When the Herald arrived to see the store before its official opening, the queue extended beyond sight, with staff confirming it had reached Britomart about 450m away.<\/p>\n
Bell said several deals were on offer to shoppers first in line, including half-price PlayStation consoles and half-price iPhones for the first 50 purchases.<\/p>\n
Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck, who attended, said the feeling on Queen St was changing and it seemed momentum was building with several high-profile openings over the last few weeks, including the CRL and Cartier.<\/p>\n
Bell echoed the sentiment when appearing on Ryan Bridge TODAY and said the store\u2019s opening reinforced the confidence the business is seeing in Auckland\u2019s CBD again.<\/p>\n
Noel Leeming chief executive Jason Bell said the business had been searching for the perfect site for the last few years. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
The concept store features expert demonstrations, gaming events, product launches, and try-before-you-buy zones designed to turn a store visit into a \u201cdestination experience\u201d.<\/p>\n
Some \u201cexperiences\u201d include a dedicated Nespresso area where customers will be able to make coffee.<\/p>\n
The 511sq m floor area extends to the back of the building, with a clearway in the centre for customers to see out to the Queen St storefront.<\/p>\n
The site will also double as a commercial centre for the business, which it has lacked since it left the CBD.<\/p>\n
Bell confirmed the business had been looking for a new site in Auckland\u2019s CBD for years, aiming for a site with 500-700sq m of floor space.<\/p>\n
He was candid about the process and said The Warehouse Group\u2019s strategy switch from agile to brand-led under interim chief executive John Journee had given his team the freedom to pursue the project.<\/p>\n
The store\u2019s opening comes amid a bumpy consumer environment, with retail sales down 0.9% in August according to the latest data from Stats NZ.<\/p>\n
Noel Leeming\u2019s largest competitor, JB Hi-Fi, reported its financial result earlier this year, with sales lifting 26% year-on-year.<\/p>\n
Noel Leeming, alongside its parent company The Warehouse Group, will report its full-year result on September 30.<\/p>\n