Editorial: A food and fashion fix for ailing CBD

The Farmers site in Tauranga.

I hardly ever shop in downtown Tauranga.

As I mentioned earlier this week I prefer Bayfair - it's just easier.

Parking is not such a big deal for me but I'm not a huge fan of shopping so, when I go, I prefer to have all the stores I'm after in one place, under one roof so I can flit back and forward.

It also means it doesn't matter if it's raining or blowing a gale.

I also tend to stick to the cheaper chain stores so there's no need for me to go anywhere other than Bayfair.

On Wednesday I wrote that I could see downtown Tauranga becoming a dining and entertainment precinct but did not hold much hope for the future of shopping there, although it seems I might have to eat humble pie.

Yesterday, we reported that the Farmers building on Devonport Rd and Elizabeth St is up for sale and that there is a proposal for the department store to be revamped.

Reporter Michele Hunter has also canvassed the downtown shop owners as part of her look into the state of the CBD and found many are optimistic and have a vision for what the area could become.

I think they are right on the money.

They agree there needs to be a dining focus but also want to see Tauranga city become a fashion destination.

That's the way to go. Downtown needs to have a unique selling point.

Repertoire national sales manager Miriam Berquist-Staite summed it up nicely when she said: "Grown-ups come to the city to be entertained, eat good food and visit specialty stores".

We need to make sure the stores in town can't be found anywhere else. The shops that are thriving have already done just that.

Bernadette Rowlands, owner of High St Boutique, is one of those.

Her store, which sells mostly New Zealand brands such as Zambesi and Nom*D, is a destination, she said. "Most people know what I do and they come to my store because they know what I stock."

Perhaps the loss of Supre and Amazon is not as bad as it seems. It opens up prime retail spots for other specialty stores to grab. We just need to attract them here.

The other bone of contention with downtown is opening hours.

The opening hours of many of the downtown stores coincides with normal work hours, which makes it near impossible for most Tauranga residents to shop there.

Many of the stores are run by owner/operators and I completely understand them not wanting to work seven days a week and do late nights.

I struggle to make it through a six-day week and definitely would not cope with seven days.

Part of the appeal of living in Tauranga is the lifestyle.

At the same time, I do think the hours need to be improved to really bring new life to the CBD.

Downtown is often a ghost town on a Sunday, one of two days a week most people do not work and therefore have time to stroll the city and browse through shops.

Repertoire is one of the stores that is already open seven days a week and managing director Debi Bowker told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend she would like to see other retailers do the same.

It's not something that's going to change overnight but perhaps hiring extra staff to work weekends would be something for other retailers to consider.

The more shops that are open on the weekends, the more people will visit the area and the more sales opportunities there will be.

The optimism of many of the downtown retailers is encouraging and contagious.

I think marketing the area as a fashion mecca and improving the opening hours will go a long way to reinvigorating the city centre.

I hope we can turn downtown around and make it the bustling hub it once was.