Greerton the 'op shop capital' of New Zealand

Greerton Mainstreet manager David Hart says the opening of Up Cycle op shop yesterday brought the number of charity shops in the suburb to 10 including several in Glenlyon Ave. Photo / Stuart Whitaker

Greerton Village has been dubbed the op shop capital of New Zealand drawing punters from as far afield as Hamilton and Auckland hunting retro treasures.

The village's Mainstreet manager David Hart said the opening of Up Cycle op shop yesterday brought the number of charity shops in the suburb to 10 including several in Glenlyon Ave - the equivalent of one op shop for every 420 Greerton residents.

Mr Hart put a lot of the growth in the prosperity of the village on the popularity of the op shops, saying they appealed to everyone regardless of their incomes. "We have a certain niche ... op shops bring in an eclectic funkiness."

He disagreed that the village was competing with the CBD by promoting a funky and vibrant brand.

"For starters we don't have the money," he said.

Mr Hart said they were a low-budget organisation and had to be creative about how they showcased the village. Trees were what people associated with Greerton because they did not have Mauao, beaches or the waterfront.

He was appointed village manager two months ago and, having lived in London for 10 years, brought a fresh focus to the job.

Mr Hart called the village a bit of an architectural hodge-podge and said there was an opportunity to discuss the look of the buildings so they had more of a cohesive look. He was disappointed at the "ostentatious" colour scheme chosen for one of the buildings, saying it sas good for marketing but not for the look of the shopping centre.

The village opposed the proposal to convert the Cameron Rd/Chadwick Rd roundabout into a signalised intersection. He said the roundabout forced traffic to slow down and made it easier for people to cross the road.

Mr Hart said the new library would set the tone for future redevelopment of the village. Greerton's demographics of 24 per cent aged over-65 and nearly 20 per cent under-15 meant they would benefit hugely from the library.