Initiatives | Kmart Palms Shuttle
Mall to mall connection Eastern Christchurch shoppers have been making the most of the free shuttle service operating daily from the closed Kmart Palms to Kmart at Westfield Riccarton. Repair work nearing completion Kmart Palms is located inside The Palms Mall in Shirley. The mall, badly damaged in the February 22 earthquake, has been closed since, with intensive repairs and rebuilding work carried out in order to reopen the mall as soon as possible. Kmart Palms manager Denis Wilson says the store is working hard to reopen as soon as possible, hopefully within a few weeks. Damage from the February quake involved both the floor and roof tiles and liquefaction throughout the store. However, Wilson says it has all been repaired better than ever. “We’re waiting to go back in so we can lay new floor tiles down and put our racking and fixtures in. Then we can go in and do the stocking of the store,” he says. Kmart Palms employs about 60 staff, who were all relocated to Kmart’s Riccarton store to cope with the increased business in Westfield Mall since the February quake. “There have been a couple leave Christchurch, but we haven’t had to lay anyone off. We’ve been carpooling to Westfield on a daily basis.”
Kmart Palms is offering a free shuttle service from its earthquake-damaged store at The Palms Mall to Kmart Westfield in Riccarton.
Free shuttle service Wilson says soon after the February quake it was identified there was a need for customers in the eastern suburbs of Christchurch to have better access to shopping, following the closure of the Palms Mall. “We looked at our options and decided to put a shuttle on between Kmart Palms and Kmart Westfield Riccarton,” he says. “It’s putting the option out there to them. We have five trips each way every day, running 9am to 5pm.”
bringing it back to the same standard or better than it was before. We can’t wait to get back in,” Wilson says. “We’d only recently done a refurbishment of the store and the layout will be much the same. We were pretty happy with the way we were going with it. But we’ll now have new checkouts, new fitting rooms and a new entertainment area. We had older tiles before but now we have a new floor right through. And it’s all newly painted.”
Wilson says all staff would like to thank their loyal customers for their support and positivity.
Kmart Palms Cnr New Brighton and Golf Links Road Shirley Christchurch 8061 T (03) 385 0970 www.kmart.co.nz — Advertising Feature
Kmart Palms is also running a weekly draw for customers using the shuttle service. Each week four $50 Kmart vouchers are given away. Wilson says the shuttle has been well utilised by customers. The 22-seater bus used for the service is from Ritchies Coachlines. “We’ve been really happy with the uplift of the service. We know a number of people aren’t necessarily shopping with us but there have been a lot of people utilising it,” he says. “It took a bit of time for the word to get out there but it’s been well utilised. There are so many people in the eastern area who can’t get out and about on their own. They’ve been very appreciative of the service.”
Improved store set to open The Kmart Palms team can’t wait to get back into their store. “It’s been fantastic to be over here in Riccarton but the Palms is their store; it’s their home. The construction guys are doing a fantastic job
Congratulations to Kmart for their continued Support to Christchurch and the Canterbury region McAlpine Hussmann is proud to service and maintain the air conditioning & ventilation systems at the Palms and Riccarton Malls and would like to take this opportunity to thank Kmart for all their efforts and support in helping get the Christchurch community back on their feet. When you want quality refrigeration, ventilation, or air conditioning that meets exceptional standards of quality and performance, call:
McAlpine Hussmann Limited Specialising in Building and Maintenance Works
Auckland Hamilton Tauranga Wellington Christchurch Dunedin
Phone 9 363 3303 www.harbusol.com
Ph 03 348 7018
“Proud to be working with Kmart New Zealand on the building and rectification works at Riccarton and Shirley Stores”
Fax 03 348 9662 email chch@mcalpine.co.nz
www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 71