Merchant 1948 | Footwear with heritage, designed for modern life

We’re Merchant 1948 – a New Zealand family business putting shoes on feet since 1948. With over 30 stores across Aotearoa and Melbourne, we’ve built a reputation for premium leather footwear, considered design, and warm, expert service.

Our stores are more than retail spaces, they’re places where generations of customers come for timeless style, great craftsmanship, and genuine connection.

Love helping people feel confident in their shoes?

We’re looking for a causal Sales Associate to join our team at Merchant 1948 Queenstown store. You’ll be the face of the Merchant experience – helping customers find their perfect fit, sharing your product knowledge, and bringing positive energy to the shop floor.

Here’s what’s on offer:

Role: Sales Associate
Rostered Hours: Casual role – hours will vary depending on store needs, with flexibility across weekdays & weekends
Minimum Hours: N/A
Hourly Rate: $24.00 + bonus potential !

What your day will look like:

Creating warm, memorable experiences for every customer
Reaching your sales goals and contributing to team targets
Maintaining a tidy, well-presented store
Supporting visual merchandising and product displays
Collaborating with your team to create a great vibe in-store

You’ll thrive in this role if you:

Have previous customer service experience (retail, hospitality or similar)
Love connecting with people and being part of a team
Are confident, positive, and solution-focused
Have a keen eye for detail and take pride in your work
Are aligned with our values and excited about our brand

What you’ll get from us:

A free pair of shoes every season
Quarterly bonus opportunities
Generous staff discounts
Referral bonuses when you bring great people into the team
A down-to-earth, supportive team culture
Access to EAP when life gets tough
A workplace where fun and growth go hand in hand

Sound like a great fit?
Apply now – we’d love to hear your story.

About the company

Merchant 1948 is a family-owned footwear retailer with stores across New Zealand and Australia, offering men’s and women’s shoes, bags, and accessories. It blends physical retail with e-commerce, and uses a curated, globally sourced selection—featuring contributions from artisans in Portugal, Spain, and Italy—alongside services like free shipping for logged-in members and payment options such as Afterpay and Laybuy. The company differentiates itself through its three-generation heritage (now under the Overland Footwear Group) and its focus on craftsmanship and customer service, including an in-store repair program called Merchant Workshop and a sustainability-focused approach with its own manufacturing oversight via a factory in China. The goal is to be a trusted destination for quality, fashion-forward footwear while extending product life and reducing waste in the fashion industry, supported by a dedicated sustainability committee and ongoing expansion in both markets.

Company Size

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Total Funding

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Headquarters

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Founded

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

September 2026 pages confirm over 30 stores across New Zealand and Melbourne, Australia.
AW26 Going West launched February 2026, showing fresh assortment and merchandising momentum.
Chadstone and Sylvia Park promotions in 2026 show active mall traffic and demand capture.

What critics are saying

IBISWorld says New Zealand footwear competition is high and increasing; Accent leads market share.
Merchant 1948 promotions like August 2026 extra 40% off signal margin pressure.
Overland Footwear Group depends on discretionary footwear spending; a 2026 sales slump hits inventory fast.

What makes Merchant 1948 unique

Three-generation Anselmi ownership and New Zealand heritage still anchor Merchant 1948's brand.
Merchant Workshop repairs in Newmarket extend product life and deepen customer loyalty.
Owned China factory plus European sourcing gives tighter quality control than pure import retailers.

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Benefits

Performance Bonus

Employee Discounts

Employee Referral Bonus

Merchant 1948

Casual Sales Associate

About the job