Barkers Queensgate Shop Fitout

In 2015 – Barkers & Co engaged Built Construction Group to fit out an empty tenancy in Queensgate mall Lower Hutt with Barkers’ ‘Assembly’ retail store.

Barkers has been a popular men’s fashion store since 1972 – originally called Raymond’s after Barkers’ founder, Raymond Barker. They now have 26 stores nationwide and have worked with the All Blacks, Swanndri, Volvo, and even Blunt who make those Wellington wind-tolerating brollies.

The challenges of this project included the hours of work and timeframe for completion. Shop fit- outs always have tight timeframes since tenants need to commence trading as soon as possible to cover lease payments. In addition to this, because the tenancy is within a shopping mall, we were not able to make noise or carry out building work during opening hours – between 7am and 5pm. This meant much of the work had to be conducted at night.

The project took four weeks to completion. We had six builders working on the fit-out, and we also engaged the following subcontractors:

• Suspended ceiling contractor – Raking ceilings
• Tilers and concrete specialists – Tiles and polished concrete
• Electricians – Feature lighting & general power
• Plumbers – New bathroom & kitchen amenities
• Painters and plasterers – Decorative finishes
• Joiners – Counter & cabinetry
• Glaziers – Installation of mirrors
• Steel fabricator – Mesh for the bulkhead façade.

The project went well and was completed on time. Barkers has done a great job of adding the finishing touches. They’ve displayed some antique manufacturing and industry pieces, collected from local vehicle assembly plants and factories to celebrate the region’s automotive heritage.

We enjoyed working with Barkers and continue our relationship. Check out our other project for Barkers’ ‘The Studio’ in Cuba Street, Wellington.