A total of 19 new stores have opened in downtown Tauranga over the past five months, and another 12 have relocated to new premises or changed ownership.
Mainstreet Tauranga manager Kirby Weis said the signs were looking good for the city centre.
"There's no question it's been tough out thereand Tauranga, like the rest of the country, continues to face tough economic times. "
But the good news for our city centre is these new stores offer shoppers more variety and bring new energy and vitality. It shows there's plenty of brands keen to invest in our CBD, that bodes well for our recovery," he said.
