Shopping locally comes back into focus during pandemic
A fresh appreciation of local neighbourhoods, brought about in part by the Covid-19 pandemic environment, is resulting in a resurgence in suburban retail hubs.
Chris Beasleigh, Bayleys national director retail sales and leasing, says changes to how and where people work and the extended time being spent at home have heightened the appeal of established neighbourhood and suburban shopping centres as well as new-to-market retail/ mixed-use developments.
Beasleigh says suburban shopping centres tend to have plenty of (usually) free parking, are well-located along main arterials and close to public transport nodes, and are high on the convenience scale.
“Along with the traditional corner store, service-orientated and boutique retail operators with a true customer focus and points of difference are thriving in local neighbourhoods. We’ve seen a surge in hairdressers, nail salons, florists, butchers and artisan food stores, and a resurgence in specialty bookstores – feel-good businesses that people want to support.”
A new neighbourhood retail hub which Bayleys’ specialist retail division has been sourcing tenants for has resonated with businesses looking to cement a presence in the longestablished Auckland suburb of Pt Chevalier.
Dean Whimp, a director of Frontier Properties, says a previously under-utilised, highprofile corner site near a Countdown supermarket was a real gem in the suburb which had seen little to no investment in its retail property stock for decades and clearly needed new amenities to service the growing population.
“This is an historic neighbourhood precinct which is slowly being regenerated. Having been involved in numerous suburban retail projects over the last 10 years, we have a very good understanding of what works and what doesn’t.
“We have secured a good mix of tenants including Flex Fitness Gym, which occupies the entire first floor. Its early commitment to the site helped to attract other tenants.”
These include a chiropractor and physiotherapy clinic, Auckland’s first caf under the South Island-based Black and White Coffee Cartel brand, and hotdog eatery Good Dog Bad Dog.
Beasleigh says Auckland’s population growth and the associated escalation of new, masterplanned mixed-use residential and commercial precincts is also shining a light on the “one-stop” live, work, play model and supporting new larger purpose-built retail centres.
He says Ormiston Town Centre, at the heart of one of Auckland’s most comprehensively planned new suburbs, is a good example. Todd Property Group partnered with councilcontrolled Eke Panuku Development Auckland on the $250 million-plus project, part of a wider 19ha development in southeast Auckland.
Sean Leonard, development manager at Todd Property Group, said around 88,000 people now call Ormiston and neighbouring Flat Bush home and that’s set to grow further. “When opening Ormiston Town Centre, we had a solid foundation to build on as Ormiston was a one-of-a-kind, existing community waiting for much-needed, everyday conveniences and service offerings.
Leonard says while the centre has experienced very positive feedback, its ongoing success will lie in its ability to reflect and provide for its community and the growing catchment. “For this to happen, there needs to be a process of constant evaluation and assessment of the centre's retail and service offerings, to ensure that we stay relevant.”