New Zealand clothing brand Ruby is returning to Auckland’s CBD, with a new pop-up store opening on Queen St.<\/p>\n
Speaking to the Herald, Miller-Sharma made it clear that the brand\u2019s departure wasn\u2019t intended to be permanent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI tell you what, it feels good to say you are going to do something, and then do it. Spring has well and truly sprung in the CBD, both literally and metaphorically,\u201d Miller-Sharma said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile there\u2019s still work to be done, we\u2019re optimistic about the direction Auckland\u2019s CBD is heading. Beyond the commercial investment, we\u2019re seeing the potential for the city centre to become a destination once again, bringing people back not just for work, but to shop, dine and spend time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Key to the renewed optimism has been the opening of the City Rail Link (CRL) and several other retailers making similar commitments to the area, including recently opened Faradays<\/a>, Noel Leeming<\/a> and Cartier<\/a>.<\/p>\n The pop-up location fills a vacancy next door to Faradays, allowing Ruby to capitalise on the luxury department store\u2019s opening.<\/p>\n But as Miller-Sharma described, the location brings its own character to Queen St.<\/p>\n \u201cThe actual store is slightly recessed, so we feel like we\u2019ve got this entry into the sparkle of the city, but there\u2019s a little whisper of seclusion. We\u2019re not glaringly all the way out there on the main strip, but we\u2019re there and we\u2019re tucked into a little nook.<\/p>\n \u201cOur art director Emma Harkness has been working on the fit-out, and it\u2019s so cool to see. Obviously it\u2019s a pop-up space, and pop-ups are meant to be a little bit more playful. I can\u2019t wait to get in there because I want it to feel like we\u2019re participating in the energy and the party of the city.\u201d<\/p>\n The renewed optimism doesn\u2019t come without expectation, however, with Miller-Sharma acknowledging that the past year has been challenging for the business.<\/p>\n She said the brand\u2019s loyalty programme, which allows customers to gain vouchers for spending a certain amount, had seen more vouchers earned but fewer redeemed, reflecting less intent to buy again.<\/p>\n The age of the brand\u2019s customer base has also been a factor, with 18- to 35-year-olds more affected by rising unemployment, which has hampered spending.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes it\u2019s hard to know if it\u2019s more difficult, because over time you get worn down in the same way it\u2019s been for everyone.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an interesting one because if you speak with retailers and with clothing designers, we\u2019re nothing if we\u2019re not hopeful, because otherwise we would definitely not be doing these jobs. But how do you walk the line of pragmatism while also having a vision? That balance this year has felt particularly difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n But hope for a more positive summer is what is driving Miller-Sharma, bolstered by the return of the brand\u2019s former head of retail Fiona Cameron, who has returned from London to help manage the store.<\/p>\n The pop-up will operate until the end of December, with Miller-Sharma keen to establish a more permanent presence in the CBD.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen things come together easily, that\u2019s when you know you\u2019re doing the right thing. This is a temporary home for now, but our ambition to have a long-term presence in the CBD hasn\u2019t changed.\u201d<\/p>\n