In the final installation of our series looking at retail in seven New Zealand regions, we're examining Dargaville. Dargaville sits on the junction of State Highways 12 and 14, the gateway to the Waipoua Forest, home of giant kauri trees. Despite this, major tourism seems yet to
As part of a series looking at seven regional centres to consider what regional retail looks like this year, we're considering Cambridge.The rural heartland town of Cambridge, in the Waikato, is taking off. Since the four-lane Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway came to town
We're looking at seven regional centres as part of a series considering how regional retailers will perform in 2020. In part five of the series, it's time to examine Tairāwhiti Gisborne. Historically, Tairāwhiti Gisborne has struggled with higher unemployment rates and a lower median annual income
Part four of our series on regional retailers brings us to Napier and Hastings. We profile several local retailers to get an idea of their towns' struggles and successes. The Hawkes Bay’s “twin cities”, Napier and Hastings, are known for their sibling rivalry. But in the
We're looking at seven regional centres as part of a series considering how regional retailers will perform in 2020. Today, it's Palmerston North's turn. Certain Kiwi cities – like Hamilton, Invercargill and Palmerston North – struggle against a perception that they’re a bit boring. But, if
Timaru and Ōamaru, both in the lower South Island, are a good example of how some towns develop a narrative that attracts tourists while others don’t. But it’s not all roses for retailers, even in a town that’s internationally renowned, such as Ōamaru. The north Otago town,
What does the next decade have in store for regional retailers? We talked to retailers in seven regional centres around New Zealand to find out. In this first article of the series, we reveal retail experts' forecasts for the regions.As we head into a new
It’s no secret that retailers spend months planning for Christmas. In many cases, the bulk of Christmas merchandise hits the stores just after Labour Weekend. But now that Black Friday has sailed and Cyber Monday is done and dusted, the Christmas countdown proper is here. There
Dress Smart is up for sale and, while it may not be at a discount, it’s still a smart buy. That’s the thinking from one retail expert who says outlet shopping in New Zealand remains “rock’n’roll retail”. Dress Smart’s two discount retail factory outlet malls –
Online gift retailer Not Socks has stepped in to save Christmas – in the form of taking over the popular Twitter game NZ Secret Santa. The Twitter Secret Santa took a break in 2018 after NZ Post announced it would no longer be running it. Like the