Aussie outdoor clothing shop comes to Tauranga

Another major Australian retailer is moving into Tauranga - this time offering a wide range of outdoor clothing and equipment.

Mountain Designs, which has 36 stores in Australia, has leased the 500sq m of vacant space alongside The Baby Factory in Elizabeth St. After the re-fit, the new store is expected to open within two months. It will be the seventh Mountain Designs store in New Zealand, with two already operating in Auckland, and one in Hamilton, Rotorua, Wellington and Nelson.

Mountain Designs in downtown Tauranga is camping alongside rival Kathmandu and increasing competition. Both retail chains offer hard-wearing, warm men's and women's clothing, footwear, backpacks, sleeping bags, tents and climbing gear. Kathmandu actually vacated the premises and moved next door into a larger store, where EziBuy used to be.

Duncan Woodhouse, of Colliers International, said the large format Australian retailer would bring a breath of fresh air to downtown Tauranga. Mountain Designs had been looking hard since July.

He said the bulk retailers regard Tauranga as a growth market - they see where the population is going and the city is definitely on their radar.

Mountain Designs was founded by a climber Rick White in Brisbane in 1975.

A further Australian retailer FCO, rebranded from Ray's Outdoors, will soon be opening in the Gate Pa Shopping centre alongside Spotlight which has the country's largest fabric, craft and home interior range.

FCO, employing up to 20 people, will stock a variety of camping, clothing, fishing, barbecue and outdoor furniture products. In Australia, Ray's Outdoors has grown to 46 stores in five Australian states, after starting out 50 years ago as a small family-owned disposal store in Geelong near Melbourne. Its owner Super Retail Group did not believe that the Ray's Outdoors brand was well-known enough in New Zealand.

There is also interest from more Australia bulk retailers to take up space in the former Foodtown supermarket, which has closed in Cameron Rd near 13th Ave.

Mr Woodhouse indicated that prices were presently being drawn up for refurbishing the 3500sq m space. He said the building, which has 230 car parks, could be divided into two large format stores.