October 20, 2024 • 32 mins
Brothers Hamish and Robert Vance have been in the menswear business since young boys, eventually following in their grandfather and father's footsteps as directors of Vance Vivan.
The menswear store first opened in October 1924 - and this month celebrates 100 years in business.
The pair joined Nick Mills to discuss their memories, the impact council decisions are having on CBD businesses, and the rise of online shopping.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Said b.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Is your inside word on all things business in the
Capitol with Quinovac, better systems, better reporting, better call, Quinnovic.
Oh eight hundred, quinovec.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Let's get down. Let's get down. Mon.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Characters joining us for the business panel this week are
the directors of Vance Vivian. It's called vance Vivian suddenly.
I don't know why everyone's starting to call it vance Vivian.
When I grew up the last fifty years, it's been
varce Vivian. Maybe I've got it wrong. Hamish and Robert Vance.
Good morning to both of you.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Morning, Nick, how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Can you boo? Firstly explain whether it's vance Vivian or
vance vivia.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Well, our grandmother told us about sixty years ago that
it was vance vivin and from then on it's always
been vance Vivian.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Ye. No, definitely, So why do I call it vance.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Because I'm ignorant?
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Maybe vance and dance and vance dance and dance.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
So it's vance Vivian. Is the pronunciation? There? We got that?
Listen as we've discovered one thing this morning already. Let's
start with one of the reasons. One of the reasons.
It's great to have you both in the studios, but
it's a celebration of sorts for your family business. I mean,
this is a pretty incredible story one hundred years around.
(01:27):
Your business has been around one hundred years. Now to
make things work, let's work this out. It must have
been your grandfather that started the business, and then your father,
who we most Wellingtonians would know because there's a stadium
built at the basein reserved with his name on, so
most people would know him. And then it's you two guys.
So for a start, Robert, you start tell us the
(01:50):
history of the business and why this is so significant.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Well, it was started in nineteen twenty four by our grandfather, George,
and so obviously with a third generation, so you know,
it's been a long haul.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
If you remember George, did you know? Did you?
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Definitely?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yeah, nice conservative man. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Did you grow up with him? Did you? I mean
a lot of our age people didn't. Their grandparents died
when they four or five and you didn't really ever
know them. Did you know your grandfather who started the business?
Speaker 3 (02:17):
I think I was about fifteen or sixteen when he died, so,
you know, I didn't know him in the early years.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Did you ever work with him?
Speaker 3 (02:25):
I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
A memory, What were your memories of your grandfather how
the business started Hamish?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Well, I think our grandfather was out and out retailer.
You know, he loved retail. He started the business. He
was always on the shop floor selling. That was his passion,
you know, to be with customers and clients and outfitting
people in Montington, you know, so he just loved it,
you know, whereas perhaps our father was less inclined to
(02:51):
be on the shop floor.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I was about I was about to come up with
that because ever since I've sort of been able to
understand your father was. I wouldn't call him a showman.
He was, well, he was a showman because he was
the best dressed man in wanting toon. I remember people
talking about that all the time. And he got things
done for the city, didn't He was about making the
city a better place.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Well, he had a lot of interest. You know. He
was obviously into the cricket and a good golfer, so
you know, he had a lot of outside interests apart
from work, and probably to the detriment of the shop
will be bit because you know, he got side tracked
with building the basin, and he was on the ICC
Cricket board chairman and he's on a cricket so all
(03:31):
those things, you know, distracted a little bit from the tasks.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Can I ask you if you worked in the shop
with him?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Definitely? Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Did you know how was that?
Speaker 4 (03:41):
It was fine as long as he left us alone.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
So he was the guy that said, this is my business.
My day's at the front of the store. And you guys,
you young bucks, you don't know at all.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
No, Dad was good because once Robert and I got
into the business, he sort of stood aside a little
bit and let us run the business. I mean, as
Robert said, Dad had a lot of other interests, you knows,
with Smaritans and the ballet and the cracket obviously, and
had a lot of directorships. He had a lot of
other interests, so you know, he just left Robert and
I to run the business. And the business was quite
(04:12):
big at that stage, and especially in the late seventies.
You know, we probably had one hundred staff. Well, we
had shops and lamnin Key Cubistreet obviously lambnin Key Lower
Upper Hut, Marterton, Auckland, christ Church.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
Yeah, so it's quite a big company.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Then they talk about generations and family businesses, which i'll
briefly want to talk about, which is not on script,
but I want to ask you because they say the
grandfather builds the business, the father doesn't really want to
do it, but does it because he has to do it,
and then the grandson's or granddaughters come in and get
it cranking again. Have you got the next generation lined
(04:50):
up or are they that they're gone and dusted and
don't want to know about it.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
I don't think there's going to be a lot after
us somehow, unfortunately.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Yeah, no, we don't know what we're going to do.
But you know, one of your listeners might want to
buy the business, who knows. But no, we haven't got
any plans to retire just yet. So you know, we're
Robert and I pretty happy. The way things are going.
Business is reasonable, so you know it's good. But you
know we've been through over the one hundred years, there's
been a lot of ups and downs.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Obviously, Well, tell us how much how you feel it
is right now compared to the highs and lows. Tell
us getting out of bed at seven o'clock in the morning,
having your shower and go to work. How does it
feel now?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Well, I think as it I said to you before
that when we had a lot of shops, and we
see we had another company which had we were the
first people to open Geen shops in New Zealand, so
we had Geen's Junction. We had about five or six
of those as well. So now I mean it's good
because Robert and I go to work, We've got Connan
who's offside at the shop. There's less stress than having
(05:49):
running staff and other stores. And that's why, you know,
Robert and I are certainly not interested in expanding the
business now. We just want to be happy just having
one store.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
But compare Robert business doing business now to say, twenty
years ago.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Well it's changed obviously, but you know, I get up
in the morning so that I'm opped mystic about things.
You know, I think the dynamics of the business have changed.
You know, we're getting probably thirty percent of our business
now from out of Willington.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
How does that happen? Does that online or is it no?
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Just online yes, but also just with internal tourists and
people from you know, the Lower North Island, Upper South
coming to Willington and shopping because I don't think there's
a lot left in the provinces, you know, if you
want to buy something, you know, upper market quality.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Yep, yeah, I mean I had I had someone and
on yesterday from Gismon that had come down to watch
the netball and you know how to spend up. So
you know, all these sort of events we have in
one I can bring people from all over the provinces.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
So compare it. I want to compare it to when
you were schoolboys working as just after school, which you
would have done in the family business. I mean we
all did it, did we? I mean, you know my
kids talk about selling hot dogs at the base in
Reserve when they're six years old. You know, when we
had the contract there, so I mean work with our parents.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
How was that, Well, I've had lost such a long
time ago, really, but I think it was. Certainly there
was a lot more people around in this in the
CBD than there is now, but the stores were quite busy.
I don't know, really, it's and as Robert said, it's
the dynamics of change, what people are wearing, how they dress.
