About Us

Our History

     

The Beginning...

'Sandy Graham’s flair for sourcing popular US brands at bargain prices began as a hobby. Friends and family of the former New Yorker regularly benefited from the frequent trips she made back to her original homeland each year. But when her New Zealand home began to overflow with the collection of imported goods she was beginning to amass, Sandy decided it was time to go public with her passion.'

-East & Bays Courier, April 11th 2007

 

 

What started as driveway sales for bargains bought on trips home turned into a market with a passion for USA deals brought to homesick Americans and kiwis alike. Sandy and Stuart Graham created Martha's Backyard to bring the comfort of American brands to New Zealand. Initially an outlet-style store in Glen Innes, the shop started out with a focus on clothes.

 

To continue to bring American comforts to New Zealand, the variety of items available began to grow and so did the shop, moving into a new location on Lunn Ave for more room. American foods became available and brought a much-needed touch of home to expats’ tables.

 

In 2012, the shop moved to the Harvey Norman Plaza in Mt. Wellington, near Sylvia Park. With more space came more varieties of American foods, expanding what we could offer everyone interested in the tastes of the United States.  

 

 

Today...

Martha's Backyard still operates from our location in Mt. Wellington, selling both in store and online for all of New Zealand. Stu & Sandy acknowledge none of this would have been possible without all their past and present team members and of course you, our guests. Thank you for your support over the years, and may we continue to bring your American needs home.

 

 

“The Shop is named after the three famous Marthas… Martha Washington for integrity, Martha’s Vineyard for beauty, and everyone knows the third Martha for creativity.”

-Sandy Graham