Country’s largest furniture retail store opens

New Zealand’s largest furniture and homewares retailer, Nido, opens its doors to the public today.

The new 27,000-square-metre store in West Auckland will carry more than 10,000 product lines and create 180 new jobs for retail workers in the coming year.

Nido managing director Vinod Kumar said the store would sell made-to-measure flatpack furniture and offer an installation service. The locally owned and operated store was the result of nine years of research into the most innovative retail models internationally and would stock 80 exclusive brands, Kumar said.

‘‘We have sourced products from New Zealand, Europe and the US and will be the largest retail operation in the country.

‘‘And, for those outside of Auckland, we will eventually offer online shopping.’’

More than 100 display rooms would be continuously updated, Kumar said.

When the development was announced in January last year, Kumar said the store’s product ranges would have two main price points – one at the low end, and a more premium offering.

Kumar has a long history in retail in New Zealand. He bought his first Mitre 10 in 1989 and was instrumental in the development of the Mitre 10 Mega concept.

First Retail Group managing director Chris Wilkinson said the opening of the store would boost retail confidence and help to reinvigorate the category.

‘‘These types of stores will be the first destinations Kiwis head to once we come out of lockdown as many of them will have identified [home] projects they want to get started.’’