Homeware store Briscoes will reopen in central Christchurch next week.

The retailer's Salisbury St building was deemed unsafe after the February 2011 earthquake and demolished late last year.

A 3300-square-metre store has been built on the site and will open on Wednesday at 9am.

Christchurch deputy mayor Ngaire Button will lead a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday.

Store manager Jeremy Lowe said the building was the first large-scale retail store to be fully rebuilt in the central city since the quakes.

''We've seen a lot of destruction here. Now's the time for positivity and moving forward. We're all really excited to be a part of that," he said.

The store sits on 175 piles that support a floor slab suspended above the ground. This means silt would fill the space if another quake triggered liquefaction, leaving the building undamaged.

Pre-quake staff, deployed to other Briscoes branches, will return, along with 10 new employees.

- © Fairfax NZ News