Hallenstein Glasson will open a new flagship store in the Christchurch CBD, its second biggest store in New Zealand.

The new store, part of the major Christchurch city rebuild, will be located on the corner of High and Cashel streets in the new ANZ Centre building.

The two level store will house Glassons on the ground floor and Hallensteins on level one, with Glassons will cover 456sqm and Hallensteins 452sqm in an integrated store, complete with digital screens, inspirational displays ,and upbeat music.

CEO,  Graeme Popplewell, said the new store is part of Hallenstein Glasson’s overall strategy to ensure its brands are dominant in key market locations.

“It’s an amazing chance to get the best position and to be part of the whole new city,” said Popplewell.

“We see it as a long term decision. It’s really important for us, as a strong NZ brand, to ensure we have a robust presence in Christchurch.”

Popplewell said strong competition from the internet and overseas retailers in NZ meant the clothing retailer must always ensure every facet is internationally competitive.

“We need to make sure we’re better than our competition. Everything we do has to be world class standard to compete with global players so to meet and exceed customer expectations we need to ensure we have new product every week.”

Match Realty director, Aubrey Cheng, who brokered the lease, said it is a significant boost for the Christchurch CBD retail precinct.

“This area around Ballantynes and down Cashel to High St is the prime stretch for fashion retail,” said Cheng.