Wanaka’s Mitre 10 MEGA store, in Three Parks, opened to the public last Saturday (November 21)

At 9000m2, it’s the largest retail operation in Wanaka and the only Mitre 10 MEGA in the country with a liquor licence in its Columbus cafe.

Starting from scratch with a greenfields site, the complex project had been 10 years in the planning but should cater for at least 20 years growth, co-owner Martin Dippie said.

The Columbus cafe has extensive indoor and outdoor seating and a liquor licence.

At the official opening on Friday (November 20) evening co-owner Allan Dippie, Martin’s brother, said “big kudos” were owed to Calder Stewart for building the store in just 14 months.

“Twenty-four days ago you’d never think we’d be at this point,” Allan said. 

Allan and Martin’s father Neville officially opened the store by sawing through a piece of wood.

Martin (left) and Allan Dippie hold the official opening board as their father Neville saws it in half.

Mayor Jim Boult, who spoke at Friday's function, said he was a loyal Mitre 10 customer and he was going to stay that way. He said Martin and Allan were “two very special people” who are the epitome of Kiwis who get out and do things. 

“I’m delighted to be here to witness this fabulous store opening,” Jim said.

The Mitre 10 MEGA is almost double the size of the former Mitre 10 store at Anderson Heights, which closed last week. 

Its 4000m2 garden centre has electronically controlled ceiling ventilation.

It features a 3,900m2 full-service garden centre which includes a cafe, as well as a paint innovation centre, a kitchen and bathroom design hub, a specialist power and hand-tool area, a covered drive-through timber and building materials yard and it supplies a significantly wider range of home and garden improvement and DIY products than its predecessor.

Its resilient technology incorporated in the design and the roof mounted 100KW solar power array, which will allow the facility to operate off the grid for six months of the year, will also help future-proof the building. 

As well as 200 car parks, the MEGA store also features three dog parks.

Construction began in November 2019. While it was originally scheduled to open in spring 2020, COVID-19 restrictions delayed its construction by a couple of months. 

During the weekend, it appeared the majority of the business’s 200 car parks were filled.

PREVIOUS: Behind the scenes of Mitre 10 MEGA

Mitre 10 MEGA Wanaka by the numbers:

• 29,000m2 site
• 9,000m2 total store floor area
• 4,870m2 retail area 
• 3,900m2 garden centre area
• 10,000m2 (1ha) trade and timber yard
• 243 car parks

PHOTOS: Wanaka App