Department stores

Department stores were a traditional part of cities. Even small cities had department stores where you could buy everything for yourself or your home. They were always in the main shopping street. These days most department stores have disappeared although the four main cities still have at least one traditional department store. Perhaps the most famous is Ballantynes in Christchurch which is still the favourite place for luxury items. Products are displayed attractively to encourage people to enjoy shopping. It has a restaurant and two cafes so that shoppers can spend more time in the store. Just inside the main entrance are perfumes and famous makeup brands, with smart shop assistants to help you find the right perfume or makeup for you.

This week, Kirkcaldies and Stains in Wellington, announced that after 152 years, it will close late January next year. This depends on the shareholders’ meeting in July, of course. The shop has made a loss for the last 7 years. That is the bad news. The good news is that the Australian David Jones department store will take over the store. It is in a very good location, what is called the Golden Shopping Mile, on Lambton Quay. David Jones will modernise the building and open in mid-2016, and will employ most of the Kirkcaldie and Stains workers.

David Jones is a well-known department store chain in Australia. This is a big chain with big buying power and can bring different products to Wellington shoppers. It may also have a food hall like many overseas department stores. This is the first David Jones shop in New Zealand.

Vocabulary

• shareholders – people who have a share in the company and get paid dividends when the company makes a profit
• take over – become new owners
• buying power – more money and bigger orders for products
• chain – many stores with the same name

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