(07:30):
But you know, we just have to evolve with the times.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Robert, how have you evolved with the times? How have
you changed? Because if I walk past your shop right now,
it looks like at the same shop I walk past,
I mean the modern version of it. Don't get me wrong,
but it's still an upmarket men's clothing shop that once
was on the corner of Cuba and it.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Was it Cuba, but it still isn't up market men.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Yeah, it's sort of saying that's exactly the same to know.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
But you know, whereas we in twenty thirty years ago
would be selling suits, shirts and ties, now we're selling suits, jeans,
t shirts, sneakers, you know, the stuff that people are
wearing now, you know, and it's it's evolved in that way.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Will the suits thing ever come back? Homish?
Speaker 4 (08:10):
We're selling a lot of suits, but I think that's
partly there's a lot of shops that have disappeared. A
lot of the other stores haven't got the range that
we've got. So we still sold a lot of suits
for the government workers obviously, weddings, fathers of the bride,
you know, the lawyers. Lawyers you know, still wear suits,
will have to at certain times so our suit business
(08:32):
is still quite strong.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Would you guys be Robin come to you there because
you're the older brother, would you guys be the longest
serving business and maintain Do you know of has the
other shops? I mean, I know Gubbs was close to
one hundred yearsouln't.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
It in men's well generally?
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Well I heard the Embassy was one hundreds to day.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah, it's not a family business. Hasn't got the same name.
We probably hasn't got the.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Same Partridges were pretty much like us, were they Jews?
I didn't be about it.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Yeah, Partridges of an old company, Stuart Dawson's. They did
an article on the paper about all businesses and there
was most of them are gone now, but there's Radford's.
Evans Is there was only about six or seven that
were as old as us, and most of those are
gone now.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
And how do you feel about it right now? And
how do you I mean when you you know, do
you feel that it's okay? Do you feel like you've
you can last and you can beat the big boys?
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (09:27):
You know we're trading pretty well. But you know, as
I said, the good thing with our business is that
Robert and I are hands on and you know, we're
in the store. Not not right at the moment, obviously,
but generally there's one of us in the store all
the time, so you know, you get to know your
customers and they like to come in and talk sport
and a few things.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
What percentage of Robert would be the people that you
know in the store. Yeah, a percentage would be people that.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Are I'm gussing there but yeah, yeah, well.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
You know, you have a gut feeling of people. You're walking,
I'll get a nick you're back and again.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Yeah, a lot of good regular customers. But we've noticed
over the last two years since we put an online
shop on that we're getting a lot of younger people
through who are new customers right and out of town.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Is hamous. We've heard from all sorts of different businesses
on the show about how difficult it can be operate,
to be operating in the actual CBD. You're on the
Lampton Key, you're right in the middle of the Golden Mile.
What's the mood in the CBD right now?
Speaker 4 (10:26):
It's I think it's a little bit negative, but I
think a lot of that's driven by the media. There's
you know, everything's very negative about Wantington at the moment,
and I feel that it's sort of that's why it's
quite nice. So we get to one hundred, you know,
something a bit more positive. But you know, we're finding
it okay. It's a little bit up and down.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Can you predict what's going to happen the next day
like you would have?
Speaker 4 (10:51):
You know, obviously not in retail, but you know, you
never know what's going to happen, and especially in a
store like ours, when you know you can have a
couple of big spenders coming and.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
That can be big days, like you know, like Friday
used to be always big day in retail.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Is it still Saturday's usually busiest day, but any day
can be busy. But Fridays have changed a little bit, yeah,
because people have tending to, you know, work from home
on a Friday because then they can have a long
weekend and so they don't come into town.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
You see, you're off on a Friday. When I come
into work from the eastern suburbs, there's hardly any traffic
at all, yeah, you know, and yet this morning on
a Monday, there was quite a lot. So the weekends
have become important.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Robert I've kind of been concerning me a little bit lately,
is how long do you think And I'm I'm that
Saturday shop or I come into town on a Saturday.
If I need a shirt or something, I go out
and walk the streets and find it. How long do
you think it's going to be until we still see
the demise? I put in another better word of the
small shops like yours. I'm not saying it's a small shop,
(11:53):
but you know, like privately own small retailer. Do you
reckon that we'll see that in ten or twenty years time.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
I think that's shrunky weebit already, you know, in the
city because the rents are so high that a lot
of the people that can ford the rents of the
chain stores because you know, they can absorb the rents
over the around the country, throughout the country. So it's
getting harder for shops like us to be on Ampton Key.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
So that's why I'm asking, do you think that we'll
see the small retailers in ten or twenty years? Will
it be all witcheries and all these big Australian and
you know, international companies would like you say, they can
absorb the costs.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I think they'll definitely be dominating the CBD. But is
that sad for wellingtoniansh I think it is. But you know,
unless the rents come down, you know, people haven't got
any choice.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Are you starting homous to see the rents coming down?
Are you started to see negotiation and hospitality? We definitely are.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Well, we're locked and so there's not much we can
do for another couple of years. But I wouldn't expect
to pay the rent what I'm paying now next time around.
I'd certainly be looking at a cheaper rent. It's quite
interesting that we did some figures because we had some
diaries from my grandfather. The rents used to be in
the fifties three percent of our turnover. Now you know
(13:06):
it's fifteen or sixteen percent of our turnovers. So you
know it's changed dramatically.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
You see, we operate in hospitality that it can't be
above eight percent. You can't make money if you're rent
above eight percent. That's just our general hospitality thing.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
Yeah, well ours is ours is you know, over fifteen percent?
I think, so, you know it makes it really really difficult.
And it's two gsts, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
And then you've got the increase in freight and insurance
and all that sort of stuff. You know, something mounts up.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
What impact, Robert has their actual working from home? You
talked about it briefly about coming to work on a
Friday and finding the roads empty. How much of an
impact is working from home made? Or is it just
changed the days that people buy? Are they still buying.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
The same amount you're talking about our business? Yeah, more generally,
I mean generally, I think it's affected the city for sure,
you know, with probably more hospitality than for us, because
you know, we were a destination store. So you know,
you wake up one morning and you need a pair
of jeans or on a couple of nice jackets, and see.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Us, right, you see, I would not have thought.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
This is a casual shopper. It's probably changed.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
See I would not have thought to myself, if I'm
going to go and buy a pair of jeans, I'd
go to Varanceivian's.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
But we saw hundreds of jeans. Well yeahs.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
But as Robert said earlier, and that's where the online
shops started, because we people are looking online but then
coming into the store.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Right, So tell tell me, I want to get more
information from you Hams on the actual working from home thing.
