National brands exit, 29 shops empty in 1 street

An exodus of national retail brands from Tauranga’s Devonport Rd has added to the dozens of empty shopfronts plaguing the city centre.

A city leader has attributed the “demise” of the CBD to past planning decisions, while retailers and their representatives have asked for help to bring people back to a CBD “in crisis”.

As you walk along Devonport Rd, For Lease signs take up space in the windows of many of the vacant shops. Between Elizabeth St and The Strand, the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend counted 29 empty shops and 51 businesses still operating.

The Goddards Shopping Centre, an arcade between Devonport Rd and Grey St, has over the years gone from a lively thoroughfare to having minimal foot traffic with all but a handful of businesses gone.

Downtown Tauranga has named six brands that have closed — or will soon close — their CBD stores since the move to level 1.

Chairman Brian Berry told a Tauranga City Council meeting on Thursday the city centre was “in crisis”.

He said Michael Hill Jewellers and Just Jeans from Devonport Rd, Moochi, at the Devonport Rd side of the Goddards centre, and Annah Stretton on Grey St had left.

Hallenstein Brothers and Glassons, located at the Devonport Rd end of the Goddards centre, would be gone by the end of the month.

Yesterday, staff at Hallenstein Brothers were putting “End of Lease” sale stickers in their shop window.

The Bay of Plenty Times Weekend sought comment from Hallensteins Glassons Holdings, the company that owns both brands.

Tough times for the CBD in