Gift Card for a New Zealander?

February 3, 2009 10:27 AM

What are some major department stores or online stores in New Zealand?

I am looking to buy a friend in New Zealand a gift card. Living in America, I don't really know what stores are commonly used in New Zealand. They are a young couple, so maybe home appliances? Or a department store? Does Amazon service down there? What stores should I be considering? Thanks in advance.

posted by slopepheasant to shopping (13 answers total)

Amazon does indeed send to NZ, though shipping is expensive. Local stores that you'd find in most malls:

The Warehouse: Wal-mart equivalent
Noel Leeming: appliances
Living & Giving: homewares
Whitcoulls: books, stationery
Paper Plus: books, stationery
Mitre 10 (and Mitre 10 Mega): hardware, paint, garden
Placemakers: hardware, paint, garden
Liquor King: well ya never know
posted by TiredStarling at 11:04 AM on February 3, 2009

You could send them an NZ Post Prezzy Card, which is essentially a pre-loaded debit card good anywhere.

If they're in Wellington, you might be able to arrange something with Kircaldies and Staines. If in Auckland, the very posh Smith and Caughey do gift cards.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 12:18 PM on February 3, 2009 [1 favorite]

Online shopping actually kind of sucks in NZ. TiredStarling's list is good for someone in NZ, but it's more difficult if you're trying to buy the gift cards from overseas.

Two gift cards I've been given / have given others that went down very well are: Farmers vouchers (large national chain of department stores) and Westfield vouchers (Westfield is the actual mall rather than a single shop - only works if your friends live in a decent sized city). These two things will give the widest range of options to your friends as to how to spend them. However, neither of them can be bought online - you need to go into a store.

You can buy Warehouse gift cards online. It's a pretty crappy store though (much junkier than Walmart I think), possibly not sending a good impression to the recipient.

You can buy Living and Giving gift vouchers online. It's a nice store, probably more aimed at the gift market than someone actually furnishing their house (might just be me?) They have an online catalouge so you can see some of what they sell.

Noel Leeming has a decent online site but you can't buy gift vouchers that way. Dick Smith is the other similar store, but also doesn't seem to sell cards/vouchers online.

You can buy Whitcoulls vouchers (but not Paper Plus) online, good if your friends like books.

Mitre Ten is great if there's a Mitre Ten mega nearby (and sells cards online), Bunnings is also good (possibly able to buy cards?), I don't have experience with Placemakers (I can't find gift cards at all).

Liquor King also has a decent site but no gift cards.

But really the one voucher I always want to get: Real Groovy vouchers. Online music store, free next day postage, decent selection, really good second hand selection. They split their vouchers into 'in the store' ones and online ones (the latter only being able to be redeemed online). With the fast free shipping there isn't much lost by having online only, particularly if you use their second hand tracking system.
posted by shelleycat at 12:23 PM on February 3, 2009

Oh yeah, the classy department store in Christchurch is Ballantynes.

Where are the lucky young people? This would help in coming up with suggestions.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 12:23 PM on February 3, 2009

Gah, forgot to add Briscoes - another homewares type shop (and what I'd give to a young couple looking for kitchen/bathroom stuff or small appliances) But again theirs aren't sold online.

In NZ the main action type site, similar to ebay, is Trademe. There are lots of gift vouchers listed there so might be a good way to get them for those stores that don't sell online. You'd just pay by bank deposit then get the voucher sent straight to your friends.
posted by shelleycat at 12:28 PM on February 3, 2009

Double gah! Proper trademe link: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/SearchResults.aspx?searchType=all&searchString=gift+vouchers&searchregion=100&type=Search
posted by shelleycat at 12:28 PM on February 3, 2009

As a sort-of-young couple in New Zealand, we would LOVE some Ticketek Vouchers* - you could shout your friends a night out. They may already have all the household goods they need.

*For example, to see David Byrne in Wellington on the 13th *coff coff, hint*
posted by Catch at 12:54 PM on February 3, 2009

Electronics? Dick Smith.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 12:56 PM on February 3, 2009

Some time ago I helped the MonkeyFilter folks buy a gift for tracicle; one thing we'd discovered the hard way was that many New Zealand companies can't/won't accept overseas credit cards, which doesn't help.

joe's_speen suggestion of Kirks, Ballentynes, or equivalents are good ones.
posted by rodgerd at 1:12 PM on February 3, 2009

Borders also do gift vouchers online, but only have three stores here - Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
For liquor, The Mill sells vouchers online, and has a fairly wide coverage of stores.
posted by Catch at 1:25 PM on February 3, 2009

Amazon does indeed send to NZ, though shipping is expensive

Unless things have changed recently I don't believe that's correct. Amazon will ship books/CD/DVD's to NZ - they will not ship anything else. I've no idea why but it's the way it is.
posted by southof40 at 7:51 PM on February 3, 2009

Seconding Living and Giving, and Smith and Caugheys for Auckland only.

Wild Poppies is a really nice flowers and gifts online store. They are on the expensive side, but very high quality. And if a gift basket would be appropriate, I've had good service from Send a Gift. Their website isn't that classy, but they have had a good review on Target (consumer review show on TV) and their prices are very reasonable.
posted by girlgeeknz at 9:12 PM on February 3, 2009

Actually, I've received stuff from Send a Gift a few times and it was always nice.
posted by shelleycat at 10:19 PM on February 3, 2009