So do you think that it actually has impacted your
business or is it just changed the cycle of.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Bit change the cycle a bit, I think. But also
you know, if guys are still you know, sell shorts
and casual where for guys to wear at home, They're
still going to get up and get out of the
pajamas hopefully, so you know, so we've got I think
it just changed a little bit of what we sell
a little bit more upper casual now rather than slightly
more formal were But well.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
I don't think I've ever seen Robert, and I've seen
him a few times over the last forty years, I
don't think I've ever seen him not in a suit.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Well you've obviously only seen me at work.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
But what I meant is that you were you know,
you're not. You're not wearing a suit today.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
I've got a shirt and tie on, mate.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
I know you look. I mean you're very dapper. I'm
not saying that, but you're not. You've got a sports jacket,
your tie and shirt and dark pants. I mean, is
that the new new in.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
That's just a change from wearing a suit. But you know,
in the shop. We always try to wear a shirt
and tie. Oh no, we always do during the week. Yeah, yeah,
weekends will wear jeans and a nice shirt or something.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
I get both of your thoughts and individually on this
one about the tie, because we're seeing now in Parliament
you don't have to wear a tie. I mean, you
guys are formal dresses. So how do you feel about
the fact that ties are out?
Speaker 4 (15:54):
Well, a lot of as Robert say, we wear ties
every day, suits, ties during the week, and we get
so many people come into our store and go, oh,
isn't it nice to see people well dressed, you know,
nice tie and a suit on, good fitting suit. So
we get a lot of people comment and we're selling
a lot of ties, you know, because no one else
you try and find a silk tie. I'm wanting to now,
(16:15):
you know we want of downy shops have got them.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
What do you pay for a silk tie?
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Now?
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Of it? Ninety five? But you can go up higher
if you want to. Wow, But do you tell me, Nick,
what do those guys in parliament look like? Now?
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Yeah, I agree with you. I'd love to make it coloran.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
There's a guy in there that wears a cowboy hat,
so he's obviously a cowboy.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Do you sell cowboy hats that he buys Calby hats
from you?
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Obviously you don't. No, no, yeah, I agree with you.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
I kind of want to ask you a quick couple
of quick questions before we have our news break. How
competition changed for you guys over the last period of time.
Let's let's just go the last ten years.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Well, it's it's got better for us because Kirk's Cocoli's
shut down.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
So that's made it better for you, not worse, because
I remember talking to ham better because I was talking
to Haymoss once and on this show and he was
terrified about them closing down because you said it brought
a whole lot of people from out of town. They
go and have a look and then and then they
come down to your shop and spend in your shop.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
But so that didn't happen, and then you know, obviously
they left and David Jones came in and we never
thought that was going to work. And so that's been
good for us because we've got a younger clientele that
might have shopped there ye now coming to us, and
that's good for our business because you know, it's a
growing phace, isn't it. It is new customer.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
It was it was David Jones you were talking about
that you thought because you thought that a lot of
people came from out of town and that they go
down and spend it. So that hasn't come to reality.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
Not really. And then you've got you know, like Kendles
for Shoes, which was a good shoe shop up by
the Opera House. They've closed in the last few years.
So you know, our shoe business has got improved because
of that. A lot of guys, you know, like that,
like nice shoes have started, you know, coming into school.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Well, I remember friends of mine that come to Wellington,
like you know, well reasonably well to do people saying
they go down to Kendall straight away to buy their shoes.
They had some shoes that you couldn't buy an orchand
or gray shoes.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Yes, if you want a nice payer of European shoes,
you know, now there's probably Bizas and that's about it really.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
So yeah, so you know that part of the business
is sort of improved. So even though it's sad that
Kendles are closed.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Okay, one quick question before I have a break yep.
And I want to ask you individually this, If your
grandfather's down there is such a thing as heaven, and
your grandfather's down looking at you now, Robert, what would
he think of the business? What would he think of
you guys? How would he feel about the business that
it was his inspiration to create?
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Well, I like to think that he'd be quite proud. Actually,
he'd probably look around Willington and be a bit dismayed,
But as far as the business goes, I think you'd
be pretty pleased.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Hamish, I agree, And I think he'd be pleased that
Robert and I are on the floor selling to our customers,
and you know, it was still there, not skyving off somewhere.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
And for an outside of looking at I'd say I'd
agree with you both. I think if if I was
the grandfather and my grandson's are running a business like
that with my name on it, I would say, Holy hell,
how did I create that?
Speaker 3 (19:08):
How did I?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
How did that happen? Now, we did mention on the
show that we've got a prize to give away thanks
to Vance Verman, and Hamos is going to actually tell
us about it right now. Come on, Homus, step up
to the plate.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
Yeah, well, Robert and I have we discovered this shoe
manufacturer in Florence, about an hour out of Florence, Toscana,
and we get all our shoes from this factory. I've
been there, you know, probably three, four or five times
to hand pick the shoes for our store. All sort
(19:42):
of handcrafted in hand finished, and you know, a beautiful
letter and we do with this company. We do you know, boots,
formal shoes, you know, beautiful sneakers, loafers, so covering pretty
much everything. And we'd like to give away three pairs
worth five hundred dollars each wow pair, not each shoe,
(20:04):
but each pair. And you know, so we'd like to
give away three peers to your listeners.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Okay, so how do our listeners win those? Have you
got that in front of you or not?
Speaker 4 (20:14):
I think they need to register. You could text the yep.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
I think they've got a text and on our website.
It's on the website. So you've got to go on
and register on our website.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
There it is.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
It's a competition's page news talk set b dot co
dot m Z competition's page. That's how you register. And
we'll keep announcing what we do with that? How good
is that? Fantastic?
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Great?
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Five hundred dollars pairs of.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
Shoes yep, and as three of them yep, three peers
and they can come and choose what they want where
theyrean't sneakers or boots or formal shoes, whatever they want.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Fantastic. There you go. We always like giving away things
on newstalks. There b I want to talk to you
about the Walington City Council. I can't have you in
the studio and not mentioning what's been going on. And
I know amous you have been really involved in a
lot of the meetings. You've been involved with what's going
on with the Golden Mile. I want to know what
your thoughts are and what impacts the council's decisions such
(21:12):
as increasing cycle lanes, reductions of parking and the impeding
Golden Mile redevelopment on your business, impending Golden Mile development
on your business. Tell us where you are right now
with it.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
Well, I think the thing that upsets me the most
is that I've been to a few of the meetings
with the council and the mayor and they just don't listen,
you know, they're just ticking a box. They get you
in there and so they can say that they've had
us there and they ticked the box. Robert and I
have our business. As I said, we had a lot
of shops at one stage, and you know Cuba Street,
(21:46):
we were there when they built the cub mall and
then they put them Manis Morland and it changed the
whole area.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
You know.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
We had people hanging around at nights drinking, we'd broken windows,
graffiti and it wasn't the only reason, but that was
one of the reasons. We moved from there down to
the Key and we had a store in christ Church
which was in the square. They took all the parking
away in the square and within about a year and
a half our shop had closed. So you know, we've
(22:16):
had the experience of what you know, closing streets down
does and taking away car parks and it's not a
good thing, you know, and it's not going to do
our business any good.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Has the council engaged with you.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
At all, Robert, No, I mean I'm like Hamish. I
went to a meeting at Prefab and sat there for
an hour and a half with a couple of councilors.
