Retro revival: Where to find the best secondhand shopping in Christchurch
We've got your ultimate guide to finding the best secondhand shops, vintage stores and antiques stores in Christchurch, so next time you're on the hunt for a hidden gem, let your journey begin here!
Love once more
If you love quality brands and love an affordably priced garment, you’re going to extra love ReLove Clothing in Bishopdale. The racks are stocked with a rainbow of unique, stylish women’s, men’s and children’s clothing, footwear, and accessories.
Read more: Our top tips for shopping secondhand
Charm by the sea
If you’re on the hunt for your next fabulous vintage find, sleuth your way to Seaside Vintage at Brighton Mall. The open-plan store is rocking an extensive, ever-evolving selection of retro treasures, lovingly curated to combine a sense of nostalgia with the thrill of discovery.
The tasteful eight
The Woolston Emporium, a collector’s destination, has opened in Ensors Road. It’s a collaboration between eight unique traders – Cityscape takes a look at who’s who.
This new addition to the secondhand scene offers an extensive range of quality second hand, antique, vintage and collectable items. Got a love for vintage clothing and fabric? They have that covered too. So who are the members of this cool collective?
The hunter Gully Antiques has 50 years’ experience in the trade, specialising in rare and hard-to-find pieces.
The homemaker Selwyn Dealers are a family business trading for 30 years selling good quality household goods and used furniture.
The entertainer It’s all in the name for Vintage Wonderland: a wonderland of anything old and interesting. Specialising in unique items perfect for shop props, photo and movie staging.
The curator Junk & Disorderly is a curated collection of old and new and everything in between. For 30 years J&D has been mixing it all together and has become recognised as the home of affordable beloved vintage pieces.
The colourist Blue Scarlet is all about colour, reworking vintage furniture into vibrant statement pieces and sourcing other colourful items to add personality to your space.
The period fashionista BellaBean Vintage stocks clothing and accessories from the 1930s to the 1990s with a little high-end modern designer fashion thrown in.
The stylist Tiger Vintage is a lovingly curated collection of clothing, showcased seasonally in store. Authentic vintage from the 1940s to the 1990s, plus reproduction pieces and a peppering of newer items ready to be re-loved.
The alt outfitter The team at Grymmstone and Treacle – Emporium of Curiosities love to stock the things they are passionate about: steampunk, gothic, and alternative clothing and accessories, including beautiful handmade pieces.
The energiser It’s not one of the eight traders, but the Kapa Tucka Coffee & Food caravan is an important part of the Woolston Emporium outfit and has a delicious wee menu for anyone who’s hungry and tuckered out after a solid shopping session.
Reinvent yourself
Do you know Doris and Mavis? They’re the resident mannequin models at Reinvent Boutique in Lincoln and they have got style. Doris and Mavis move with the times and their daily getup is serious inspiration for your wardrobe – we recommend consulting Aimee, the resident outfit-picking expert who dresses the mannequins every day.
Packing a wide range of fun, fashionable clothing, it’s easy to see why Reinvent Boutique’s new light-and-bright Vernon Drive store is no longer a local Lincoln secret, but a proper destination for fashionistas. Specialities include the bold and colourful, the designer and the everyday. If you’re not up for a drive, let your fingers do the walking and snap up a hot new item online.
Fashion at a fraction
The perfect destination for fashionistas on a budget, Loft Preloved Boutique in Tai Tapu is stocked with well-designed, well-made garments in quality fabrics. A cosy, welcoming space with beautiful rugs, a splash of greenery and lots of natural light, this is a shopping experience with a personal touch. It’s for women of all ages who love finding unique items in great condition for a fraction of the cost.
Helping garments find new homes rather than ending up in landfill, Loft often stocks labels such as Cooper, Kate Sylvester, Country Road, Kilt, and many more. With new stock arriving every day, this is a boutique for the fashion conscious, budget conscious and the conscious consumer.
Rewriting the narrative
If clothing tells a story, then To Be Continued allows those stories to live on. Both the original Fendalton boutique and the newly opened Ferrymead branch are synonymous with stylish pre-loved and new women’s clothing, including American vintage and labels like Anine Bing, Ralph Lauren and Gucci. You’ll also find slick menswear at the Ferrymead store.
Best buys by the beach
This Sumner institution is known for its friendly vibes – even your dog is welcome here! Time & Time Again has a reputation for excellent customer service and high-quality clothing for women, men and kids. Selling your items on consignment, the store is a bountiful treasure trove of bargains, and owner Ali is always happy to talk the joys of thrifting.
A Sumner local, Ali is a strong believer in the value of recycling, and can help unite you with the unique, stylish, quality pieces that have been missing from your life. So bring in your old, walk away with something new, and do good for your wallet and the planet.
Getting with the times
With so much clothing already out in the world, and stylish treasures hiding unworn in the backs of people’s wardrobes, buying everything brand new has become a bit, well, old-fashioned. Shopping at Style Me is like taking your pick from the closet of your most fashionable friend, plus you get the satisfaction of uncovering beautiful, quality pieces at affordable prices.
