Nelson to lose nine retail stores
Dotti in Morrison Square is just one of seven shops in Morrison Square that are closing for good at the end of this month. Photo: Kate Russell.
A wave of sudden retail store closures in Nelson’s Morrison Square has stunned locals, and some businesses have been “scrambling” to find new premises.
At least seven shops in Morrison Square have either already closed or will be closed by the end of this month, with another two shops elsewhere in the city also closing.
It was announced in late June that the external cladding system at Morrison Square needed “substantial” repairs according to a recent engineering report, and it may pose a health and safety risk if not addressed by the end of the year.
The property is owned by ACC’s Investment Fund and is home to 22 retail and commercial tenants.
To date, Hartleys Fashion has closed, Sunglass Style will shut on 15 August, while Smiggle, Dotti, Jay Jays, Portmans, and Jacqui E (all part of The Just Group) will have their last day of trade on 28 August.
Cotton On Kids on Hardy St (adjacent to Morrison Square, and not affected by the cladding issues) is another city shop set to close on 18 August.
Longstanding Nelson shoe shop, Taylor’s Shoes on Trafalgar St is also closing down, although their Richmond store will remain open.
Morrison Square centre manager Angela Leonard left her role on 6 August and the website for the shopping village has now ‘expired’.
Some shops in the precinct will fortunately be relocating - including Just Jeans, Merric, Flo and Frankie, and The Rock Box.
Debbie King from Flo and Frankie said on Monday that they were already in the process of moving to a new space on Trafalgar St, where TSB Bank used to be.
“We are shifting next Sunday and then opening the following Thursday. The fitting rooms are going in today.”
She said they had been given until the end of November to vacate.
“But, everyone was scrambling to find somewhere to go.”
Just Jeans is moving to 256 Trafalgar St, The Rock Box is also relocating to Trafalgar st, while a spokesperson from Merric says they are still in negotiations for a new location.
Other businesses said they were still figuring out what to do and where to go, including Aki Sushi, Babagatto and Moochi, while Colombus Coffee said they were planning on relocating but did not confirm a location.
The Brook Waimārama Sanctuary Trust’s office is located in Morrison Square, and chief executive Ru Collin says they also have until the end of November to find a new space.
“We are looking to retain a presence with an office located in Nelson’s CBD.”
Public Trust also leases its office space there and a spokesperson says they are now starting to look at future accommodation options.
“We haven’t made any decisions at this stage.”
WSP were approached for comment but did not wish to make a statement on their plans yet.
ACC purchased the building in 2008 for $22.7 million and a spokesperson told Nelson Weekly last month that a complete rebuild could be on the cards for the complex with no plans to sell the site to the private sector.
“We will be working through options to determine the future of the buildings.
“The health and safety of tenants, the public and the precinct’s neighbours is ACC’s primary concern and ACC acknowledges that this will be a challenging time for tenants.
“We are working with the property manager [Oyster Property Group] to communicate with the affected tenancies and end leases at the earliest convenience, to give tenants maximum time to find new premises or make alternative arrangements.”
Many in the community expressed shock on social media when some of the closures were announced via a Facebook community group.
“Are all the shops in Morrison Square really closing down or is this some silly kind of scam?” said one person.
“Nelson City will be like a ghost town, so many places closing up, so many jobs gone,” commented another.
Manager of Uniquely Nelson Simon Duffy, says the situation in Morrison Square was “not ideal” for Nelson City.
“We’ve had commercial brokers helping out and we are assisting as much as possible.”