I won't say that they were, and I had the
feeling that they would rather be sitting around knitting a
cardigan or something than listening to us. And I basically
left that meeting and thought, well, I'm not going to
bother anymore with going to the meetings. But I think
(22:51):
the other thing that is that shutting off all the
streets and Lampton Key and taking the car parks away
is not good socially because now we've got all the
social housing down there, a lot of social housing. It
gives the areas for the people to hang around and
you know, in the morning's a lot of them hanging
around drinking in the ware. There's seats and there's no traffic,
(23:13):
and it's not good for that. You know, it causes problems.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Do either of you have confidence in the council.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
No. I've got confidence in some of the counselors, but overall.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
No, haymous no, none. Just feel it needs to I.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Think they need a big, big change. We need a
mayor with a bit more vision, and I think they
need to listen to people, you know, like yourself and
us a retailers in hospitality, and you work out what
is needed and spend the money where it's needed because
they haven't got a lot to spend.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
I want to ask you one more quick question before
I go to a break of it. You're like, I can.
I'm just looking at my producer there. You know, you
hear all the stories about the government considering intervening. What
are your thoughts? What are you Robert? What are your
thoughts on that? Do you think the government needs to
do something?
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Yeah? I do. Actually I think they're talking about an observer,
which would probably be a good start, just to get
someone experienced in there to lend them a hand and
facilitate meetings and maybe get some good decisions. But I
think the people are responsible for that Thorndon Key area.
I mean even someone from the last council. Perhaps they
(24:23):
should be tar and feathered and made to walk through
that well in consensual.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Hamous your thoughts do you think the government should jump in?
Speaker 4 (24:32):
You know the problem the government Scott is that we've
got a left and green council. You know, if a
center right government goes in and takes over, there's you
know they're going to be jumping up and down and
saying it's political and it's not political, it's it's really
it's about the city council.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
The CPI is now back within the reserves banks target range,
and it looks likely the war on inflation has been
one Robert? For how long until people will actually vote
with their feet and start spending? Do you think it'll
make a difference?
Speaker 3 (24:59):
I hope.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
So you think, well, what's your gut telling you? Did
you listen to it and wait to hear what was
going on?
Speaker 3 (25:05):
Yeah? I sort of take I've got three or four
really good mates in real estate and it's important to them,
and I guess that will let it flow on through
the trade and through to us.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
How hamous has the inflation and relative economy slowed down
affected the business? Is it actually noticeable? Is it noticeable
when the interest rates are higher and things are that?
Speaker 4 (25:26):
Well? I feel it not really, you know, like a
interest rates or mortgage rates don't affect me personally because
I haven't got a mortgage. But you know, I've got
three kids with houses, and you know, the mortgage rates
go up, you know, and now they might start coming down,
but of course these kids have got to then face
insurance bills are going through the roof. The council rates
are going up so much you know, so it's any
(25:48):
little extra they have to treats you to go out
for dinner or do things. You know, it's probably evaporating
a little bit. And as I said, it's insurance, it's
all the other things at it that are going up.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
I want to also ask you about the cruise season
because it's begun. I believe there's a ship in todays.
You were saying there a lot of visitors the city.
As a retailer and upmarket retailer, how many customers are
visiting from outside the region, and do you actually get
anything from these cruise ships.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
Well, we certainly, as Robert said earlier, we get a
lot of people from outside the provinces, you know, guys
from Wanganui and Palmerston, North Nelson that come over to shop.
The cruise ships make the CBD feel good because there's
a lot of people wandering around. We don't actually sell
a lot to them. But occasionally you get a smaller
ship in with that are full of Europeans that know
(26:38):
our brands and they might come in and have a
spend up. But the big ships with five or six
thousand people on that, they generally they don't spend in
this our store.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
They generally budget holiday trips on the big ships. Yeah,
are they really?
Speaker 2 (26:52):
We didn't know that. I didn't know that. So how much?
I mean, how much are you concerned about the number
of cruise ships coming to Arlington's going to drop off
this year? Are you either in your concern? Do you
think about it and say, well, gosh, that's going to
hurt us a little bit.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
No, it's not going to fit does much. It might
affect the city and the cafes.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
But where does all this money that so called comes
from the cruise ships? Now I'm in hospitality, we get
none of it. Well, I don't think we get any
of it. We might get the odd coffee and the
odd beer, but not really because they get it free.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
On the on the and I think that you know,
the bus companies, you know the bit of obviously the
cable car, there's always hundreds of people qued up.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Let's right opposite you. He doesn't.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
I think I think that certainly, Robert, As I said,
the bus companies they take bus groups up to around
the pen Corro, they take them over to martin Borough,
up to Capity, So I think they must do okay, America's.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Cup just quickly before I take a quick break. America's Cup.
We've we've defended it, we've won it again. Do you
think that the New Zealand government should pull out all
stops and try and bring it back to New Zealand
or is it that has that gone now?
Speaker 3 (27:58):
Robert? I think it probably has. But she wouldn't it
be great to have it in Willington?
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Yeah? Why is it that never one's ever talked about
that from Wantington when we've got wins and Harbor.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
Yeah. I don't know. Maybe it's probably just not big enough.
I think it's infrastructure.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Yeah, I think they've only got about a twenty nine
you know limit on the wind. Well that'd be that'll
be just a breeze and wanning.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
So we can't we're too windy for a yacht race.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Help exciting seeing them? Wasn't around point duning them, Wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
It, wouldn't it? What don't forget Tosskhana Italian shoes? Oh
my gosh, we're giving three pairs away, valued at five
hundred dollars a pair. All you need to do is
register on the competition's page at new Stalk zebb dot
co dot m Z and we'll be calling three winners
throughout the course of the week here on the show.
Here's a little bit of a tip for you. I'm
not supposed to say this, but I'm going to say
(28:43):
it anyway. You can register someone you know for the
prize too. Get a brand new pair of hand crafted shoes.
You know I don't have a pair of hand crafted
shoes in my wardrobe. Tosskanna. I'm going to look at
them online and see how good they are. Right, Oh,
let's let's talk someone special. You haven't seen them for
a while, never been to Wellington before. They're very very
(29:05):
special to You're driving to the airport and you had
to pick them up and take them out and show
them Wellington. Let's start with you, Robert. What are you
going to do with them?
Speaker 3 (29:13):
Well, I've done it before that whenever we get Europeans
in for business, I'll pick them up the airport and
take them straight up the top of Mount Victoria and
they can get the whole view and panorama of Wellington.
And they're always impressed, are they?
Speaker 2 (29:28):
What else do you do when you take them somewhere?
Is there somewhere special or that you know that you
could take them to impress them for a coffee or
a lunch or something.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Well, if it's mates coming in, the first thing we
always do is there's a little sports bar and Bond
Street called the Bond So we all go in there
and have a beer because it's you know, well priced
and nice people. Great.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
There you go, a good plug for the Bond Street.
