As far as Christchurch Malls go, this is definitely one of the smaller ones, but as the saying…read moregoes, "good things come in small packages." Two-story Merivale Mall has an assortment of expensive, posh clothing stores (men's and women's), a plethora of high-esteemed hair salons, a homegoods store, a Fresh Choice (with great prices) and a delicious cafe, BB's. This is not the mall for you if you are toting small children around or are looking for a technology store. The mall opens at 9, but BB's opens at 7, for those of you who need a caffeine fix before work. Savoire is also a little cafe inside the mall. There is a free parking lot accessible from Aikmans Road or Office Road as well as street parking which is seldom available. There BNZ atm inside, an ANZ store across the street and a Kiwi Post nearby. Also of note are JDV, The Aikman and Bardellos off the Aikman's Road entrance if you're looking for a bite to eat, a cold drink or some entertainment. All share one giant patio and live music is often playing on the weekend.

Located within the suburb of Riccarton near Christchurch, the Westfield Riccarton indoor shopping…read morecenter is one of the largest malls in New Zealand at 54,000 square meters. It is anchored by Hoyts (cinema chain), Kmart (discount department store), Pak'n'Save (warehouse grocery store), and Farmers (department store), and has many periphery stores. Even on a Thursday morning, the indoor mall was busy: a good place to people watch along with picking up any essentials or gifts for back home. We were in the port town of Lytteltown, visiting on the Celebrity Edge on a Thursday. The ten dollar shuttle dropped us off near the bridge of remembrance on cashel street, and it was about a 3 km walk to this mall (we ended up taking a public bus back). Because there is a large East Asian population in Riccarton, most of the retail stores and restaurants surrounding the mall are Asian-themed, with Filipino, Cambodian, and Korean being prevalent. We ended up eating nearby before heading back to the ship. There is free wi-fi available in the mall, and is quite fast. But we had difficulties getting on: sometimes it was easy, but the next time it was more difficult. Thinking the upper limit of users were being reached and they were limiting it somehow. Now some background: The mall was originally established in 1965 as the Riccarton Mall. Three extensions opened in 1970, 74, and 79, bringing store count to 50 stores and 205,300 square feet. Remodeling occurred in 1992 and 2005, and an expansion in 2009, bringing the size up to present size. It is owned by the Westfield Group, a different (but with same origins) company than the Westfield malls in the States. As mentioned, Riccarton is a suburb (aka neighborhood) of Christchurch and is 39.1% Asian. It is located in the region of Canterbury (population of 694,000) and the council seat being in Christchurch. Riccarton Road is the main street that goes to downtown Christchurch, and is lined with predominantly Asian businesses.

This is one of the larger malls in Christchurch and thus can draw quite the crowd depending on the…read moretime of day (luckily they have a lot of parking). With stores for the pre-teens and close to schools and Uni in the afternoons the mall can get quite noisy and crowded (despite its early closing hours at 6pm). The traffic going in and out around that time is also a nightmare. There are several different phone companies located in this mall, so if you're new to the area and deciding on plans, here is a one-stop-shop. They also have an awesome Pak N Sav which is open later than the rest of the mall and they have escalators that are shopping cart friendly. Westfield Riccarton also has stores such as Briscoes, Bed Bath & Beyond and a movie theater as well as several restaurants (Fox n Ferret has quiz night) which are located on the street level. Some other plusses for the mall are the Starbucks, ANZ and second floor food court. I typically stick to the street level shops, but as long as I get there early this mall is manageable.

One of my favorite places to spend an afternoon is at the Re:START mall. What a creative way to…read morekeep businesses alive in the wake of such devastation to Christchurch. The entire mall is designed out of shipping containers that are easily portable should their temporary locations be purchased for new buildings (though I hope the Re:START mall will never be built out of the CBD!). From athletic stores LuLu Lemon and Kathmandu and designer stores Storm and Ruby, to New Zealand Gift Shops to Scorpio Bookstore and home decor, the Re:START mall has something for everyone (including plenty of food trucks for all of the pickiest eaters). I, myself, prefer Base's woodfired pizza or Liberty Dog's Upper East Side while my husband loves Fritz's Wieners. I'm looking forward to exploring the new dumpling and taco trucks. Whether you've lived here for years or are just passing through, make sure you make time to explore all of the nooks and crannies the Re:START mall has to offer (which also includes FREE WiFi and restrooms).

