Early Settler debuts in Hawke’s Bay with dual store launch

In Napier, the brand has taken over the former Tennyson Street site of local retailer Madisons. (Source: Early Settler )

By My Nguyen Sep 9, 2026

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Furniture and homewares retailer Early Settler has expanded its New Zealand presence into Hawke’s Bay, opening stores in the twin cities of Hastings and Napier within a week.

The Hastings store opened on Karamu Road North on August 21, followed by the Napier launch on Tennyson Street on August 28.

The openings take its New Zealand network to 16 stores. In Napier, the brand took over the Tennyson Street site of local retailer Madisons.

Early Settler NZ GM Carly Robertson told Inside Retail that Hawke’s Bay had long been a target region for the brand, with the two cities seen as ‘sister markets’. But she said each city has its own distinct customer demographics, shopping patterns, as well as communities, leading to a twin-store approach.

The Napier store includes a dedicated Styling Studio and clearance area, while the Hastings store features larger-format family displays alongside digital in-store access to the full product catalogue.

“Having two locations gives customers greater convenience, but it also allows us to showcase more of the Early Settler range across the region. That is particularly valuable in Hawke’s Bay, where customers are some distance from our other physical locations,” Robertson told Inside Retail.

“We want to help customers find the story and character behind each piece, rather than simply present a range of furniture and homewares.

“We might be a national brand, but we pride ourselves on the experience feeling local and personal. Our teams love getting to know their customers and their homes, so they can help them make choices they will love living with,” he added.

Robertson said that the brand’s focus is not only on expanding stores but also on understanding each local market and creating an operational team that aligns with regional communities.

The expansion forms part of a broader network growth strategy in New Zealand. Early Settler has doubled its local footprint over the past two years with eight new store openings.

Alongside physical retail expansion, the business is enhancing its online offerings, including a new e-commerce website designed to integrate its online and store sales channels.

As part of the launch, Early Settler will be hosting events across its two new Hawke’s Bay stores over the coming months, along with the brand’s loyalty program, Home Club.