Retail in New Zealand has faced some strong headwinds in recent years. First came Covid, then a recession, and all while online shopping has continued to surge in popularity.
It hasn’t been easy for retailers and, unfortunately, boarded-up shopfronts are a common sight around the country. Thelatest electronic spend data speaks volumes, with total retail spend remaining flat and apparel down $6 million in April compared with the month before.
At Mons Royale, we’re not immune to economic pressures either, but we haven’t let them scare us away from investing in bricks-and-mortar stores and instead used them to inspire us to lean into it.
But retail has changed. It’s not as simple anymore as finding a shopfront to display and sell your goods, because in a day and age when attention spans are short and the list of competing brands is long, retailers need to do much more.
Hamish Acland was a professional freeride skier before forming his business. Photo / Mons Royale
We believe that a physical store should offer more than just a place to buy gear, it should be a hub for community and a place for people to connect.
Mandy Duncan (from left), Tarryn Donaldson and Simone Anderson at the Mons Royale store launch at Britomart Square. Photo / Mons Royale
Our stores aren’t just for selling, they’re designed to bring together athletes, adventurers, locals and visitors alike. We host events, screen films, run repair workshops and community bike rides – not because they’re marketing tactics, but because they reflect who we are.
That’s exactly the spirit behind Mons Royale’s newest store in Auckland’s Britomart. It’s a space designed to not just showcase our gear, but to serve as a gathering point in the heart of the city.
We’re calling it Auckland’s portal to the snow, providing in-store snow reports for Tūroa, Treble Cone, Whistler and Innsbruck in real time.
Courtney Tairi (left) and Hannah Acland at the Mons Royale store launch at Britomart Square. Photo / Mons Royale
We also put real care into hiring staff who connect with the brand and share a passion for the outdoors. Through training, they’re equipped to offer knowledgeable advice and deliver a great experience for our customers.
Staff are also able to transfer between our stores, both here and abroad, so they can learn, grow and bring fresh perspectives to every location.
We’re now stocked in almost 1000 stores around the world, and the lessons from running our own retail space mean we’re better equipped to support our global wholesale partners, because we live it ourselves.
As well as New Zealand, we have stores in Canada and Austria, and what we’re seeing there is the same as what we see here – the stores that are flourishing are those that add value beyond the product.
The truth is, the status quo in retail is no longer enough. A purely transactional store is vulnerable to online competition and to the simple question: why go in-store at all?
If your answer doesn’t involve experience, connection or community, then you’re not giving people a reason to walk through your doors.
Bricks-and-mortar stores aren’t flatlining yet, but in order to breathe new life into them they need to evolve. When done well, physical retail offers something digital never can: a fun, immersive brand experience and a place to meet like-minded people and get advice.
Mons Royale is set to open a new retail store where they started in Wānaka. Photo / Mons Royale
They say loyalty is earned in retail, so any opportunity you get to connect with your customers is incredibly important.
Ultimately, I don’t think retail is dying, but retail’s passion for breaking innovative boundaries is, and while it may seem counter-intuitive to invest in a shopfront during an economic downturn, we’re enabling ourselves to walk now so we can sprint later.
At Mons, we’re proud to be reimagining retail and reclaiming its role in the community, and we believe that’s the way of the future.
