New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 33/03C | Page 138

owners and baristas who customers grow to know
and love are hugely important.
In a recent address at the University of Sydney,
leading social researcher and commentator Hugh
Mackay explained that we are “people who need
each other; people for whom a sense of belonging
is fundamental to our wellbeing; people who utterly
rely on communities to define us, sustain us and
protect us”.
This element adds another layer of trust, familiar-
ity and inclusion to the shopping experience – a
layer that can’t be found in mall-type environments.
From a development point of view, the biggest
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challenge is that retaining the spirit that an area
like Britomart holds means constant change and
reinvention. Its businesses, spaces, and ideas must
always be moving in order to keep the magic alive,
and that’s a hard thing to chase.
But it makes life very interesting for the consumer,
the visitor and the developer alike.
The successful modern retail environment is a
complex thing, but a special one when it’s done right
– something that everybody involved feels is theirs.
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Below:The way forward lies
in “lifestyle centres” that offer
a constantly evolving mix of
restaurants, coffee shops,
boutiques and more. The
shopkeepers, bar owners and
baristas who customers grow
to know and love are hugely
important.