The early bird will catch the chocolate frog when Haigh's Chocolates opens its first Canberra store on Thursday morning.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Adelaide confectioner will be one of a bunch of new stores to open as part of Canberra Centre's new lifestyle precinct, sitting upstairs from the ground floor beauty precinct, which opened in July.
Canberra Centre's Kelly McGufficke said, "This is the next stage of the transformation of the Monaro Mall, which was the original part of Canberra Centre which first opened back in 1963. So we're really proud of how Canberra Centre is constantly changing and evolving to bring unique experiences to the ACT."
As well as Haigh's, new stores include herb and spice merchants Gewürzhaus, homeware brands Top3 by Design, Le Creuset and The Pen Boutique, Robinsons Bookshop, and Parisian jeweller Les Nereides.
Existing Canberra Centre stores Nespresso, Arnold & Co, Pepe's Paperie, Bed Bath and Table, and The Tea Centre will also move to the precinct.
One end will also house a concept store from The Cool Hunter, and an installation as part of the upcoming Design Canberra festival.
Ms McGufficke encouraged Haigh's fans to get there early, with free Haigh's giant chocolate frogs to be handed out to the first 100 customers into the precinct.
In the store itself, managing directors Alister and Simon Haigh will be there for the official opening, and the first 100 customers to spend $10 or more in the new store will receive a bag of Haigh's milk or dark speckles.
Cooking queen Donna Hay will also make an appearance for a masterclass on her trademark food styling and cooking at noon, which will launch a series of lifestyle-themed events over the coming weeks.
The space, which formerly housed retailers including Pumpkin Patch and Laura Ashley, has been given a modern makeover, consistent with the decor in the downstairs beauty precinct, and is bright and airy thanks to a series of skylights.
"The project team saw the importance to ensure that we restore the original features of Monaro Mall because it is such a historical building for Canberra, so it's really exciting to see those bits and pieces while also tapping into the modern architecture as well, so it's an absolutely stunning environment," said Ms McGufficke.
The lifestyle precinct will be unveiled to the public from 8.30am on Thursday, November 2, with stores opening at 9am.
And after this opening, all eyes will turn to another part of Canberra Centre, where highly-anticipated international fashion retailer H&M will open on November 23.
