Rodd & Gunn’s new $10m+ four-storey global flagship in Melbourne heritage building

The chain decided to go so big in Melbourne because Australia has become by far the retailer’s biggest market. The new store is a huge 1490sq m, making it just under 1.5ha of floor area.

The dining room and members’ bar area at Rodd & Gunn’s new store on Little Collins St, Melbourne. Photo / Rodd & Gunn

“We’ve been the No 1 and No 2 in Myer and David Jones over the last five years.

“We’ve had massive growth in Australia. It’s not just sales but also recognition. No one knew us 10 years ago. Now, I get in a taxi and people say they love the brand. Can I give them a discount, they ask.”

Retail floor off Little Collins St, Melbourne. Photo / Rodd & Gunn

The retailer struck a 15-year lease with Melbourne investment business Newmark Capital which did significant works to the building before the Kiwi business brought in its own outfitters.

Waikato cheese features in a dessert, and wines being sold come from Craggy Range, Mt Difficulty, Pegasus Bay and many other vineyards.

Rodd & Gunn’s new dining room and members’ bar, Little Collins St, Melbourne. Photo / Rodd & Gunn

“In real life, it is even better. It is breathtaking,” Beagley said of pictures of the three-level store in the heritage building at 230 Little Collins St.

Cocktail and wine bar area inside Rodd & Gunn’s new Melbourne store. Photo / Rodd & Gunn

New Zealand will always remain Rodd & Gunn’s spiritual home because the global retailer’s roots are here, Beagley said.

The brand heritage goes back to 1946, but Rodd & Gunn as it is today started in 1987.

“But the opening of our Melbourne flagship is our way of giving back to a city that has supported Rodd & Gunn from the beginning.”

Rodd & Gunn’s Commercial Bay outlet in Auckland CBD also has dining.

Extensive use of wood inside Rodd & Gunn’s new store, Little Collins St, Melbourne. Photo / Rodd & Gunn

The four levels in Melbourne are:

Basement: Rodd & Gunn Cellar & Wine Bar, dedicated to dining and drinking on the lower ground floor, a moody escape serving an extensive New Zealand wine list;Ground floor: Rodd & Gunn retail, “a polished statement of confidence, the space pairs cornice plasterwork and marble joinery with modern product displays. Heritage-inspired balustrades and aromatic timber finishes create a relaxed yet elevated browsing experience”;Mezzanine: The Lodge Member’s Bar Little Collins, “a moody retreat reserved for loyalty members or those who book in the two restaurants, wrapped in wood panelling, sculptural lighting by Volker Haug, and art deco-inspired motifs. Guests can exclusively enjoy distinctive classic cocktails, premium wines and Kiwi-inspired snacks in a private, club-like setting;Level four: The Lodge Dining Room Little Collins, with floor-to-ceiling arched windows, antique mirrors and white marble table.

The basement and retail levels opened at the beginning of October.

The two upper levels opened on November 20.

Rodd & Gunn The Lodge restaurant, Commercial Bay, Auckland. Photo / Babiche Martens

For Beagley, it was a five-year journey.

“We began negotiating to lease the space in 2020. The building work didn’t start until February this year. That was done by our shop fitter In Detail. But the landlord had been renovating the areas for two years before all that.”

Mecca and Clemenger are also in the building, which originally had been home to a GJ Coles Variety Store in the early 1900s.

Rodd & Gunn CEO Mike Beagley.

David Jones took over the space but then sold the building.

The food court of David Jones was on basement. Menswear was on ground, men’s underwear on the mezzanine and menswear on level one.

In 2022, David Jones no longer needed the space so it had amalgamated these areas into its women’s wear, and that building became surplus to its needs, Beagley said.

Inside the cellar at Rodd & Gunn’s global flagship, Little Collins St, Melbourne CBD. Photo / Rodd & Gunn

Rodd & Gunn reported on December 16, revealing a previous profit became a $3.7 million net loss in the year to June 29, 2025 due to problems in Canada after the closure of department store Hudson’s Bay Company.

Fine dining at Rodd & Gunn’s new Melbourne store. Photo / Rodd & Gunn

Beagley told the Herald: “It was a very challenging period but fortunately, we pivoted quickly and opened nine of our own stores in Canada.

“We believed there would be a market void due to Hudson’s Bay departure from the market and that has borne out to be true.”

Rodd & Gunn has 98 outlets in about 10 countries: 215 shops-in-shops, also known as concession stores, and 98 dedicated stand-alone stores.

New Zealand wines are prominent at this new Melbourne store of Rodd & Gunn. Photo / Rodd & Gunn

It has physical stores in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada and United Kingdom.

Shops-in-shops are where it leases space in 215 locations, including Ireland, Denmark, France, Italy, Singapore and Hong Kong.

In Melbourne, thought was given where to put areas which the retailer regarded as crucial to expanding its clothing offering into fine dining.

The cellar and wine bar in the basement offers booth seating and pays homage to the original Cole’s cafeteria which was once there.

A cocktail library is offered by Melbourne mixologist Matt Bar.

The retailer’s biggest, most expensive store is now in Melbourne.

Beagley said the piece de resistance was The Lodge Dining Room, framed by floor-to-ceiling arched windows, antique mirrors and custom joinery.

“I always take people up there last,” he said, describing the wow factor of that area.

Inside Rodd & Gunn’s new store with dining and bar areas, Little Collins St, Melbourne. Photo / Rodd & Gunn

Subtle references to the building’s past are woven throughout, from restored tile artworks and original tiled columns to marble finishes and parquetry underfoot.

Beagley said all the art was from New Zealand.

Showcasing New Zealand food, wine and other products on Little Collins St, Melbourne. Photo / Rodd & Gunn

A reeded-glass private dining room with steel detailing and a striking white marble table offers an exclusive setting for more intimate gatherings, the company’s marketing says.

The area is grand in scale but intimate in detail, Beagley said.

For him, the Melbourne store is the ultimate, combining dining and retailing.

The retailer will open a new concept store in Auckland’s $150m Pompallier on Ponsonby when that under-construction project is finished. That is also to have the food, cocktail and wine offering.

A bar, restaurant and outdoor dining terrace is being built within that new store. A commercial kitchen is to have wood-burning ovens and grills.

Anne Gibson has been the Herald‘s property editor for 25 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.

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