Furniture and homewares retailer unveils Stage 1 of $60 million development

Furniture and homewares retailer Nido unveiled the first stage of its $60 million development to the public on May 30.

The new 27,000sqm store in West Auckland was set to carry more than 10,000 product lines, but according to the retailer, they are still a work in progress.

“There is a limited range of furniture to see,” Nido announced. “Our whole range will be released in Stage 2.”

For the Stage 1 opening, Nido unveiled its homewares, bedding, kitchenware, tableware, accessories and other categories on the ground floor.

“Our 100-showroom experience isn’t ready yet, but we have a limited range of furniture for you to see.”

Nido previously announced it will house 80 exclusive brands and feature more than 100 display rooms to be continuously updated.

Managing director Vinod Kumar said hundreds of containers of product arrived in the months prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, which meant there was no interruption to supply lines.

“We have sourced products from NZ, Europe and the US and will be the largest retail operation in the country and, for those outside of Auckland, we will eventually offer online shopping functionality through our website and provide nationwide distribution for our products,” Kumar said.

Chris Wilkinson, managing director of First Retail Group, said the opening of the store will bring a boost to retail confidence and help to reinvigorate the category among Kiwi consumers.

“People have been focused on their home environment for the past eight weeks, and we know that during the lockdown the businesses in these categories have done very well selling their essential items,” Wilkinson said.

“These types of stores will be the first destinations Kiwis head to once we come out of lockdown as many of them will have identified projects they want to get started.”

Kumar, who has been twice voted New Zealand Retailer of the Year, said once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted they will be able to open the second level of the store along with the cafe. 

He says more product lines, including large furniture and room settings, and parking spaces for more than 600 vehicles will be made available in the coming weeks as lockdown restrictions are lifted.

According to him, the new store caters to a wide range of budgets and tastes and Kiwis will be able to access the latest products, technology and global design trends all under one roof.

The store employs about 180 workers.

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