Westfield Newmarket, first 40 shops open next week. Photo / supplied
Westfield Newmarket, first 40 shops open next week. Photo / supplied
The battle for consumers' wallets will heat up next week when the country's latest "mega mall" opens.
The $790 million redeveloped Westfield Newmarket's first 40 shops will be ready to trade by Thursday morning and a series of events and giveaways are planned over the following four days as thegiant structure takes on its competition.
The mall traded for many years at 277 Broadway but has now expanded across to 309 Broadway, closer to the Southern Motorway, linked via an airbridge over Mortimer Pass.
Westfield Newmarket's new dining hub. Photo / supplied
Before Christmas, Westfield Newmarket plans to have all 230 shops and 2770 carparks open, as well as an alfresco dining and entertainment zone and a new multiplex.
It will be the country's biggest mall and battles other shopping centres including the ever-growing Westgate in west Auckland which will be home to Costco.
Shops to open on Thursday include Farmers, Kathmandu, Rebel Sport and Under Armour, Chemist Warehouse, Beauty & Beyond, Dangerfield, Bras N Things, Cosmetic Clinic, Huffer, 2 Degrees, Spark, The Coffee Club, Hulu Cat, Amore Gelato and EB Games.
Nic Watt is opening a new restaurant, Inca, and prominent Australian brand Zimmermann is expected, along with Bohemian-style Camilla, New Zealand's first LEGO, department store David Jones and Australian retailers General Pants Co and Aje.
Nic Watt is opening a new restaurant Inca at Westfield Newmarket. Photo / Babiche Martens
Entertainment and giveaways will mark four days of opening celebrations.
Ngā Puna o Waiōrea - Western Springs College - will open the centre with a Māori cultural performance.
Scentre is encouraging shoppers to download a new app, Westfield Plus, on which two hours free parking is offered.
How the new mega-mall will look inside. Photo / Supplied
The centre will eventually offer New Zealand's first mall valet parking and a hands-free shopping experience where goods purchased can be delivered to cars.
Auckland Transport wants people to uses buses and trains to get to the mall and says apart from the CBD, Newmarket has the best public transport connections in the city.
"Auckland Transport advises that whenever possible, visitors to Newmarket leave their cars at home and consider the many public transport options available. Taking public transport will make getting to and from Newmarket easier and less stressful," it said.
On Mortimer Pass in April, before the airbridge went up. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Battle for shoppers
Some of the freebies for Westfield Newmarket's opening celebration:
• The Cosmetic Clinic has been giving away treatments and skincare packs online.
• Free coffee and half-priced meals at Coffee Club.
