Mitre 10 Mega Pāpāmoa will be the first Mega store in New Zealand to feature a dedicated walk-up trade entrance and automated click-and-collect facilities alongside its drive-through.
“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,” says Loretta Johnstone, who co-owns the store with her husband Brian.
Population growth in the Tauranga suburb has prompted the development of the nearly 11,000m² store, which will replace the existing small-format Mitre 10 at a new location in The Sands retail development in Pāpāmoa East.
The development includes architectural changes to modernise the traditional Mitre 10 format. Trade customers will be able to park close to the entrance and walk through a separate click-and-collect lobby to the trade checkout without crossing a driveway or going through the main store.
The automated collection facilities will be a trial for the rest of the country, allowing customers to retrieve orders from lockers using a personal identification number, similar to supermarket collection services. Dedicated trade parking will be provided.
The store will give Pāpāmoa its first Mitre 10 trade centre, as the previous site was too small. It will include a 2,030m² trade drive-through area and a 2,200m² timber yard.
A trade manager and two trade account managers have been hired to lead the new department and have already been meeting local businesses. Johnstone says the response has been extremely positive, with the area having 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.”
With land purchased for a housing development opposite The Sands complex, the store is expected to support growth in local trade businesses.
The store will have a 5,300m² retail floor and a 2,075m² garden centre, along with a Columbus café and treehouse-themed playground. The development includes 806 carparks.
The opening will create 30 new jobs, bringing the total team to approximately 90 people.
Mitre 10 Mega Pāpāmoa is due to open in October.