Welcome everyone. On Thursday 19 September, we opened at Mānawa Bay!
Mānawa Bay is a new premium outlet mall at Auckland Airport, and we’re thrilled to be there from day one. Our nearby Airport shop has been very successful for over a decade, but the new shop is aimed at people in the mall rather than working or passing through the airport.
The new mall and our shop were so packed that we couldn’t do our traditional sushi giveaway with Director Nick firing up the crowd. In fact, it was our busiest opening ever!
But first, let’s look at how the shop came together. Director of Property Costa Katsoulis commented that
“Opening malls are always a challenge – lots of time pressure and delays are common. Mānawa Bay was in keeping with this pattern. The hard deadline of the mall opening day meant the work continued right to the final day.
However, it was a hugely successful opening. We say this a lot, but it was only possible through teamwork. Everyone pulled together and gave more than we could hope for to open on time.
I’d like to thank the great managers and partners who assisted with the opening. A special thanks and congratulations from me to Area Managers Akiko-san, Manami-san and Johnny, as well as to new sushi manager Ayessa, Elsie from Panmure, new bento manager Yuen, company legend Alfred, and Irene from Elliot Street.
We’re very proud of our shop, and the mall itself is a must-see. As well as 110+ outlet shops it has a large food hall with great seating, kids’ outdoor area and seating, and a great natural setting. It is very well planned, and I am sure it will continue to succeed.”
General Manager of Property Steve reflected positively, saying that
“Achieving a successful opening with such tight deadlines is a testament to the close-knit teamwork at St Pierres. Operations, Marketing and Property, plus of course the shop staff and partners, really pulled together brilliantly.
A huge thanks to the staff for being ready to go from day one, and they have delivered strong sales from small shop. We knew this opening would be a challenge, but it has been worth it.”
No matter how tight the time frame, teamwork and commitment delivered, applying the finishing touches on the last night. Lots of well-earned smiles from this champion group!
