Christchurch’s biggest Mitre 10 MEGA opens ahead of schedule

October 17, 2012

Christchurch’s biggest Mitre 10 MEGA opens ahead of schedule

Hornby’s new Mitre 10 MEGA store has opened its doors to the public introducing an expanded one stop home improvement shop to the region just in time for the traditional summer peak home handyman season.

Locally owned by the Smith family, who have been in the Christchurch home improvement business since 1964, the new Mitre 10 MEGA store at 11,000sqm is nearly twice the size of the previous Hornby store 400m down the road, and is the largest Mitre 10 MEGA store in Christchurch.

Mitre 10 joint Managing Director of the Hornby store Murray Smith, said the Hornby store was expanded to allow greater product range and to facilitate a full size garden centre and a larger trade and building supplies service.

“Hornby is a community full of keen DIYers so we’re delighted to be able to bring them more options by expanding our product range. Our trade business has also been steady but it is a key growth focus for us so it is important that as we expand our retail services at the same time we improve on our trade offering.

“There’ll be over 10,000 new products on the shelves for both DIY and trade customers including over 2,000 new options in the giftware and housewares category plus over 600 car parks, an in store café, a huge new building materials drive-thru and fantastic garden and landscaping centre,” Smith said.

“Our customers will still benefit from our highly competitive prices and will receive the same great service they’ve come to expect from us.

“Existing staff members have transferred to the new store and a further 40 staff added to the team.”

A member of the country’s largest home improvement and garden co-operative, Mitre 10, the new store continues the retailer’s extensive expansion and store upgrade programme; with Mitre 10 MEGA Hornby the second of four new Mitre 10 MEGA stores scheduled to open before the end of 2012.

Mitre 10 Chief Executive John Hartmann says this latest store opening continues an expansion programme that will see 22 Mitre 10 MEGA stores built in just four years, twice as fast as the first 22 stores which were built over an eight year period.

“This is Mitre 10 MEGA store number 33 for us and continues an investment programme focused on both expanding the Mitre 10 MEGA store network and on refreshing our current national network of 100 nationwide stores.

“The expansion of the Hornby store reflects Mitre 10’s continued support of Christchurch and the growing demand in the region.”

To celebrate the opening of the new Hornby store a weekend of entertainment and in store bargains will take place from 18-21 October 2012. Face painting, bouncy castles and sausage sizzles are all planned and the Mitre 10 MEGA man will be in store on the mornings of Saturday 20 and Sunday 21.

Notes:

• The new Mitre 10 MEGA Hornby store is located at 370 Main South Road.
• It is operated by the Smith family who also have stores at Bishopdale and Beckenham.
• The Smith family started selling DIY products in 1964 when Reg Smith started a coal yard and garden centre in Upper Riccarton. The business is still family run today by Reg’s sons, Murray and Andrew.
• Mitre 10 MEGA stores will also open in Rotorua and Manukau before Christmas 2012.
• Mitre 10 has been a part of New Zealand’s DIY culture since 1974; as a Kiwi owned and operated co-operative completely separate from Mitre 10 Australia.
• The first Mitre 10 MEGA store opening in 2004 in Hastings and today there are 33 MEGA stores with plans to have 44 stores by 2016.

ENDS

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