Clothing store boom for Fraser Cove with up to 40 factory shops planned

Brand-conscious Western Bay shoppers will soon be able to head for one-stop centres and hunt out the latest fashion labels at discounted prices.
An outlet centre, where manufacturers sell direct to the public, is part of the next stage of development at the Fraser Cove Shopping Centre in Tauranga.
And an even bigger outlet centre is being considered for the new Boardwalk at Papamoa Junction. The development company will be deciding over the next few months whether to introduce between 20 to 40 factory shops.
The outlet centres would be the first retail operations of their type in the Bay, giving shoppers a wider choice of the latest brands at cheaper prices.
Fraser Cove Shopping centre owner IMF Westland announced this week they will bring 15 fashion stores under one roof - likely to feature leading brands such as Quicksilver, Dirty Dog, Sole, Hartleys, North Beach, Scoop, Country Road and Oxygen Clothing.
Westland is negotiating tenancies and plans to have the new outlet stores operating by October.
The stores' line-up will be a mixture of seconds, surplus stock and new product.
Steve Holyer, a spokesman for Westland, said the company had received feedback from customers saying they wanted Fraser Cove to have a stronger retail fashion centre.
"We have decided to put leading brands side by side - and people won't have to pay horrific prices. Hopefully, we will have plenty of fashion choice to satisfy the demand," he said.
The Fraser Cove outlet centre mirrors a similar operation at Westland's Westgate Shopping Centre in Auckland, which began with 11 branded stores last July and is adding another 17.
The Fraser Cove outlet centre will be built on the northern boundary of the shopping centre in Fraser St, on land previously reserved for an eight-screen cinema complex. Village SkyCity Cinemas pulled out last August after leasing negotiations broke down.
Westland had to complete further land excavations for the cinema complex, resulting in extra costs and higher rentals. The outlet centre will take the total value of Fraser Cove to $45 million and expand the tenancies from 21 to 36.
Fraser Cove started in November 2002 with the 9000 sq m Warehouse and has developed into a retail and entertainment destination with cafes, restaurants, a pub, 10-pin bowling, gym and stores such as Warehouse Stationery, Repco, Video Ezy, Postie Plus, Arbuckles and Babycity.
The fast-growing shopping centre has parking for about 1000 vehicles.
Mr Holyer said his company was heartened by the latest figures on people making frequent visits to Fraser Cove.
"We will keep adding to it," he said. "We are now getting inquiries for office space and customers are asking for a bank and post office. It could end up being a town centre."
The Papamoa Junction centre is being driven by Auckland-based McLeod Group, which bought 2.7ha beside the proposed Boardwalk Shopping Centre last November.
A director, Duarne Lankshear, told the Bay of Plenty Times an outlet centre was "one of the various options we are working through - including combining it with other retail activities."
He said there was room on the site for 10 large-format stores or 40 smaller shops.
If an outlet centre was introduced it could have a wider product range than just fashion. It could be a one-stop shop for all types of discounted consumables - including jewellery, shoes and appliances.
"We think the region is under-retailed based on the population and the key is to provide the right mix of shopping," said Mr Lankshear.
McLeod Group wants to start building this year and will be working closely with the Papamoa Junction developers.
"We will complement what they are doing and want to maintain the same theme as the Boardwalk," said Mr Lankshear.
Papamoa Junction director Andrew Ling said earthworks for the Boardwalk in Parton Rd would begin after Easter.