You go, yeah, heymus, what are you going to do
with these very special people that you're picking up? Might
be the same people might be that, you know, Europeans
coming in to look at your shop and do a
deal with you.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
Sure, Like Robert, I actually take them up to the
top of Mountain Back just so they can see what
a beautiful city we've got. But in the pass, Robert
and I've taken them to Shelley Bay and I had
white bait. In the really old days, my father used
to take them to Ol Casino and you know, eat
three dozen oysters.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
We always talk about El Casino. It's part of Wellington
history that we never forget.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
Romeiro always looked after us. It was great.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
He would be the best. It's a goat, isn't he
the best of all time?
Speaker 3 (30:31):
Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (30:31):
Yeah no, But you know there's lots of good restaurants
that you know. I can't go past you know the
Bullcott that's Trow I always loved them. And there the
other day I went to before Wow, I went to
Master Kong on the wharf, enjoyed that there Bao buns
or to die for God?
Speaker 2 (30:48):
There you go there. That's what Wellington's been taken out
by two? Would they have to dress smartly like you guys?
Because you two are the two best dressed young men
and Wellington, aren't you? Is that something you pride yourself?
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Thanks? I think you should get a pair of those
shoes compliments.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
I can't, I can't win those shoes. You are every
time you see your whatever you are, you're dressed absolutely immaculately.
And I suppose if you own a clothes shop, but
that's almost like saying every time you see me, I'm
drunk because I sell beer, though, isn't it?
Speaker 4 (31:15):
That's right?
Speaker 1 (31:16):
No?
Speaker 4 (31:16):
But we you know, you should just catch us when
I'm at home on the weekends. For shorts and jandles.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
I bet you they'll still be designed as shorts and jandles. Yeah,
what about cowboy hats? I reckon you should get it into
cowboy hats because a certain politicians and a big salary
that likes cowboy hats.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
And he does it look like you came from up
tye happy somewhere.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Thank you both very much for joining us. This sporting's better,
absolute pleasure. Getting to know that your name is Vance,
not Vance Vance Vance Vin, and thank you for all
the things that you and your family have done for
our city. You should not go unnoticed that you you know,
your whole generations all through the three generations have been
amazing welling Tonians and we're very very lucky to have
a family like yours as part of our history.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
Thanks very much for having us, Nick, it's been great.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
Yeah, thank great.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
And Judy Gubb for me the top things.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
Julie Gub would be a great mayor.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
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 Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Said b.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Is your inside word on all things business in the
Capitol with Quinovac, better systems, better reporting, better call, Quinnovic.
Oh eight hundred, quinovec.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Let's get down. Let's get down. Mon.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Characters joining us for the business panel this week are
the directors of Vance Vivian. It's called vance Vivian suddenly.
I don't know why everyone's starting to call it vance Vivian.
When I grew up the last fifty years, it's been
varce Vivian. Maybe I've got it wrong. Hamish and Robert Vance.
Good morning to both of you.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Morning, Nick, how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Can you boo? Firstly explain whether it's vance Vivian or
vance vivia.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Well, our grandmother told us about sixty years ago that
it was vance vivin and from then on it's always
been vance Vivian.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Ye. No, definitely, So why do I call it vance.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Because I'm ignorant?
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Maybe vance and dance and vance dance and dance.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
So it's vance Vivian. Is the pronunciation? There? We got that?
Listen as we've discovered one thing this morning already. Let's
start with one of the reasons. One of the reasons.
It's great to have you both in the studios, but
it's a celebration of sorts for your family business. I mean,
this is a pretty incredible story one hundred years around.
(01:27):
Your business has been around one hundred years. Now to
make things work, let's work this out. It must have
been your grandfather that started the business, and then your father,
who we most Wellingtonians would know because there's a stadium
built at the basein reserved with his name on, so
most people would know him. And then it's you two guys.
So for a start, Robert, you start tell us the
(01:50):
history of the business and why this is so significant.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Well, it was started in nineteen twenty four by our grandfather, George,
and so obviously with a third generation, so you know,
it's been a long haul.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
If you remember George, did you know? Did you?
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Definitely?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yeah, nice conservative man. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Did you grow up with him? Did you? I mean
a lot of our age people didn't. Their grandparents died
when they four or five and you didn't really ever
know them. Did you know your grandfather who started the business?
Speaker 3 (02:17):
I think I was about fifteen or sixteen when he died, so,
you know, I didn't know him in the early years.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Did you ever work with him?
Speaker 3 (02:25):
I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
A memory, What were your memories of your grandfather how
the business started Hamish?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Well, I think our grandfather was out and out retailer.
You know, he loved retail. He started the business. He
was always on the shop floor selling. That was his passion,
you know, to be with customers and clients and outfitting
people in Montington, you know, so he just loved it,
you know, whereas perhaps our father was less inclined to
(02:51):
be on the shop floor.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I was about I was about to come up with
that because ever since I've sort of been able to
understand your father was. I wouldn't call him a showman.
He was, well, he was a showman because he was
the best dressed man in wanting toon. I remember people
talking about that all the time. And he got things
done for the city, didn't He was about making the
city a better place.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Well, he had a lot of interest. You know. He
was obviously into the cricket and a good golfer, so
you know, he had a lot of outside interests apart
from work, and probably to the detriment of the shop
will be bit because you know, he got side tracked
with building the basin, and he was on the ICC
Cricket board chairman and he's on a cricket so all
(03:31):
those things, you know, distracted a little bit from the tasks.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Can I ask you if you worked in the shop
with him?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Definitely? Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Did you know how was that?
Speaker 4 (03:41):
It was fine as long as he left us alone.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
So he was the guy that said, this is my business.
My day's at the front of the store. And you guys,
you young bucks, you don't know at all.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
No, Dad was good because once Robert and I got
into the business, he sort of stood aside a little
bit and let us run the business. I mean, as
Robert said, Dad had a lot of other interests, you knows,
with Smaritans and the ballet and the cracket obviously, and
had a lot of directorships. He had a lot of
other interests, so you know, he just left Robert and
I to run the business. And the business was quite
(04:12):
big at that stage, and especially in the late seventies.
You know, we probably had one hundred staff. Well, we
had shops and lamnin Key Cubistreet obviously lambnin Key Lower
Upper Hut, Marterton, Auckland, christ Church.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
Yeah, so it's quite a big company.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Then they talk about generations and family businesses, which i'll
briefly want to talk about, which is not on script,
but I want to ask you because they say the
grandfather builds the business, the father doesn't really want to
do it, but does it because he has to do it,
and then the grandson's or granddaughters come in and get
it cranking again. Have you got the next generation lined
(04:50):
up or are they that they're gone and dusted and
don't want to know about it.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
I don't think there's going to be a lot after
us somehow, unfortunately.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Yeah, no, we don't know what we're going to do.
But you know, one of your listeners might want to
buy the business, who knows. But no, we haven't got
any plans to retire just yet. So you know, we're
Robert and I pretty happy. The way things are going.
