Locals can no longer nip into Queenstown’s CBD to buy socks and jocks following the recent closure of Hallenstein Brothers in Beach St. The menswear store is consolidating instead at its store in Frankton, which local Colliers commercial broker Alastair Wood suggests is becoming "the locals’ CBD". By contrast, he notes Queenstown’s CBD is "pretty obviously becoming a tourist centre".
He thinks the redevelopment of the downtown O’Connells building, with DFS Group moving in with luxury brands, "was a bit of a catalyst for bringing in some of the other more international brands". His colleague, leasing broker Mary-Jo Hudson, says the tenant who’ll replace the CBD Hallensteins "is more likely to be [selling] a product that’s got more international appeal, because that’s the customer downtown". "Seventy-five to 80% of the people downtown will be a visitor.
" Mountain Scene was unable to contact anyone from Hallenstein Glasson Holdings Ltd for comment — the company’s other CBD store, womenswear retailer Glassons, remains open in Beach St, however. When Hallensteins’ Beach St store opened in 2011, the then-CEO Glenn Hunter said it was "very special" to be opening there, as the chain was founded by German-born Bendix Hallenstein, who was Queenstown’s second mayor from 1869 till ’72. He promised it would be "more of a flagship store for us".
Arrowtowner Simon Stamers-Smith, Hallenstein’s great-great-grandson, who was tickled pink when the Beach St store opened, says its closure is "just a sign of the times, really"..
