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.

I love the warehouse, it's wear I buy all my clothing and I love to get "kicks" (my daughters slang…read morefor footwear) form the good old warehouse. The food is good and cheap and the service is always great. It's brill to see that they have improved the homewares section because I could browse furniture and ornaments all day! Eastgate is also very convenient to my house however it's not the best warehouse in Christchurch, I recently noticed that the clearance orange chocolates were $1.50 at the warehouse northlands but 2 for $8 at Eastgate! That's so silly. However there's not much more to fault with the good old red shed!

New 2-story location in Christchurch. It is a makeup and beauty store just like Sephora and Ulta,…read morewith some services provided as well. The brands are well spaced out with room to browse. Employees are friendly and helpful. They assisted me with finding a suitable clay mask product while considering price without being pushy. The usual big brands sold here such as Tatcha, Clinique, etc, as well as Mecca's own line.

There is a popular and cosy cafe located in this retail store, Untouched World Kitchen. It's…read morewelcoming and set in a lush environment, with gardens outside and an open fire indoors. The menu offers a good range and all the food is very nicely presented. Portions are good sizes without being huge and the quality is good. My companions and I ordered the Eggs Benedict, Creamy Mushrooms, Winter Vege Medley and a Big Breakfast. It all came at the same time, which was great. My Winter Vege Medley was a bit too much about potatoes, yams and pumpkin and very little about greens, which was disappointing - but I added Feta and Pine Nuts which were great. All other dishes looked good and my companions were happy. Coffee is very good here. I can't comment on the price as others paid. I would come back here.

Came across this place quite by chance, it was great to wander around seeing what bargains we could…read moreget. A modest selection of second hand DVD's, CD etc. There were a couple of tempting boxsets behind the counter. We did come away with one or two bargains too !!

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.

Lisa is a true salesperson and wonderful person in all. A…read morewonderful experience shopping because Lisa made it so. This store is worth a look in for a great sales experience. Thank you Lisa.

Was wandering the Arts Centre area and curiously peeked inside…read more There was already a table of 4 women being walked through the making of perfume. We walked around and the whole shop was just interesting. The owner stepped away from the women for a minute to see if we had any questions. We discovered we had plenty of time and my son was wanting a specific scent he couldn't find anywhere. So she set us up at our own table. Walked us through the set up, which was so cool. Asked about the scents he was interested in and began to set him up. You take this "thing" that looks like a candlestick holder and place your scents in slots at the base. Cover for 10 seconds and sniff. You can adjust the strength by moving foil wrappers on the scent tabs to get more or less. There were coffee beans to clear to nose between adjustments. When finally completed, the owner had an tablet that she input the scents and the amounts. It then calculates how much you pump into the bottle, which you also do yourself. She seals the bottle with a spray top and cap. Then you think of a name, and she prints the label. Your last task is to place it on the bottle. I didn't create a fragrance, but I was intrigued by the whole process. I wished this was in The States. It would be a fantastic girls' outing. Jeremy is estatic over his new cologne.