From overlooked to a boutique hub: New Brighton’s quiet comeback
- Linda Nicolson
- Oct 13, 2025
- 4 min read
by Wei Shao, The Press 13 October 2025
Once quiet and overlooked, New Brighton is finally seeing a spending boom as tourists and locals flock to its upgraded shops and eateries.
Visitor spending in the seaside suburb has grown 12.4%, to $4.6 million, in the last year, while citywide visitor spend remained largely flat.
He Puna Taimoana hot pools have been a key draw, welcoming about 145,000 guests despite a two-month closure for scheduled maintenance. Adjusted for the 10 months the pools were open, it represents a 7.4% increase from the previous year.
After years of slow recovery, New Brighton’s economy is quietly gaining traction — and local businesses are repositioning for the surge.
Down the Shaw Ave end of the mall, Christchurch Backpackers & Café — the only accommodation provider in central New Brighton — has completed a full renovation as the seaside suburb gears up for more visitors.
“The reason we have renovated the backpacker is because we see everything else coming into place, and we’re expecting more tourists to New Brighton,” manager Gurjeet Mann, who has run the business for more than five years, said.
Once catering mainly to local Ministry of Social Development clients, the hostel now offers 56 beds and is aiming to attract visitors.
“We used to focus on locals … now we want to be an attraction for tourists at a quite reasonable price near the beach,” Mann said.
Shifts toward a boutique identity
Since reopening two months ago, they had already seen “good activity” from tourists and were “pretty excited” for summer.
Linda Nicolson, manager of TIDE — the newly formed New Brighton Business Association — said the seaside suburb was steadily shedding its “old, cheap” image in favour of “a more boutique, or even bougie identity.”
“There are now several boutique stores, including the South Island's only in-store stockist of Carhartt clothing,” Nicolson said.
“We’ve got extremely well-curated vintage shops like Style Anthology and Seaside Vintage — they’re not your run-of-the-mill second-hand stores.”
The local food scene has lifted too.
“People are loving Southpaw Brewery and the food in Carnaby Lane — burgers, Himalayan, New Zealand modern, and of course good old fish and chips.
“There’s now a great mix of cafés stretching from North New Brighton down to South Brighton.”
Retail, however, remained a challenge.
“We probably don’t have much room for more retail, except the kinds of stores that cater to our growing local population.”
Still, Nicolson said the vibe was hopeful.
“Projects like the Village Green, set to open by Christmas, will give local creatives a place to connect and showcase their work.”
“We need to keep capitalising on these visitors. That’s why we’re really looking forward to the mall upgrade planned for 2026.”
She pointed to Marine Pde as a hub of activity, where family attractions like the beach, pier, and whale pool were consistently busy. “Our dessert bar beside the whale pool is doing really well — and so is the Waffle Hut.”
TIDE, which launched in March, is the first active business association in the area in at least five years. A recent business census found 85 businesses now operate in New Brighton’s commercial core, employing more than 400 people.
‘A community that celebrates diversity’
Esther Perriam describes herself as fourth-generation New Brighton, raising the fifth generation of her family in the suburb.
She and her husband Josh built a striking, windswept beachfront home that featured on Grand Designs NZ in 2023.
“I’ve lived here all my life, and one of the greatest pleasures is seeing the community regenerating and coming back to life,” Perriam said.
“Our house is just one of many, and it’s wonderful to see a range of housing options bringing new people into our suburb.”
As a member of TIDE’s executive team, Perriam saw the suburb’s regeneration as a balance between serving locals and attracting visitors.
“We need to make people aware of the gems we have here.
“Visitors might come to the beach and not realise there are many lovely cafés just up the mall. We want to show them they’re welcome to explore, eat, and shop locally,” she said.
She felt optimistic about New Brighton’s mix of businesses and the opportunities this diversity creates.
“Shopping here should feel like there’s something for everyone — from second-hand stores to high-end cafés, all within walking distance. That’s what New Brighton can offer anyone looking to do business — a community that appreciates and celebrates diversity.”
Beyond business, Perriam valued the lifestyle the suburb offers her family. “The ocean is right there — you can fall asleep to the sound of the waves. We’ve got parks, rivers, and we’re only 15 minutes from the city.”
While acknowledging the challenges of running a business and developing property in a seaside suburb, she remained hopeful.
“The economy’s tough, but New Brighton has affordable spaces for new businesses and a community that welcomes them with open arms. We just need patience and continued investment to keep growing.”