NZ shoe manufacturer Minnie Cooper plans to close stores, move online

Friday 12th June 2015

Minnie Cooper, the New Zealand shoe manufacturer, is closing its two local stores and moving to a smaller range online as retailers face increased competition from cheaper online rivals.

In a statement on its website, the company confirmed it plans to close its Wellington store by mid-July and its Ponsonby, Auckland, store by the end of September. The company said it will continue to sell a smaller range online.

The Whitford, Auckland based company, owned by Sandy Cooper, manufactures and retails its own range in New Zealand, and also sells its products online. In 2013, Cooper said the company then had three retail outlets, selling its shoes, bags and its own imported range of knitwear, with about half of its online sales going to Australia.

In a small business feature published in the New Zealand Herald, Cooper conceded that the shoes were expensive, but said they were good value and customers appreciated that "quality and integrity come at a price".

Featured shoes on the company's website cost between $379 and $479.

The shoes are described as appealing to women "with good sense and attitude", featuring "classic style with a twist" and with an ethos of "simplicity and function" and high quality workmanship.

Cooper couldn't immediately be contacted for comment. The company was founded in 1999.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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