December 7, 2025 • 32 mins
For the Business Panel this week, Nick chats to two business owners who have moved from the CBD out to Khandallah to see how is business better out in the suburbs?
Nick is joined by Julie Gubbs from Gubbs Shoes and Sheila Murray-Hamilton from Hamilton & Murray Boutique.
They discuss their businesses, what they do, and how it’s going at the moment out in Khandallah.
What was the tipping point that made them move out? Would they move back to the CBD? Have things changed in the city since they’ve had their businesses?
They also gave their advice on starting businesses in Wellington, how to keep up with the trends and the difference between local small businesses and chain operations.
Sheila and Julie also give their take on the government and council from a small business perspective.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks B Monday's Meaning Business. It's the business
panel on Wellington Mornings with Quidovic Property Management a better rental.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Experience for all.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Visit Quinovic dot co dot insad.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Let's get down, Let's get down to business.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
You Mona, Monada.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Two days stand out when you talk about longevity and
Wellington retailer Sheila Murray, Hamilton and Judy Garp between them,
they represent nearly a half a century, a century, not
a half a century, half century, each of trading experience, resilience,
rein reeve invention in the city. Sheila Murray Hamilton, I've
(00:52):
got it wrong in the first sentence, has been in
the game for close to thirty three years, building Hamilton
and Murray into a well known woman's fashioned boutique with
her loyal following. Her business has evolved through changing trends,
changing retail street, changing customer expectations. What are remark what's
remarkable is her ability to adapt, to shift, to restyle
(01:14):
and refresh and keep that boutique feel of fashion in
our city. Now she's in the Kendala village. Then you
go to Julie Gub, a Wellington institution that goes all
the way back to nineteen forty six. Three generations of
the Gub family have been involved, from founder Lorri Gub
right through to today's operators operation by Judy Gud. For
(01:36):
decades they were in central City staple Manor Street Wakefield Street.
They've been the landmark of Wellington retail, trusted for quality,
European shoes and proper fit for almost eighty years. They
have also repositioned themselves. She was telling she came on
the show, told us that she was quitting getting out
now she started in Candala. What's interesting here is these
(01:59):
aren't just pop up stores or newcomers chasing a trend,
too deeply embedded, long establish Wellington retailers, each for decades
of brand that equal quality, and both have made the
strategic move to move out of the CBD into one
of Wellington's most stable suburban communities. It says something about
(02:20):
where retail confidence is hitting. And we decided that we
wanted to have these two women on the show before
Christmas because of retail and Christmas.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Sheila welcome, thank you, okay, yes, very good.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Thanks And of course Julie how you doing good things?
Can you come a little bit closer to the microphone?
Speaker 4 (02:41):
No good things?
Speaker 3 (02:43):
So let's start with you, Sheila. Because we've had Julie
on the show. We all know what Judy is going
to say. We know that she's going to come out
and tell us what we want to hear. How's retail.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Retail in Kandylah Village is amazing, love local, it's friendly,
we all know each other. Our little retail community in
Kadala Village is thriving and just living life.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Thriving. Come on now, you're not going to get me
on the thriving. No one's thriving right now.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
In the suburbs, they are because we have easy free parking.
We have three three great cafes. We've got gub Shoes myself.
We've got TP We've got the best Viny's that there
is in the city, the new revamped Vineys. We've got
a dairy that is like florists. He's the best florist
(03:34):
is actually is a florist and people travel for miles
to get his flowers. So we're having fun out there.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Are you feeling the vibe, the Christmas vibe? Is it
coming across because The last time I saw want You
to Be Fair was on TV. When you're saying I'm
not employing someone part time and I always have someone
over this period of time.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Yeah, well yeah, well that is true. We have to
be Lena and Mina. We've learned that over years and
years of retailing. But good thing in the you know,
in the village, is we all look after each other.
Our village is looking very Christmas. See. We've got lovely
garlands up there. We've got a Christmas shopping evening on Wednesday.
We've got Carol singers, and the locals and other suburbs
(04:15):
right from Karori Ramatti. They all come to shot with us.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Julie gub come on, tell me. Last time we spoke
on radio, you gave the exclusive to someone else that
you were closing down by the way, which I haven't
forgiven you for it. It should have been on the
show that you gave that exclusive. But you had had enough.
I mean, gosh, I got ten minutes of you at
the local New World, your local. You will telling me
how much you hated retail and hated Wellington, hated the mayor,
(04:41):
hated everything, you hated the world, and now you're opening
up in Gondala. What's the story.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
I think what happened is I did feel that way
after the demise of the central city, you know, with
the earthquake damage and then COVID and then having a
council during that ten year period that were totally incapable
of resolving the situation, like no business experience, no one
there to activate some strategies to fix things. And so
(05:10):
once we were almost the last men standing on our
block opposite where the city council used to be, and
there was lots of demolition and things going on in
the library, closing in the town hall dragging on forever.
We faced a rent increase that we didn't like, which
was crazy in the situation that the town was. So
we decided to close. And because I was retirement age,
(05:31):
I thought, oh, this is me. I'll just retire and
enjoy life. But after being retired for over a year,
I started to think, oh, I would like to work
a bit again. And then out of the blue, Sheela
rang me. And I hadn't spoken to Sheila since the
nineteen nineties. When she opened Hamilton and Murray and Willis
(05:52):
Street in nineteen ninety two, and I was one of
her big fan customers, hold on.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Hold on, I thought it was I thought it was
Featherston Street.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
I lasted in Willis Street next to Boy Hairdress in
October ninety two that the diic in ains they were closing. Yeah,
so I opened that first and then moved Featherston.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
So that shop Sheila opened in nineteen ninety two, and
Walla Street was a real go to destination, as you
probably know because Gina probably used to stop there and
it was where we all went for our fashion like
it was just fantastic anyway, hearing from her out of
the blue, she rang me and said, I'm in Kendala Village.
I'm loving it here, but I want to move into
(06:34):
bigger premises. I can't move unless someone takes over my lease.
There's fifteen months balance of lease left on this little boutique.
Will you come and have a lot. So I went
over two or three days in a row and loved it.
So I signed up and it's been a great move
and I've just recently re signed for another two plus
two plus two, So I mean it's just a great spot.
(06:56):
But it's not just locals, it's people from all over
the province that come to Kindala.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
I mean that's all very well for you, both of you,
because you are very I mean yes, no one has
got more you know, coverage or experience and brand awareness
than you too, So would it be the same for
someone else.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Well, yeah, I mean I'd actually been closed for twelve years.
When I reopened in Kandala, I'd closed burnt out, couldn't
you know, couldn't believe the things that were happening with
Wellington City Council and worked in the corporate sector. And
then when I saw a shop available in Kandala, I
couldn't believe it because it's always been tightly held there
(07:36):
and my plan was a little sharp to retire into.
