A rebranded Australian camping, outdoors and fishing retailer will soon be moving into the revamped Gate Pa Shopping Centre in Tauranga.
Ray's Outdoors, the largest retailer of its type in Australia, is taking up the 15,000sq m building being constructed alongside Spotlight at the back of the shopping centre.
The store hereis being called FCO (Fishing Camping Outdoors) because its owner, Queensland-based Super Retail Group, does not believe the Ray's Outdoors brand is well-known enough in New Zealand.
The new store, opening towards the end of September, is expected to employ up to 20 staff.
Super Retail Group, which bought Ray's Outdoors in June last year, also operates BCF (Boating Camping and Fishing), Goldcross Cycles, and Supercheap Auto, which has a retail outlet off Hewletts Rd and on Waihi Rd.
Ray's Outdoors has expanded to 46 stores in five Australian states, after starting out 50 years ago as a small family-owned disposal store in Geelong near Melbourne.
The owners have plans to expand the outdoors store chain to 75 stores across Australia and New Zealand.
FCO will stock a variety of camping, clothing, fishing, barbecue and outdoor furniture products, and it stocks brands such as Wild Country, Outdoor Expedition and Classic Outdoor.
Last month, Super Retail Group reported a 60 per cent increase in net profit to $24.9million for the six months ending January 1.
