Central Christchurch is facing financial oblivion, a local business leader says.

The National Distribution Union (NDU) has criticised the owners of troubled bookshops Whitcoulls and Borders for putting workers' jobs on the line without consultation.

Union representatives will meet the administrators of the troubled Whitcoulls and Borders bookshop chains on Monday.

Whitcoulls undone by debt ...

Whitcoulls customers are venting their anger at the book chain, which put itself into voluntary administration last night, as it tells voucher holders they must spend the amount specified on their voucher with cash or credit cards before th

Whitcoulls customers are being told to get in now and redeem their gift vouchers or face them becoming worthless if the company goes into receivership. Customers with vouchers or gift cards have been told today they must buy the same value

The future of Whitcoulls - one of NZ's most famous and enduring retail chains - is in jeopardy after administrators were called in last night to run the book-retailing business.

Wayne Thompson Shops serving neighbourhoods in Onehunga, Royal Oak and Greenwoods Corner are threatened by a bid to build The Warehouse's latest store, say business owners and residents.

Westfield Group delivered 2010 earnings in line with expectations amid improving global retail markets, but said it was too early to ramp up existing plans for new development investment of up to A$1 billion ($1.3 billion) a year.

Rachel Hunter's modelling career kicked off in one of Tip Top's ads when she was just 15. It was the mid-1980s and a Trumpet cost 95c.