And when the gallery decided they were closing, I jumped
at it because then I'd had like nearly twelve months
of retail in the village and it totally inspired me
and refreshed me and stimulating me that there are still
great people out there that want to shop, that want
(07:57):
to be part of a good community, and you know,
called Julie and the rest is history, and people have
just loved that we're together there. And then it's not
just us, there are other retailers were doing well.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Can I ask you before I go to break both
of you very quickly, duly, starting with you, can you
foresee coming back into the CBD.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
I honestly can't see it, but I wouldn't rule it
out if the city changed and started pumping again like
it used to, because from I mean, I live in
Mount Vax, so I'd much preferred to open in the
city of Yeah, walk down the road to work. I
mean not that getting to Condule is far, to be honest,
It's only five k so it's an easy drive. But
(08:40):
I just can't see it happening.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
I just can't. Like there's too much.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
You haven't fell on. The buzz starting to gain with
under Andrew Little and the new new council. You don't
feel it. It's starting to.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
I feel like it's definitely.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
It feels a bit more positive, definitely, And I do
think that he is going to be a steady hand
and maybe doing things a bit more the right way.
But there's just so much that needs to check change
from what's happened over the last ten years, and that's
going to take a while, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
He even came to our little retail meeting the other night.
We had our Christmas retail meeting. I'm very pleased to
see that the mayor came and Diane Calvert attended, so
that was a very positive.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Well, I don't disappear from that question because I still
have got great images and I can't remember the one.
And I must have been too young. I asked him's
still at school when the Willow Street one was going?
But you know you're you're Featherston Street on the corner
of the opposite the Park Royal, beautiful, big retail, glamorous shop.
Can we could we see the possibility of that happening
again or won't it?
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Well? When I closed that, it's it got reframed and
now it's two stores, because you know, it's a lot
of rent to suck up too, And that was the thing,
was the big rents. I personally couldn't see myself going
back into town. I don't think. I think there's quiet
desperation with retailers that are in the city. I know
(10:04):
of other shops that are going to close while we've
got a new council. Now, there's been so much destruction
with the bike lanes that aren't used and the lack
of parking. Look, we've seen the whole the only real
retail street of individual designers is Victoria Street, where you've
got Trelice Cooper, Karen Walker, Repertoire killed you've got a
(10:28):
nice little avenue of actual real retail.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
They changed quite regularly to.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
The rest of the city, like Willis Street. We lost
day from Hurricane countless people that we lost. I worked
for him for a while and because the council had
blinkers on, they weren't they say they're listening. They were
not listening. Nicola Cranfield closed, She's arn't out in ram
Matti now. As Julie was saying to me on the car,
(10:57):
we had a great council when we had mayors that
had been in business.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
I'm going to play a bit of music for you
when we come back that I'm going to look to
Grace and she's got it sorted out because I'm going
to play a bit of music and i just want
to get your get your thoughts on it. Do you
remember those days? Remember Wellington in those days.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Give us the mayor, a retailer, become a mayor who
had started absolutely positively Wellington, that's what we need.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
And Wellington was pumping, you know, with the sevens and
you know all the events were amaze, the.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
Events and Courtney Place was you know, buzzing.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Every time I hear that, I always get excited because
I said to Grace, because Grace is a bit younger
than us, just a couple of years younger than us.
But I said to her, this is when Wellington was Wellington, when.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
The Arts Festival that was every other year. I would
buy thirty percent more every year it was the Arts
Festival because I could, I knew we were going to
do the business, not mad.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Don't you miss those days? We are we big old
fuddy d he's even talking about it? Or are we
showing people that actually Wellington was a great city.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
No, we're not. We were there, we enjoyed it. You know,
everything was busy, You hung around in the city at night,
you had a drink, you went to dinner, and doesn't
happen at the moment for the young people. So we
need to get that back for the city. I mean,
we still want the city to be vibrant, there's no
doubt about that, Julie.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Can you see at the time you've got kids that
are of the age where they go out and have
dinner and stuff and party but more than what we do.
It feels to me, and someone said it to me
only a few months ago, that the world has changed
about going out and having a good time. Do you
reckon that is true?
Speaker 5 (12:48):
I think it might have changed. And it's hard for
me to say because my kids have got kids now,
young kids, so they're not really going out partying, but
just watching other people's teenage twenties kids who are younger
than mine. I think things have changed. But I do
think that if the right council could get the city
(13:11):
user friendly again and make it safe, and you know,
we had some appealing venues for that age group to
go to, I think it could happen again.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Well, it's a catch twenty three situation. No one's going
to spend a million dollars and build a new venue
and the crowds aren't coming out.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
I know a catch twenty two.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
My son is in town the other night with his girlfriend.
He's just gone to it. You know, he sells cars.
He's gone to it for miles. Gaisly is local. He
was in a place called Damascus and saw Andy Circus,
and you know that was great for him because he
was a big Lord of the ringstar so they go
out in town and have date night every week. So
that are young people doing that, but there's not enough
(13:51):
of them right.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
I want to come back to excuse me your decision
to leave Wayne and CBD. What's your honest opinion both
of you and I'll come to you Sheula first. What's
your honest opinion of where we are right now as
a city. I mean, you're an extremely experienced successful retailer.
If someone ran you from Auckland and said, look, I've
(14:13):
got this shop, you know Karen Walker time seven and
I want to come into Wellington and I want to
open and Wellington, what advice would you give them right now?
Speaker 2 (14:21):
I would say, don't go to the city here waited out,
go to the suburbs, build up your database in the
suburbs as great suburbs. And the city still has got
to lick in its wounds. And I know, I actually
know because the labels I get offered. I know there's
more stores to close. So until you know, we used
(14:44):
to have free parking on a Saturday. What happened to that?
There's less car parks, They're charging more, so people will
go to the malls and the suburbs where free like
we've got free as parking.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
The malls were around when you guys were.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
In here, we had free parking on Saturdays and we
didn't have park until charged till eight o'clock on a
Thursday and Friday night and all all day Sunday. You know,
the consumers had choice there because they could be in town,
go for dinner and not get hit. You can't have
your hair done and.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
You have to rush out and pay for that.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Yeah, you've got to rush out and pay more. So
of course they're going to the malls or come to
the suburbs. Our hairdresser in Kindala cannot take any more business.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
Have we got through?
Speaker 2 (15:29):
We've got and they can't take any more business.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Yeah about Patoni, everyone's raving about Patony, Julia. The same
question with you if someone bigfoot, Doc Martin, I mean,
I'm not saying that. Yeah, it's the new latest brain
are coming in want to come into Wellington. I've got
a successful shop in Auckland. They want to come to Wellington.
What would you say to them.
Speaker 5 (15:49):
I'd just say to them, well, I'd explain what happened
with me and I'd give them that information because that's
good until But I'd say to them, you need to
find somewhere with the right rent because a lot of
the rents are far too high for the foot traffic
and the business that you can do in the city.
