Briscoe Group

In 1781, the predecessor of the modern company was founded in Wolverhampton, England. Initially a retailer of hardware, over the course of the 19th century it steadily expanded into the British colonies in Australia and New Zealand. The company was founded in 1861 in Dunedin, New Zealand, providing wares to gold miners. The first New Zealand-based Briscoes warehouse and shop was established in 1862 on the Dunedin corner of Princes and Jetty Streets. Its New Zealand business was initially aimed at supplying prospecting hardware (including shovels, picks, tents and lanterns) during the Otago gold rush.

By the beginning of World War I, Briscoes had offices in London, Sydney, Melbourne and throughout New Zealand. In addition to hardware and building supplies, the company also acted as an agent for skilled tradesmen, such as carpenters and masons, and also sold household items such as crockery and cutlery.

In 1973, Australian and New Zealand operations of Briscoes were purchased by Merbank Corporation of Australia. In 1977, Hagemeyer of The Netherlands purchased Briscoes New Zealand. In 1988, Hagemeyer recruited Rodney Adrian Duke as managing director of Briscoes. His mandate was to prepare the business for sale.

In 1988, when Rod Duke took over the business, it was bringing in $ 20 mln in sales, and had a $ 2 miln annual loss. It was selling products such as toys, hardware, and paint among others. Briscoes was bought by the RA Duke Trust, a trust established by Rodney Adrian Duke, in 1990.

Briscoes hired Brian Berry to oversee the expansion and renovation of the Briscoes retail stores in 1991.

Briscoes in 1995 negotiated a limited franchise agreement with Rebel Sport Australia, giving Briscoes exclusive rights to the Rebel Sport brand in New Zealand. Under the direction and guidance of Brian Berry, the first Rebel Sport store opened in Panmure, Auckland in 1996. The first Rebel Sport store outside of Auckland opened in 1997. In 1999, Briscoe made an agreement with Rebel Sport Australia for the franchise to be terminated with effect from April 2005, after which Briscoe would continue to have exclusive rights to the name in New Zealand.

The pandemic shutdowns resulted in around 3,500 store trading days being lost. According to the New Zealand Herald the company's profits were largely unaffected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Profit in 2022 was $ 88.4 mln. In 2023, online sales represented around 19% of group sales.

Head of the Briscoe Group, Rod Duke, in 2023 stated the company would slow store refurbishment plans during the economic downturn. Stuff.nz named Briscoe Group the fourth most powerful retail store in New Zealand in Jun. 2023. At the time it employed 2,300 staff in 90 stores. Rod Duke was managing director and largest shareholder, after taking over the business in 1988. Living & Giving stores closed in 2023.