It was luxe cafe dining when luxe cafes were rare in Auckland. But the writing on the wall was being written for decades before Smith and Caughey’s demise. And we chose it.
There used to be many department stores in Auckland. George and John Court’s shops, for instance. They disappeared years ago because of changing retail behaviour.
Milnes and Choyce was another. They used to have a shop in Remuera but that collapsed years ago. The department stores and Queen St fell with the rise of the suburban shopping malls.
Lately, the ongoing financial slump is a dagger. Foot traffic in central Auckland is down significantly from last year as people choose not to shop to save money.
Add to that the modern trend of working from home reducing the numbers while cinemas shifting to the suburbs also cut foot traffic immensely.
The mall’s convenience, with its massive carparks and sheer number of outlets close to where we live, spelled the end of High St shopping, except for boutique stores.
We saw that with the closure of Farmers on Hobson St. Despite its massive carpark, the store downsized to a Queen St location and multiple outlets in malls. It’s where the people went.
The development of Westfield Newmarket and the subsequent death of Broadway is more proof of our changing retail habits. Smith and Caughey’s held on for so long because it stocked high-end items.
The only things I bought from Smith and Caughey’s were Calvin Klein underpants and a pair of Burberry ankle boots – which are still the most expensive shoes I own. I only shopped there in their legendary sales, which was when things became affordable.
Luxe brands now have their outlets downtown to grab the cruise ship market. Another nail in the coffin. Meanwhile the rise of fast fashion has decreased the demand for high-end labels.
But then I heard the spokeswoman for the CBD retailers bang on about the roadworks in the area as though they were the principal factor.
I know she had to do that because the existing retailers believe it should be the scapegoat as they seek reparations for the collapse.
She also blamed the perception of danger but I can assure you Queen St was more dangerous when it was the only game in town. Recent violence in malls shows the thugs have changed their patterns as well.
The modernisation of Queen St is what needed to happen to ensure the long-term survival of the central city.
Faced with the onslaught of the mall and big-box retail and the departure of cinemas, Queen St is being remodelled as a live entertainment district with boutique shopping and convenience stores for CBD residents.
The new train links will enable easy expeditions into town without the hassle and cost of increasingly privatised parking.
The street has been greened and emptied of cars just passing through to make it a more attractive environment.
If you’ve been there lately, you’ll know it’s starting to hum with the murmur of crowds – not the roar of boy racers.
It’s sad to say goodbye to the chintzy department stores. But if the council is to blame, it’s because it allowed the proliferation of malls.
London and Paris resisted, which is why Oxford St still works and why Paris has Galerie LaFayette and Samaritaine.
But then again the reason why New Zealand has embraced malls is because we like them so you can’t blame the council for that.
If you want to blame someone for the death of Smith and Caughey’s, ask yourself this: when was the last time you shopped there? And where did you shop instead?
