NZ | Shopping Malls

[Svartmetall]

Originally Posted by DML2

Westfield Albany is supposed to be expanded sometime isn't it? Does anyone know anything about that or is it just wishful thinking on my part?

I know that Sylvia Park is going to be expanded to around 100,000m2 in the near future, however, I didn't think that Albany was going to be expanded. I honestly can't see Albany being expanded until development has taken off in the area. Would like someone to prove me wrong though (yes, that is a challenge to anyone out there)!

[DML2]

Yeah, I always thought there was going to be another level added later on or something but I can't imagine it happening any time soon either

[city_thing]

Originally Posted by Svartmetall

Not the whole of Scandinavia at all, you might be talking about Norway only. I know that Sweden has decentralised shopping areas in each neighbourhood most of them on a tram line or (in Stockholm) on the tunnelbana. Also, the largest malls there are approximately double the size of the largest malls in NZ. Denmark I don't know about I'm afraid, not been there.

Also, shopping in most of Europe is outside of malls. Most people enjoy going to the city centre and walking around to do their shopping, it's done for fun rather than simply in one, sterile mall. This is reflected in the offerings in many European city centres compared to New Zealand where shopping is a bit lacking (though size-wise it is better than Sydney which I think has quite attrocious shopping).

Danish malls are pretty grim. Kind of what you would expect from Australia (and I guess NZ) in the 80's. Very little in the way of aesthetics and generally even more soulless than the ones in our two nations. Of course, CPH more than compensates with it's city centre.

And yes, shopping in Sydney is dreadful unless you have thousands of dollars to blow on high-end designer stuff.

Would love to see a Comme des Garçons around here one day though... Japanese do shops well.

[Svartmetall]

Cheers for that, City Thing. I forgot you'd lived in Denmark otherwise I'd have directed you here earlier to give some advice! I shudder to think about how awful the malls in Denmark must be then if they are as grim as you describe. Still, like you say, the city centres in most cities over there tend to make up for the sub-standard malls. It appears that Sweden seems to have the best shopping of the Scandinavian countries then given that they have a combination of malls and good city centres.

Also, I am so glad to hear that people over in Australia agree with my perception of shopping in Sydney. I thought it would be an endless tirade against my rather scathing perception, but it appears that those who have commented agree that the "middle market" is sub-standard.

PS: Just noticed that my typing fingers got a little over excited with "atrocious" as the post you quoted has two T's there.

[Spikespiegel]

All from Ro's Torv in Roskilde, Denmark. But it's true that the Dane doesn't go shopping in a mall for the aesthetics, but simply because they don't have the time to go shopping in the city center... They want to get their shopping done, and then go home. When people have the time, they usually go shopping in the city centers instead, as the atmosphere there is impossible to replicate in a mall

[KiwiRob]

Originally Posted by DML2

Westfield Albany is supposed to be expanded sometime isn't it? Does anyone know anything about that or is it just wishful thinking on my part?

At the moment I don't think there are any plans to expand it.

[badbehaviour]

Far out I can't wait to check out the Pitt St Westfield when I get back to Sydney in May.

[metroman]

Anyone know what is going on in regards to the Downtown Westfield in Auckland?

[Nicco]

Still as crap as it has always been

[Svartmetall]

Originally Posted by Nicco

Still as crap as it has always been

Y'know, I never quite understood why Westfield didn't plough a load of money into their Downtown branch like they have in Sydney. I could foresee it becoming a huge success with all the investment into lower Queen Street at the moment and having Britomart just across the road.

[KiwiRob]

They keep on doing little bits of renovatiopn all the time, it will never be a big mall, the food hall was/is pretty popular, something not common in European malls, although UK malls do have them.

[GI_Joint]

Originally Posted by UglyBob

Not sure that I agree about the Hutt Valley. Queensgate in Lower Hutt has killed off a lot of the shops in the surrounding city streets and although it's not solely due to the influence of Queensgate, shopping in places like Upper Hutt is very poor because locals either go to the mall or into Wellington.

Yeah.
Queensgate is bustling while the surrounding city is rotting away, so many empty shops and for lease signs about now. The city has been in a hell of a decline since Queensgate's upgrade/expansion.

[Svartmetall]

Originally Posted by KiwiRob

They keep on doing little bits of renovatiopn all the time, it will never be a big mall, the food hall was/is pretty popular, something not common in European malls, although UK malls do have them.

Yeah, more and more UK malls have food courts and more and more continental shopping centres have them too - I noticed them in Sweden.

Westfield do renovate it, you're right, however, it always seems like dead space rather than its potential being fully realised. I am sure they could do far more with the space than they have. One only needs to look at the money they have invested in their out-of-town shopping malls to know that they can design things well, so one only has to wonder why they persist in not realising the central malls full potential.

[NZer]

Wow, I had no idea Te Rapa was so big. Is it actually a big shopping centre, or does it just have a massive carpark?

[badbehaviour]

Originally Posted by NZer

Wow, I had no idea Te Rapa was so big. Is it actually a big shopping centre, or does it just have a massive carpark?

Both. The Base is huge, and it has tons of parking. It doesn't have as many shops as Westfield Albany or Sylvia Park, but probably has more places to eat. Indoor and outdoor.

It does include a 'mall' though - Te Awa - still under construction... the next stage opens in a week and will include a gourmet supermarket, 'Farro Fresh', and 'The sweetest little Chocolate Shop"... yummm... and a Nicholas Jermyn shirtmakers store... those are the ones I've been looking forward to most.

I have a couple of crappy pics I took a month ago of the construction zone... doesn't really show much. Anyway..

[NZer]

Thanks for that. I only stopped at Te Rapa once to grab a bite on my way back up north, and I found a sushi place right near the entrance so I didn't really go inside.
From memory it had a big Rebel Sport, though.

Sorry, I can't see the pics....

[metroman]

With Riccarton mall now acting as a ''makeshift cbd'' to some extent, does it seem likely that this may cause the mall to expand sooner rather than later?

[Indictable]

I'd say sooner rather than later. It's only competition right now is Northlands really..

[badbehaviour]

THE BASE

/

TE AWA

Cnr of Avalon Dr & Te Rapa Rd
Te Rapa
HAMILTON

The Base | Te Awa

More Photos HERE...

[badbehaviour]

More added...