The billion-dollar Commercial Bay shopping precinct opens in Auckland amid Covid-19 uncertainty.
I walked around Commercial Bay until my legs were sore.
What that says about my stamina I'm not sure, but it's a testament to the sheer size of the $1 billion precinct packed into the Queen St building.
Around 120 retailers will pack out stores in the 18,000m sq shopping centre and the newest focal point of Auckland's waterfront was bustling with people today.
Punters take a trip through Commercial Bay on its first day of opening yesterday. Photo / Alex Burton
Just about anything one could hope to buy can be found there, from coffee to shampoo to travel suitcases and you can even grab yourself a haircut.
Not to mention the massive food court which boasts more than 20 vendors.
Lucky for me, and those of you with a family member who shops until they drop, there were plenty of areas to sit down to twiddle your thumbs or take a quick breather.
Commercial Bay was located over three different levels. Photo / Alex Burton
Retailers were flat out around lunchtime on Friday, packed out with customers on only the second day since the precinct opened.
It was exciting to see so many people shopping, buying food and even just walking around for a look, storekeepers said.
Just as well there was no need to maintain social distancing too - one's bubble burst within minutes due to the number of people there.
A man waiting in one of the aisles while his wife browsed items in a nearby store said the pair decided to visit Commercial Bay on their day off.
Working in retail themselves, it was their first day off in a very long time and the man was very impressed by what he saw.
"I think it ticks all of the boxes," the man said. He thought it added a sparkle back to Auckland CBD and gave people a reason head back into town.
It was surprising, though, to see so many people in the mall shopping, he said.
The man's wife reiterated his comments and said the difference was stark between Commercial Bay and nearby Queen St, which was unlively.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attended the opening of Commercial Bay. Photo / Alex Burton
Earlier this week, Queen St retailers thought lacklustre business could be pinpointed to many people still working from home - that and there were no tourists about.
Elsewhere, two men who were loitering about while their wives shopped were unimpressed by the quality of finish.
Sure, there were blemishes on the floor and the odd wire poking out of the wall but overall the experience was great.
Businesses on nearby Queen St were very quiet. Photo / Dean Purcell
But the men admitted Commercial Bay's owners and its retailers would have been very keen and eager to get up and running after the move to alert level 1.