Business is reasonable, so you know it's good. But you
know we've been through over the one hundred years, there's
been a lot of ups and downs.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Obviously, Well, tell us how much how you feel it
is right now compared to the highs and lows. Tell
us getting out of bed at seven o'clock in the morning,
having your shower and go to work. How does it
feel now?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Well, I think as it I said to you before
that when we had a lot of shops, and we
see we had another company which had we were the
first people to open Geen shops in New Zealand, so
we had Geen's Junction. We had about five or six
of those as well. So now I mean it's good
because Robert and I go to work, We've got Connan
who's offside at the shop. There's less stress than having
(05:49):
running staff and other stores. And that's why, you know,
Robert and I are certainly not interested in expanding the
business now. We just want to be happy just having
one store.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
But compare Robert business doing business now to say, twenty
years ago.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Well it's changed obviously, but you know, I get up
in the morning so that I'm opped mystic about things.
You know, I think the dynamics of the business have changed.
You know, we're getting probably thirty percent of our business
now from out of Willington.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
How does that happen? Does that online or is it no?
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Just online yes, but also just with internal tourists and
people from you know, the Lower North Island, Upper South
coming to Willington and shopping because I don't think there's
a lot left in the provinces, you know, if you
want to buy something, you know, upper market quality.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Yep, yeah, I mean I had I had someone and
on yesterday from Gismon that had come down to watch
the netball and you know how to spend up. So
you know, all these sort of events we have in
one I can bring people from all over the provinces.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
So compare it. I want to compare it to when
you were schoolboys working as just after school, which you
would have done in the family business. I mean we
all did it, did we? I mean, you know my
kids talk about selling hot dogs at the base in
Reserve when they're six years old. You know, when we
had the contract there, so I mean work with our parents.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
How was that, Well, I've had lost such a long
time ago, really, but I think it was. Certainly there
was a lot more people around in this in the
CBD than there is now, but the stores were quite busy.
I don't know, really, it's and as Robert said, it's
the dynamics of change, what people are wearing, how they dress.
(07:30):
But you know, we just have to evolve with the times.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Robert, how have you evolved with the times? How have
you changed? Because if I walk past your shop right now,
it looks like at the same shop I walk past,
I mean the modern version of it. Don't get me wrong,
but it's still an upmarket men's clothing shop that once
was on the corner of Cuba and it.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Was it Cuba, but it still isn't up market men.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Yeah, it's sort of saying that's exactly the same to know.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
But you know, whereas we in twenty thirty years ago
would be selling suits, shirts and ties, now we're selling suits, jeans,
t shirts, sneakers, you know, the stuff that people are
wearing now, you know, and it's it's evolved in that way.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Will the suits thing ever come back? Homish?
Speaker 4 (08:10):
We're selling a lot of suits, but I think that's
partly there's a lot of shops that have disappeared. A
lot of the other stores haven't got the range that
we've got. So we still sold a lot of suits
for the government workers obviously, weddings, fathers of the bride,
you know, the lawyers. Lawyers you know, still wear suits,
will have to at certain times so our suit business
(08:32):
is still quite strong.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Would you guys be Robin come to you there because
you're the older brother, would you guys be the longest
serving business and maintain Do you know of has the
other shops? I mean, I know Gubbs was close to
one hundred yearsouln't.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
It in men's well generally?
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Well I heard the Embassy was one hundreds to day.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah, it's not a family business. Hasn't got the same name.
We probably hasn't got the.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Same Partridges were pretty much like us, were they Jews?
I didn't be about it.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Yeah, Partridges of an old company, Stuart Dawson's. They did
an article on the paper about all businesses and there
was most of them are gone now, but there's Radford's.
Evans Is there was only about six or seven that
were as old as us, and most of those are
gone now.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
And how do you feel about it right now? And
how do you I mean when you you know, do
you feel that it's okay? Do you feel like you've
you can last and you can beat the big boys?
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (09:27):
You know we're trading pretty well. But you know, as
I said, the good thing with our business is that
Robert and I are hands on and you know, we're
in the store. Not not right at the moment, obviously,
but generally there's one of us in the store all
the time, so you know, you get to know your
customers and they like to come in and talk sport
and a few things.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
What percentage of Robert would be the people that you
know in the store. Yeah, a percentage would be people that.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Are I'm gussing there but yeah, yeah, well.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
You know, you have a gut feeling of people. You're walking,
I'll get a nick you're back and again.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Yeah, a lot of good regular customers. But we've noticed
over the last two years since we put an online
shop on that we're getting a lot of younger people
through who are new customers right and out of town.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Is hamous. We've heard from all sorts of different businesses
on the show about how difficult it can be operate,
to be operating in the actual CBD. You're on the
Lampton Key, you're right in the middle of the Golden Mile.
What's the mood in the CBD right now?
Speaker 4 (10:26):
It's I think it's a little bit negative, but I
think a lot of that's driven by the media. There's
you know, everything's very negative about Wantington at the moment,
and I feel that it's sort of that's why it's
quite nice. So we get to one hundred, you know,
something a bit more positive. But you know, we're finding
it okay. It's a little bit up and down.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Can you predict what's going to happen the next day
like you would have?
Speaker 4 (10:51):
You know, obviously not in retail, but you know, you
never know what's going to happen, and especially in a
store like ours, when you know you can have a
couple of big spenders coming and.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
That can be big days, like you know, like Friday
used to be always big day in retail.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Is it still Saturday's usually busiest day, but any day
can be busy. But Fridays have changed a little bit, yeah,
because people have tending to, you know, work from home
on a Friday because then they can have a long
weekend and so they don't come into town.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
You see, you're off on a Friday. When I come
into work from the eastern suburbs, there's hardly any traffic
at all, yeah, you know, and yet this morning on
a Monday, there was quite a lot. So the weekends
have become important.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Robert I've kind of been concerning me a little bit lately,
is how long do you think And I'm I'm that
Saturday shop or I come into town on a Saturday.
If I need a shirt or something, I go out
and walk the streets and find it. How long do
you think it's going to be until we still see
the demise? I put in another better word of the
small shops like yours. I'm not saying it's a small shop,
(11:53):
but you know, like privately own small retailer. Do you
reckon that we'll see that in ten or twenty years time.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
I think that's shrunky weebit already, you know, in the
city because the rents are so high that a lot
of the people that can ford the rents of the
chain stores because you know, they can absorb the rents
over the around the country, throughout the country. So it's
getting harder for shops like us to be on Ampton Key.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
So that's why I'm asking, do you think that we'll
see the small retailers in ten or twenty years? Will
it be all witcheries and all these big Australian and
you know, international companies would like you say, they can
absorb the costs.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I think they'll definitely be dominating the CBD. But is
that sad for wellingtoniansh I think it is. But you know,
unless the rents come down, you know, people haven't got
any choice.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Are you starting homous to see the rents coming down?
Are you started to see negotiation and hospitality? We definitely are.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Well, we're locked and so there's not much we can
do for another couple of years. But I wouldn't expect
to pay the rent what I'm paying now next time around.
