Marbecks Lower Hutt shuts

I heard via Twitter earlier this week that Marbecks was shutting its store in Queensgate mall, in Lower Hutt, apparently one of a number of shops closing down in that mall. I asked Marbecks on their Facebook page what the story was.

Marbecks have confirmed this closure this morning via their Facebook page, posting the following:

"Yesterday marked the last day of trade for Marbecks Queensgate, we’re of course sad to close, but the closure had originally been planned for March last year, so we got an extra year over expectations, for which we’re grateful.

More importantly it marks the end of Chris Smith’s reign as music king of Queensgate, where he has reigned supreme for decades; I won’t let on how many ;-). The music man with the mullet has become a local legend!

Happily it is not the end of Chris’s reign in Lower Hutt, he is opening his own independent record store outside the mall, in a much more reasonably priced location & hopes to be the purveyor of all things music in the Hutt for many years to come – we wish him every good wish & blessing in his new venture.

Thanks to Chris & all the fine staff at Lower Hutt over our many, many years there. We wish all the leaving staff all the very best in the various new jobs & travels that they are going to, it was a great store, and you had a great reputation, you can leave with heads held high – job well done.

Great store, great people, good times.

Cheers, Rog"

ADDED: The new store that Chris Smith is opening is called Mint Music, check their Facebook page for how the store fitout is coming along.  It;'s at 258 High St, Lower Hutt.
UPDATE: Mint Music opened on March 8. Read 'Boutique retro feel to new music store' article from Dominion Post.

ADDED I asked Marbecks via Twitter this morning about reports their one of their Chch stores was advertising 'Last xmas sale ever' in their window, and were they closing - Marbecks responded that "as previously indicated, as & when leases permit we will be winding down our physical store footprint on a case by case basis."

ADDED 27 Feb: Have heard from someone in Christchurch that he was told by Marbecks Riccarton staff that they were closing that store, and the Merivale store is closing too, by Christmas.

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