After nearly 23 years in business, local menswear brand Crane Brothers will open its first Ponsonby store.
Located in Three Lamps at 271 Ponsonby Road, the store represents a major expansion for the business and comes at a time of strategic realignment with an expansion of the offer from purely suit-centric to a complete lifestyle brand for men.
“We’d always resisted having more than one store in any city,” says founder Murray Crane, “but it felt like the right time to expand our footprint with a new door. Importantly, we have a great, experienced team so we feel confident that our standards will be maintained. Between changes in the CBD and Covid-19, there’s been a dramatic shift in how our clients live and work. It’s been difficult for many of them to get into the city, so it made sense for us to bring what we do to them.”
Crane says that the pandemic has also accelerated a general shift in how men are dressing - something the store’s fit out and product will reflect. “Even before the pandemic, men were beginning to dress less formally as workplace guidelines relaxed. With the move towards flexible and remote working, this has accelerated and we’ve found that a lot of men don’t necessarily know what they should wear instead of a suit.
“Tailoring remains the foundation of the brand, but with the new range we have showcased what a new contemporary wardrobe looks like, with a lot of classic, sophisticated options that fall outside of a traditional two-piece suit or jacket and trouser. Smart knitwear, casual jackets, denim - these are all essential parts of how men dress for their day. What’s exciting is that everything on offer is available made-to-measure, so even if you’re selecting something as simple as a pair of chinos, you’re getting the same attention to detail, selection and personalisation that we’ve always offered with suits.”
For the interior, the focus was on creating a space that shared some references with the High Street flagship whilst charting its own course. “This is a more relaxed space and we wanted that to feel evident when people entered,” says Crane. “We want everyone to feel at ease and at home here, like they can really take their time.” Centred around a restored French draper’s table, with bespoke racking and hand-blown glass light fixtures, the store is a warmer, softer space, keeping in line with the more easy-wearing product offer.
It’s a significant move in what is currently a challenging market, but Crane sees positive opportunities with a new store. “Many of the internal changes we’ve made at Crane Brothers were well under way before Covid-19 hit, so it’s left us in quite a strong position,” says Crane. “We’ve invested heavily in digital over the past year, which has paid off for us, but we really believe in bricks and mortar. I built this business around that personal experience that you can only get in store, and after 23 years in the city I’m excited to be able to bring that to Ponsonby as well.”
CRANE BROTHERS, 271 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 217 1271, www.crane-brothers.com
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