Independent and iconic: city survivors could do with more support
• May 11, 2026
Unity Books Auckland was founded in 1989 on High Street in the city centre. Photo: Tyra Harrison.
Some of downtown Auckland’s longstanding independent businesses are calling for more support after suffering from rising rents, declining foot traffic and years of disruption.
From High Street to Karangahape Road, the city centre is shifting, and retail and hospitality businesses are adapting to survive.
The city is now home to cranes, chain stores and glass towers, but tucked between the new buildings are the stores of a different era.
Independent Auckland City businesses such as Unity Books, Academy Cinemas and Real Groovy have operated for more than three decades.
Hospitality venues such as Mezze Bar and The Queens Ferry also remain, despite wider sector pressure. Pat Menzies Shoes has been there since 1975.
The Queens Ferry has had multiple reinventions and is widely recognised as one of the city’s oldest pubs.
The Queen’s Ferry has been located in the historic Vulcan Lane since 1865. Photo: Tyra Harrison.
Mezze Bar’s manager Hiago says: “Over the past five years, there has been less consistency and unpredictability of customers.”
He says the biggest financial pressures are the cost of supplies and reduced foot traffic.
“The construction phases are going on for far too long causing undermining [of businesses]. If it ever finishes, then it could be supportive,” he says.
Mezze Bar has been open since 1992 hidden on Durham Lane. Photo: Tyra Harrison.
Similarly, retailer Real Groovy has relocated multiple times in the city centre and survived the decline of physical media due to renewed demand for vinyl.
Smith & Caughey’s was established in 1880, but the iconic department was shut down last year after 145 years.
Following its closure, the business cited a 40 per cent decline in revenue over five years and changing retail landscapes.
Chair of the Waitematā Local Board Alexandra Bonham says the pressure on the city centre is part of a global shift.
Bonham says online commerce, Covid–19 and rising costs have all contributed. “It has been brutal for businesses all over the world."
“For me, the great pleasure of the Auckland shopping scene is its independent businesses, both old and new.
"It’s not just big brands but exceptional specialists like Unity Books and the Graphic Novel Café. A lot of our independent businesses are a bit more hidden from the public eye.”
Bonham says independent businesses remain central to Auckland’s identity, even as the landscape evolves.
“It’s not just big brands but exceptional specialists . . . that makes the city unique.”
The Waitematā Local Board has backed support measures including micro-grants, business mentoring and initiatives to maintain foot traffic during construction.
Bonham acknowledges the pressure, but redevelopment continues across the city and some business owners say the response does not yet match the scale of the problem.
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