Re:Start is an incredible example of the creativity and resilience of the people of Christchurch…read more Not wanting to wait the many years it would take to restore city centre shopping centres damaged or destroyed by the devastating 2011 earthquake, Christchurch created a mall made mostly out of shipping containers. You'd think such a construction would be ugly and unpleasant to use. That is not the case. The businesses have painted and customised their containers and the surrounding space to create a colourful, inviting and practical place. In the centre of the mall there's sculptures, seating and plants. In the containers you can find big name fashion brands, indie boutiques, a convenience store, cafes, a post office and even multiple banks. I enjoyed coming here more than I do most normal malls.

Large outdoor shopping center and my destination today was the supermarket but there are also…read morerestaurants and shops and beauty salons and more. It's interesting with the outdoor design, laneways under tall buildings and escalators to higher floors. I did see security which is always important and it does appear to be lighted in the evening hours. [Review 391 of 2024 - 44 in New Zealand - 21424 overall]

A proper mall with everything from a car stereo installer to a discount drugstore/pharmacy and…read moremore. Two bookstores, health and beauty, clothing, hair cutting, cell phone repair, sporting goods, a dollar store (it's $2 Dollar Things Plus! where everything is $2.50 or less, thanks exchange rate!) and a nail salon. Lots of eats here too. Huge parking lot that was not very well lit at night. [Review 368 of 2024 - 21 in New Zealand - 21401 overall]

New Zealand's first department store founded in 1854. New Zealand's best designers are under one…read moreroof with everything from the latest tends to New Zealand wine & gifts. There are two cafes and a wine bar. The Christchchurch Airport has another store offering tax exempt purchases.

Their slogan says it all ... Sit long, Talk much, Laugh often ... what a delightfully relaxed place…read morethis is. I dropped in and enjoyed lunch here. It wasn't very busy but I was intrigued by the fabulous collection of china cups and other pieces. My lunch was fine (poached eggs, salad and cheese) but the atmosphere wins the day. There's no sense of hurry here. People come in and enjoy a leisurely visit. I hadn't planned to stay long, but I did. It was so enjoyable. Coffee is good. There's parking at the rear too. Thank you.

This gorgoeus little vintage Cafe serves freshly baked cakes and scones, breakfasts etc but it's…read morethe surroundings that make it special. You are surrounded by vintage china and artefacts, some for sale, as you sit and enjoy a good coffee or tea. Friendly, helpful staff, well worth a visit.

Along with New World, Pak'Nsave is part of Foodstuffs, the largest grocery store chain in New…read moreZealand. This location is situated in the Westfield Riccarton Mall, in the Riccarton suburb of Christchurch. The concept is that of warehouse shopping (very wide and long aisles), with pallets of items sold in large quantities, but I also found plenty of cases where you could purchase eaches. There were frequent sale priced items as well. Pak N Save also had a prominent display of scanners at the front entrance. I later found out that if you are a resident who registers, you can use the scanner to input your items as you put it in your cart. Thus, when you are ready to checkout, it's a simple as just paying the total and doesn't require rescanning or emptying your cart to a conveyor belt. They did have a sign that stated that security checks would still occur since the rise of theft was happening. One item that I have not seen before was fresh dog food made out of possum, called possYum. Considering most dogs can't read, not sure why they emphasize the YUM in the name. I enjoy looking at items sold at grocery stores when traveling, and had some time to slowly peruse (and wishing I had either the stomach or the luggage space) to purchase. The current exchange rate between NZ$ to USD is 1.74 (every buck is NZ$1.74), so keep that in mind if you are perusing the pictures with prices.

This is like the Costco of Christchurch. I love the wearhouse feel and the ability to buy more for…read moreless, but I typically stick to boxed items and pass on their meat items. The produce is hit or miss. Almond milk here is very cheap and it is one of the few places that regularly stocks 30-packs of eggs so I find myself here once every 2 weeks, which is enough for me. I like to come with a specific and narrow list as everything is super difficult to find, despite the aisle labeling. The eggs are on the same aisle as plates and towels and don't even think of looking for protein powder in the health food section. They have a good selection of wines as well as toiletry items (random pairing, I know). Be sure to remember to bring your own bags as they charge for any bags you use (and, as the name suggests, you pack up your own items). It's open earlier and later than the mall hours which is also convenient.