The Warehouse Group is not saying if the Noel Leeming's takeover of Bond & Bond in Tauranga will simply require knocking down the wall that divides the two shops.

The Warehouse Group owns both retail chains and has announced the closure of the Bond & Bond network around the country.

Noel Leeming and Bond and Bond will become one franchise.

In Tauranga Noel Leeming and Bond & Bond share the same address – 266 Cameron Road, the site of a former countdown supermarket. The wall dividing the two businesses was built when they moved in more than 10 years ago.

An inquiry to The Warehouse Group on Friday afternoon resulted in this reply:

'Unfortunately the appropriate people to respond to your questions are unavailable at present, and therefore we are unable to make any further comments”.

The group is closing 12 Bond & Bond stores around the country and converting or merging a dozen others into Noel Leeming stores.

All non-management staff will be offered comparable roles in Noel Leeming stores, which if Noel Leeming Tauranga expands into the Bond & Bond half of the former supermarket, there may be reduced job losses.

Cuts are possible among management and support staff, but chief executive Mark Powell expects total losses to be minimal.

"Every effort will be made to offer Bond & Bond store managers' suitable roles within Noel Leeming or the wider group,” he is reported saying on Stuff.

The Warehouse bought the Noel Leeming Group, which includes Bond & Bond, in December for $65million. The merger is expected to be complete by early April.

"While still early in our multi-year transformation, we are pleased with the results of investments in our stores and people.”