I'd certainly be looking at a cheaper rent. It's quite
interesting that we did some figures because we had some
diaries from my grandfather. The rents used to be in
the fifties three percent of our turnover. Now you know
(13:06):
it's fifteen or sixteen percent of our turnovers. So you
know it's changed dramatically.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
You see, we operate in hospitality that it can't be
above eight percent. You can't make money if you're rent
above eight percent. That's just our general hospitality thing.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
Yeah, well ours is ours is you know, over fifteen percent?
I think, so, you know it makes it really really difficult.
And it's two gsts, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
And then you've got the increase in freight and insurance
and all that sort of stuff. You know, something mounts up.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
What impact, Robert has their actual working from home? You
talked about it briefly about coming to work on a
Friday and finding the roads empty. How much of an
impact is working from home made? Or is it just
changed the days that people buy? Are they still buying.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
The same amount you're talking about our business? Yeah, more generally,
I mean generally, I think it's affected the city for sure,
you know, with probably more hospitality than for us, because
you know, we were a destination store. So you know,
you wake up one morning and you need a pair
of jeans or on a couple of nice jackets, and see.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Us, right, you see, I would not have thought.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
This is a casual shopper. It's probably changed.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
See I would not have thought to myself, if I'm
going to go and buy a pair of jeans, I'd
go to Varanceivian's.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
But we saw hundreds of jeans. Well yeahs.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
But as Robert said earlier, and that's where the online
shops started, because we people are looking online but then
coming into the store.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Right, So tell tell me, I want to get more
information from you Hams on the actual working from home thing.
So do you think that it actually has impacted your
business or is it just changed the cycle of.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Bit change the cycle a bit, I think. But also
you know, if guys are still you know, sell shorts
and casual where for guys to wear at home, They're
still going to get up and get out of the
pajamas hopefully, so you know, so we've got I think
it just changed a little bit of what we sell
a little bit more upper casual now rather than slightly
more formal were But well.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
I don't think I've ever seen Robert, and I've seen
him a few times over the last forty years, I
don't think I've ever seen him not in a suit.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Well you've obviously only seen me at work.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
But what I meant is that you were you know,
you're not. You're not wearing a suit today.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
I've got a shirt and tie on, mate.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
I know you look. I mean you're very dapper. I'm
not saying that, but you're not. You've got a sports jacket,
your tie and shirt and dark pants. I mean, is
that the new new in.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
That's just a change from wearing a suit. But you know,
in the shop. We always try to wear a shirt
and tie. Oh no, we always do during the week. Yeah, yeah,
weekends will wear jeans and a nice shirt or something.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
I get both of your thoughts and individually on this
one about the tie, because we're seeing now in Parliament
you don't have to wear a tie. I mean, you
guys are formal dresses. So how do you feel about
the fact that ties are out?
Speaker 4 (15:54):
Well, a lot of as Robert say, we wear ties
every day, suits, ties during the week, and we get
so many people come into our store and go, oh,
isn't it nice to see people well dressed, you know,
nice tie and a suit on, good fitting suit. So
we get a lot of people comment and we're selling
a lot of ties, you know, because no one else
you try and find a silk tie. I'm wanting to now,
(16:15):
you know we want of downy shops have got them.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
What do you pay for a silk tie?
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Now?
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Of it? Ninety five? But you can go up higher
if you want to. Wow, But do you tell me, Nick,
what do those guys in parliament look like? Now?
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Yeah, I agree with you. I'd love to make it coloran.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
There's a guy in there that wears a cowboy hat,
so he's obviously a cowboy.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Do you sell cowboy hats that he buys Calby hats
from you?
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Obviously you don't. No, no, yeah, I agree with you.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
I kind of want to ask you a quick couple
of quick questions before we have our news break. How
competition changed for you guys over the last period of time.
Let's let's just go the last ten years.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Well, it's it's got better for us because Kirk's Cocoli's
shut down.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
So that's made it better for you, not worse, because
I remember talking to ham better because I was talking
to Haymoss once and on this show and he was
terrified about them closing down because you said it brought
a whole lot of people from out of town. They
go and have a look and then and then they
come down to your shop and spend in your shop.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
But so that didn't happen, and then you know, obviously
they left and David Jones came in and we never
thought that was going to work. And so that's been
good for us because we've got a younger clientele that
might have shopped there ye now coming to us, and
that's good for our business because you know, it's a
growing phace, isn't it. It is new customer.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
It was it was David Jones you were talking about
that you thought because you thought that a lot of
people came from out of town and that they go
down and spend it. So that hasn't come to reality.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
Not really. And then you've got you know, like Kendles
for Shoes, which was a good shoe shop up by
the Opera House. They've closed in the last few years.
So you know, our shoe business has got improved because
of that. A lot of guys, you know, like that,
like nice shoes have started, you know, coming into school.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Well, I remember friends of mine that come to Wellington,
like you know, well reasonably well to do people saying
they go down to Kendall straight away to buy their shoes.
They had some shoes that you couldn't buy an orchand
or gray shoes.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Yes, if you want a nice payer of European shoes,
you know, now there's probably Bizas and that's about it really.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
So yeah, so you know that part of the business
is sort of improved. So even though it's sad that
Kendles are closed.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Okay, one quick question before I have a break yep.
And I want to ask you individually this, If your
grandfather's down there is such a thing as heaven, and
your grandfather's down looking at you now, Robert, what would
he think of the business? What would he think of
you guys? How would he feel about the business that
it was his inspiration to create?
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Well, I like to think that he'd be quite proud. Actually,
he'd probably look around Willington and be a bit dismayed,
But as far as the business goes, I think you'd
be pretty pleased.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Hamish, I agree, And I think he'd be pleased that
Robert and I are on the floor selling to our customers,
and you know, it was still there, not skyving off somewhere.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
And for an outside of looking at I'd say I'd
agree with you both. I think if if I was
the grandfather and my grandson's are running a business like
that with my name on it, I would say, Holy hell,
how did I create that?
Speaker 3 (19:08):
How did I?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
How did that happen? Now, we did mention on the
show that we've got a prize to give away thanks
to Vance Verman, and Hamos is going to actually tell
us about it right now. Come on, Homus, step up
to the plate.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
Yeah, well, Robert and I have we discovered this shoe
manufacturer in Florence, about an hour out of Florence, Toscana,
and we get all our shoes from this factory. I've
been there, you know, probably three, four or five times
to hand pick the shoes for our store. All sort
(19:42):
of handcrafted in hand finished, and you know, a beautiful
letter and we do with this company. We do you know, boots,
formal shoes, you know, beautiful sneakers, loafers, so covering pretty
much everything. And we'd like to give away three pairs
worth five hundred dollars each wow pair, not each shoe,
(20:04):
but each pair. And you know, so we'd like to
give away three peers to your listeners.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Okay, so how do our listeners win those? Have you
got that in front of you or not?
Speaker 4 (20:14):
I think they need to register. You could text the yep.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
I think they've got a text and on our website.
