It's confirmed; H&J Smith store to close on November 18
“In the end however, it was clear our proposal to call time on the Department Store business is the right decision for the H&J Smith Group.”
The H&J Smith Group has confirmed it is closing its historic Invercargill department store following a four-week consultation period.
The company made the shock announcement on May 17 that it planned to close the department which has been operating in central Invercargill since 1900.
The store’s final day will be November 18.
It also will close its Remarkables Park store in Queenstown.
The Mitre10 MEGA Invercargill & Mitre10 MEGA Queenstown and Laser Electrical businesses remain and will operate as usual.
H&J Smith Group Managing Director Jason Smith said they appreciated the feedback as part of the consultation.
“It was important to us to take a considered approach and carefully evaluate the many submissions, questions, and suggestions from our staff and customers,” Smith said.
“While we received good feedback, most of it centered on specific factors, such as building remediation or supplier issues, rather than a collective consideration of all factors behind this decision.
“In the end however, it was clear our proposal to call time on the Department Store business is the right decision for the H&J Smith Group.”
The H&J Smith Group continues to work closely with staff members who will be impacted by the closure.
H&J Smith CEO John Green said they will close the store on Tuesday (June 27) “to give our team the space and time to absorb the news.”
“We know this is difficult news for our staff and community. Supporting our team through this challenging time remains our top priority.
H&J Smith Group have identified some areas of the business where there could be an opportunity for them to continue independently from the H&J Smith brand.
Discussions are currently underway with several interested parties and hope to release details in the coming weeks.
School uniforms and specialist lingerie fitting services are two areas of the business that H & J Smith have focused on to ensure continuity of service for their customers.
“I am pleased to confirm we will soon make an announcement regarding the future of these services,” Green said.
While the flagship store in Invercargill requires significant remediations to the existing building to ensure it meets 100% NBS, there is no information shared yet about the future of the building or site.
“Our priority has been our people and determining the future of the business. It’s only now that it’s appropriate for us to discuss potential uses for the building and site.
“We feel very strongly, however, that the community has an opportunity to assist in the creation of new vision for this space,” Smith said.
In the coming weeks and months more announcements will be made. H&J Smith will be communicating directly with account holders regarding the future use of the H & J Smith card.
“Our team and management have really appreciated the incredible customer support through this difficult process.
“We would like to thank the community for these kind words, stories, and wishes shared with us over the last four weeks.
“It’s been a great privilege to hear what H&J Smith has meant to the Invercargill, and Southland, community for the last 123 years. We have been honoured to have played even a small part in the lives of our wonderful community,” Smith said.
ABOUT H&J SMITH GROUP
The H&J Smith Group started as a Department Store business in 1900.
The Department Store business expanded throughout the region and now includes stores in Queenstown and Gore.
This group has grown and developed to incorporate other businesses within the group, including two Mitre 10 stores (Invercargill & Queenstown, respectively) and Laser Electrical in Invercargill.
However, this proposal only affects the Department Stores and the Mitre10 MEGA stores and Laser Electrical are unaffected by this proposal.
Throughout its long history, the HJS Department Store has significantly contributed to the wider CBD retail economy.
It has driven visitor numbers, stimulated spending, and offered essential community services, such as NZ Post, School Uniforms, and more.
Located in the heart of the city’s prime retail precinct, the H&J Smith flagship store of over 12,000sqm is one of the city’s major retail anchors. Open seven days a week, H&J Smith currently employs 220 people. It’s operated from this location for the last 100 years.