Murray Crane said better training and better staff might have saved Smith & Caughey's. Photo / Supplied
Murray Crane said better training and better staff might have saved Smith & Caughey's. Photo / Supplied
Auckland department store Smith & Caughey’s will close on July 31 after 145 years in business.
The business cited competition, economic uncertainty, and reduced foot traffic as contributors to its demise.
Fellow retailer, Crane Brothers founder Murray Crane, said poor staff, training and service also contributed to the store’s closure.
Smith & Caughey’s acting chief executive Matt Harray said his priority is the wellbeing of his staff, not responding to criticism from another retailer.
Crane Brothers founder Murray Crane, who established his High Street menswear store 26 years ago, claims inadequately-trained staff and poor service contributed to the demise of the iconic Queen Street department store Smith & Caughey’s.
“I’ve had first-hand experience of walking in and staff being disinterested,you can’t find what you want or get service you want, something Smith & Caughey’s didn’t address” he told the Herald.
Up to 100 staff are expected to be made redundant when the Queen Street retail and online stores close in July.
“You can go to the same department store three days in a row and not have the same person looking after you, there is no connection with staff, there is no desire or urgency to help.
“They needed better training and better staff - that would’ve changed that business” said Crane.
Crane Brothers founder Murray Crane claims poor staff and service at Smith & Caughey's were contributing factors to its closure. Photo/ NZME
Matt Harray, Acting Chief Executive Smith & Caughey’s, said in a statement he would respectfully decline to respond to what he called undeserved criticism from another New Zealand retailer.
“Right now, our priority is the well being of our staff as we work towards the sad closure of the business.”
Murray Crane says it wasn't fair of Smith & Caughey's to blame parking, infrastructure and the economy for its closure. Photo / NZME
The company cited competition from shopping malls, economic uncertainty and low consumer confidence as contributing factors. The company also said city office workers were continuing to work from home post-Covid.
They said the city centre has also faced significant disruption and change in the form of ongoing roadworks and traffic congestion and a decline in foot traffic on Queen Street.
Crane said it wasn’t fair of Smith & Caughey’s to blame external issues like parking and infrastructure and economic downturn for its closure.
“They are contributing factors, and the fact they owned that building was a millstone around their neck. But Smith & Caughey’s had a great clientele where the clients were a bit more well-heeled and arguably weren’t impacted by a downturn in the economy.
They needed better training and better staff - that would’ve changed that business
“Get good people and pay them what they are worth
“Or move to a new location - two things you have control over are your location and your staff” he said.
Smith & Caughey's acting chief executive Matt Harray said his priority is the wellbeing of his staff, not responding to criticism from another retailer. Photo / Supplied
Crane said not everyone is suited to retail, or is good at it.
“It’s seen as the last resort and that anyone can do it - like if you are studying at uni, or transitioning between jobs.
“There are a whole lot of professionals in retail who are great at what they do and making good money. It is a viable career path, and they are the ones that are surviving.”
Murray Crane said he prides himself on customer service and always greets customers himself. Photo / Supplied
Murray Crane works six days a week in his Crane Brothers bespoke menswear store in central Auckland. Crane Brothers has three stores: on High St, in Ponsonby and in Christchurch, and says the secret to success in business is to personally be out on the shop floor.
“We really pride ourselves on our customer service and there is no way that anyone would walk into our stores without being greeted and asked if they need to be assisted in any way.
“It’s a very basic fundamental rule of retail and used to be what traditional department stores were known for. It doesn’t matter what your product is or where you are located, if you are not doing the basic things well, you’re not giving people a reason to come back.”
Carolyne Meng-Yee is an Auckland-based investigative journalist who won Best Documentary at the Voyager Media Awards in 2022. She worked for the Herald on Sunday from 2007-2011 and rejoined the Herald in 2016 after working as an award-winning current affairs producer at TVNZ’s 60 Minutes, 20/20 and Sunday.
