Customers kept staff at both the new Briscoes homeware store and Rebel Sports next door busy throughout opening day yesterday.
Jess Julian, retail manager at the sports store on the corner of Victoria Ave and Dublin St, said they had "heaps of people" through after the doors opened at 9am.
"It's been crazy in the first three hours," Ms Julian said.
The store's floor area was a bit smaller than the old store on the corner of St Hill and Ridgway streets but she said it did not feel smaller.
"That's because we've laid the stock out differently - and we've got some more stock because we're moving into a new season."
There were 13 staff employed in Rebel Sports but some of them crossed over with the Briscoes store.
Nick Turner from the Briscoes Group head office in Auckland was on hand for the official opening along with the familiar face of the "Briscoes lady", Tammy Wells, who cut the ribbon to the homeware store.
Local iwi were on hand for the official opening and there was a kapa haka performance from Wanganui Intermediate children before the ribbons were cut.