But I'd probably encourage them to come because if they
(16:13):
did the maths and worked out that they could. Because
the more retailers we can get back into town, the better.
And I'd like to see it starting to pick up again,
and I think it can, but we need a lot
of input from the council to improve things. I agree
with Sheila, like the council needs to cut back on
(16:33):
a lot of unnecessary spending. And I mean that recent
report that said they had hundreds too many people working there.
That's a good start, and then they wouldn't need to
be so hungry with their parking grabbing and what have you.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
You know.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
I mean they need oh the rates.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
The rates, it comes back.
Speaker 5 (16:51):
Because the poor old landlords, I mean the rates are
paying are crazy. And I mean luckily Carl Tiffenbacker got
onto the council because he's a businessman who understands that
situation and had some good information prior to the election
about all of that. But yes, they need to give
landlords a break, and they need to give potential customers
(17:12):
a break, and they need to make it user friendly.
Like at the moment, there's nothing attractive, there's nothing making
people want to come unto them.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
I just ask you a little quick question because I've
got to go to the news, but I want to
hear this. I walk past your X shop once or
twice a week, maybe three times a week. How long
since you've been there?
Speaker 5 (17:30):
It's now about twenty three years since we were Sorry,
we were and we lived in Easter twenty twenty three,
so that's and we were there.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
For eighteen years.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
And they wanted a red rise.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
They wanted the rent to go up, and he had
had it appraise and said that we needed to pay more.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
And for two years it's been.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
It's been empty ever since.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Landlords would rather see it empty with the rent library
as this this space is one hundred and twenty grand
a year or two point fifty year, then accept a
lower rent because it's on their portfolio, and that's how
they keep their portfolio high.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Can I give you a quick story. We left a
hospitality business that everyone said it was one of the
top ten in the country. Corner of Courtney Place on
Tory Street. We were paying three hundred and twenty five
thousand a year and did so for ten years. When
the lease came up five plus five, we said, can
we negotiate? And you read ha ha ha. I've got
people all over town wanting to take this. You bag
(18:30):
her off. Yeah, nearly five years completely completely, Yeah, and
we all we wanted was twenty grand.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
It's not about me, it's about.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
You've got very short sighted of them.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
It's about you, Sheila Murray, Hamilton and Julie Gubb. I've
got to read that every time because I know I'm
going to screw it up because it's so much Hamilton Murray.
But that's not the way. Why did you do that?
Speaker 4 (18:50):
Well?
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I was Sheila Murray, he was Jim Hamilton. I wanted
to keep my name so Scottish law where we got married,
and so it had to be he had to change
his name by depot to Murray Hamilton for us to
get married. And then when we opened the store, just
that's retail nice. You know how Multon had a ring
a baities, Yeah, and so that's why we called it
(19:12):
Hamilton to Murray.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
I want to know from a business perspective. You guys
are doing it, you're doing the grind. What do you
think And Julia, I'll start with you on this. What
do you think the government's getting right and what do
you think the government's doing wrong for small retailers right now?
Are they helping or they adding pressure to you running
your business well?
Speaker 5 (19:33):
To be honest, it's tricky from where I am because
we've been around for so long and we're established. I
haven't felt anything that's affected me from the government, good
or bad, but I do it does annoy me on
a daily basis that they don't come down on the
banks for the surcharges, Like instead of saying like they
(19:53):
have that the retailers won't be allowed to pass them on,
they should be coming down on the banks and saying
no more surcharges for tapping or you know, for the
technology for credit cards. They should be stopping the banks
the retailers passing it on because it's a huge expense
and we can't absorb that. So that's one thing they
need to be honest and open about where those surcharges
(20:15):
are going. The other thing is I think they have
brought in a lot of incentive and help with business
support for new businesses and for tech and digital, but
nothing for small retailers like Sheila and I and we're established.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
So that's okay.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
I like that they've told people please to go back
to work in the office because I think that everyone should.
I mean, COVID's long gone really in a true sense,
and people are still hanging on to that working from
home gig and I think they should all be back
in town and that would help people a lot, but
I don't see that happening.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
I think it's now a whole way a lot.
Speaker 5 (20:57):
A way of life, and they're digging their heels in,
you know, and the unions are supporting that. So I
think that the government needs to do something about it,
but I haven't seen very much action on that.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
So sir, I'm going to ask you the same question.
And based on working from home, you're so enscrunched, and Candara,
you probably like the fact that they're working from home.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Well, I've got some regulars that are doing one or
two days working from home that walk at take the
dog or come for a coffee, might buy a frock,
come and have a lot window shop, So you know, yes,
definitely that work from home we do benefit from But
I'd just like to say, you know, I watched Q
and A on Sunday, as they do every day, and
(21:37):
saw that Luxon has not come on to Q and
A to answer questions from Jack Tame and one of them.
You know, I wrote to Q and A. One of
them was going to be about the surcharges. It was
totally misrepresented to say we don't want Kiwi's paying the
surcharges anymore. They in Australia, they're not allowed to. They've
(21:58):
stopped the bank's charging that. Why don't the government step
up and do something that really helps and stop the
banks they make millions and actually help businesses that are
trying to meet all their compliance payments. We pay high rents.
You know, that's just another kick in the guts and
I was really angry to see you didn't even front
up and turn up and be interviewed.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
But do you think they're actually doing anything to help
you because they think do you think? I mean, I
hear it all the time from small business and we're
all small business. No one's listening.
Speaker 4 (22:27):
No, No, I haven't seen anything.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
No, they they don't walk the walk. They just talk
the talk, They talk about consultation, about listening, and then
they go ahead and do what they always plan to do,
and very disappointing, you know, to get someone that was
in the commercial field when he was CEO of New
Zealand and we thought we were going to get some
(22:50):
business management, you know. He's also they said that families
that earn sixty grand a year now have to support
their own children if they're unemployment benefit. That's another kick
in the guts for the working ones of us. So
now I haven't seen them do anything and i'd really
like to.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
Yeah, I'm going to come back. I've got to take
a break, but I'm going to come back and ask
you what you want to see a the Council do
and be the government do to make life better for
you because you're the one paying them. The Business Panel
with Julie Gubb and Sheila Murray Hamilton. Sheila, I'm going
to start with you on this one. Do you actually
believe that the suburbs gives you more stability and control
(23:33):
and do you generally actually feel that you can still
influence retail from the suburbs.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Definitely one of the good things, you know, because when
we're full of owner operative businesses, so we're not like
a big format business where it's bureaucratic and you have
to do a report to get a decision. We can
think on our feet and react fast. And as a
business community in Candala we do like we've got our
Christmas shopping night on Wednesday. We're all open, we're all
(23:58):
involved in it, so we can discuss things with each
other and make a decision and make it happen today
or tomorrow. So I do think we can and we
do affect retailer spending because we have people coming from
all over Wellington into Candala, so we know that works too.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
It's hard enough to find Condala for out of town
as Julian, I mean, do you get all your you know,
Grace was telling me that she used to go in
once a year and buy her ballet shoes from here,
and they all know where. Do they still drive out
to Candala to do that?
