British luxury fashion retailer Mulberry will open its first New Zealand store just before Christmas at the Westfield Newmarket mall. The company has not disclosed the exact store opening date, but Westfield’s owner Scentre Group said the opening is a significant step for the shopping centre.
Scentre Group director of leasing, retail solutions and NZ development John Papagiannis said Mulberry’s arrival marks “the first of many luxury openings” ahead at Westfield Newmarket.
“Renowned for its quintessentially British designs, Mulberry is a brand we know our customers will really value and enjoy and we look forward to celebrating its grand opening next month,” Papagiannis said.
Retail analyst Chris Wilkinson, MD at First Retail Group, told the NZ Herald that while Mulberry “won’t have people crashing through the doors to visit” it is certainly a brand that is new to New Zealand that people will know and are very fond of.
“Once that luxury quarter within the centre reaches its critical mass it will be an experiential destination. It’s a great centre and all it is kind of now waiting on is the luxury offer.”
Early this year, fashion brands Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein opened their first stores in New Zealand, in Auckland’s newest shopping centre, Commercial Bay in the CBD. Italian retailer Bulgari will open a flagship store in Auckland next month.
Mulberry was founded in 1971 by Roger Saul and his mother Joan. The fashion retailer had its first factory England in 1973. It has stores in the UK, Europe, the US, Australia and Asia, selling clothes, leather accessories, and footwear.