Farmers Trading Company

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Farmers Trading Company
Private
Industry Retailing
Founded 1909 (1909)
Founder Robert Laidlaw
Headquarters Flat Bush, Auckland, New Zealand
Number of locations
 56
Area served
 New Zealand
Products Department Store
Owner Anne Norman and Family
Parent James Pascoe Ltd
Slogan Your Department Store
Website www.farmers.co.nz

The Farmers Trading Company Ltd (branded as Farmers) is a New Zealand mid-market department store chain. Based in Flat Bush in Auckland,[1] Farmers operates 56 stores across New Zealand, specialising in family fashion, beauty, homewares, furniture, electronics and large appliances/whiteware.

History

Previous Farmers Trading Company Logo

The company was founded by Robert Laidlaw in 1909 as 'Laidlaw Leeds' and sold agricultural related goods through mail order catalogues, following a successful American model. In 1918 Laidlaw Leeds merged with The Farmers Union Trading Company, which was then renamed The Farmers Trading Company. The company expanded into retail and adopted the department store model.

The centre of operations was a high rise warehouse and office complex in Auckland's Hobson Street. In 1920 a retail space was opened to the public in the building. In the 1930s a large wing was built onto the older 1914 building which included the impressive Harbour View Tea Rooms. The architect involved, R. A. Lippencott, also gave the enlarged building a new facade in the new modern Art-Deco style. Hobson Street was not a very good position for a department store, so copying similar arrangement by stores in American cities, Laidlaw arranged for a free bus to shuttle people from Queen Street to the Hobson Street store. This was later augmented by a free tram to Karangahape Road.

Over successive years the adjacent sites were covered with warehouses and administration blocks for the growing business. Laidlaw, a teetotaler, made a point of buying the pub directly next door, The Grosvenor, and turning it into offices. As well as its roof top playground and tearooms Farmer was also noted for its high-rise parking building connected to the shop by an elevated sky way. Like many buildings from the 1920s onwards it had electric lifts which multiplied in number as the building grew in size. The store also boasted the first escalators in Auckland which were opened in 1955 by the Mayor of Auckland, Mr J H Luxford and Mrs Luxford. The Mayor cut the ribbon and the official party travelled up the escalators followed by a crowd of curious Aucklanders, along with the store's mascot Hector the parrot. The eight banks of escalators were the largest installation in the Southern Hemisphere. (New Zealand Film Archive ref F49681)

Cosmetics at Farmers Lambton Quay

After closing in 1991, the large downtown store stood empty for several years before it was converted into an upscale hotel which opened in 1998. Currently, most Farmers stores are anchor stores in shopping malls, with their larger stores in the suburbs.

The company grew from one store during the 1910s to 56 by 1990 through opportunism and take-overs. Farmers and the DEKA discount merchandise chain were joined as Farmers Deka Ltd from 1992. The DEKA chain closed in July 2001 after financial difficulty in competing with The Warehouse discount stores. Farmers Deka Ltd was then renamed Farmers Holdings Ltd.[2]

Farmers has traditionally been a middle market retailer, on par with Sears or J C Penney in the United States. With the recent development of The Warehouse (a Walmart type store), Farmers made a decision to become a far more fashionable shopping destination, ranging an increasing amount of branded product. Where Farmers once would have faced competition from The Warehouse (nationwide) and various small chain stores, they've established themselves well apart from this discount retailer. Farmers still face competition from remaining department stores Smith & Caughey's, Ballantynes, and H & J Smith's, none of which are nationwide.

Farmers closed its Queen Street store in rented premises in 2014. It has since been announced that the building occupied by the Whitcoulls Stationer, which is also owned by the James Pascoe Group. The building was formerly the John Courts Department Store building would be renovated as a three level Farmer's Department store on the corner of Queen and Victoria Streets. John Courts Department Store was formerly a Farmers Trading Company competitor until its demise. Ironically this will reunite Farmers with the former Farmer's Santa which was hung on the Farmers Hobson Street store from 1960 until the early 1990s.

Stevens Dunedin within Farmers Dunedin

Departments

Farmers departments include Womenswear, Beauty, including Serviced Cosmetics, Fine Fragrance, Health & Beauty and SPECIALeyes; Lingerie, including Sleepwear; Menswear including Mercery; Accessories, Footwear, and Luggage; Home, including Kitchen, Table Top, Giftware and Laundry; Manchester including Bathroom; Small Appliances; Children's including Childrenswear, Nursery, and Toys; Furniture; with Electronics and Large Appliances/Whiteware in flagship stores such as Albany and St Lukes. Christmas Shop and Confectionery appear October–December. Fellow James Pascoe Group companies Goldmark (previously fellow JPG brand Prouds) and Stevens also have 'Store-within-a-store outlets within selected Farmers stores.

Goldmark within Farmers Dunedin
Australian cosmetics brand Napoleon Perdis is exclusive to Farmers in New Zealand

Since the 2003 purchase by the James Pascoe Group, the chain has aimed to be New Zealand's leading fashion department store.[3] Farmers has moved increasing upmarket, with a focus on the lucrative fashion apparel and beauty categories. Brands stocked include M·A·C in the new Centre Place store in Hamilton, Bobbi Brown, Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Lancôme, Estée Lauder, Clinique, Napoleon Perdis (exclusive to Farmers in New Zealand),[4][5] Shiseido, Clarins, Dr. Hauschka, Elizabeth Arden, and Revlon cosmetics; Calvin Klein men's underwear; Elle MacPherson Intimates, and Dita Von Teese 'Von Follies' lingerie from 2013;[6] and Sheridan manchester. Unprofitable and loss-making departments such as hardware and computers were discontinued. From July 2013,[7] 20[8] select Farmers stock The Body Shop products in Health & Beauty.

Ownership

Farmers Holdings Ltd is privately owned by the James Pascoe Group, in turn owned by Anne Norman and family. James Pascoe Ltd and Fisher & Paykel Finance bought Farmers on 6 November 2003 from Foodlands Associates for NZ$311m. The business was split into the retail and finance arms with James Pascoe holding the retail arm and Fisher & Paykel Finance the finance arm which includes the Farmers Finance Card.

Stores

The historic flagship store in the Auckland CBD, now a hotel.
Farmers Dunedin
Farmers Invercargill

North Island

South Island

References

  1. ↑ "Contact Us." Farmers. Retrieved on 28 January 2009.
  2. ↑ "Farmers Holdings Ltd.". BusinessWeek.
  3. ↑ http://www.farmers.co.nz/about.html
  4. ↑ http://napoleonperdis.com/aus/help#1
  5. ↑ http://napoleonperdis.com/usa/napoleon_perdis_milestones
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=603809122984830&set=a.138021752896905.19185.104299119602502&type=1
  8. ↑ https://www.beautyclub.co.nz/Brands/The_Body_Shop.aspx
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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