Barkers was started in 1972 by Raymond Barker with a store called
“Raymond’s” under the Victoria St car park in Auckland. Now with 26
stores across New Zealand from Auckland to Invercargill, Barkers has
been voted Men’s Fashion retailer of the year for five straight years by
M2 magazine.
In 2002 Ray Barker sold the business after 30 years
growing one of New Zealand’s strongest brands. In 2006 Chris Greive
bought Barkers, determined to reinvest in the business to build a truly
great New Zealand company, a process furthered with the appointment of
Jamie Whiting as MD in 2010.
Barkers is truly a New Zealand brand to be proud of.
BARKERS HISTORY
1972 Raymond Barker opens first menswear store “Raymond’s”
1974 Two stores renamed “Barkers Boutique and Jeanery”
1977 First Christchurch store opened
1986 Start of the move into Malls. Takapuna store moved into Shore City Galleria
1996 Distribution Centre and Office block built in Albany
2003 New Retail Software installed to improve logistics
2006 Chris Greive buys the Barkers Group
2006 Barkers won the M2 award for Retailer of the year
2007 Barkers Prostate Cancer boxer short fundraising
campaign first launched
2007 Twenty One Barkers stores now open
2007 Barkers introduce online shopping
2007 Barkers wins M2 Retailer of the year, 2nd year running.
2008 Barkers wins M2 Retailer of the year, 3rd year running.
2009 Barkers wins M2 Retailer of the year, and is nameed JRA Best medium/large Workplace.
2010 Barkers wins M2 Retailer of the year for the fifth year running, and makes the best brands list.
Barkers hires a new MD in Jamie Whiting with Paul Biddle coming on board to head the production side .