Adidas picks Christchurch CBD for flagship store

18th March 2026 By Staff Reporter | news@propertyticker.co.nz | @propertyticker

Adidas will open its first standalone central city Christchurch store in mid-2026.

Colliers said it negotiated the long-term lease for a 370 square metre tenancy at 161 Cashel Street in the Grand Central Building for the retailer.

Colliers Christchurch’s retail leasing broker, Annabelle Bramwell, matched the global sportswear giant to the space without it reaching the open market. 

The agent said Adidas previously had a presence in Westfield Riccarton and has an outlet store in Dress Smart in Hornby but has opted for a flagship position in the Christchurch CBD.

“Adidas had been looking for the right space for a flagship store for a few years, waiting for the time and the location to be right,” Bramwell said.

“The fact that a brand of this calibre has committed to a large format store here says something about the trajectory of the Christchurch economy.”

Street-front retail vacancy across the High Street and Cashel Street pedestrian malls has now fallen to zero, with Colliers Christchurch reporting strong demand from international brands despite upward pressure on rents.

Adidas will join a growing cluster of global activewear and lifestyle retailers in the CBD, including Lululemon, JD Sports and Sweaty Betty, as Christchurch increasingly diverges from softer retail conditions seen in Auckland and Wellington.

“This is the strongest the retail core has ever been,” Bramwell said.

“There’s genuine demand, there’s limited vacancy, and the brands coming in are making long-term commitments. That’s not something you see everywhere right now.”

Bramwell and Colliers Christchurch’s director of retail, Nick Doig, managed the tenancy.