Farmers Trading Company
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| Private | |
| Industry | Retailing |
| Founded | 1909; 108 years ago |
| Founder | Robert Laidlaw |
| Headquarters | Flat Bush, Auckland, New Zealand |
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Number of locations
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56 |
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Area served
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New Zealand |
| Products | Department Store |
| Owner | Anne Norman and Family |
| Parent | James Pascoe Ltd |
| Website | www |
The Farmers Trading Company Ltd (branded as Farmers) is a New Zealand mid-market department store chain. Based in Flat Bush, Auckland, Farmers operates 56 stores across New Zealand, specialising in family fashion, beauty, homewares, furniture, electronics and large appliances/whiteware.
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)
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.
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Wikipedia