Kirkcaldie & Stains facts for kids

Kirkcaldie & Stains

Former type	Public listed company
Traded as	NZX: KRK
Industry	Retailing
Founded	1863
Defunct	2016
Headquarters	Wellington
Key people	Falcon Clouston (Chairman)
Products	apparel, cosmetics, homewares
Number of employees	300 plus

Kirkcaldie & Stains and office buildings

Kirkcaldie & Stains, often known as Kirks, was a well-known department store in Wellington, New Zealand. It was started in 1863 by two friends, John Kirkcaldie and Robert Stains, with £700. Their very first shop was on Lambton Quay.

In 1868, Kirkcaldie & Stains moved to its final spot at the corner of Lambton Quay and Brandon Street. Over the years, it grew much bigger! There was also a branch in Napier for twenty years (1897–1917) and another in Cuba Street, Wellington, for seven years (1871–76). For a long time, Kirkcaldie & Stains was the only place in New Zealand where you could buy special French skincare from the brand Sisley.

On June 4, 2015, Kirkcaldie & Stains announced it would close in January 2016. After a big renovation, the building became a David Jones store. The shareholders (people who owned parts of the company) agreed to this plan on July 31, 2015. The store officially closed its doors on Saturday, January 16, 2016. The main store on Lambton Quay reopened as 'David Jones Wellington', part of the Australian department store chain David Jones Limited, on Thursday, July 28, 2016.

The Store's Beginning

The business began in 1863. John Kirkcaldie was a draper (someone who sells cloth), and Robert Stains had experience in retail. They met in Sydney, Australia, and decided to start a business together in New Zealand. They chose Wellington and opened their first small store, which was only about 4.8 meters square! It was actually inside the remains of a wrecked ship called the Inconstant (ship), known as Plimmer's Noah's Ark, on Lambton Quay. Kirkcaldie & Stains first opened for business on Wednesday, December 9, 1863.

In January 1865, Kirkcaldie & Stains held its first big sale. Later that year, a new two-story store was built in the same spot.

In 1868, the store moved to a new building on land that had been reclaimed from the harbour. This new spot, at the corner of Lambton Quay and Brandon Streets, is where the business stayed until 2016. The two-story wooden building was designed by C. J. Toxward and opened on October 24, 1868.

For a short time, from 1871 to 1876, there was another Kirkcaldie & Stains store on the corner of Ghuznee and Cuba Streets in Wellington. In 1875, the company even made its own special bronze halfpenny tokens!

In 1886, Robert Stains went back to England, and the partnership ended. The Kirkcaldie family continued to own and run the business until the 1930s.

Key Moments in History

Kirkcaldie & Stains saw many changes and important events over its long history:

• 1887: A large fire destroyed a city block nearby. The wind blew sparks towards Kirkcaldie & Stains, but the store was saved by staff who put wet blankets on the roof.
• 1897: Kirkcaldie & Stains expanded outside Wellington for the first time, taking over the Neal & Close Department Store in Napier.
• 1897: The 1868 building was extended with a new three-story brick building. It had electric lights, a special hydraulic lift, and the biggest tea rooms in Wellington!
• 1899: On July 26, Kirkcaldie & Stains became a registered private company.
• 1901–1902: A new four-story building was constructed in Brandon Street. It was built in a beautiful Italianate style, which became famous for Kirkcaldie's.
• 1908-1909: More new buildings were added, using strong ferro-concrete and steel. These also followed the Italianate style, making the store look grand and unified along Lambton Quay.
• 1917: The Napier branch store was sold because of tough times during World War I. Kirkcaldie & Stains became a single-location business again until 2014.
• 1918: John Kirkcaldie, one of the founders, retired after more than 55 years with the business.
• 1927–1928: The store's facade (the front of the building) was remodeled to match the Italianate style, making the whole building look even more impressive.
• 1931: The Kirkcaldie family sold the business to British Overseas Stores, a company with shops all over the world.
• 1951: The inside of the store got a big makeover! Departments were modernized, stairwells were updated, and two new lifts were installed.
• 1954: When Queen Elizabeth visited New Zealand, Kirkcaldie & Stains decorated its facade with a giant crown that lit up at night!
• 1963: The store celebrated its 100th birthday with special displays, including fairy tale characters and a fashion show called 'Our story in Fashion'.
• 1985: The business was bought by Renouf Corporation. This led to a big redevelopment, including two 14-story business towers built behind the store.
• 1986: The old Lamson Chute system, which carried cash around the store, was removed after almost 80 years. Its brass tubes were reused as handrails on the new staircases.
• 1988: The special Christmas Shop opened in Kirkcaldie & Stains.
• 1994: Hellaby Holdings (the new owner) sold the business, and many people from Wellington, including staff and customers, bought shares in the company.
• 1993: For its 130th birthday, Kirkcaldie & Stains held a big celebration with a parade and a huge birthday cake that had $64,000 in prizes!
• 2000: A book about the company's history, 'Kirkcaldie & Stains, A Wellington Story' by Julia Millen, was released.
• 2001: Kirkcaldie & Stains became a public company, meaning its shares could be bought and sold on the NZX stock exchange. Its website, www.kirkcaldies.co.nz, also went online.
• 2013: Kirkcaldies celebrated 150 years in retail with a street parade and a display of the store's history. The store won an award for customer satisfaction for two years in a row. The grand piano, which had been played at lunchtime for 25 years, was donated to the New Zealand School of Dance.
• 2014: An "Interiors" branch opened in Thorndon Quay, Wellington. Kirkcaldie & Stains also sold the Harbour City Centre building.
• 2015: The company announced it would close in January 2016. The Interiors branch closed in October 2015.
• 2016: Kirkcaldie & Stains closed its doors for the last time on Saturday, January 16. The main store building and the Kirkcaldie & Stains name were bought by the Australian department store chain David Jones Limited. After a full renovation, including new air conditioning and escalators, it reopened as 'David Jones Wellington' on Thursday, July 28, 2016.

Images for kids

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  Main entrance

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  Kirkcaldie & Stains Interiors

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  Interiors entrance