Auckland CBD promo may turn off wealthy rugby fans

Newmarket File photo

The continued focus on promoting Auckland's CBD to international visitors during the Rugby World Cup fails to take into account the needs of those rugby fans who are seeking out a high end retail experience, the Newmarket Business Association says.

Auckland University PhD student Yuri Seo has warned businesses could miss out on lucrative trade during the cup unless they up their standards in the luxury goods market, and that marketing and customer experience were key to businesses' success in this area.

However, the association's general manager Ashley Church said this was difficult to do when some high end retail areas were not being marketed as preferred destinations by world cup planners.

"There's a real opportunity to promote the best of what New Zealand has to offer to high value visitors, including Newmarket and other high-end destinations in designated promotional material - but the current emphasis on party central and the nearby CBD makes this extremely difficult," he said.

Church said while he acknowledged that promotion of the CBD was important, experienced travellers would always seek out the downtown area of a major city they were visiting.

"But if they're not told that there is high-end luxury shopping available 'just up over the ridge' they could be left thinking 'this is it' and leave New Zealand with a less than favourable experience of retailing here."

Heart of the City spokesperson Alex Swney said the challenge for businesses was to ensure they took responsibility for their precinct, rather than "ripping each other's throats out".

Swney said there was plenty of business to go around during the six-week tournament.

"With the majority of hotels and party central being based here in the CBD we have, as you would expect, a distinct advantage."

"At the end of the day whichever way you are going to slice and dice this one, High Street is still the home of New Zealand fashion and are very proud of that."

"The important thing is rather than trying to be the same thing and ripping each others throats out, the various different precincts need to establish what they do best."