 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1880; 145 years ago (1880) |
| Founder | Marianne Smith |
| Defunct | June 15, 2025 (2025-06-15) |
| Headquarters | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Products | Beauty, Clothing, Homewares |
| Website | smithandcaugheys.co.nz |
Smith & Caughey Ltd, trading asSmith & Caughey's, was a chain of two mid-sized, upscale[1] department stores inAuckland, New Zealand. Established in 1880 byMarianne Smith, Smith & Caughey was the oldest surviving retail businesses until its closure in June 2025.[2][3]
The Smith Caughey family are known to be extremely private.
The company had two stores in Auckland; on Queen Street, City Centre, and on Broadway, Newmarket. Theflagship Queen Street store occupied aHeritage New Zealand Category 1 Listed building, which was designed by American architect Roy Alstan Lippincott and completed in 1929.[4] The smaller Newmarket store occupied a building which was built by the company in the 1880s; the Newmarket branch initially operated under the name of Hugh Gilmore, before reverting to Smith and Caughey in 1917.[5]
One of the oldest surviving retail businesses in New Zealand, it was established in 1880 byUlster-bornMarianne Smith as adrapers andmillinery shop,[6][2] and was the oldest-surviving department store in Auckland until its closure in June 2025.[7][3]
In May 2024 the company announced that it intended to close both shops and its online store in early 2025 due to the downturn in business which had occurred over several years.[8] A decision was made in August 2024 to continue trading by reducing the Queen St store from two levels to one and closing the Newmarket store.[9]
On 22 May 2025, Smith & Caughey's acting CEO Matt Harray announced that the company would be closing its Queen St store on 31 July, citing declining sales, foot traffic and economic woes. This ended the company's 145 year history.[10] The store closed for the final time on 15 June 2025.[3]
