Faradays department store on Queen Street in Auckland CBD opened its doors over the weekend, bringing more than 220 brands as part of a luxury offering to shoppers.

The three-storey, 3000sqm store has been called “one of the most significant new retail developments in New Zealand in recent years” by the business association Heart of the City Auckland. Its offering spans fashion, beauty, wellness, technology, jewellery, homewares, children’s clothing and more.

Faradays’ flagship brands include Skims, La Mer, Loewe and Jacquemis; many are making their New Zealand debut.

The store’s opening is part of a $30 million project at 131 Queen Street, which was announced in November 2025. However, not all of the premises have been completed, with customers having to wait until October 2 for the opening of the Emmett Group’s restaurant, Lottie’s.

“We love the circularity of bringing a department store back to a building with such an extraordinary retail history,” said Edward von Dadelszen, co-founder and CEO of Faradays.

“There is something incredibly powerful about looking backwards and forwards at the same time. We are respecting what Queen Street was, while making a very clear statement about what we believe it can become.”

Fellow co-founder Constance von Dadelszen said designing Faradays as a social hub was “essential”.

“Somewhere you could browse without an agenda, the way the great department stores always understood themselves to be social hubs as much as retail spaces,” she added.

“You might come in for a dress and leave having discovered a book, a fragrance, a piece of art, or simply having stayed for lunch.”