Michael Hill Jeweller

Michael Hill International Ltd.
Michael Hill Jeweller
Public
Traded as ASX: MHJ, NZX: MHJ
Industry Retailing
Founded 1979 (1979) (Whangarei, New Zealand)
Headquarters Brisbane, Australia
Number of locations
303 (as at December 2015)[1]
Area served
Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United States
Key people
Michael Hill (Founder President) Emma Hill (Chairman)
Mike Parsell (CEO & Director)
Products Jewellery
Brands Michael Hill, Emma & Roe
Revenue Increase$489 million NZD (30 June 2011) [2]
Website www.michaelhill.com.au (AU)
www.michaelhill.co.nz (NZ)
www.michaelhill.ca (CA)
www.michaelhill.com (US)

Michael Hill International Ltd. is a specialty retailer of jewellery in North America and Oceania. Michael Hill Jeweller operates a retail jewellery chain of 296 stores (as of June 2015 - MHI Annual Report 2015) in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, with over 2,000 permanent employees.[2] The company's headquarters are in Brisbane, Australia.

History

Michael Hill and family standing outside the entrance of their first jewellery store
Michael Hill and family in front of their first store

The company started in 1979, when Michael Hill and his wife, Christine, opened their first store in the New Zealand town of Whangarei. A unique retail jewellery formula that included dramatically different store designs, a product range devoted exclusively to jewellery and almost saturation levels of high impact advertising elevated the company to national prominence.[2] The company also received several international awards for window-dressing from renowned brands such as Bulova, Olympic and Omega.[3]

The company grew steadily, expanding to 10 stores by 1987, the same year it listed on the NZX. Also in this year, Michael Hill Jeweller expanded into Australia, opening four stores in four weeks.[4]

In 2002, the company expanded into Canada, opening its first stores in Vancouver.[3] Michael Hill now has a presence in five Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.[2] In September 2008, the company entered the United States market by acquiring 17 stores in Illinois and Missouri from Whitehall Jewelers.[2][5] By mid-2013 over 60% of overall sales were from Australia, only 20% from New Zealand, with the rest from North America.[6]

Emma Hill, the daughter of Michael Hill, will succeed him as chairman after the November 2015 annual general meeting.[7]

Michael Hill watches

Michael Hill Watches logo

In late 2006, following a five-year trial,[8] the company launched its own brand of watches under the Michael Hill name, phasing out all but the Citizen brand of watches by the middle of 2007.[9] By mid-2008, only Michael Hill-brand watches were available in the company's stores.[5] The watches range in design; including sports watches with rubber bands and gold bonded watches featuring diamonds and Mother of Pearl faces

Timeline

Michael Hill Jeweller at the Upper Canada Mall

References

  1. 2015 Half Year Report, Michael Hill International
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Michael Hill International (2010). "Michael Hill International Annual Report 2009" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-05-05.
  3. 1 2 Hill, Michael (2009). Toughen Up: What I've learned about surviving tough times. New Zealand: Random House. pp. 203–204. ISBN 978-1-86979-046-2.
  4. Hill, Michael; Bryan Staff (1994). HELLO - Michael Hill Jeweller. New Zealand: Penguin Books (NZ) Ltd. ISBN 978-0-670-86033-3.
  5. 1 2 "Michael Hill buys into US". Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  6. Fairfax NZ Ltd (17 February 2006), Michael Hill profit up 10 per cent, retrieved 17 August 2013
  7. Harris, Catherine (15 August 2015). "Following in dad's footsteps". The Press. p. C15.
  8. McKenzie-Minifie, Martha (25 August 2006), "Diamonds are this jeweller's best friend", New Zealand Herald, New Zealand, retrieved 2010-05-05
  9. 1 2 Drinnan, John (13 October 2006), "Jeweller counting on own watches", New Zealand Herald, New Zealand, retrieved 2010-05-05
  10. 1 2 Michael Hill International (2010). "Michael Hill Company History". Archived from the original on 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
  11. Michael Hill International (2010). "Michael Hill News". Archived from the original on 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
  12. NZPA (2010). "Michael Hill scales back US operation". Archived from the original on 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2010-06-08.
  13. "Michael Hill in trans-Tasman tax dispute". Retrieved 2016-01-01.
  14. Walters, Laura (2013-10-30). "Michael Hill plans US bridal range". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
  15. "Slag Aussie sales hit Michael Hill". Stuff. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
  16. "Michael Hill opens New York store". Stuff. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
  17. "Aussie market picks up for Michael Hill jewellery". Retrieved 2016-01-01.
  18. "Michael Hill takes new founder president role within the jewellery chain". The National Business Review. Retrieved 2016-01-01.

External links

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