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H & J Smith

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H&J Smith Ltd
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail
Founded1900[1]
HeadquartersSouthland, New Zealand
Productsapparel, cosmetics, accessories, homewares, furniture, general merchandise
Websitehjsmith.co.nz
H & J Smith Invercargill

H & J Smith Ltd, branded as H & J Smith and known colloqually as H&J's is a company which operates in the lower South Island of New Zealand. The company primarily operates Department Stores, but also some specialty stores and franchises (some within the main department stores). The Department Stores are located in Invercargill, Dunedin, Gore, Queenstown, Te Anau and Balclutha. There were also department stores in Nelson and Blenheim but these stores closed in March 2006. H & J Smith has been operating since 1900.

Department Stores Operated by H & J Smith

Cosmetics at H & J Smith Invercargill

H & J Smith Invercargill

The Invercargill Department Store is the flagship store, with by far the most floor space (the store taking up the width of a city block) and largest offering. Since 2003 this has been subject to major renovations[2][3] including the addition of twin escalators, where in the past there was only one escalator going in the up direction. There is also a new cosmetic department which includes H & J's own brand The Make Up[4] as well as an extensive Fine Fragrance area.[5]

Other departments include Ladies' Fashion, Men's Fashion, Lingerie, Accessories (including jewellery and watches), footloose (sic), Icebreaker, Paper Plus, Waxx surf shop, uproar streetware, and lifestyle by H & J Smith on the Ground Floor. The First Floor includes Furniture, KidsWorld (including Fashion, Nursery and Toys),[6] Soft Furnishings, Home Linens, Giftware (including Kitchenware tableware and Home Decor),[6] Function Room, Gift Registry, Mother's Room, Main Office and toilets. H & J's also sells School Uniforms and Luggage.[6] An Appliance Department existed up until 2011, the original location was on the second floor but the department moved to the building next door in 2006 after Mitre 10 moved to its current Mega Store location. The appliance department was branded as H & J's Appliance Centre and for a time was a Betta Electrical franchise.[7] The building had and entrance between H&J Smiths store and the appliance department. In 2013 the neighbouring building was deemed an earthquake risk and subsequently demolished.

The store also includes a café restaurant branded as The Copper Kettle on the upper floor, and MOOCH Espresso Bar on the ground floor.[8] The Invercargill store includes a Sky Bridge connecting the store to a paid car park building. The Sky Bridge has been part of the Invercargill store since the 1980s. In 2011, the Invercargill Paper Plus franchise, which H & J Smith had purchased in 2010, was incorporated into the main Invercargill store,[9] replacing a Take Note franchise as in the Gore store. Dressmaking fabrics were removed from the store in 2009.[10]

H & J Smith Dunedin

Arthur Barnett prior to rebranding as H & J Smith Dunedin

The store, within Dunedin's Meridian Mall on the main shopping street of George St, is the company's second-largest after its Invercargill flagship. Departments include Cosmetics, Ladieswear, Menswear, Lingerie, Accessories, Childrenswear and Toys, School Uniforms, Casual Living, Home Linens, Furniture, as well as an instore 'espresso bar' café. The cosmetics department offers H&J's largest selection of prestige beauty brands.

The Dunedin store is the result a take over of longstanding Dunedin department store Arthur Barnett in 2015. After a short period continuing under its original name, store was rebranded at align with H&J's other department stores.

At its prime, Arthur Barnett operated 5 stores across Otago. By the time of purchase, it had decined to a single physical store in Dunedin, and an online store. The online store was reformatted into H&J's first foray into online retailing.

H & J Smith Gore

H & J Smith Gore

The Gore Store offers many of the services offered in the Invercargill flagship store, but on a smaller scale. Departments include Ladieswear, Lifestyle, Childrenswear, Mens/Boyswear, Lingerie, Books and More (a Take Note franchise operating as a separate store-within-a-store), Giftware (including Kitchenware, table top and Home Decor),[6] Accessories, Cosmetics including Elizabeth Arden, Revlon, L'Oreal and Fragrance, Toys/Nursery, and footloose on the Ground Floor. Furniture, Soft Furnishings, Fabrics, Home Linens, and Office on the First Floor. The First Floor also includes a large tea rooms branded as Junction Café and public toilets.[8] In the past the café was known as The Viking Restaurant. School Uniforms are located in the rear of the modern Menswear department.

H & J Smith Remarkables Park

H & J Smith Remarkables Park (Queenstown)

H & J Smith Ltd has been operating in Queenstown since 1971.[11] Originally in the centre of Queenstown, the department store recently moved to the Remarkables Park Town Centre shopping centre in Frankton. The store is the newest and most modern, but still features the traditional cream interior colour scheme of the other stores. The store offers limited Cosmetics and Fine Fragrance, Ladies Fashion, Men's Fashion, Kids' World, Lingerie, Accessories, footloose, Luggage, Giftware, Home Linens, Bedding, and Furniture. A major rival for beauty is Unichem Wilkinson's Pharmacy in central Queenstown, which has many of the counters and fragrances H & J has in the flagship Invercargill store.

