Tommy Bahama – Manawa Bay, NZ
Tommy Bahama, the globally recognised lifestyle brand known for its relaxed island-inspired fashion, recently opened its newest retail location at New Zealand’s Premium Shopping Destination, Manawa Bay. With a vision to create a resort-style space where customers can lose all sense of time, Tommy Bahama sought a retail fit-out that captured their signature aesthetic while offering operational flexibility and sustainability.
Having previously partnered on their Essendon store in Victoria, Tommy Bahama once again turned to Apex Display to bring their vision to life – this time, collaborating across the ocean from Brisbane to Auckland, in a complex and highly coordinated project involving multiple stakeholders and a tight timeline.
Design Objectives
The aim was to design a store environment that embodied Tommy Bahama’s core ethos: a place of escape and ease.
The brief called for:
- A resort-like ambiance where customers could linger and relax.
- Fixtures that were modular and relocatable, supporting future sustainability and store changes.
- A premium aesthetic that aligned with the brand’s global presence.
- An ability to meet the tight construction schedule driven by the Manawa Bay centre’s opening deadline.
Implementation
Apex Display worked closely with Tommy Bahama, retail design agency Zero9 and Build Interiors, to supply a collection of flexible and carefully crafted fixtures from our UniSlot™ System, tailored to their unique store requirements.
Products Supplied:
- UniSlot™ Cube created freestanding modularity and a flexible custom layout.
- Display Drawer Units & Tables added depth and utilised centre of store visual merchandising.
- UniSlot™ H-Frame Gondolas provided versatile and mobile merchandising that can adapt as their product ranges change.
- Round & 2-Way Clothing Racks were supplied in chrome and powder-coated white to align with the brand’s colour palette.
- Travellers Clothing Racks included for back-of-house support and shopfloor flexibility.
- Tagger Guns and other price tagging and marking accessories were provided as part of a comprehensive solution for merchandising and operations.
All UniSlot™ Shopfitting fixtures were delivered in white powder-coated metal paired with Laminex Sublime Teak Chalk timber, which was selected after the originally specified finish was discontinued, demonstrating Apex Display’s adaptability in the face of supply challenges.
Challenges & Solutions
As the project involved shipping from Australia to New Zealand, the team initially explored freight feasibility with early transparent communication. What followed was a seamless four-way collaboration between Tommy Bahama, Zero9, Build Interiors, and Apex Display throughout the project.
The main challenges were:
- Meeting tight deadlines for the centre’s launch.
- Navigating international freight logistics, including customs clearance.
- Ensuring a consistent quality experience without being on-site for the install.
Through rigorous planning and responsive coordination, the process moved from design collaboration in mid-June to store opening by late September, which was a testament to the streamlined manufacturing (completed within 4 weeks), efficient dispatch and our commitment to delivery excellence.
Outcome
The result is a visually captivating and operationally flexible store that beautifully encapsulates Tommy Bahama’s relaxed sophistication. Every fixture was chosen not just for its look, but for its purpose, offering staff ease of merchandising, and the brand a future-proof solution they can relocate and reuse.
This project was awarded “Specialty Retail Winner” at the Retail Interiors Association Awards 2025, recognising the excellence in execution and innovation.
Why Apex Display?
At Apex Display, we pride ourselves on bridging the gap between off-the-shelf solutions and custom fit outs. With the UniSlot™ Shopfitting System, we delivered a complete retail solution that combined elegant design, operational ease, and logistical agility, all within a demanding timeline and across international borders.
Tommy Bahama’s Manawa Bay store stands as a showcase of what’s possible when design, operations and craftsmanship come together with clarity and purpose.
