Welcome to First Retail Group. We are specialist advisors dedicated to the success of consumer-facing sectors and the destinations they bring to life. From retail, hospitality, and tourism to healthcare and services, we partner with operators and the spaces they call home – including precincts, towns, cities, shopping centres, and new developments. Globally, our award-winning solutions empower commercial, government and NGO clients to unlock opportunities, drive performance, and navigate risk with confidence.
Our edge lies in our approach and culture. We blend an international perspective – built from a heritage of advising global brands, SMEs and government organisations – with a sharp understanding of practicalities. By looking closely at consumer trends and behavioural shifts, we leverage our cross-category experience to bring fresh, unexpected solutions to your sector.
Beyond insights, we are deeply collaborative partners. We work side-by-side with our clients, bringing the organisational awareness needed to align diverse stakeholders and navigate daily operational realities.
Chris Wilkinson, Managing Director, First Retail Group Ltd
What We Do
Driving Growth, Building Resilience. Across every sector and location we work in, our goal is the same: to help organisations achieve more, operate smarter, and adapt to changing markets. These three pillars define how we deliver results:
Unlocking Opportunities
Turning market potential into growth. We analyse consumer trends and market gaps to sharpen offerings, refine business models, and elevate the customer experience. This gives clients a clear path to capture new demand, expand market share, and adapt as their sectors evolve.
Driving Performance
Turning strategy into commercial value. We identify hidden gains across operations, product and service offerings, sales channels, and positioning, providing and enabling actionable steps to lift performance and maximise return on investment.
Navigating Risk
Protecting asset value in a changing market. We help clients anticipate market shifts and economic disruptions with practical contingency planning and enablement solutions ensuring your organisation stays resilient and adaptable for the long term.
First Retail Group Magazine
Issue 05 of FRG News captures First Retail Group's latest placemaking, economic development, and resilience initiatives across New Zealand. Key features include the completed George Street retail quarter revival in Dunedin, commercial liaison work for Nelson's Bridge Street "Bridge to Better" transformation, and strategic support for the new Kāpiti Civil Construction Skills Hub. The issue also highlights Hutt City’s Kia Haumaru public safety training programme, the integration of new hospitality spaces at Whanganui’s Sarjeant Art Gallery, Wellington’s Te Matapihi library project, and commercial strategy behind major investments like Wainuiomata’s new Mitre 10.
About Us