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Thousands of people flocked to the reopening of Christchurch's Cashel Mall where temporary shops and cafes have been set up - Source: ONE News -
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Thousands of people gathered in City Mall at the weekend to shop and take a look at Christchurch's newest shopping precinct, Restart, which features 27 temporary shops housed in brightly painted shipping containers.
Many retailers reported having an extremely busy weekend, with some saying it was better than the lead-up to Christmas.
Barkers duty manager Kylie Wood said on Saturday the store traded better than its Westfield Riccarton store, despite being open for half the time.
Mahar Shoes manager Stacey Doctor said customers were queuing to get into the store, and to meet demand the doors stayed open until 10pm on Saturday, despite being scheduled to close at 6pm.
Ballantynes managing director Mary Devine said trading was beyond expectations.
The store was supposed to close at 5pm on Saturday but stayed open till 6pm.
Trading on Saturday was better than a good day in the lead-up to Christmas, she said.
Cosmetics and women's fashion were the top sellers, and a commemorative Ballantynes teddy bear wearing a hi-vis vest had almost sold out.
More were on order.
Carolyne Grant, of Papanui, said being able to shop at a department store was an absolute must and she would be supporting the shops in the precinct to help ensure it was a successful venture.
"It's fantastic and invigorating."
City Mall Restart director Paul Lonsdale said he was elated at the initial success of the project.
About 20,000 people visited the area at the weekend.
"There's also a sense of relief that we finally got there."
He said it was exciting to see so many people.
Restart was a good example of the energy that could be created from having a compact central business district, Lonsdale said.
"People are coming in and enjoying their city. It's the people that create the energy."
