Tauranga city centre businesses struggle without shoppers
'For lease' signs are common around Tauranga's CBD Photo: RNZ/ Jean Bell Over the last five years, many have shut up shop or relocated as shoppers avoided the CBD in favour of heading to nearby malls. A now-revoked begging ban was one of the more controversial moves made to make the city centre more welcoming to visitors. When RNZ visited the CBD around lunch time on a week day last week, there was modest hustle and bustle at cafes and shops. But there were also a number of vacant premises decked out with multiple 'for lease' signs. Some signs directed shoppers to new stores at two of the ma...