the malls is a tough business & as Meccano are in liquidation seeking a buyer, you'd have to believe him.

This would be the most empty shops I have seen at the Riccarton mall, & far more than Northlands Mall. Strangely enough Riccarton seems to be
the mall with the highest foot traffic by far.

So how about your local mall(s)?

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Reply # 1962254 22-Feb-2018 14:40

I'm not surprised Meccano is going out of business. Last time I set foot in one of their shops, it struck me as overpriced - as seems to be the case for most menswear stores in malls.

My local is Westfield Albany. I don't make a habit of walking all around the mall (it's mostly women's stuff) but I haven't noticed any empty spaces.

Maybe it's a socio-economic thing?

amiga500

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Reply # 1962256 22-Feb-2018 14:47

I started to notice those empty shops as over the summer & the very hot weather, I used the mall to get in some air conditioned walking. ( Beats putting on sun screen, or paying a gym to use a treadmill!)

I notice some of the high priced shops have very few customers.

wellygary

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Reply # 1962263 22-Feb-2018 14:58

amiga500:

How is it going at your local mall?

The Riccarton Mall currently has nine empty shops & one 'pop up' clothing shop. The 'pop up' looks very temporary with trestle tables etc.
Apart from the empty shops there is a floor space at the South entrance which usually has some retailer but is vacant right now. There is also a
Meccano shop that could be empty soon if the chain does not get a buyer.

from Jan this year

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/100398568/christchurchs-bush-inn-centre-to-swap-supermarket-for-daily-farmers-market-as-malls-compete-for-custom

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.

Before a redevelopment malls tend to turn into graveyards, as the long term tenant vacate as their leases expire, ahead of the place being gutted,

The mall operators then sign up really short term "cr*p to fill the gaps" stores until the construction starts, hence the growth in nail bars, thai massage joints,cell phone cover shops and the like...

amiga500

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Reply # 1962273 22-Feb-2018 15:16

I missed that story about the changes coming to the mall. It will be interesting to see if they go ahead. The new high-end shops in the CBD look very very quiet in the mornings. Maybe they get busier in the afternoons, but it might be proving hard for these shops as well.

Fred99

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Reply # 1962279 22-Feb-2018 15:36

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I don't think there's much doubt that the Chch economy has plateaued or retreated since the residential eq repairs are nearly complete, the commercial projects in the CBD have probably peaked.

Property prices are definitely "off the boil" and I expect that the very low unemployment rate will climb.

Add that to a retail market which was poised to change away from the "mall" concept as many formerly keystone retail tenants lose market share to online sales, and empty stores in places like Riccarton Mall doesn't surprise me.

Disclosure: I despise malls like Riccarton and Northlands.

BTR

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Reply # 1962287 22-Feb-2018 15:48

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Online shopping will kill a lot of things and things that can't be bought online like clothing people will just go to a store rather than a mall. I mean who actually likes going to the mall...... Its noisy and full of people who push in or walk slow

trig42

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Reply # 1962290 22-Feb-2018 15:53

Surely its time for a Zara or H&M at Riccarton? are any of these empty stores next to each other (can be merged into a big store?)

Lias

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Reply # 1962296 22-Feb-2018 16:10

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I find most things in malls are stupidly expensive, because the malls themselves charge stupidly high rents. Not to mention they apparently have some fairly nasty small print in their leasing agreements. Years ago I was a regular customer of a Jester's Pies in Hamilton, which at the time was in an shop on the outside of Centre Place. The store closed down then mysteriously reopened, I was talking to the owner/operator about it, apparently the business was loosing money so he tried to close down, Kiwi Property turned around and told him that by being closed he was in breach of his lease and he now owed them $5k/day until he reopened.. So the store dutifully reopened and clocked up even more debt until it went into liquidation or whatever happened.

