All about the people
The McKenzie & Willis name is synonymous with stylish furniture and interiors of the highest quality with the expertise and service to match. Founded 116 years ago, this family-owned Christchurch business now has eight stunning showrooms throughout the country.
Across its showrooms, this leading interiors brand boasts an extensive collection of furniture, beds, linen and homeware, curtains and blinds, flooring, and a range of interior design options and inspiration from the best New Zealand and international brands.
Though having a changing face over time, one thing has remained the same – a commitment to excellent service. This is demonstrated by the constant investment into its people, which guarantees there is always someone to help with customers’ needs, from young design graduates through to those with lifelong experience in the industry.
General Manager Bill Willis said, “our greatest asset is our people, and we are lucky to have built an incredible team of consultants who are experts in their field. McKenzie & Willis has always had proud tradition of customer service and quality, which would not be possible without the right people.”
This attention to the team means that McKenzie & Willis has been able to go beyond a traditional department store model and grow into a complete interiors business, where they can offer a bespoke, one-on-one service. Offerings like complimentary in-home interior design consultations are available or working from the plans of your new build.
“The interior furnishing market has an ever-changing dynamic, so we continue to improve our offering to ensure we are market leaders and providing our customers with the very best. We are continuously looking to improve on our retail environments to increase our range of products and services and allow customers greater access to a total home furnishing and décor experience.”
As a proudly local business, McKenzie & Willis has built a network of like-minded businesses and has well-established relationships with many New Zealand and international brands such as Belle Interiors Collection – an iconic brand founded in Christchurch by renowned Interior Designer Colin Foggo – which is now exclusively available at McKenzie & Willis.
With established stores in Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin, Queenstown, Wanaka and Wellington, a passion for Kiwi business has led them to expand further into the North Island with the recent acquisition of The Design Depot and its showrooms in Hamilton and Mount Maunganui. As family businesses, The Design Depot and McKenzie & Willis have worked together over the years and aim to bring ‘everything interiors’ to New Zealand.
The current Christchurch showroom at 181 Blenheim Road was fully refurbished last year.
“We completely redeveloped our showroom in Christchurch into a beautiful design store where customers will feel inspired. They will be able to view our entire collection, engage with our expert consultants and draw inspiration from their beautiful surroundings.”
Looking to the future, Willis is excited about what the next chapter will bring.
“2022 will see McKenzie & Willis able to provide an even greater interiors offering nationwide thanks to our new partnership with The Design Depot. We will grow and improve our services and product range while continuing to build on our proud tradition of customer service and quality. In essence, we will continue to work towards establishing McKenzie & Willis as a one-stop-shop for everything interiors.”