Speaker 4 (24:28):
They do?
Speaker 5 (24:29):
Because I mean, you're right, I wasn't really familiar with
Candala until Shela gave me the call eighteen months ago.
But I've been there obviously, having been Wellingtonian for years.
But it's a really easy drive up the Onslow Gorge
or the now no, the Nio Gorge. It's close, it's
only you know, a fifteen minute drive from the central city.
(24:50):
So people do come from all over, even ladies actually
from outside of Wellington who used to shop with me,
but they still come to Wellington for business. They come
up to Candala like, wow, was busy for us, where
we're just an extension of Wellington City, but a much
less stressful extension. Like it's user friendly and it's enjoyable.
(25:11):
It's almost like it used to be in town way
back when you could find a park easily, enjoy your
time in town, shop, have a coffee, have lunch, meet
friends for lunch. It's like that, but it's just not
in the central city.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
Do you have how long is do you have? Have
you had the same customers for I mean people that
you realize and know their name.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
I have ladies coming under in their nineties, you know,
and so a long time, you know, a long long time.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Three generations. I've got women that say, oh, I bought
my daughter her first ball game, and I bought the
outfit for my son's wedding, and now his daughter's shopping
and can be getting gifts from you. So that is
what we offer indifference to chain stores and businesses where
you don't actually meet the owners.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
And I think when you're in a small store where
it's owner operated, like Sheila and I, you know your
customers so well. You can cure a collection of things
that you know is what they want because they talk
to you, and you can manage your overheads. You don't
have all the admin that a lot of these big
places have, So it's just it's just a better experience
(26:21):
all around for the customer. They know they're going to
find what they want, they can get your help. Yeah,
it's a it's just a people business and it's enjoyable.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
This questions both for you and Shi, how do you
actually keep with the trend? How do you you know
you're not walking down Lamp and Key seeing everybody wearing
other stuff? How do you or are you a trend setter?
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Well? I think you know we're anybody that's in the
business is an influencer in one way or another. And
when you buy, like I buy some of my fashion
brians a year in advance, some six months in advance,
and some twelve weeks in advance, so you're always up
with the play because you're seeing what the designers and
the manufacturers are showing. And you know, we watch movies,
(27:03):
we get you know, we get influenced by life everything
that we see and fashion is cyclical, so we you know,
we kind of know what works and what doesn't. We
know what shapes work on women's bodies and what don't.
So not actually a trend bier. What actually suits women
buyer and what on their lifestyles, so those things never change, Julie.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
Well with me, Like, our customer base is primarily I mean,
I catch a few younger people, but it's thirty plus
and the bulk of it's in my area, which is
women in their fifties, sixties, and seventies. So I wouldn't
say I'm fast fashioned. I'm more into comfort, but still
trying to offer colorful, comfortable, up with the moment sort
(27:49):
of styles without being too edgy, because that's not my
customer base. So I just find that my suppliers are
usually offering the right thing for me, and I'll just
go for whatever I see in their ranges. That's a
good price that my customers are asking for, and I'll
get it I can. I'm operating on a system at
(28:11):
the moment where I'm not buying a head I'm just
buying stock that's available currently. And because of the way
things are in the climate that we're in, there's a
lot of stock available currently that would never have been
in the past, because in the past, when things were pumping,
you had to buy a year out because the stock
wasn't there. But they're all carrying stock now because they've
(28:33):
got retailers who have either closed or can't take stock
they've ordered because they're not busy enough. So there's a
lot of stock that's around the floating around all the time.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Can I talk two things in one, Sheila? Can small
retailers compete with the big box in the Australian I
mean it's all Australia now downtown, Let's be real. I
mean the days of the Vants, Vivian and Man to man.
They're almost on their own. They're on a lineand aren't they?
So can they? Can we continue to compete against them?
(29:04):
And how's Christmas?
Speaker 2 (29:06):
We can compete not on price because big buying, big
format buying, you know, on price, but aren't obviously customer service,
knowing our customers, knowing what they're looking for and while
not price, not cheap price, value for money, and that
person like July creates for her customers. I curate for mine.
(29:27):
I tell I sold two bright pink jackets that are
international look on Saturday to two local ladies. You know,
we definitely can compete with service curation of our product,
knowing our customers, keeping in contact with them, not on
price cheap prices.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Julie, I'll come back to your Juli Christmas time, give
us Christmas. How are you feeling? What's what's the mood?
Two weeks but Christmas?
Speaker 5 (29:55):
I know I feel almost as though I think from
now on, from this week on, it's more and more Christmasy.
But I'm getting back to that question. I think we
can compete because in a world where people are losing
personal contact with others, and you know where technology is
taking over, I think a lot of people enjoy being recognized,
(30:20):
having a social aspect to their shopping, and feeling comfortable
and enjoying the situation when they come into a small
space like ours, being valued.
Speaker 4 (30:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Right, I've got to go to an air break, and
then when I come back, I'm going to ask you
where you're going to take that very special person out.
It's week, two weeks before Christmas. It's a pretty specialized decision,
isn't it right? Oh right, oh right, Oh, Julie Gubb,
you start this because you've done it before. Someone very
very special is coming to Wellington. You're driving out to
Wellington Airport. You've got to entertain them until they can
(30:51):
check into their hotel. You've got a couple of hours.
What are you going to do with them?
Speaker 5 (30:54):
Well, hopefully I've got the whole day, because what I'd
like to do is pick them up, drive right around
the bays to ophio Obay and start there with a
tour of a Pharaoh Bay, Island Bar, Lower Bay and
so on, all the way around Seatoon, Karraka Bay, round
to Shelly Bay, get a coffee at the Shelly Bay
Cafe before it's gone, and then carry on round to
(31:18):
Schafers where we, luckily enough for us, have a boat
and I would take them out. Paul would take them
out on the harbor, show them Wellington from the water,
because the harbor is the jewel, really, isn't it of
the city. And then hopefully when that's over, if the
band Road tunder was open, which is going to be
(31:38):
a great location, I would take them there for a
drink and a meal, but it could be prior to that,
so we'd probably pop up to Kindala for a meal
and a coffee and a drink.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
You've got to push that can.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Pick up at the airport. Spruce Goose, fabulous coffee, fabulous breakfast,
pop into Victoria Street, good retailers there, Glass of Champagne,
Shed five at Dockside or dock Side, Kendala Village for
the afternoon wonderful shopping and then maybe Kashmir Olange for dinner.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
God, I'm coming with you. You've got to You've got
a great day. You've got a great doubt. Well I'm
not saying yours is not great. Julie. Lovely to have
you both and great to see you both. Julie gub
and Sheila Murray Hamilton. I told you it wouldn't take long.
