THERE’S A WHOLE LOTTA (MOVING AND) SHAKIN’ GOING ON…
It’s all about change in retail this week. Businesses moving, businesses closing, businesses expanding.
Vicki Taylor
Vicki Taylor is the latest retailer to announce the opening of a new boutique at Britomart, later this year. The new Taylor Boutique store will be part of a new food and fashion development about to get underway in the centre of the precinct. The complex of eight boutiques centred around a courtyard restaurant will also house the new flagship store for Karen Walker.
Vicki says she will definitely retain her Jervois Road, Ponsonby store. “It’s where I started and i still see Ponsonby as a really important and viable part of Auckland. We have moved our workroom to Randolph Street (Eden Terrace) though – we just needed more space to function efficiently.”
“Opening in the city is that ‘next thing’ we’ve been wanting to do for a while,” Vicki continues. “We’ve been in business 13 years and it’s time to go forward. Tough times are there but I still believe that people like to touch the garments, so we chose to grow in that way. You can be online forever but you can’t replace the in-store experience.”
Taylor Spring Summer 2012/13
Construction will begin on the new boutique and restaurant complex in early August and is expected to be complete, with all new stores open, in December 2012.
The Kathryn Wilson Shoebox which was previously located on the site of the new development has been moved to the City Works Depot where it will spend four weeks as a sale store. Wilson says it will reopen in Britomart in early August.
Also unphased by the difficult retailscape is Murray Crane, who is to open his first Australian store in Sydney in late August. Crane Brothers, Sydney will be located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD at 350 George St, its address adjacent to St Martins Place and the CPO in a heritage building which neighbours The Ivy. Burberry recently opened their flagship store a few doors away, as have Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior.
Crane Brothers, Sydney Interior
The space will house the full Crane Brothers collection with tailoring fittings and collection showcases on a By Appointment basis.
“We are working to a plan” says Crane “and we feel that now is the right time for us. We’ve been travelling to Sydney doing trunk trips for the last year, and we know the demand for Crane Brothers is there. Yes, the Sydney market is depressed, but this is a better time for us to go in – it’s cheaper and there is less saturation.”
OUKAN
c/- coolhunter.com
Turet Kneufermann has secured an impressive Berlin stockist for her tk label, having approached OUKAN 71 (‘Japanese and international avant-garde’) on her recent inspiration visit to Berlin. The two storey concept store was developed from a post-quake/tsunami charity project conceived with 40 Japanese designers. OUKAN 71 s now a permanent location, with the tk label currently in-store.
tk by Turet Kneufermann
Barkers have popped up at 154 Ponsonby Road for eight weeks chosing an ‘& friends’ theme to celebrate the brand’s many collaborations – with Flying Nun and Parisian among others – alongside a curated selection Barkers and Little Brother merchandise.
Camille Howie has launched her online store, where A/W 2012 is on sale.
END OF AN ERA
Joanne Pearson made this announcement on her Facebook page today (Monday 16 July) – it’s too eloquent to paraphrase (although we have cut it down a little):
“As many of you know I have been trying to sell mei mei since the beginning of the year.
As this has not happened and my lease is up, it is the perfect time for me to close the doors.
I cannot thank our customers enough for all of your loyalty over the years, we have got to know some of you so well and some lovely friendships have been made.
This has been a great business and a love affair that I am very proud of…It is not secret that retail over the past three years has been up and down; very busy or very quiet. Constant sales, and online shopping at discounted prices means that few people are prepared to pay full price anymore. This has meant that the effort I am putting in is not paying off anymore.
…We came in on an high and we are going out on one, we look forward to seeing you for your final purchase.”
– Julie Roulston