Bill Campbell is ‘pleasantly surprised’ by how well the store is going in its new Mount location. Photo / John Borren, Sun Media
A Tauranga retailer has packed up and relocated his store out of the city centre because he “can’t see a future there” any more.
Bill and Francis Campbell opened their gift and souvenir store, Fancy That, in Tauranga in 2008, but moved to Mount Maunganui’s main shopping area two weeks ago.
Bill Campbell said parking charges being reinstated last year and a loss of nearby carparks when the Devonport Rd parking area was closed had affected business.
”We’re moving to survive. If we were going quite nicely in town, we would’ve stayed.”
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The Devonport Rd parking lot was closed earlier this year for redevelopment, and city council offices will be built on the site.
Tauranga City Council brought back paid on-street parking in December to increase the turnover of parks after CBD workers were found to be parking in them all day.
Prior to that, free parking was established in mid-2020 to help businesses struggling in the wake of Covid-19.
Campbell was “chuffed” with the free parking because it was something he had pushed for to help businesses not only with Covid, but with the construction occurring around the CBD.
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”The customers were a lot happier when the parking was free.”
He said there were a lot more empty carparks after the charges were reinstated.
Campbell also had…