Speaker 5 (32:23):
It's gone gone twice as fast as you think. Yeah,
it does other things that you said, but it's okay because.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
Thank you both for being who you are, your absolute
gold gyms of our city. Love you both for what
you've done for our city.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
Keep it going than we're very lucky to keep it going.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills. Listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks B Monday's Meaning Business. It's the business
panel on Wellington Mornings with Quidovic Property Management a better rental.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Experience for all.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Visit Quinovic dot co dot insad.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Let's get down, Let's get down to business.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
You Mona, Monada.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Two days stand out when you talk about longevity and
Wellington retailer Sheila Murray, Hamilton and Judy Garp between them,
they represent nearly a half a century, a century, not
a half a century, half century, each of trading experience, resilience,
rein reeve invention in the city. Sheila Murray Hamilton, I've
(00:52):
got it wrong in the first sentence, has been in
the game for close to thirty three years, building Hamilton
and Murray into a well known woman's fashioned boutique with
her loyal following. Her business has evolved through changing trends,
changing retail street, changing customer expectations. What are remark what's
remarkable is her ability to adapt, to shift, to restyle
(01:14):
and refresh and keep that boutique feel of fashion in
our city. Now she's in the Kendala village. Then you
go to Julie Gub, a Wellington institution that goes all
the way back to nineteen forty six. Three generations of
the Gub family have been involved, from founder Lorri Gub
right through to today's operators operation by Judy Gud. For
(01:36):
decades they were in central City staple Manor Street Wakefield Street.
They've been the landmark of Wellington retail, trusted for quality,
European shoes and proper fit for almost eighty years. They
have also repositioned themselves. She was telling she came on
the show, told us that she was quitting getting out
now she started in Candala. What's interesting here is these
(01:59):
aren't just pop up stores or newcomers chasing a trend,
too deeply embedded, long establish Wellington retailers, each for decades
of brand that equal quality, and both have made the
strategic move to move out of the CBD into one
of Wellington's most stable suburban communities. It says something about
(02:20):
where retail confidence is hitting. And we decided that we
wanted to have these two women on the show before
Christmas because of retail and Christmas.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Sheila welcome, thank you, okay, yes, very good.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Thanks And of course Julie how you doing good things?
Can you come a little bit closer to the microphone?
Speaker 4 (02:41):
No good things?
Speaker 3 (02:43):
So let's start with you, Sheila. Because we've had Julie
on the show. We all know what Judy is going
to say. We know that she's going to come out
and tell us what we want to hear. How's retail.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Retail in Kandylah Village is amazing, love local, it's friendly,
we all know each other. Our little retail community in
Kadala Village is thriving and just living life.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Thriving. Come on now, you're not going to get me
on the thriving. No one's thriving right now.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
In the suburbs, they are because we have easy free parking.
We have three three great cafes. We've got gub Shoes myself.
We've got TP We've got the best Viny's that there
is in the city, the new revamped Vineys. We've got
a dairy that is like florists. He's the best florist
(03:34):
is actually is a florist and people travel for miles
to get his flowers. So we're having fun out there.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Are you feeling the vibe, the Christmas vibe? Is it
coming across because The last time I saw want You
to Be Fair was on TV. When you're saying I'm
not employing someone part time and I always have someone
over this period of time.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Yeah, well yeah, well that is true. We have to
be Lena and Mina. We've learned that over years and
years of retailing. But good thing in the you know,
in the village, is we all look after each other.
Our village is looking very Christmas. See. We've got lovely
garlands up there. We've got a Christmas shopping evening on Wednesday.
We've got Carol singers, and the locals and other suburbs
(04:15):
right from Karori Ramatti. They all come to shot with us.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Julie gub come on, tell me. Last time we spoke
on radio, you gave the exclusive to someone else that
you were closing down by the way, which I haven't
forgiven you for it. It should have been on the
show that you gave that exclusive. But you had had enough.
I mean, gosh, I got ten minutes of you at
the local New World, your local. You will telling me
how much you hated retail and hated Wellington, hated the mayor,
(04:41):
hated everything, you hated the world, and now you're opening
up in Gondala. What's the story.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
I think what happened is I did feel that way
after the demise of the central city, you know, with
the earthquake damage and then COVID and then having a
council during that ten year period that were totally incapable
of resolving the situation, like no business experience, no one
there to activate some strategies to fix things. And so
(05:10):
once we were almost the last men standing on our
block opposite where the city council used to be, and
there was lots of demolition and things going on in
the library, closing in the town hall dragging on forever.
We faced a rent increase that we didn't like, which
was crazy in the situation that the town was. So
we decided to close. And because I was retirement age,
(05:31):
I thought, oh, this is me. I'll just retire and
enjoy life. But after being retired for over a year,
I started to think, oh, I would like to work
a bit again. And then out of the blue, Sheela
rang me. And I hadn't spoken to Sheila since the
nineteen nineties. When she opened Hamilton and Murray and Willis
(05:52):
Street in nineteen ninety two, and I was one of
her big fan customers, hold on.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Hold on, I thought it was I thought it was
Featherston Street.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
I lasted in Willis Street next to Boy Hairdress in
October ninety two that the diic in ains they were closing. Yeah,
so I opened that first and then moved Featherston.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
So that shop Sheila opened in nineteen ninety two, and
Walla Street was a real go to destination, as you
probably know because Gina probably used to stop there and
it was where we all went for our fashion like
it was just fantastic anyway, hearing from her out of
the blue, she rang me and said, I'm in Kendala Village.
I'm loving it here, but I want to move into
(06:34):
bigger premises. I can't move unless someone takes over my lease.
There's fifteen months balance of lease left on this little boutique.
Will you come and have a lot. So I went
over two or three days in a row and loved it.
So I signed up and it's been a great move
and I've just recently re signed for another two plus
two plus two, So I mean it's just a great spot.
(06:56):
But it's not just locals, it's people from all over
the province that come to Kindala.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
I mean that's all very well for you, both of you,
because you are very I mean yes, no one has
got more you know, coverage or experience and brand awareness
than you too, So would it be the same for
someone else.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Well, yeah, I mean I'd actually been closed for twelve years.
When I reopened in Kandala, I'd closed burnt out, couldn't
you know, couldn't believe the things that were happening with
Wellington City Council and worked in the corporate sector. And
then when I saw a shop available in Kandala, I
couldn't believe it because it's always been tightly held there
(07:36):
and my plan was a little sharp to retire into.