H & J Smith Balclutha

H & J Smith Te Anau

The Te Anau store only includes the Apparel, Home Linen, Craft and Fabric departments offered in the Invercargill and Gore stores. The store is on a single floor and outside the store includes a Temperature/Clock display similar to the one in the Invercargill store.

H & J Smith Balclutha

This store was opened after Dunedin based department store Arthur Barnett pulled out of the area with H & J Smith operating in the old Arthur Barnett store. The Balclutha store is small in comparison with H & J's other department stores, and carries a limited offering, but is large compared to surrounding retailers. The store offers Ladies', Men's and Children's Apparel, Revlon cosmetics, Giftware (kitchen and tableware), and Home Linens.

Franchises Operated by H & J Smith

Mitre 10 MEGA Invercargill

The Mitre 10 MEGA store in Invercargill is owned by H & J Smith. H & J Smith's Mitre 10 was first opened in 1988 next to the Invercargill department store. In 2004 H & J Smith indicated their intentions to upgrade the Invercargill store to a Mitre 10 MEGA store. The new store was built in the former Woolworths Supermarket which had only been operating in the Central Business District of Invercargill for 4 years. The Burger King restaurant next to the Woolworths Supermarket had to be demolished and rebuilt in another part of the car park to accommodate the Mitre 10 Mega store. The Mitre 10 Mega store was opened in March 2005.

Mitre 10 Home and Trade Remarkables Park Queenstown

H & J Smith also operate the Mitre 10 Store in the Remarkables Park in Frankton. As early as 2003, H & J Smith revealed intentions to build a new Mitre 10 MEGA store in Frankton. As of 2016, a new Mitre 10 MEGA store has replaced the old mitre 10 trade store. 

[11] [12]

Other Stores Operated by H & J Smith

H & J Smith Invercargill, corner visible with combined Temperature/Clock display

Big Scotty's

Big Scotty's was a furniture store operated on Clyde Street in Invercargill selling lounge, bedroom, dining and home entertainment furniture. In October 2010, it was announced that this store would be closing.[13]

H & J's Carpet World

H & J's Carpet World is a carpet store on Tay Street in Invercargill selling a large range of carpets, vinyls and mats. It has since become Invercargill Flooring Xtra

H & J's Outdoor World

This is the largest sporting goods store in Invercargill. The store sells a range of outdoor clothing, camping equipment, sports equipment, hunting and fishing gear and firearms. H & J's Outdoor World operates the franchise for Gun City in Invercargill.

Element

This is a sporting goods store in the Remarkables Park in Frankton, Queenstown. The store offers a range of outdoor clothing, camping equipment, sports equipment, hunting and fishing gear and firearms.

H & J's Electrical

This is an Electrical Contracting business operated in Invercargill and Queenstown. The company offers an appliance repair service as well as a household and business electrical service.

  • Clock tower of H & J Smith Invercargill, on the corner of Kelvin Street and Esk Street
    Clock tower of H & J Smith Invercargill, on the corner of Kelvin Street and Esk Street
  • Escalator in H & J Smith Invercargill
    Escalator in H & J Smith Invercargill
  • Esk Street facade of H & J Smith Invercargill
    Esk Street facade of H & J Smith Invercargill
  • H & J Smith Invercargill main entrance
    H & J Smith Invercargill main entrance
  • Sky Bridge at H & J Smith Invercargill across Esk Street
    Sky Bridge at H & J Smith Invercargill across Esk Street
  • H & J Smith Gore main entrance
    H & J Smith Gore main entrance
  • H & J Smith Gore side
    H & J Smith Gore side
  • Irk Street side of H & J Smith Gore
    Irk Street side of H & J Smith Gore
  • H & J's former Appliance Centre and Executive Offices in Invercargill, demolished in July 2013[14]
    H & J's former Appliance Centre and Executive Offices in Invercargill, demolished in July 2013[14]

References

  1. ^ http://www.hjsmith.co.nz/information/11
  2. ^ Johannsen, Dana (4 July 2003). "Takeover creates South Island-wide chain". sharechat.co.nz. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  3. ^ http://www.abl.co.nz/clients-say/
  4. ^ Mackay, Janetta (7 November 2012). "NZ department stores creating their cosmetics". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  5. ^ http://www.hjsmith.co.nz/Information/36
  6. ^ a b c d http://www.hjsmith.co.nz/Information/235
  7. ^ http://www.finda.co.nz/business/listing/q6fs/h-j-smith-betta-electrical/
  8. ^ a b http://www.hjsmith.co.nz/Information/4
  9. ^ Jamieson, Debbie (9 April 2011). "Invercargill CBD set for store shakeup". The Southland Times. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  10. ^ Thorne, Dylan (15 July 2009). "It's no longer a material world". The Southland Times. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  11. ^ a b Bryant, Grant (18 November 2011). "Mega III: the applications continue". The Southland Times. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  12. ^ Taylor, Paul (7 March 2013). "Battle for prime Queenstown land heats up". Mountain Scene. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  13. ^ Jamieson, Debbie (5 May 2011). "$20m Queenstown Mitre 10 plan drives H&Js". The Southland Times. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  14. ^ Russell, Terri (15 July 2013). "Building's history revealed bit by bit". The Southland Times. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
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