Big brand stores open in Rotorua

By MIKE MATHER IN ROTORUA
ROTORUA'S central business district is going through another season of change with several new stores due to open shortly.
Leading the rush is the international health and beauty chain The Body Shop, which will open an outlet in the old Kleins Jewellery store in Tutanekai St in mid-June.
"We are so excited to be coming to literally the heart of the North Island," director Barrie Thomas said. "We would like to thank the many customers who have called and written to request a store in the area."
The store will bring the number of Body Shops in New Zealand to 25.
There are over 2045 branches in 52 countries worldwide. The franchise has been trading in this country since 1989.
Menswear chain Hallensteins opened its new store at Rotorua Central today, opposite Harcourts Real Estate. JK Kidswear and Gimme will be moving next to Hallensteins later this month.
Hallensteins marketing manager Glenn Hesson said the new outlet was what was known as a "concept store" and would include a plasma television set with Sky TV and a PlayStation for children to amuse themselves while their parents browsed the racks of clothing.
"It's a much more modern shopping environment, the way of the future," Mr Hesson said. "We have got a much bigger range of clothing too."
Over the weekend the Hinemoa St Hallensteins store moved its stock to the new premises. It is not yet known which business will replace Hallensteins in Hinemoa St.
Construction of the Farmers building is well underway at Rotorua Central, next to the Caltex service station on the corner of Amohau and Ranolf Sts.
The store is set to open in March next year.
Farmers general manager of commercial operations Tim Wilson said the new 5000sq m, two-storey building would incorporate the existing Farmers department store and the Farmers Home Centre, presently in Hinemoa St and Tutanekai St respectively, although it was possible that the Home Centre would remain open for some months after the new store had opened, Mr Wilson said.
It was likely all staff employed at both stores would be retained once the new building was open.
"We are still working through that process," Mr Wilson said.
While the new store was being built specifically for Farmers, the company would be leasing it from mall owners Pukeroa Oruawhata Holdings.
In other recent central city changes Jay Jays, a new clothing store, recently opened next to Jeans West in Tutanekai St.
Desirable Lingerie on the corner of Tutanekai and Pukuatua Sts has been sold.
Retail Rotorua chairman Knocker Dean said he was encouraged by the dynamic environment of the central city and wanted to fill all the empty shops as soon as possible.
"In future, we will be looking at getting people into those premises as soon as they become vacant. It's a priority," he said.
Mr Dean said he thought a recent Chamber of Commerce survey on business confidence, which recorded a sharp increase in pessimism in Rotorua, could be misleading.
"At the Retail Rotorua annual general meeting, which we held the other week, I felt the mood was a lot more optimistic than pessimistic. The attitude was 'lets get on with it'.
"I thought it was interesting [the chamber] couldn't say how many people from Rotorua responded to that survey. It may just be one or two [businesses] with a fair number of employees that are struggling."