Another big box retailer is setting up shop in Ashburton, while an additional national chain store is moving across town.
The site of the former ATS building on Kermode Street will soon be home to Rebel Sport, while next door to it will be Briscoes Homeware, which is set to move from its existing Tancred Street site.
Both large format retail stores are owned by the Briscoe Group Limited and company founder, and managing director Rod Duke, said having them together came down to size and space.
Duke said the existing Briscoes store was “simply too small”, which was why they opted to relocate to a larger site rather than renovating a space that was no longer functional.
“The new store is going to be some 30 per cent bigger than the existing one,” Duke said.
“We thought it was important when we relocated in Ashburton that we also introduced Rebel Sport to that catchment.”
He said there has been ongoing interest and requests for Rebel Sport to come to town.
A Black and White Coffee Cartel café was also proposed, making it a real destination that would also create about 20 new jobs, he said.
“We will need a chunky number of folks for Rebel Sport, as we have none.
“As for Briscoes being 30 per cent larger, we will need 30 per cent more staff.”
There had initially been hopes to be open by Christmas, but it now won’t be ready until the second quarter of 2023 because of the goods supply chain issues impacting the building sector.
The Briscoes Group’s move continues the commercial sprawl hitting Ashburton, with the River Crossing Precinct by Countdown South closing in on opening by the end of the year.
That would feature big box retailer Kmart as the anchor tenant, with eatery and beverage joints Coffee Culture, Coupland’s, Joe’s Garage, St Pierre’s Sushi, Amigos Mexican Restaurant, and Sal’s Pizza also part of the development.
Duke was aware of concerns around big box retailers setting up in Ashburton outside the CBD, but said it was near impossible to find a location in the heart of the town.
“It’s a question of whether you can get the right amount of land to put a building on it that you want and satisfy people with sufficient carparks.
“That’s really hard to get in a downtown area.”
He thought his company’s dual store development just outside the CBD, and perched in between other big box retailers, would be its own destination.
And the addition of Rebel Sport – “the dominant sporting goods brand in this country” – would also help keep shoppers in Ashburton.

• By Jonathan Leask