A collaboration involving three innovative New Zealand businesses is in the running for recognition at Australia’s leading retailer awards.
Macpac’s hundredth store, at Northlink Shopping Centre in Christchurch, has been nominated for “Best Store Design” in Australia’s prestigious Retail Awards 2025.
Design-led Whanganui manufacturer GDM worked with Auckland architecture and interiors firm Pennant & Triumph to produce the display systems and store fixtures for the nominated store.
The annual awards, held by Inside Retail Australia, are celebrating their ten-year anniversary and are considered to be the “ultimate accolade that recognises retailers at the forefront of excellence in customer experience”.
Macpac Northlink is the iconic Kiwi brand’s hundredth store and the first to feature a specialised new store design concept. The new design includes a care and repair station, a water refill station, a hang-out area for adventure planning, low-energy lighting and other sustainable elements.
James Hunter, Christchurch-based business development manager for GDM, led the collaboration with Macpac and Pennant & Triumph to develop the fixtures and display materials that brought the Northlink store concept to life.
When Macpac approached Pennant & Triumph for this milestone store, the Auckland architects knew GDM’s unique joinery and metalworking skills would be essential, Hunter said. “Our collaborations with Pennant & Triumph on a number of bespoke projects have made GDM a go-to partner in this sector.”
Macpac worked with GDM’s engineers as they undertook an intensive development process fine-tuning CAD models, prototyping, testing and refining designs.
It was fitting the hundredth store should be in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Hunter said, the place in which founder Bruce McIntyre established Macpac 52 years ago. “It’s inspiring to see a Christchurch-born New Zealand company thriving.”
Macpac will continue to work with GDM as it incorporates new fixtures across its stores throughout New Zealand and Australia.
Recognition through Macpac’s Retail Awards nomination comes at a pivotal time for GDM as the manufacturing business embarks on a new era following a change of ownership in 2024.
Established by Michael Eden in 1978, GDM was operated by Michael and wife Sandra for 45 years, in which time it grew to be an award-winning business.
In 2024, new owners the Bartley Group took up the helm.
The Whanganui family-owned group saw an opportunity to prepare GDM for further success and dedicated time to refining GDM’s capability meeting the needs of retailers, offices and hospitality operators challenged by ever-changing consumer habits.
Brendon Bartley, the Group’s managing director, said ensuring GDM is efficient and agile was an important step in setting the business up for continued growth.
“GDM has an enduring goal of continual improvement,” Bartley said. “Being innovative means challenging ourselves, maintaining what’s valuable and refining the things that can be improved.”
The Group has increased capability by adjusting manufacturing procedures, investing in highly efficient machinery, and extending GDM’s talent-base with new skills.
GDM is also a proud champion of Whanganui UNESCO City of Design status, which recognises the city’s internationally successful design-manufacturers.
Hunter says the products developed for Macpac are a perfect example of why GDM’s expertise and attention to unseen details is valued.
Commitment to the health and safety of customers and staff was for a priority for Macpac and GDM’s vast experience in compliance and regulatory standards enabled the team to exceed expectations.
Macpac’s creativity and innovation are defining characteristics of the popular Kiwi brand, reflecting core values for GDM too. Hunter said GDM created more than 80 new fixture kits from scratch, composing of countless components.
“We’re talking thousands of individual CAD drawings to create those 80-plus kits!’ He said. “This was a monumental endeavour for GDM’s engineering team.”
Bartley said GDM’s Macpac project was a great example of the manufacturer’s outlook for 2025 and beyond. “We’re in a position where we’re motivated by challenge, confident in our ability to deliver exceptional products, and proud of our achievements.”