In an exclusive interview, the book and stationery chain's new owners tell Karyn Scherer about their plans for one of the best-known names in NZ retailing.
By Karyn Scherer, New Zealand Herald, Friday Jul 1, 2011
The very private Anne and David Norman have already built a retail empire. Their next goal: reviving Whitcoulls. Photo / Sarah Ivey
The man she has just hired as the new managing director for her family's latest business venture begs to differ. "Every household should have Monopoly," he argues. "It's my favourite game."
Ian Draper is clearly one of those competitive players who gets a little too enthusiastic when it's time to collect the rent for Park Lane. But Norman can't resist teasing him a little more.
It was largely due to Draper's powers of persuasion that she and her husband David ended up buying Whitcoulls, she suggests.
"Someone gave us Ian's name and we thought there might be an opportunity for him in our own firm. But honestly, when he came all he would talk about was jolly Whitcoulls, and we figured the only way to shut this guy up was to buy the damn thing!"
She is, of course, not being entirely serious. Yet the Normans are clearly very serious about the future of Whitcoulls, and so is Draper - so serious that for the second time in two years, they even consent to chatting with the Herald.
Read the full, long, detailed and most interesting, story at the New Zealand Herald.
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