Pioneer in men’s clothing

Press, 9 August 1982, Page 24

Pioneer in men’s clothing

The Hallensteins emblem is a distinctive landmark in the city centre. The business has been operating for more than 100 years in New Zealand and the company has grown to 56 stores specialising in men's and boyswear. Mr Bendix Hallenstein founded the company in 1873

in Dunedin. Initially, it was a manufacturing firm until the turn of the century when the emphasis changed' to retailing. A retail store was opened in Dunedin in 1876, and later the same year stores were opened in Timaru and Christchurch. From the outset, the Christchurch venture was a

success because of the large country population. This thriving atmosphere still exists in the present-day Christchurch store. The company of Hallensteins was a pioneer in the manufacture and retailing of menswear and also a pioneer in menswear advertising and promotional techniques. One method was picture

cards which were distributed by hand from his shops. Some of these cards took the form of puzzles which appealed to the children. Slogans were popular through the 1880 s to the early 1900 s. A typical slogan was’ “One Garment of our Make Stands more Hard Wear than Three of the Imported Article.”