A booming population in the Tauranga suburb of Pāpāmoa has prompted the development of a new Mitre 10 MEGA store, with a New Zealand-first Mitre 10 Trade set-up. The nearly 11,000sqm store replaces the existing small-format Mitre 10, moving to a new site at The Sands retail development in Pāpāmoa East.
As well as some architectural changes to modernise the traditional Mitre 10 format, it will be the first Mitre 10 MEGA store in the country to feature a dedicated walk-up Trade entrance and automated Click & Collect alongside the drive-thru.
Trade customers will be able to park close to the entrance and walk through the separate Click & Collect lobby to the Trade checkout without crossing a driveway or going through the main store.
Loretta Johnstone, who co-owns the store with her husband Brian, says the changes are focused on helping busy tradespeople get what they need more easily.
“It’s like having the separate garden centre entrance — many people don’t want to have to walk through the whole store just to buy an extra bag of potting mix. Now our customers can come straight to the Trade checkout, ask for a product, and get back on the road again quickly,” she says.
The Click & Collect space will be a trial for the rest of the country, enabling orders to be collected from a locker via a PIN, similar to a supermarket. There will also be dedicated Trade car parking.
It will be the first time Pāpāmoa has had a Mitre 10 Trade Centre, as the previous site was too small.
A Trade manager and two Trade account managers have been hired to lead the new department, and have already been meeting with local businesses. Johnstone says there has been an extremely positive response, given the area has been underserved for so long.
“Nearly a quarter of the Tauranga population is located in Pāpāmoa, so lots of tradies live here, but they’re not well served. This will change their lives. This isn’t just coming from the businesses we’ve spoken to — we’ve hired local contractors to work on the build, including the lighting and wiring, and they’re absolutely fizzing,” Johnstone says.
With land purchased for a new housing development opposite The Sands complex, the store will also support the significant growth expected for local trades businesses. Mitre 10 MEGA Pāpāmoa is due to open in October.
Mitre 10 MEGA Pāpāmoa by the numbers:
• 11,000sqm total store footprint
• 2,030sqm Trade drive-thru area
• 2,200sqm timber yard
• 5,300sqm retail floor area
• 2075sqm garden centre
• 806 car parks
• 30 new jobs created, approx 90 total team head count
• Columbus Cafe and treehouse-themed playground
Source: Building Today
