As you walk along Devonport Road, looking through all of the shop windows, you will find that most of the stores are empty.
Most of the stores that are still open are ‘mall stores' and will just open up somewhere new but the one off stores are suffering.
Raye Drake from Bridal Solutions on Devonport Road says that after 15 years, everything has got to go.
Raye originally was in the building next door but three years ago had to shift due to the building being demolished and being rebuilt as a Quest Hotel.
'Business started to reduce when No 72 Devonport was sold, and was left empty for three years with fencing around it to keep the public away. This sent the public to the other side of the street to avoid the closed off footpath right next to my store,” says Raye. 'It's a tragedy but what can you do?”
'This town will soon be a ghost town as no one can afford to stay and the ‘mall shops' will just close and open somewhere else.”
Raye also says that parking on Devonport Road is a major issue, with having to pay for parking and there being a lack of parks. She also says she has noticed a change in the amount of people coming into the CBD, with it getting less and less.
'Why would you come into the CBD and pay for parking when you can go to BayFair or The Lakes and park for free?”
'You walk up the street and everything is either closed or closing down, what must people think? What must the visitors think?”
'I've worked hard over the years, and I've loved my job and I love what I do, but with construction and other things getting in the way, I've got to sell as much stock as quickly as I can,” says Raye.
Raye also says that with the construction going on next door, she is losing a lot of foot traffic.
A lot of people when they see scaffolding and construction peering out over onto the footpath, people will cross the road, to avoid getting in the way.
October 27 will be Raye's last day in the store, and with a 50 percent off sale, she is hoping to have sold most of her stock before then.
So if you're looking for your dream wedding dress, now is your time to get it at a great price.
8 comments
So right, Raye
Posted on 03-10-2018 12:04 | By nerak
and you won't be the last to go. Talk to many in this sad city, consensus is Tauranga downtown is dead. What indeed is there to go into town for? No atmosphere, no positive vibe.
AND Tauranga City Council bureaucrats, Mayor and Councillors say they know best
Posted on 03-10-2018 12:10 | By Murray.Guy
“This town will soon be a ghost town as no one can afford to stay and the ‘mall shops’ will just close and open somewhere else.” Raye also says that parking on Devonport Road is a major issue, with having to pay for parking and the lack of parks. She also says she has noticed a change in the amount of people coming into the CBD, with it getting less and less. “Why would you come into the CBD and pay for parking when you can go to BayFair or The Lakes and park for free?” ...... >>> AND TAURANGA CITY COUNCIL STAFF BUREAUCRATS, pen pushers, MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS REFUSE to accept these comments from a, soon to be, ex-retailer as valid!
Pull their heads out of their &&&
Posted on 03-10-2018 13:53 | By Lvdw
Seriously, the councilors here need to do just that. Go and look at other main streets in similar sized cities - Upper Hutt City is a good example that is only coming back after 6 years of apathy. Exactly the same. More shops vacant than occupied. I really feel for the small retailer because they are being pushed out at an alarming rate. How on earth are they going to entice visitors to stay and spend money here. Its no wonder the cruise ship passengers hope straight onto their tour buses and head to Rotorua! Oh wait, they are going to build a million dollar museum - 'she'll be right mate' WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES will ya.
Sorry Murray
Posted on 03-10-2018 15:34 | By tgacentral
While it's tough for the one off retailers, they need to be looking to their landlords for help and getting more innovative while there is a building boom in town and the disruption that comes with it. One thing you can be sure of is that the CBD is not dying and the huge amount of commercial investment currently visible is proof of that. We have had big residential boom and now the commercial is following in behind with a big focus of that currently in the CBD.
SORRY - @ tgacentral
Posted on 04-10-2018 01:02 | By The Caveman
I don't currently live in Tga, but am "in town" for 4/5 days every 3-4 weeks. And I can say that I have NOT been into the CDB to in the last 12 months (other than for the need for ONE visit the SPARK shop for a cellphone problem - that took 5 minutes to fix). WHY, well how long is a bit of string - the total lack of convenient parking (look at The Strand !!), the lack of the shops/stores that sell what I want - the simple fact is that ALL of the businesses that I need to visit are located in the MALLS - Bayfair, The Lakes, Fraser Cove, etc, etc.
Tgacentral - 'truth pill' bitter to swallow!
Posted on 04-10-2018 11:03 | By Murray.Guy
Our region is stunning and ever popular, ever growing in population at 1- 2% annually. Firstly attracted by the environment, second as an exceptional Port. NOTHING Tauranga City Council has contributed has added value, enhanced this growth, in reality, just the opposite. Our city grows despite the City Council. Many many $millions have been squandered in the CBD, waterfront regions this past 15 years all citing critical investment to enhance the vitality and economic viability of the CBD, with NO measurable benefit but very measurable impediments. How many $millions of rates wasted on a hotel, a museum, traffic management initiatives? the ONLY contribution the City Council has made to the CBD being attractive is to secure their pet ego fueled projects is to provide ratepayer million dollar subsidies to developers, the University, free land and ratepayer subsidized parking. EVERYWHERE but the CBD grows with no ratepayer subsidy!
Walk A Mile In Their Shoes
Posted on 04-10-2018 13:13 | By DevonportRetailer
All very well suggesting that the retailers look to their landlords for help and getting more innovative........the landlords don't give a hoot about their tenants, they just want the rent. That's obvious by the amount of vacant shops in Devonport Road. If they were willing to work with their tenants, then maybe, that tenant may sign up for another term upon their lease expiring. A reduction in rent would help both tenant and landlord. Tenant at a reduce rate, could potentially trade themselves back into a decent profit (or indeed a profit), and the landlord is still receiving some for of financial compensation. In a perfect world this is the solution, but this is the real world and the landlords don't care. Sadly for them, their premises can remain empty for a long time. Karma!
CBD B-gone
Posted on 10-10-2018 15:43 | By Captain Hottie
I totally agree it is a ghost town and getting more ghostly by the day (Whitcoulls now gone). The best shops like Cabbages and Kings and the bookshop are not open on a Sunday and for some archaic reason you still must pay for parking on a Saturday. But rent decreases will only pull in $2 shops, pawn shops, outlet stores and other tat, do we really want our CBD to look like a South Auckland strip mall? I suggest we get all the non-retail out - the lawyers, accountants, government services, head offices etc (who also hog the car parking) and just have retail shops and cafes/bars, where people actually WANT to spend their money. Have more pop-up shops from quality retailers and free but limited time parking.
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