Ballantynes is Christchurch's department store for designer fashion, luxury beauty and homewares, located at 142 Cashel Street in the heart of the central city. Across its floors you'll find womenswear, menswear, shoes, accessories, beauty, fragrance and a large children's department — a genuine one-stop destination whether you're refreshing a wardrobe, hunting a gift or kitting out the family.
The fashion offering spans established New Zealand and international labels: Cue, Karen Walker, Kowtow, Marle and Veronika Maine sit alongside R.M. Williams, Polo Ralph Lauren, Seasalt Cornwall and Vassalli for women, while men can choose from Rodd & Gunn, M.J. Bale, Rembrandt, Tommy Hilfiger, G-Star, Superdry, AllSaints, Assembly Label and Canada Goose — from tee shirts through to tailoring and outerwear. Lingerie, swimwear, activewear and a bookable bra fitting service round out the picture.
Beauty is a destination in its own right, with prestige names including MAC, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Estée Lauder, Jo Malone London, La Prairie, Tom Ford and benefit covering makeup, skincare, hair care and fragrance for women, men and the home. Accessories extend the edit — Deadly Ponies, SABEN, Status Anxiety, Radley, MARC JACOBS and Vivienne Westwood among them — plus shoes from Birkenstock, ECCO, Kathryn Wilson and New Balance, and a proper luggage section for travellers.
Families are well looked after too: the children's department stocks toys from LEGO, Jellycat, Build A Bear and tonies, alongside babywear from Jamie Kay and Nature Baby and an exclusive Pottery Barn Kids range. Add in gift sets, homewares and the central Cashel Street location, and Ballantynes makes short work of birthdays, special occasions and everything in between.
On Cashel Street in Christchurch Central City, Ballantynes is the city's home of designer fashion, luxury beauty and homewares — a full-line department store where a single visit can cover a wardrobe refresh, a skincare restock, a child's birthday present and even travel gear. It's the kind of store that rewards a leisurely wander, with deep edits across womenswear, menswear, shoes, accessories, beauty and children's.
The women's floors bring together a strong line-up of New Zealand and international brands — Cue, Karen Walker, Kowtow, Marle, ALÉMAIS, Seasalt Cornwall, Veronika Maine, Vassalli, R.M. Williams and Polo Ralph Lauren among them. The categories run from the everyday to the occasion-ready: dresses, tops, knitwear, denim, trousers, skirts and shorts, jackets, coats and vests, plus activewear and swimwear. Shoes range from boots and sneakers to flats, heels and sandals, while accessories cover jewellery, bags, wallets, watches, belts, hats, scarves, hosiery and sunglasses.
The lingerie department is a genuine drawcard, stocking bras, briefs, singlets and slips, shapewear, nightwear and thermals — and it offers a professional bra fitting service that can be booked online before you even set foot in store.
Men are equally well served. The menswear edit spans R.M. Williams, Rodd & Gunn, M.J. Bale, Rembrandt, Tommy Hilfiger, G-Star, Superdry, Ben Sherman, AllSaints, Assembly Label, Canada Goose and Just Another Fisherman, covering tee shirts and polos through to shirts, knitwear, denim, trousers, shorts, suiting and outerwear. Add men's shoes, accessories and a dedicated grooming section for fragrance, skincare, shaving and hair care, and the shopping list gets ticked off quickly.
Beauty deserves its own trip. The offering runs from makeup — face, eyes and brows, lips, nails, plus brushes and tools — to skincare covering cleansers and toners, moisturisers, serums and oils, SPFs and self tan, eye care, masks and peels, and even supplements. Fragrance spans women's, men's and home scents, while hair care covers everything from shampoo and conditioner to professional products and styling tools. The brand roster reads like a prestige wish list: benefit, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Estée Lauder, Jo Malone London, La Prairie, MAC and Tom Ford. Ready-made gift sets for women and men make present-buying simple.
Shoppers after footwear will find dedicated women's, men's and children's shoe departments, with brands including R.M. Williams, Birkenstock, Bresley, ECCO, Kathryn Wilson and New Balance — from baby sizes to dress shoes. The accessories floor extends to Deadly Ponies, MARC JACOBS, Radley, SABEN, Status Anxiety and Vivienne Westwood, plus a proper luggage section with suitcases, travel bags and travel accessories.
The children's department is a destination in its own right. On the toy side there's LEGO, Jellycat, Build A Bear and tonies, along with art and craft, costumes and dress-ups, dolls and playsets, puzzles and games, and science and education kits. Babywear includes Jamie Kay and Nature Baby, and Ballantynes carries an exclusive Pottery Barn Kids range.
A few practical pointers: the bra fitting service takes online bookings, so it's worth securing a time if that's on your list. New arrivals land online across every department, and the site's wishlist makes it easy to shortlist pieces to track down in store. And if you're gift shopping, the combination of beauty gift sets, designer accessories, quality toys and homewares under one roof means you can genuinely finish the whole list in a single visit.