The Star
Thursday December 7 2017
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13 Fire rage s, homes
at risk
Change of direction for Dowsons Few people could say they haven’t bought a pair of Dowsons shoes over the years – but now the store offers a lot more after a major revamp. Bridget Rutherford reports KNOX AND Craig Dowson remember sitting on the front lawn of their Christchurch home as kids and helping their parents dye 1800 pairs of sandals brown. Their father, Keith Dowson, had bought them for about $2 a pair, and he knew if they were brown they would sell better – and they did. That was one of the first tastes the brothers got of the family trade. Decades later, they, along with their brother Mark, are directors of the family business, Dowsons, which will celebrate its 80th birthday next year. Since 1938, Dowsons has been an institution in Canterbury. But its 10 stores across the South Island now offer something a lot different – a “new direction”. Last month, Dowsons opened
FAMILY BUSINESS: Adam, Charlotte, Brent and Knox Junior Dowson at the new Concept 425 Colombo store. PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER a sleek new Sydenham store, Concept 425 Colombo. The shoes, some of which are European, are spaced out on display in the showroom. Unlike the other stores, they are laid out by brand, not size. It showcases new brands such as Stegmann, Geo Reino and
Riggs. But they come alongside the tried and true ones such as Alegria, Cloudwalker, Fila and Hi-Tec. It is a move spearheaded by Knox Dowson’s son, Adam, who returned to Christchurch in 2013. He had been working in Wellington when the February 22, 2011,
earthquake hit. Dowsons lost its Lichfield St distribution centre and headquarters, its Ferry Rd store, and the store in The Palms had to close for months. It later closed the Wellington stores. “I used to call dad quite often on the phone. One day he said it’s
getting pretty hard, so I said how would you feel about me moving home and giving you a hand?” Adam said. His first project was opening the online store. The next was designing the new concept store with Tonic Design and fitting it out. “So far the feedback is they [customers] are really pleased with it.” If the new store is well received, the other Dowsons stores could follow, he said. You only need to walk in the door of the company’s Wigram distribution centre to see family is at the heart of what Dowsons does. Human Resources, payroll, marketing, merchandising and sales, distribution and design, the online store, product and logistics, and directors roles are all positions held by Dowsons. Adam’s sister Charlotte is in charge of HR, while his brother Knox Junior is in products and logistics. He and his fiancé Emily give input into what styles are stocked. The large wooden flagpole that stands tall outside the building is a reminder of the old Lichfield St headquarters. •Turn to page 14
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