Benefits Of Shopping Centre Envisaged

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31116, 20 July 1966, Page 7

Benefits Of Shopping Centre Envisaged

The directors of Hay’s Ltd., were confident that the Northlands shopping centre at Papanui would have a beneficial effect on the existing Papanui shopping area, said Sir James Hay, the firm’s chairman of directors, yesterday.

“The provision of muchneeded car parking space so convenient to the present shops, together with the advent of a 50,000 square feet department store, will undoubtedly attract more customers to the area,” he said. “This should be of real advantage to present shopkeepers, who must have been increasingly concerned with the lack of parking facilities and the development of new shopping centres in other areas." Sir James Hay said his firm expected to have a staff of about 100 in its new store at Northlands, many of whom would be recruited from the Papanui area. "We are pleased to be associated with this important new retail venture, which is further evidence of our confidence in the future expansion of Christchurch and in the general long-term favourable economic prospects of New Zealand,” he said. Sir James Hay said the announcement by the Fletcher Trust and Investment Com-

pany Ltd, of the proposed development of the shopping centre was enthusiastically welcomed by the directors of Hay’s, who had been closely associated with the Fletcher organisation. “Hay’s Ltd. has planned for some years to erect a major

department store and superi market in Papanui,” he said, ; and in November, 1964, an- • nounced its intention to go ; ahead with this project. However, the Building Programmer delayed the start of , Hay’s building for a year and in the meantime an approach ■ was made to the Fletcher Trust which had successfully i launched New Zealand’s largest suburban shopping centre at Pakuranga in Auckland, to see whether it would be prepared to undertake a similar project at Papanui, with Hay’s as the major department store. “Several of Hay’s executives have travelled overseas recently to keep abreast of the rapidly changing trends in shopping centre developments and have come to the conclusion that a fully integrated centre incorporating a department store with a comprehensive selection of small specialty shops associated with a

large car parking area, is the most acceptable from customers’ point of view. “Yesterday’s announcement is the culmination of the long negotiations which have taken place between the two organisations and Hay’s is confident that the shopping centre evisaged will be a credit to Christchurch and excitingly different from any other centre previously built in New Zealand. “The proposed Hay’s store which will be built before the remaining shops are constructed and opened for trade in November 1967, will be the largest suburban department store in New Zealand and will therefore carry a bigger selection of merchandise than is usually found in suburban stores. The shop will be close to the company’s central warehouse and furniture factory, already established at Papanui and will thus be able to offer a very comprehensive service to the public.”