Business Of The Month * Moretons Menswear

To those who only walk by and have not shopped at Moretons Menswear it may seem just another smallish menswear shop in a part of the city where there are several shops selling clothes for men. What is special about this shop? How has this business survived the changes in retailing and fashion and the challenge from the large retail chains? Hilda Moreton and her son Geoff have a fascinating tale to tell.

Early experience in clothing and retail Mrs Hilda Moreton knows the story of the business from its first day. A South Islander she has lived in the cities of Christchurch and Dunedin and in Balclutha, a small Southland town. She identifies with the needs of city and country people. She trained in retail in Arthur Barnetts in Dunedin getting wide experience in every department. Then she married Harold Moreton who was working in an insurance company. In 1941 he began service in the New Zealand Air Force and was posted as a clerk in stores, dealing with clothing.

Starting from nothing after the war At the end of the war he and Mrs Moreton saw the chance for a new start. With a partner he set up the firm Moreton and Nesbit in north Colombo Street. This was a time of critical shortages of cloth and clothing. As a returned serviceman he had the chance of an import licence, so he imported cloth and had it made up by local manufacturers.

The partnership built up a country clientele through itinerant trading with a hawker’s licence. Mr Nesbit had contacts in the Leeston area where his father had been the local constable and they began their country trading there. The business grew from the combination of shop and country sales.

The Moretons describe these as “the gravy years” when everything sold. After years of rationing men were very short of clothes.

Business expansion into formal wear The partnership lasted twelve years and then the Moretons ran the business on their own and expanded the venture. In 1957 they bought a tailoring company, Quality Tailors and Men’s Outfitters Ltd, Bespoke Tailors. Many people now would not know what that term meant. Bespoke tailors made garments only to order for particular clients, not for general sale ‘off the peg’. Material was plentiful and clients would choose their own fabric, be measured, have three fittings, and receive a beautifully tailored, well fitting suit – then required wear for many jobs and most social occasions.

Clothes ‘off the peg’ in the sixties The sixties brought clothes ‘off the peg’. The business moved to 610 Colombo Street and sold a wide variety of trousers, shirts, jerseys, suits, and ties – a general menswear business. The emphasis was on stock, service and promotion rather than on trimmings. The target market was men over thirty five who wanted good quality garments in the low to medium price range – and good service.

At this time the choice of stock was mainly manufacturer-driven rather than customer-oriented because imports were prevented by the government’s policy of protectionism for local manufacturers. The approach to the market was not sophisticated – the business tried ‘to be all things to all men’.

Change in personnel In 1983 the business lost its founder with the sudden death of Mr Moreton. Fortunately Geoff had been increasingly involved from 1974 onward and took over management of the business.

Deregulation – a new challenge and a change of direction In 1984 deregulation began and with it freedom to import clothes from cheaper sources. For this stock the large chains which had grown up in the seventies had the advantage because they imported in bulk – a return to the business conditions operating before 1935. This represented a new challenge for the Moretons. They responded by changing their target market and supplying better quality garments and the personal service that makes customers return because their needs are being met.

Specialisation – Moretons Trouser House In 1991 Geoff went to Sydney and looked at menswear stores throughout the city. More recently he arranged to import trousers from Farah, who produce a product of excellent quality, variety and price. Farah trousers now constitute 80% of the stock. They have been made for thirty years in Fiji, but whatever country they come from there is a consistent standard of quality, price and style.

Changes in fashions – Cotton casuals for warm or moderate temperatures More and more people are wearing dressy casuals for most occasions and this has meant a great growth in cotton casuals. They are treated chemically to make them wrinkle free with a permanent crease, and can be dressed up when the occasion demands it. Even in the South Island they are warm enough to be worn for nine months of the year. They appeal to whoever does the washing because they are machine washable and require no ironing! Shirts and ties to complete the outfits are also on sale.

Moleskins for the colder days Moretons have sold moleskins since 1990, but they are not new. Captain Cook’s sailors wore them. What is new is their rise to fashion status and the styling and light colours. Now men and women of all ages wear them – from teenagers to grandparents.

Changing approaches will not work without good service and effective marketing. The Moretons’ motto is ‘By service we live or die.’ The emphasis on service is seen in the attitude of all the staff. Geoff has older women assisting him with the sales, partly because 80% of the clothes for men are bought by women. There is an efficient, fast alterations service. The shop has extended its opening hours. For many years Friday night was the busy night, but since 1981 with the introduction of Saturday shopping Saturday is the busiest time. Often it is an informal outing for the family with the men in casual wear.

Marketing Until 1984 sales promotion was solely through ‘The Christchurch Star’, the paper read by most customers in the target market. With the increased sophistication in the clothing offered and the changes in the publication of that paper it was time to look at new media for the advertising.

1988 to 1991 was a time of recession in the clothing industry with businesses being closed, staff being made redundant, and factories being closed by the competition from cheap imports.

The upswing in business in 1991 coincided with a growth in radio and television advertising. Geoff Moreton, who had extensive training in communication and taught these skills for many years, decided to use his expertise to do his own polished advertisements.

With a leap of faith he gave up newspaper advertising. On Radio Pacific he has a ninety second live talkback with John Banks at 9.50 a.m. on Wednesdays and on Canterbury Television’s Marketplace programme he presents and discusses different garments in stock.

The Moretons today Fifty years after the business opened Mrs Moreton is still there supporting Geoff full time six days a week – dealing with phone calls, involved in administration, planning advertising and ordering stock. She and Geoff both demonstrate the values of the business – courteous service, friendliness, concern with meeting the customers’ needs, efficiency and a sophisticated approach to the business world.