Chris Wilkinson: First Retail Group Managing Director on the opening of the Sylvia Park Ikea

Shoppers are travelling from around the country to witness today's Ikea launch. 

The mega-retailer will start trading at 11am but the car park will open at 8:30am.  

Heavy traffic's anticipated, including 40-minute queues to exit the motorway at Mount Wellington. 

It could take punters up to an hour just to enter the carpark. 

First Retail Group Managing Director Chris Wilkinson told Ryan Bridge it's the most anticipated retail opening New Zealand has seen. 

He says everyone knows about Ikea, but we haven't had it within reach. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today. Ike is Big opening eleven o'clock, the car park
opening eight point thirty this morning. Apparently, au Can Transports
warned of forty minute ques to exit the motorway at
Mount Wellington, cues of up to an hour to enter
the shop's car parks. Chris Wilkinson is with us this
morning from Retail First Retail Group. Good morning Chris, Good
morning Ryan. Do you reckon this could be a phizzic
because we haven't seen the type of interest in retail

(00:21):
just over the last wee while that we would like
to have seen.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
No, definitely not. This is probably the most anticipated retail
opening New Zealand scene.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
Do you reckon people will travel from around the country
for this.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, we already know they are, and you know it's
developed a phenomenal following. What do people like? People like difference,
They like something that's unique. We hadn't seen anyone knows
about Ikia. New Zealand is a well traveled but we
haven't had that within reach and now we'd finally come

(00:53):
of age. Essentially, how does it perform?

Speaker 1 (00:56):
Ikea in countries like out like Australia.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Are extremely well. It's been very popular. They continue to
put stores in and that demand continues to grow.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
I'm told they have five hundred car parks at our care.
Does that sound like enough to you? Does that sound
like the right number of car parks for the size
of the store.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yeah, good point. But in the old days, of course,
people traveled to our kids. Now more and more we've
seeing people shopping online. And of course there's great rail
and transport connections to Sylvia Park, and that's a key
reason of chosen that site.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Is just generally with retail, how important these days is
parking because you know, we've had this idea that you
rip up car parks and you put in cycle ways,
and you put in bus lanes and stuff like that,
which drives people nuts. But the idea is that you
will actually get more foot traffic into these areas. You'll
get more people into these areas. Does that work? Is
that working?

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Getting a balance right is important in many cases. You know,
if you've got good public transport connections, leverage them. City centers,
we need to slow people down and better engage them
with their with their retail and hospitality environments. But in
provincial areas, you know, where you really need that that
connection to that wide attachment is Absolutely, you need parking.

Speaker 1 (02:13):
Chris Wilkinson, First Retail Group appreciate your time this morning.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, Listen live
to news Talks.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
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