NEW ZEALAND. Auckland Airport has named some of the global brands which will be taking space at its planned NZ$200 million (US$119.4 million) premium outlet shopping destination, Mānawa Bay. The 150,000sq m retail complex will feature stores from Kate Spade, Coach, Puma, Fila, Under Armour and Flo & Frankie, among dozens of others.
The fashion-driven shopping site – which will open next year – will house over 100 premium fashion, athleisure and lifestyle brands. It will also feature homeware brands, as well as food & beverage options.
Auckland Airport Commercial Chief Mark Thomson said: “We’re proud to be announcing some of our first stores for Mānawa Bay and thrilled with how the project’s being received by the market.
“The outlet centre’s filling up fast and all of our anchor sites have now been leased. We look forward to sharing more details about our further confirmed agreements with other major retail brands over the coming weeks.”
“Brands are gaining access to what will be New Zealand’s first purpose-built outlet shopping centre – designed and created based on what retailers require to offer the best experience possible to their customers.”
In a social media post, the airport company said that it is currently in talks with more than 80 potential tenants for the centre. Over 50% of the net lettable area are now under either signed Heads of Terms or Agreement to Lease.
Auckland Airport Head of Retail Lucy Thomas said: “We’re thrilled to be making the first of many announcements of tenants who will be housed at Mānawa Bay. We are looking forward to sharing further exciting developments and news in the months ahead and as we get closer to opening in 2024.”
Construction work has been in progress since August 2021, with the foundations nearing completion, currently at 90%.
The development will highlight sustainable design principles, with Auckland Airport targeting Green Star design and build.
It will showcase what is described as a modern and distinctive New Zealand feel, providing strong connections between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Thomson added: “The entire outlet centre is a greenfield site, designed with high-quality retailing outcomes in mind, for both customers and retailers. Everything has been carefully thought through.
“We’re building two loading docks for tenants to move stock into the centre and ample additional storage capacity for retailers, making it an efficient and spacious centre for them to operate in.
“We have over 1,400 customer car park spaces directly in front of the centre, along with a dedicated pick-up and drop-off area for ride-share services, taxis and buses. We also have a much larger parking network for additional capacity on busier days.
“We know how important sustainability is to retailers and this is at the forefront of our development – everything from the largest rooftop solar array in New Zealand to the country’s first gas-free electric food court.” ✈
