Changing trends force revamp

The face of Devonport Rd in downtown Tauranga is continuing to change as the demand for commercial premises intensifies.
McDonald's Family Restaurant, Rendells and Country Cottage Cafe have recently closed and the retail space has been snapped up by new tenants, including a leading Australian fashionwear chain Supre.
Howard Baker, Mainstreet Tauranga manager, said the changes in downtown reflected people's changing lifestyles.
The cafe, for instance, had old decor and `old' food _ people wanted a fresher look and to try different things. Downtown was being transformed by modern shops and latest brands, he said.
McDonald's was the first to close last month after operating on the corner of Devonport Rd and Elizabeth St for seven years. Southland Building Society is moving there from Grey St.
McDonald's franchise owner Wayne Graves said a 30-seat restaurant no longer suited his business operation. He closed a similar sized McDonald's in the Phoenix Shopping Centre at Mount Maunganui in late July.
Mr Graves would not comment on whether the downtown Tauranga restaurant was struggling to make money but he did say there were costs associated with public toilets, seating and air conditioning for the dining area.
He still wants to operate a bigger drive-through restaurant at the Mount, and would also consider a smaller one in a foodcourt in downtown Tauranga.
"We still need a presence there but it doesn't need to be at the same end of town. The foot traffic was better on the other side of the street."
Mr Graves is talking with McDonald's property managers in Auckland next week about possible new sites in Tauranga. He owns the drive-through restaurants at Greerton and in 11th Avenue, and the foodcourt operation in the Bayfair Shopping Centre. "In general, we are doing very well in the Tauranga market," said Mr Graves.
The Rendells store closed two weeks ago after becoming outdated. Postie Plus Group managing director, Paul Young, said Rendells was an old brand and no longer had the same pulling power.
"When the younger and middle-aged people say they won't shop there because that's where their mother or grandmother went, then it's time to change," he said.
The group owns all the Rendells stores in the country and are converting them to Postie Plus. In Tauranga it had to close because there was a Postie Plus store just around the corner in Elizabeth St.
Postie Plus instead sub-leased the Devonport Rd store to go-ahead Australian fashionwear company Supre, which opens on December 19. Postie Plus had three and a half years of the lease to run.
Privately owned Supre, which has been operating since 1984, is Australia's No 1 boutique retailer for female youth fashion, and is fast expanding in New Zealand _ it already has four stores in Christchurch, three in Auckland, and one in Hamilton, Palmerston North and Wellington.
Mr Young said Supre approached Postie Plus to take over the 300 sq m Devonport Rd store.
"They'll do well there," he said. "They target a good niche, younger females and smaller sizes. You'd have to go to Glassons at Bayfair to compete with them."
Across the street, the Country Cottage Cafe is being refitted for clothing store, Shambhala, which has moved out of the West Plaza arcade. Shambhala specialises in ethnic clothing and other goods.
West Plaza is being redeveloped into office accommodation and some retailing. The walk-through between Devonport Rd and Grey St has been closed and the escalator removed. The only access to the Soeur de Deux cafe and Indulgence bar and restaurants is from Devonport Rd, and the new development will be renamed Devonport Lane.
Philip Hunt of Property Managers said the retail and commercial space in the downtown Tauranga shopping centre was nearly full.
"Six or seven years ago there were vacancies everywhere but not anymore. We are at the top of a cycle," he said.
"What's happened is more and more corporates have shown interest in having exposure in the central business district, and they have taken up the first floor office space. Small home-based businesses have also moved there."