Phone: Downtown Tauranga (07) 577 9946
There’s no need for shop-til-you-drop in downtown Tauranga. Browse great stores in a relaxed, harbourside central city that’s compact enough to walk the whole CBD on foot – comfortably. Downtown Tauranga has a Mediterranean-meets-the-Pacific atmosphere; it is a big, open-air shopping centre with over 300 shops and services.
The CBD has evolved over recent years into a vibrant, modern city centre, complete with 5-star boutique hotel, homegrown fashion labels, gift stores, and specialty shops – and some excellent cafes. (But you still won’t encounter crowds and bustle!) At its heart, the stylish Goddard Centre is the biggest and classiest of the shopping malls. Nearby Willow Street, and around the corner parts of Spring Street and Grey Street, have evolved into a fashion mini-precinct with lots of variety.
Casual Mid-City Mall (Still known to many locals as ‘Red Square’), with its summery red umbrellas and hanging flower baskets, is the main al fresco dining and coffee sipping spot – the closest thing to a European-style plaza.