Hill and Stewart
Encyclopedia
Hill and Stewart were a chain of appliance and electronics stores in the Auckland Region
of New Zealand, which began in the 1950s and closed in January 2010.
in 1951.
The business was successful, and opened new stores in Karangahape Road
, Takapuna
and Newmarket
over the next few years. At its peak, there were ten stores around Auckland.
Stewart's home phone number appeared on the chain's advertisements for many years, so that customers could contact him directly with any problems they had. Few people actually rang him, and those who did were unfailingly polite.
The chain was purchased by JB Hi-Fi
in 2006. JB set up its own network of nine stores around the North Island
, and when leases on the last four Hill and Stewart stores expired in 2010, decided not to renew them.
Auckland Region
The Auckland Region was one of the sixteen regions of New Zealand, named for the city of Auckland, the country's largest urban area. With one third of the nation's residents, it was by far the biggest population and economy of any region of New Zealand, but the second-smallest land area.On 1...
of New Zealand, which began in the 1950s and closed in January 2010.
Origins
The company was founded by St John Hill and John Stewart. Hill had a secondhand appliance shop in Wyndham Street in the early 1950s. They gained a franchise to sell Fisher and Paykel appliances, and opened their first shop in Queen StreetQueen Street, Auckland
Queen Street is the major commercial thoroughfare in the Auckland CBD, Auckland, New Zealand's main population centre. It starts at Queens Wharf on the Auckland waterfront, adjacent to the Britomart Transport Centre and the Downtown Ferry Terminal, and runs uphill for almost three kilometres in a...
in 1951.
The business was successful, and opened new stores in Karangahape Road
Karangahape Road
Karangahape Road is one of the main streets in the central business district of Auckland, New Zealand. The massive expansion of motorways through the nearby inner city area - and subsequent flight of residents and retail into the suburbs - turned it from one of Auckland's premier shopping streets...
, Takapuna
Takapuna
Takapuna is a central, coastal suburb of North Shore City, located in the northern North Island of New Zealand, at the beginning of a south-east-facing peninsula forming the northern side of the Waitemata Harbour...
and Newmarket
Newmarket, New Zealand
Newmarket is an Auckland suburb to the south-east of the central business district. With its high building density, especially of retail shops, it is considered New Zealand's premier retailing area, and a rival of local competitor Auckland CBD...
over the next few years. At its peak, there were ten stores around Auckland.
Stewart's home phone number appeared on the chain's advertisements for many years, so that customers could contact him directly with any problems they had. Few people actually rang him, and those who did were unfailingly polite.
Decline
All but the Takapuna store were sold to owner-operators by the early 1980s, but still operated under the Hill and Stewart name. The Takapuna store was sold by Stewart in 1987.The chain was purchased by JB Hi-Fi
JB Hi-Fi
JB Hi-Fi is an Australian CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc, video game and consumer electronics chain store.-History:JB Hi-Fi was established in Melbourne suburb of Keilor East by John Barbuto in 1974...
in 2006. JB set up its own network of nine stores around the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
, and when leases on the last four Hill and Stewart stores expired in 2010, decided not to renew them.