In Christchurch last week, the impact of the earthquake seemed more apparent than ever, and it drew attention to the ability of Christchurch retailers to overcome adversity and continue to perform under very trying circumstances. According to Paul Keane from insight-led property and design company, RCG, Ballantynes, an iconic Christchurch department store, was a real example of this. The company experienced a significant tragedy in 1947 when the Ballantynes fire engulfed the store, with sign
ificant loss of life. Although the fire is considered the worst in New Zealand’s history, the earthquakes of 2011 probably had an even greater impact than the fire in that not only was this store affected but the whole of the Christchurch CBD was impacted. The result was an effective closure of the CBD and the immediate erosion of customers. Add to that the fact that the store had to undergo a significant rebuild, and the task ahead for both the retail business and the property itself was significant. Given that the Ballantyne family owned both, the task ahead for recovery was massive.
So how did they fare? The photo that goes with this article demonstrate the vibrancy of the store, as of Friday last week. Despite the CBD of Christchurch being in a total rebuild mode, Ballantynes stands tall like a colossus.
“Customers have responded to Ballantynes and retained their loyalty. In return the company has kept faith in its customers and managed to continue to provide good quality merchandise, and they have rebuilt the store to a standard that customers appreciate. It really is a love affair. Customers love Ballantynes and Ballantynes loves its customers. During the heat of the battle, when customers were not returning to the store due to the earthquake and the subsequent closures, Ballantynes took customers to its Timaru store by coach,” says Keane.
“This demonstrates the ability to withstand difficult retailing environments and get on with what retailing is all about, having sound customer relationships. Rather than throw in the towel, Ballantynes continued to provide a form of retailing throughout the whole earthquake period. Christchurch will over the next five years emerge as a robust retail environment again. It will see the emergence of new retailers. And Ballantynes will continue to be proud and supportive of its local environment, as it has done for the past 100 years.