And when the gallery decided they were closing, I jumped
at it because then I'd had like nearly twelve months
of retail in the village and it totally inspired me
and refreshed me and stimulating me that there are still
great people out there that want to shop, that want
(07:57):
to be part of a good community, and you know,
called Julie and the rest is history, and people have
just loved that we're together there. And then it's not
just us, there are other retailers were doing well.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Can I ask you before I go to break both
of you very quickly, duly, starting with you, can you
foresee coming back into the CBD.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
I honestly can't see it, but I wouldn't rule it
out if the city changed and started pumping again like
it used to, because from I mean, I live in
Mount Vax, so I'd much preferred to open in the
city of Yeah, walk down the road to work. I
mean not that getting to Condule is far, to be honest,
It's only five k so it's an easy drive. But
(08:40):
I just can't see it happening.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
I just can't. Like there's too much.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
You haven't fell on. The buzz starting to gain with
under Andrew Little and the new new council. You don't
feel it. It's starting to.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
I feel like it's definitely.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
It feels a bit more positive, definitely, And I do
think that he is going to be a steady hand
and maybe doing things a bit more the right way.
But there's just so much that needs to check change
from what's happened over the last ten years, and that's
going to take a while, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
He even came to our little retail meeting the other night.
We had our Christmas retail meeting. I'm very pleased to
see that the mayor came and Diane Calvert attended, so
that was a very positive.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Well, I don't disappear from that question because I still
have got great images and I can't remember the one.
And I must have been too young. I asked him's
still at school when the Willow Street one was going?
But you know you're you're Featherston Street on the corner
of the opposite the Park Royal, beautiful, big retail, glamorous shop.
Can we could we see the possibility of that happening
again or won't it?
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Well? When I closed that, it's it got reframed and
now it's two stores, because you know, it's a lot
of rent to suck up too, And that was the thing,
was the big rents. I personally couldn't see myself going
back into town. I don't think. I think there's quiet
desperation with retailers that are in the city. I know
(10:04):
of other shops that are going to close while we've
got a new council. Now, there's been so much destruction
with the bike lanes that aren't used and the lack
of parking. Look, we've seen the whole the only real
retail street of individual designers is Victoria Street, where you've
got Trelice Cooper, Karen Walker, Repertoire killed you've got a
(10:28):
nice little avenue of actual real retail.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
They changed quite regularly to.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
The rest of the city, like Willis Street. We lost
day from Hurricane countless people that we lost. I worked
for him for a while and because the council had
blinkers on, they weren't they say they're listening. They were
not listening. Nicola Cranfield closed, She's arn't out in ram
Matti now. As Julie was saying to me on the car,
(10:57):
we had a great council when we had mayors that
had been in business.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
I'm going to play a bit of music for you
when we come back that I'm going to look to
Grace and she's got it sorted out because I'm going
to play a bit of music and i just want
to get your get your thoughts on it. Do you
remember those days? Remember Wellington in those days.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Give us the mayor, a retailer, become a mayor who
had started absolutely positively Wellington, that's what we need.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
And Wellington was pumping, you know, with the sevens and
you know all the events were amaze, the.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
Events and Courtney Place was you know, buzzing.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Every time I hear that, I always get excited because
I said to Grace, because Grace is a bit younger
than us, just a couple of years younger than us.
But I said to her, this is when Wellington was Wellington, when.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
The Arts Festival that was every other year. I would
buy thirty percent more every year it was the Arts
Festival because I could, I knew we were going to
do the business, not mad.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Don't you miss those days? We are we big old
fuddy d he's even talking about it? Or are we
showing people that actually Wellington was a great city.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
No, we're not. We were there, we enjoyed it. You know,
everything was busy, You hung around in the city at night,
you had a drink, you went to dinner, and doesn't
happen at the moment for the young people. So we
need to get that back for the city. I mean,
we still want the city to be vibrant, there's no
doubt about that, Julie.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Can you see at the time you've got kids that
are of the age where they go out and have
dinner and stuff and party but more than what we do.
It feels to me, and someone said it to me
only a few months ago, that the world has changed
about going out and having a good time. Do you
reckon that is true?
Speaker 5 (12:48):
I think it might have changed. And it's hard for
me to say because my kids have got kids now,
young kids, so they're not really going out partying, but
just watching other people's teenage twenties kids who are younger
than mine. I think things have changed. But I do
think that if the right council could get the city
(13:11):
user friendly again and make it safe, and you know,
we had some appealing venues for that age group to
go to, I think it could happen again.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Well, it's a catch twenty three situation. No one's going
to spend a million dollars and build a new venue
and the crowds aren't coming out.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
I know a catch twenty two.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
My son is in town the other night with his girlfriend.
He's just gone to it. You know, he sells cars.
He's gone to it for miles. Gaisly is local. He
was in a place called Damascus and saw Andy Circus,
and you know that was great for him because he
was a big Lord of the ringstar so they go
out in town and have date night every week. So
that are young people doing that, but there's not enough
(13:51):
of them right.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
I want to come back to excuse me your decision
to leave Wayne and CBD. What's your honest opinion both
of you and I'll come to you Sheula first. What's
your honest opinion of where we are right now as
a city. I mean, you're an extremely experienced successful retailer.
If someone ran you from Auckland and said, look, I've
(14:13):
got this shop, you know Karen Walker time seven and
I want to come into Wellington and I want to
open and Wellington, what advice would you give them right now?
Speaker 2 (14:21):
I would say, don't go to the city here waited out,
go to the suburbs, build up your database in the
suburbs as great suburbs. And the city still has got
to lick in its wounds. And I know, I actually
know because the labels I get offered. I know there's
more stores to close. So until you know, we used
(14:44):
to have free parking on a Saturday. What happened to that?
There's less car parks, They're charging more, so people will
go to the malls and the suburbs where free like
we've got free as parking.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
The malls were around when you guys were.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
In here, we had free parking on Saturdays and we
didn't have park until charged till eight o'clock on a
Thursday and Friday night and all all day Sunday. You know,
the consumers had choice there because they could be in town,
go for dinner and not get hit. You can't have
your hair done and.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
You have to rush out and pay for that.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Yeah, you've got to rush out and pay more. So
of course they're going to the malls or come to
the suburbs. Our hairdresser in Kindala cannot take any more business.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
Have we got through?
Speaker 2 (15:29):
We've got and they can't take any more business.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Yeah about Patoni, everyone's raving about Patony, Julia. The same
question with you if someone bigfoot, Doc Martin, I mean,
I'm not saying that. Yeah, it's the new latest brain
are coming in want to come into Wellington. I've got
a successful shop in Auckland. They want to come to Wellington.
What would you say to them.
Speaker 5 (15:49):
I'd just say to them, well, I'd explain what happened
with me and I'd give them that information because that's
good until But I'd say to them, you need to
find somewhere with the right rent because a lot of
the rents are far too high for the foot traffic
and the business that you can do in the city.
But I'd probably encourage them to come because if they
(16:13):
did the maths and worked out that they could. Because
the more retailers we can get back into town, the better.
And I'd like to see it starting to pick up again,
and I think it can, but we need a lot
of input from the council to improve things. I agree
with Sheila, like the council needs to cut back on
(16:33):
a lot of unnecessary spending. And I mean that recent
report that said they had hundreds too many people working there.
