Farmers (department store)
Encyclopedia
The Farmers Trading Company (branded as Farmers) is a New Zealand
mid-market department store
chain. Based in Flat Bush
in Auckland, Farmers operates 56 stores across New Zealand, specialising in fashion, beauty, home-wares and furniture.
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, when then was renamed as The Farmers Trading Company. The company expanded into retail and adopted the department store
model. For many years the multi-story Farmers Building in downtown Auckland was the largest store in the country, and had free buses that took shoppers to the store from other parts of the city. After closing in the early 1990s, the large downtown store is now an upscale hotel. Currently, most Farmers stores are attached to 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 department stores. Farmers Deka Ltd was then renamed Farmers Holdings Ltd.
Farmers has traditionally been a middle market retailer, on par with Sears
or JC Penney in the United States. With the recent development of The Warehouse (a Wal-mart
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 the remaining department stores like Arthur Barnett
, H & J Smith's
, Ballantyne's, Smith & Caughey's
, & Kirkcaldie & Stains, none of which are nationwide.
Farmers plans to use Helvetica as the font of their upcoming logo.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
mid-market department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
chain. Based in Flat Bush
Flat Bush
Flat Bush is a developing suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. Located near Manukau Heights, it is governed by the Auckland Council, which has planned for the area to undergo substantial development since buying 290 hectares there in 1996...
in Auckland, Farmers operates 56 stores across New Zealand, specialising in fashion, beauty, home-wares and furniture.
History
Robert Laidlaw
Robert Laidlaw was a New Zealand business man who founded the Farmers Trading Company, one of the largest department store chains in New Zealand. He was also a Christian writer and philanthropist.-Biography:...
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, when then was renamed as The Farmers Trading Company. The company expanded into retail and adopted the department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
model. For many years the multi-story Farmers Building in downtown Auckland was the largest store in the country, and had free buses that took shoppers to the store from other parts of the city. After closing in the early 1990s, the large downtown store is now an upscale hotel. Currently, most Farmers stores are attached to 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
DEKA (New Zealand)
DEKA was a nationwide chain of general merchandise stores in New Zealand. It was launched in 1988 by L.D. Nathan, which split its supermarket and general merchandise divisions. In 1992 ownership of DEKA shifted to the Farmers Trading Company, which had until then been a competitor...
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 department stores. Farmers Deka Ltd was then renamed Farmers Holdings Ltd.
Farmers has traditionally been a middle market retailer, on par with Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
or JC Penney in the United States. With the recent development of The Warehouse (a Wal-mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
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 the remaining department stores like Arthur Barnett
Arthur Barnett (department store)
Arthur Barnett is a Dunedin, New Zealand-based department store operator. Established in 1903 by Arthur Barnett the store first began as a drapery for men and boys, progressing over the years to become one of Dunedin's most successful department stores.The 1924 Arthur Barnett building designed by...
, H & J Smith's
H & J Smith's
H & J Smith Ltd is a company which operates in the lower South Island of New Zealand mostly operating Department Stores but also some specialty stores and franchises. Department Stores are operated in Invercargill, Gore, Queenstown, Te Anau and Balclutha. There were also department stores in Nelson...
, Ballantyne's, Smith & Caughey's
Smith & Caughey's
Smith & Caughey's is a mid-sized department store chain in New Zealand, and is considered to be a top-range store....
, & Kirkcaldie & Stains, none of which are nationwide.
Farmers plans to use Helvetica as the font of their upcoming logo.
Ownership
Farmers Holdings Ltd is privately owned by James Pascoe Ltd, which in turn is 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 card.North Island
Auckland Region
Bay of Plenty
Wellington Region
| Northland Region
Taranaki Region
Waikato Region
Hawkes Bay
Central North Island
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South Island
Canterbury Region
Northern South Island
South Canterbury
North Otago
Otago
Southland
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