Ballantynes Department Store

Emma Childs

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June 14, 2026

We had a great morning in town and really enjoyed having a look around Ballantynes. Every one was so lovely and the downstairs Cafe was so yummy, definitely check out the donuts! Amazing and the coffee was A grade.

Anton Cuthbert

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July 19, 2026

Overall great selection, and the one staff member (short hair with a mask) willing to help my wife was great. Unfortunately there was two workers (long black hair) standing near the jewellery counter were too busy speaking together in a foreign language to assist waiting customers, as a result the one helpful team member was running around trying to assist multiple different customers at the same time.

Janine Thompson

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December 08, 2025

Absolutely terrible Santa photos. Photos taken from such a distance that mainly it is advertising Ballantynes. Wanted ‘deluxe’ Santa photos for potentially our oldest’s last Christmas but got the worst set of photos we have ever had. So disappointed. Also, what is the point of making an appointment? We arrived at the specified time only to have to queue up and people taken in the order of the queue rather than the specified time. With an anxious dog who isn’t great with others, I imagined an appointment would mean we didn’t have to queue for 30 minutes and be taken well after our appointment slot. Such a disappointing waste of money. Have rebooked for another establishment that has been way better in the past. A refund of our waste of money would be appreciated. Added - Notice you respond to positive reviews but ignore not so favourable ones. Obviously an indicator of your service. Please contact me to let me know who to send my bank account details to for a refund for the shocking experience we had at your store.

Tiggy Winkle

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June 15, 2026

I was extremely disappointed with the level of service I received during my recent visit. When I approached a retail assistant in the children's dept for support, she simply stood and stared at me rather than offering assistance. I began asking about the Matariki/star‑themed products on display and whether the store provides teacher discounts for educational resources. Before I could finish my sentence, another customer interrupted, and the assistant turned her back on me to serve this customer, leaving me completely ignored.I had intended to purchase classroom supplies for our upcoming Matariki celebrations, but the dismissive and unprofessional behaviour I experienced led me to leave the store without making any purchases. Very disappointed.

Chris and Helen Paterson / Swain

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July 05, 2026

Your Tearoom staff are all so friendly. In particular we received a lovely welcome from Isabelle, she made our shopping trip today a real pleasure. Thanks Tearoom team😊