Overland Footwear Group
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (footwear and fashion) |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Founder | Guglielmo (William) Anselmi |
| Headquarters | Auckland , New Zealand |
Area served | New Zealand, Australia |
Key people | Shane Anselmi (Managing Director), Louise Anselmi (Mi Piaci overseer) |
| Products | Footwear, fashion accessories |
Number of employees | 450 (2018) |
| Website | www |
Overland Footwear Group is a retail business specializing in footwear and fashion, operating within New Zealand and Australia. It manages the Merchant 1948 and Mi Piaci store networks in both nations and designs its own shoe collections.
Merchant 1948
Launched in 2012, the flagship Merchant 1948 chain offers footwear for both men and women.
The brand maintains 33 outlets across New Zealand, with 11 located in Auckland, alongside four Australian stores situated exclusively in the greater Melbourne area.
Mi Piaci
Mi Piaci, established in 2007, focuses on women's shoes and accessories. It was created and is currently overseen by Louise Anselmi, who is married to managing director Shane Anselmi.
This brand operates 30 retail locations throughout New Zealand, including 11 in Auckland, and also provides an online shopping platform catering to Australian customers.
Deuce
The Deuce line of sneakers is retailed through Overland’s stores and had a standalone concept shop launched in 2017.
Merchant Repair
In 2017, Merchant 1948 introduced an on-site repair service known as Merchant Repair at its Chadstone store in Melbourne, which was later replicated at its Auckland flagship store within Westfield Newmarket.
Kings Country Shoes period
In 1948, Guglielmo (William) Anselmi, an immigrant from northern Italy, acquired three shoe outlets in the King Country, collectively called King Country Shoes.
Under the leadership of Guglielmo’s son Tony, the brand grew by opening additional stores and establishing a manufacturing facility in Te Kūiti.
Shane's Shoetown period
In 1963, Tony Anselmi launched a discount footwear store named Shane's Shoetown at Lynn Mall, New Zealand’s inaugural shopping mall. The store’s name was chosen to evoke a personal connection, referencing his son’s name.
Subsequently, more stores were added along Karangahape Road, Ōtara, and at St Lukes Shopping Centre, making it the largest discount shoe retailer in New Zealand.
Overland period
Following the 1987 stock market crash, Tony’s son Shane returned to develop the premium Overland brand. The first Overland outlet opened in Auckland’s Newmarket 277 in 1990, distinguished by its upscale interior design. The brand name drew inspiration from an article about fashion and outdoor lifestyle.
A second Overland location was established at St Lukes Shopping Centre. Throughout the 1990s, Overland expanded while gradually phasing out the discount Shoetown stores. The first Overland store in Christchurch debuted in 1997.
The Mi Piaci label was introduced in 2002, followed by Deuce sneakers in 2007.
In 2012, the company inaugurated its initial Merchant 1948 store and began operations in Australia.
By 2014, Overland Footwear Group managed approximately 60 retail outlets across its Overland, Merchant 1948, and Mi Piaci brands. Nearly 40% of their footwear designs were created internally by designers recruited from companies such as Nike, Adidas, or graduates from the London College of Fashion.
Merchant 1948 Era
In 2015, Merchant 1948 succeeded Overland as the premier brand of the company. This transition included the launch of a revamped e-commerce platform, the inauguration of a retail outlet in the NorthWest Shopping Centre, and the commencement of growth initiatives within Australia.
By 2017, the business managed 57 retail locations throughout New Zealand and Australia, with 13 stores operating under the Mi Piaci label. The Overland outlets were progressively transformed into Merchant 1948 stores. Additionally, a temporary concept shop for the Deuce sneaker line was established in Newmarket, Auckland during that year.
At the beginning of 2018, the organization earned recognition as New Zealand's top workplace, boasting a total of 450 stores across both nations. In the same year, Oscar Anselmi, a member of the founding family, launched his own footwear brand named Collective Canvas.
April 2019 saw the opening of a new store in Tauranga, part of the second development phase at Tauranga Crossing shopping centre. Later that year, in October, Merchant 1948 unveiled a flagship store within Auckland's Westfield Newmarket mall.
In January 2020, an incident occurred when a vehicle crashed through the front window of the Merchant 1948 outlet in Taupō, resulting in injuries to three individuals.
By 2021, competitor retailer Hannahs announced plans to close several Hannahs and Number One Shoes locations, attributing these decisions to increasing competition from Merchant 1948 and Mi Piaci.
A Merchant 1948 store was planned to launch in Invercargill Central Mall towards the end of 2022.