Top off your new outfit with the range of shoes, jewellery and handbags, and if you need a second opinion, the team love helping customers put outfits together or evolving their usual style. With an amazing variety of 16+ sizes and some fantastic bargains on the $5 rack, Style Me can be your new recycled fashion guru.
Retail, reuse, recycle
Addington consignment store Mini Moocher is on a mission to help you shop more sustainably and keep clothing out of landfill. Bring in those quality bits you no longer wear to give them a new life in someone else’s closet – and probably find a new gem to fill the gap in your own.
Where, indeed?
Wear Else is selling your quality pre-loved women’s fashion items on consignment, and offering you an endless rotating array of particularly impressive designer labels. Look out for local and international brands such as Moochi, Untouched World and Kowtow on the racks.
Clothes to fight dragons in
A long-anticipated addition to Christchurch’s recycled clothing scene, Paper Bag Princess attracts customers from all walks of life with their own personal styles. With handpicked stock and affordable prices, Paper Bag Princess is an increasingly popular contemporary clothing destination helping visitors discover the joys of shopping pre-loved.
The vibe is friendly and relaxed, with staff on hand just as ready to sing along to the music as they are to help you pick out that one-of-a-kind item that just screams ‘you’. Step into the High Street store and browse the racks for your next amazing find, from American vintage and designer labels to funky everyday wear, shoes and accessories.
Green light on vintage treasures
Backed by three decades of experience in the antiques business, Village Green Antiques is a destination for collectors and enthusiasts, selling fabulous items from the Georgian period to mid-century and retro.
After nine years keeping the Oxford locals well-stocked with beautiful, one-off treasures, Village Green Antiques moved to Rangiora in 2018, where the store has become as much of a destination as ever.
Browse the impressive selection of fine china, jewellery, sterling silver, furniture, original art, lighting, crystal, toys and giftware to add a touch of character to your home.
The caravan of collectibles
A stunning little Amberley gem, Gypsys Caravan has antiques and collectibles out the wazoo, and a selection of upcycled and retro furniture that’ll have you rubbing your hands together. The secondhand clothing range caters to all ages from babies to adults, so you’re sure to find something special worth making the drive for.
Reading in an urban barn
Book Barn on Ferry is a booklover’s destination full of retro gold as well as popular contemporary books for a bargain. The Book Barn team aim to encourage people of all ages to read, and they claim to attract the best-looking and cleverest customers around – after all, they’ve chosen a smart place to shop!
374 Ferry Road, Woolston
A whole new (to you) world
Natural Attraction Antiques & Treasure in the heart of Riccarton is an Aladdin’s cave of genuine antiques, interesting collectables and quirky unique items. New stock and local artworks arrive every week.
Milling about
Take a short drive to check out the interesting retail spaces at The Mill in Waikuku, where you’ll find The Emporium of Lost Treasure. Brimming with designer, retro and vintage items for your home, workshed, or wardrobe, there’s something here for every discerning secondhand shopper with a nose for a bargain.
Woolston’s vintage vault
La Voûte may just be Christchurch’s freshest vintage store and Woolston’s best kept not-so-little secret. There’s something incredibly cool about going literally underground into the massive La Voûte vault looking for quality items to deck out your interior spaces.
This true one-stop vintage shop is rocking a wide range of distinctive and hand-selected pieces: carefully curated retro and mid-century furniture, vintage clothing and art, antiques and oddities. Each piece is locally sourced and singled out for its individuality, quality and personality. The team are passionate collectors themselves and love helping savvy home decorators and business owners find standout vintage pieces that elevate and individualise their interior spaces.
The store is open weekends and Thursday evenings, and you can keep up with the latest arrivals on Facebook and Instagram.
The famous five
Unearth your next treasure or gift at Ferry Antique Centre in Ferry Road, Waltham. This collective of five businesses is a destination for those interested in cool, quality objects of desire from ‘mantiques’ to fine china, crystal, pottery, and jewellery with character. The collective buy and sell, and there’s parking right next to the door.
A spot of quiet
Transforming this corner of Ferry Road into a secondhand book destination, Steadfast Books is your go-to for books old and new, and also graphic novels, hard-to-find movies, memorabilia, art and curios. It’s a store run by book lovers for book lovers, and it feels like the kind of place you can stop a while, with comfy armchairs, tea, and coffee. In a busy world full of notifications and information overload, the comfort of losing yourself in a good book is something to be treasured, and that’s exactly the spirit that Steadfast Books embodies.
FB/DestinationBookstoreChristchurch
Functional fragments of history
Twine Antiques’ retro and antique items are personally curated by owner and passionate collector Sandy. The Waikuku store has a special focus on things that can be enjoyed and used every day – everything from delightfully nostalgic kitchenware to hardy garden tools that will stand the test of time.
The Woolston Emporium
ReLove Clothing
Seaside Vintage
Reinvent Boutique
Loft Preloved Boutique
Mini Moocher
Paper Bag Princess
Hand-painted Coalport plate by E.H. Chivers C1900 from Village Green Antiques
Natural Attraction Antiques & Treasures
La Voûte
Steadfast Books
Twine Antiques
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