New Retail Clusters Offer Cantabrians More Options
university-of-canterbury
Fri Apr 26 2013 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
New Retail Clusters Offer Cantabrians More Options
Friday, 26 April 2013, 3:57 pm
Press Release: University of Canterbury
New Retail Clusters Offer Cantabrians And Visitors More Options, Says UC Expert
April 25, 2013
More clusters of cafes, shops, bars and restaurants are popping up in Christchurch as the rebuild gathers momentum, a University of Canterbury (UC) senior marketing lecturer says.
Nearly 200 shops, cafes, bars and restaurants have opened or reopened since the start of the year as the city begins to recover from the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.
New Regent St shops have been refurbished and the iconic precinct has opened in the heart of the central business district (CBD), a welcome indication that business activity is returning to the central city.
``We are seeing more and more places open and they are creating small clusters with a potential to grow bigger – New Regent Street, the Woolston Tannery, Holmwood Rd shops and just last week a cluster of shops on the corner of Fendalton and Clyde Rds, Dr Sussie Morrish says.
``There’s a much happier and more settled feeling about Christchurch this year. This is reflected in consumer spending and confidence on the rise in Canterbury as the rebuild spills over into other parts of the economy.
``A recent ASB report found that consumer spending had climbed in the area indicates broadening in Canterbury economic activity. Local spending and confidence look set to increase further as the population continues to grow, meaning more people spending in the region.
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``We’ve also seen 1600 more people move to Canterbury than depart in the past 12 months as the rebuild steps up according to the latest Statistics New Zealand report for the year to March 31. This is a significant swing from a year earlier when 3100 more people left the region than came in,’’ Dr Morrish says.
``Overall, the outlook is looking good as the rebuild gathers pace. The CBD will become vibrant again as more premises reopen. However, the positive thing is that entrepreneurial businesses are seizing the opportunity to get themselves established and reposition their brands,’’ Dr Morrish says.
Photo: Sussie Morrish
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