That's a good start, and then they wouldn't need to
be so hungry with their parking grabbing and what have you.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
You know.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
I mean they need oh the rates.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
The rates, it comes back.
Speaker 5 (16:51):
Because the poor old landlords, I mean the rates are
paying are crazy. And I mean luckily Carl Tiffenbacker got
onto the council because he's a businessman who understands that
situation and had some good information prior to the election
about all of that. But yes, they need to give
landlords a break, and they need to give potential customers
(17:12):
a break, and they need to make it user friendly.
Like at the moment, there's nothing attractive, there's nothing making
people want to come unto them.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
I just ask you a little quick question because I've
got to go to the news, but I want to
hear this. I walk past your X shop once or
twice a week, maybe three times a week. How long
since you've been there?
Speaker 5 (17:30):
It's now about twenty three years since we were Sorry,
we were and we lived in Easter twenty twenty three,
so that's and we were there.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
For eighteen years.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
And they wanted a red rise.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
They wanted the rent to go up, and he had
had it appraise and said that we needed to pay more.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
And for two years it's been.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
It's been empty ever since.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Landlords would rather see it empty with the rent library
as this this space is one hundred and twenty grand
a year or two point fifty year, then accept a
lower rent because it's on their portfolio, and that's how
they keep their portfolio high.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Can I give you a quick story. We left a
hospitality business that everyone said it was one of the
top ten in the country. Corner of Courtney Place on
Tory Street. We were paying three hundred and twenty five
thousand a year and did so for ten years. When
the lease came up five plus five, we said, can
we negotiate? And you read ha ha ha. I've got
people all over town wanting to take this. You bag
(18:30):
her off. Yeah, nearly five years completely completely, Yeah, and
we all we wanted was twenty grand.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
It's not about me, it's about.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
You've got very short sighted of them.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
It's about you, Sheila Murray, Hamilton and Julie Gubb. I've
got to read that every time because I know I'm
going to screw it up because it's so much Hamilton Murray.
But that's not the way. Why did you do that?
Speaker 4 (18:50):
Well?
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I was Sheila Murray, he was Jim Hamilton. I wanted
to keep my name so Scottish law where we got married,
and so it had to be he had to change
his name by depot to Murray Hamilton for us to
get married. And then when we opened the store, just
that's retail nice. You know how Multon had a ring
a baities, Yeah, and so that's why we called it
(19:12):
Hamilton to Murray.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
I want to know from a business perspective. You guys
are doing it, you're doing the grind. What do you
think And Julia, I'll start with you on this. What
do you think the government's getting right and what do
you think the government's doing wrong for small retailers right now?
Are they helping or they adding pressure to you running
your business well?
Speaker 5 (19:33):
To be honest, it's tricky from where I am because
we've been around for so long and we're established. I
haven't felt anything that's affected me from the government, good
or bad, but I do it does annoy me on
a daily basis that they don't come down on the
banks for the surcharges, Like instead of saying like they
(19:53):
have that the retailers won't be allowed to pass them on,
they should be coming down on the banks and saying
no more surcharges for tapping or you know, for the
technology for credit cards. They should be stopping the banks
the retailers passing it on because it's a huge expense
and we can't absorb that. So that's one thing they
need to be honest and open about where those surcharges
(20:15):
are going. The other thing is I think they have
brought in a lot of incentive and help with business
support for new businesses and for tech and digital, but
nothing for small retailers like Sheila and I and we're established.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
So that's okay.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
I like that they've told people please to go back
to work in the office because I think that everyone should.
I mean, COVID's long gone really in a true sense,
and people are still hanging on to that working from
home gig and I think they should all be back
in town and that would help people a lot, but
I don't see that happening.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
I think it's now a whole way a lot.
Speaker 5 (20:57):
A way of life, and they're digging their heels in,
you know, and the unions are supporting that. So I
think that the government needs to do something about it,
but I haven't seen very much action on that.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
So sir, I'm going to ask you the same question.
And based on working from home, you're so enscrunched, and Candara,
you probably like the fact that they're working from home.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Well, I've got some regulars that are doing one or
two days working from home that walk at take the
dog or come for a coffee, might buy a frock,
come and have a lot window shop, So you know, yes,
definitely that work from home we do benefit from But
I'd just like to say, you know, I watched Q
and A on Sunday, as they do every day, and
(21:37):
saw that Luxon has not come on to Q and
A to answer questions from Jack Tame and one of them.
You know, I wrote to Q and A. One of
them was going to be about the surcharges. It was
totally misrepresented to say we don't want Kiwi's paying the
surcharges anymore. They in Australia, they're not allowed to. They've
(21:58):
stopped the bank's charging that. Why don't the government step
up and do something that really helps and stop the
banks they make millions and actually help businesses that are
trying to meet all their compliance payments. We pay high rents.
You know, that's just another kick in the guts and
I was really angry to see you didn't even front
up and turn up and be interviewed.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
But do you think they're actually doing anything to help
you because they think do you think? I mean, I
hear it all the time from small business and we're
all small business. No one's listening.
Speaker 4 (22:27):
No, No, I haven't seen anything.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
No, they they don't walk the walk. They just talk
the talk, They talk about consultation, about listening, and then
they go ahead and do what they always plan to do,
and very disappointing, you know, to get someone that was
in the commercial field when he was CEO of New
Zealand and we thought we were going to get some
(22:50):
business management, you know. He's also they said that families
that earn sixty grand a year now have to support
their own children if they're unemployment benefit. That's another kick
in the guts for the working ones of us. So
now I haven't seen them do anything and i'd really
like to.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
Yeah, I'm going to come back. I've got to take
a break, but I'm going to come back and ask
you what you want to see a the Council do
and be the government do to make life better for
you because you're the one paying them. The Business Panel
with Julie Gubb and Sheila Murray Hamilton. Sheila, I'm going
to start with you on this one. Do you actually
believe that the suburbs gives you more stability and control
(23:33):
and do you generally actually feel that you can still
influence retail from the suburbs.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Definitely one of the good things, you know, because when
we're full of owner operative businesses, so we're not like
a big format business where it's bureaucratic and you have
to do a report to get a decision. We can
think on our feet and react fast. And as a
business community in Candala we do like we've got our
Christmas shopping night on Wednesday. We're all open, we're all
(23:58):
involved in it, so we can discuss things with each
other and make a decision and make it happen today
or tomorrow. So I do think we can and we
do affect retailer spending because we have people coming from
all over Wellington into Candala, so we know that works too.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
It's hard enough to find Condala for out of town
as Julian, I mean, do you get all your you know,
Grace was telling me that she used to go in
once a year and buy her ballet shoes from here,
and they all know where. Do they still drive out
to Candala to do that?
Speaker 4 (24:28):
They do?
