Michael Hill Jeweller is one of New Zealand's most successful retail exports. What began as a single shop in Whangarei in 1979 grew into an international jewellery chain trading across New Zealand, Australia and Canada, and a company listed on both the New Zealand and Australian stock exchanges.

Founder Sir Michael Hill, who died in 2025, built the business on a model that was unusually focused for its time: stores that sold only jewellery, a standardised format that could be rolled out quickly, and heavy, memorable advertising. Michael Hill International listed on the New Zealand stock exchange in 1987, expanded first into Australia and later Canada, and grew to hundreds of stores.

Why Noteworthy

Michael Hill is proof that a New Zealand retail brand can scale internationally from the provinces. The company took a single Northland shop to hundreds of stores across three countries and a place on the national rich list, and its founder is remembered as one of the country's most famous entrepreneurs.