Michael Hill International operates Michael Hill Jeweller – a retail jewellery chain catering principally for the middle section of the jewellery market, with 174 stores between Australia, New Zealand and Canada as at 24 March 2006. The Company also specialises in higher priced diamond jewellery. The Company had its origins in 1979 when Michael Hill opened the first store in the New Zealand town of Whangarei, some 160 kilometres north of Auckland.

A unique retail jewellery formula that included dramatically different store designs, a product range devoted exclusively to jewellery and almost saturation levels of high impact advertising elevated the Company to national prominence and record sales.

The Company grew rapidly, expanding to 10 stores by 1987 – the same year it was listed on the New Zealand stock exchange. 1987 also saw expansion into Australia, opening the first store in August, in the Brisbane suburb of Indooroopilly.

Today the group employs over 1,760 full and part time staff in retailing, manufacturing and administration. It has approximately 3,000 shareholders and remains the most profitable publicly listed jeweller in Australia/New Zealand.

Our mission is to be the most people focused jeweller in the world.