Speaker 5 (24:29):
Because I mean, you're right, I wasn't really familiar with
Candala until Shela gave me the call eighteen months ago.
But I've been there obviously, having been Wellingtonian for years.
But it's a really easy drive up the Onslow Gorge
or the now no, the Nio Gorge. It's close, it's
only you know, a fifteen minute drive from the central city.
(24:50):
So people do come from all over, even ladies actually
from outside of Wellington who used to shop with me,
but they still come to Wellington for business. They come
up to Candala like, wow, was busy for us, where
we're just an extension of Wellington City, but a much
less stressful extension. Like it's user friendly and it's enjoyable.
(25:11):
It's almost like it used to be in town way
back when you could find a park easily, enjoy your
time in town, shop, have a coffee, have lunch, meet
friends for lunch. It's like that, but it's just not
in the central city.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
Do you have how long is do you have? Have
you had the same customers for I mean people that
you realize and know their name.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
I have ladies coming under in their nineties, you know,
and so a long time, you know, a long long time.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Three generations. I've got women that say, oh, I bought
my daughter her first ball game, and I bought the
outfit for my son's wedding, and now his daughter's shopping
and can be getting gifts from you. So that is
what we offer indifference to chain stores and businesses where
you don't actually meet the owners.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
And I think when you're in a small store where
it's owner operated, like Sheila and I, you know your
customers so well. You can cure a collection of things
that you know is what they want because they talk
to you, and you can manage your overheads. You don't
have all the admin that a lot of these big
places have, So it's just it's just a better experience
(26:21):
all around for the customer. They know they're going to
find what they want, they can get your help. Yeah,
it's a it's just a people business and it's enjoyable.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
This questions both for you and Shi, how do you
actually keep with the trend? How do you you know
you're not walking down Lamp and Key seeing everybody wearing
other stuff? How do you or are you a trend setter?
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Well? I think you know we're anybody that's in the
business is an influencer in one way or another. And
when you buy, like I buy some of my fashion
brians a year in advance, some six months in advance,
and some twelve weeks in advance, so you're always up
with the play because you're seeing what the designers and
the manufacturers are showing. And you know, we watch movies,
(27:03):
we get you know, we get influenced by life everything
that we see and fashion is cyclical, so we you know,
we kind of know what works and what doesn't. We
know what shapes work on women's bodies and what don't.
So not actually a trend bier. What actually suits women
buyer and what on their lifestyles, so those things never change, Julie.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
Well with me, Like, our customer base is primarily I mean,
I catch a few younger people, but it's thirty plus
and the bulk of it's in my area, which is
women in their fifties, sixties, and seventies. So I wouldn't
say I'm fast fashioned. I'm more into comfort, but still
trying to offer colorful, comfortable, up with the moment sort
(27:49):
of styles without being too edgy, because that's not my
customer base. So I just find that my suppliers are
usually offering the right thing for me, and I'll just
go for whatever I see in their ranges. That's a
good price that my customers are asking for, and I'll
get it I can. I'm operating on a system at
(28:11):
the moment where I'm not buying a head I'm just
buying stock that's available currently. And because of the way
things are in the climate that we're in, there's a
lot of stock available currently that would never have been
in the past, because in the past, when things were pumping,
you had to buy a year out because the stock
wasn't there. But they're all carrying stock now because they've
(28:33):
got retailers who have either closed or can't take stock
they've ordered because they're not busy enough. So there's a
lot of stock that's around the floating around all the time.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Can I talk two things in one, Sheila? Can small
retailers compete with the big box in the Australian I
mean it's all Australia now downtown, Let's be real. I
mean the days of the Vants, Vivian and Man to man.
They're almost on their own. They're on a lineand aren't they?
So can they? Can we continue to compete against them?
(29:04):
And how's Christmas?
Speaker 2 (29:06):
We can compete not on price because big buying, big
format buying, you know, on price, but aren't obviously customer service,
knowing our customers, knowing what they're looking for and while
not price, not cheap price, value for money, and that
person like July creates for her customers. I curate for mine.
(29:27):
I tell I sold two bright pink jackets that are
international look on Saturday to two local ladies. You know,
we definitely can compete with service curation of our product,
knowing our customers, keeping in contact with them, not on
price cheap prices.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Julie, I'll come back to your Juli Christmas time, give
us Christmas. How are you feeling? What's what's the mood?
Two weeks but Christmas?
Speaker 5 (29:55):
I know I feel almost as though I think from
now on, from this week on, it's more and more Christmasy.
But I'm getting back to that question. I think we
can compete because in a world where people are losing
personal contact with others, and you know where technology is
taking over, I think a lot of people enjoy being recognized,
(30:20):
having a social aspect to their shopping, and feeling comfortable
and enjoying the situation when they come into a small
space like ours, being valued.
Speaker 4 (30:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Right, I've got to go to an air break, and
then when I come back, I'm going to ask you
where you're going to take that very special person out.
It's week, two weeks before Christmas. It's a pretty specialized decision,
isn't it right? Oh right, oh right, Oh, Julie Gubb,
you start this because you've done it before. Someone very
very special is coming to Wellington. You're driving out to
Wellington Airport. You've got to entertain them until they can
(30:51):
check into their hotel. You've got a couple of hours.
What are you going to do with them?
Speaker 5 (30:54):
Well, hopefully I've got the whole day, because what I'd
like to do is pick them up, drive right around
the bays to ophio Obay and start there with a
tour of a Pharaoh Bay, Island Bar, Lower Bay and
so on, all the way around Seatoon, Karraka Bay, round
to Shelly Bay, get a coffee at the Shelly Bay
Cafe before it's gone, and then carry on round to
(31:18):
Schafers where we, luckily enough for us, have a boat
and I would take them out. Paul would take them
out on the harbor, show them Wellington from the water,
because the harbor is the jewel, really, isn't it of
the city. And then hopefully when that's over, if the
band Road tunder was open, which is going to be
(31:38):
a great location, I would take them there for a
drink and a meal, but it could be prior to that,
so we'd probably pop up to Kindala for a meal
and a coffee and a drink.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
You've got to push that can.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Pick up at the airport. Spruce Goose, fabulous coffee, fabulous breakfast,
pop into Victoria Street, good retailers there, Glass of Champagne,
Shed five at Dockside or dock Side, Kendala Village for
the afternoon wonderful shopping and then maybe Kashmir Olange for dinner.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
God, I'm coming with you. You've got to You've got
a great day. You've got a great doubt. Well I'm
not saying yours is not great. Julie. Lovely to have
you both and great to see you both. Julie gub
and Sheila Murray Hamilton. I told you it wouldn't take long.
Speaker 5 (32:23):
It's gone gone twice as fast as you think. Yeah,
it does other things that you said, but it's okay because.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
Thank you both for being who you are, your absolute
gold gyms of our city. Love you both for what
you've done for our city.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
Keep it going than we're very lucky to keep it going.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills. Listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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