Hallenstein Brothers store manager Phil Lemin holds some of
the jeans given away free to the first 500 customers
through the doors of the Queenstown-born New Zealand
chain's new Beach St store, from midnight, last night.
Photo by James Beech.
Hallenstein Brothers returned to its roots with the grand
opening of its new store in Queenstown on Thursday, at the
stroke of midnight.
Hundreds of residents and visitors queued for half the length
of upper Beach St to be among the first first 500 customers
through the doors and receive a free pair of $70 IFD Denim
jeans.
The shop traded continuously for the following 24 hours with
40% off everything as part of the celebration.
A DJ played music on a PA system to entertain the crowd. The
people at the front of the queue said they had waited for
about two hours to enter the store.
The chain's historic connection to Queenstown was
acknowledged in a brief speech. Company founder Bendix
Hallenstein's great-great-great-great-grandson Harry Railton
(18), of Gibbston, was invited to cut the red ribbon across
the doors.
Customers were admitted 10 at a time. Private security
personnel were present and Queenstown police monitored the
event.
Half a dozen Hallenstein staff flew in from Auckland to help
the six Queenstown staff in the race against time to stock
and prepare the Beach St outlet before the opening.
Hallensteins general manager Glenn Hunter, of Auckland, said
the "massive task" of getting the shop ready had been held up
by the weather.
However, he was pleased with the buzz around town about the
New Zealand clothing chain's return to the Wakatipu, where
Hallenstein started his company in earnest in 1864.
Customers had been trying to enter the shop during the
previous two days, despite the registers not working and no
clothes being on the shelves, Mr Hunter said.
"This store is going to be very well received and we're super
excited.
"This is an amazing location and there's not much here for
men."
Mr Railton, studying law at the University of Canterbury,
said it was "pretty special" to be asked to open the store.
"I think [Bendix Hallenstein] would be pretty stoked with how
business has progressed over the years," he said.
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