A major retail chain has taken over the Boardwalk surf, skate and streetwear store in downtown Tauranga and will be re-opening it under a new brand.
Boardwalk Demin-Surf-Skate in Mid City Mall went into liquidation in April, and Amazon, owned by Billabong, has completed a deal with Tauranga-based liquidator, RHB CharteredAccountants.
Amazon, which already operates two stores across the harbour, has bought the lease to the store and the remaining Boardwalk stock.
A liquidation sale will be held over the next month, and Amazon will complete a re-fit and re-branding before the store resumes full trading with a staff of five.
Boardwalk had operated in downtown Tauranga for more than 25 years, first in the old Westpac Plaza. It moved to Mid City Mall in 2004 the Deka building was redeveloped.
Rob Buckman, New Zealand commercial manager of the GSM International/Billabong group, said: "Boardwalk was a major customer of ours and we want to keep supporting the industry.
"We see an opportunity there to continue our presence and get our products to the market. Tauranga is one of the major growth areas in New Zealand," he said.
Amazon has its own branded store at Fashion Island, Papamoa, and six months ago it bought Nevada Denim-Surf-Skate located in the Bayfair Mall.
