Far behind the construction walls and drilling on Auckland's Queen Street, a major retail project is beginning to take shape - one that is betting people still want more from shopping than simply clicking "add to cart".
BNZ Business Breakfast was given a behind-the-scenes look inside Faradays, the new department store currently under construction and set to open in August.
The New Zealand-owned retail project hopes to reinvent the traditional department store model, combining fashion, food, events and experiences under one roof.
Faradays creative director and co-founder Constance von Dadelszen said the project was focused on building more than just a place to shop.
"What we're trying to achieve is to build a department store that our local community and New Zealanders can be proud of, being New Zealand-owned and New Zealand-run."
As part of its first major brand announcement, Faradays also revealed it will bring Kim Kardashian's fashion label SKIMS to New Zealand for the first time when the store opens.
Founded in 2019 by Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede, the brand has become one of the world's fastest-growing fashion labels.
But for Faradays, SKIMS is being positioned as just the beginning.
"SKIMS may be the first name revealed," von Dadelszen said, "but the names it will sit alongside are an exceptionally strong group of global brands."
The business is launching at a challenging time for the retail sector. Recent Retail NZ data showed two-thirds of retailers did not expect to hit their sales targets this quarter.
But Faradays believes there is still demand for in-person experiences that online shopping cannot recreate.
"Ultimately people want that feeling of experiencing something in person, especially when they're spending their hard-earned money," von Dadelszen said.
"They want to go somewhere, hear the music, experience the environment and have something that's a lovely, memorable moment for them."
The project is also looking ahead to broader changes in Auckland's CBD, including the opening of the City Rail Link and the expected increase in foot traffic through the city centre.
"We know department stores have had a really hard rap over the last while," von Dadelszen said.
"But we want people to know that it is incredibly important to have something like this to anchor a main city, especially in Auckland."
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