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amiga500

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Reply # 1962297 22-Feb-2018 16:11

H&M are at the CBD. The ex Rebel shop has some smaller empty shops close to it, or right next to it.

mattwnz

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Reply # 1962335 22-Feb-2018 16:42

Fred99:
I don't think there's much doubt that the Chch economy has plateaued or retreated since the residential eq repairs are nearly complete, the commercial projects in the CBD have probably peaked.

Property prices are definitely "off the boil" and I expect that the very low unemployment rate will climb.

Add that to a retail market which was poised to change away from the "mall" concept as many formerly keystone retail tenants lose market share to online sales, and empty stores in places like Riccarton Mall doesn't surprise me.

Disclosure: I despise malls like Riccarton and Northlands.

I do worry about what is going to happen with Christchurch due to the repairs and rebuilds slowing down. Friends sold up a few years ago at the high.

My local mall only has one empty store now and has never been so full, however the Main Street is pretty dead, apart from a lot of food outlets. There have never been so many different food places. I just think people are getting more and more lazy, and eating out more.

cadman

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Reply # 1962341 22-Feb-2018 16:47

BTR:

Online shopping will kill a lot of things and things that can't be bought online like clothing people will just go to a store rather than a mall. I mean who actually likes going to the mall...... Its noisy and full of people who push in or walk slow

Only teenagers and housewives killing time.

If there's a choice for something I want from a physical shop and there's a choice between a mall one and one in a small group of shops, the latter always wins my custom.

xpd

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Reply # 1962350 22-Feb-2018 17:07

Whangaparaoa plaza is dying - the food court seems to go through retailers at hell of a pace. Quite a few other stores have changed a lot in the past couple of years as well, inc one that just seems to get used as a pop up store for whoever wants it. From what Ive heard, the rents are high, and the "new" Silverdale stores are killing the Plaza's business.

Warehouse is located at both sites, Farmers is at the Plaza but theres a big new Farmers being built in Silverdale which will probably cause the plaza one to close down. They are only 7km apart, so having two stores is obviously bit of a premium.... must be working for Warehouse tho, but dont see the same for Farmers.

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sleemanj

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Reply # 1962353 22-Feb-2018 17:09

I noticed that Smith City in Bush Inn (Christchurch for you other folk) has clearance "end of lease" signs up. That's a big area if they are not staying. The hair dressers or beauty salon type place by the basement doors has been gone a few weeks too. The manicure place seems empty 90% of the time (when that went in, in Bush Inn, I had to scratch my head, it looks to be a big expensive fitout, for what I'd have thought quite a niche thing for a small mall like Bush Inn, especially with another one just down the road in ~~Riccarton~~ Hornby)

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msukiwi

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Reply # 1962360 22-Feb-2018 17:29

sleemanj:

I noticed that Smith City in Bush Inn (Christchurch for you other folk) has clearance "end of lease" signs up. That's a big area if they are not staying. The hair dressers or beauty salon type place by the basement doors has been gone a few weeks too. The manicure place seems empty 90% of the time (when that went in, in Bush Inn, I had to scratch my head, it looks to be a big expensive fitout, for what I'd have thought quite a niche thing for a small mall like Bush Inn, especially with another one just down the road in Riccarton Hornby)

Briscoes are moving in. Suspect the Riccarton store will close - stupid to have two so close....and there is one in Hornby.

Smiths City were meant to be moving into a new part at the Bush Inn, along with the Liquor Store. Maybe that is not happening - as no sign of any construction yet!

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Reply # 1962391 22-Feb-2018 18:25

Johnsonville Mall is getting very sad nowadays.

A bunch of shops/vendors seem to have moved out (Hallensteins, Living & Giving, McDonalds etc) and been somewhat replaced by pop-up shops and 1-2-3 dollar type shops. Plus it looks run down (the owner doesn't seem to be keeping up maintenance and appearances) and generally grimy, and the carpark is incredibly potholed.

I mostly go to the other supermarket across the road now.

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