It's on the website. So you've got to go on
and register on our website.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
There it is.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
It's a competition's page news talk set b dot co
dot m Z competition's page. That's how you register. And
we'll keep announcing what we do with that? How good
is that? Fantastic?
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Great?
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Five hundred dollars pairs of.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
Shoes yep, and as three of them yep, three peers
and they can come and choose what they want where
theyrean't sneakers or boots or formal shoes, whatever they want.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Fantastic. There you go. We always like giving away things
on newstalks. There b I want to talk to you
about the Walington City Council. I can't have you in
the studio and not mentioning what's been going on. And
I know amous you have been really involved in a
lot of the meetings. You've been involved with what's going
on with the Golden Mile. I want to know what
your thoughts are and what impacts the council's decisions such
(21:12):
as increasing cycle lanes, reductions of parking and the impeding
Golden Mile redevelopment on your business, impending Golden Mile development
on your business. Tell us where you are right now
with it.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
Well, I think the thing that upsets me the most
is that I've been to a few of the meetings
with the council and the mayor and they just don't listen,
you know, they're just ticking a box. They get you
in there and so they can say that they've had
us there and they ticked the box. Robert and I
have our business. As I said, we had a lot
of shops at one stage, and you know Cuba Street,
(21:46):
we were there when they built the cub mall and
then they put them Manis Morland and it changed the
whole area.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
You know.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
We had people hanging around at nights drinking, we'd broken windows,
graffiti and it wasn't the only reason, but that was
one of the reasons. We moved from there down to
the Key and we had a store in christ Church
which was in the square. They took all the parking
away in the square and within about a year and
a half our shop had closed. So you know, we've
(22:16):
had the experience of what you know, closing streets down
does and taking away car parks and it's not a
good thing, you know, and it's not going to do
our business any good.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Has the council engaged with you.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
At all, Robert, No, I mean I'm like Hamish. I
went to a meeting at Prefab and sat there for
an hour and a half with a couple of councilors.
I won't say that they were, and I had the
feeling that they would rather be sitting around knitting a
cardigan or something than listening to us. And I basically
left that meeting and thought, well, I'm not going to
bother anymore with going to the meetings. But I think
(22:51):
the other thing that is that shutting off all the
streets and Lampton Key and taking the car parks away
is not good socially because now we've got all the
social housing down there, a lot of social housing. It
gives the areas for the people to hang around and
you know, in the morning's a lot of them hanging
around drinking in the ware. There's seats and there's no traffic,
(23:13):
and it's not good for that. You know, it causes problems.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Do either of you have confidence in the council.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
No. I've got confidence in some of the counselors, but overall.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
No, haymous no, none. Just feel it needs to I.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Think they need a big, big change. We need a
mayor with a bit more vision, and I think they
need to listen to people, you know, like yourself and
us a retailers in hospitality, and you work out what
is needed and spend the money where it's needed because
they haven't got a lot to spend.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
I want to ask you one more quick question before
I go to a break of it. You're like, I can.
I'm just looking at my producer there. You know, you
hear all the stories about the government considering intervening. What
are your thoughts? What are you Robert? What are your
thoughts on that? Do you think the government needs to
do something?
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Yeah? I do. Actually I think they're talking about an observer,
which would probably be a good start, just to get
someone experienced in there to lend them a hand and
facilitate meetings and maybe get some good decisions. But I
think the people are responsible for that Thorndon Key area.
I mean even someone from the last council. Perhaps they
(24:23):
should be tar and feathered and made to walk through
that well in consensual.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Hamous your thoughts do you think the government should jump in?
Speaker 4 (24:32):
You know the problem the government Scott is that we've
got a left and green council. You know, if a
center right government goes in and takes over, there's you
know they're going to be jumping up and down and
saying it's political and it's not political, it's it's really
it's about the city council.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
The CPI is now back within the reserves banks target range,
and it looks likely the war on inflation has been
one Robert? For how long until people will actually vote
with their feet and start spending? Do you think it'll
make a difference?
Speaker 3 (24:59):
I hope.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
So you think, well, what's your gut telling you? Did
you listen to it and wait to hear what was
going on?
Speaker 3 (25:05):
Yeah? I sort of take I've got three or four
really good mates in real estate and it's important to them,
and I guess that will let it flow on through
the trade and through to us.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
How hamous has the inflation and relative economy slowed down
affected the business? Is it actually noticeable? Is it noticeable
when the interest rates are higher and things are that?
Speaker 4 (25:26):
Well? I feel it not really, you know, like a
interest rates or mortgage rates don't affect me personally because
I haven't got a mortgage. But you know, I've got
three kids with houses, and you know, the mortgage rates
go up, you know, and now they might start coming down,
but of course these kids have got to then face
insurance bills are going through the roof. The council rates
are going up so much you know, so it's any
(25:48):
little extra they have to treats you to go out
for dinner or do things. You know, it's probably evaporating
a little bit. And as I said, it's insurance, it's
all the other things at it that are going up.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
I want to also ask you about the cruise season
because it's begun. I believe there's a ship in todays.
You were saying there a lot of visitors the city.
As a retailer and upmarket retailer, how many customers are
visiting from outside the region, and do you actually get
anything from these cruise ships.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
Well, we certainly, as Robert said earlier, we get a
lot of people from outside the provinces, you know, guys
from Wanganui and Palmerston, North Nelson that come over to shop.
The cruise ships make the CBD feel good because there's
a lot of people wandering around. We don't actually sell
a lot to them. But occasionally you get a smaller
ship in with that are full of Europeans that know
(26:38):
our brands and they might come in and have a
spend up. But the big ships with five or six
thousand people on that, they generally they don't spend in
this our store.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
They generally budget holiday trips on the big ships. Yeah,
are they really?
Speaker 2 (26:52):
We didn't know that. I didn't know that. So how much?
I mean, how much are you concerned about the number
of cruise ships coming to Arlington's going to drop off
this year? Are you either in your concern? Do you
think about it and say, well, gosh, that's going to
hurt us a little bit.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
No, it's not going to fit does much. It might
affect the city and the cafes.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
But where does all this money that so called comes
from the cruise ships? Now I'm in hospitality, we get
none of it. Well, I don't think we get any
of it. We might get the odd coffee and the
odd beer, but not really because they get it free.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
On the on the and I think that you know,
the bus companies, you know the bit of obviously the
cable car, there's always hundreds of people qued up.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Let's right opposite you. He doesn't.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
I think I think that certainly, Robert, As I said,
the bus companies they take bus groups up to around
the pen Corro, they take them over to martin Borough,
up to Capity, So I think they must do okay, America's.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Cup just quickly before I take a quick break. America's Cup.
We've we've defended it, we've won it again. Do you
think that the New Zealand government should pull out all
stops and try and bring it back to New Zealand
or is it that has that gone now?
Speaker 3 (27:58):
Robert? I think it probably has. But she wouldn't it
be great to have it in Willington?
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Yeah? Why is it that never one's ever talked about
that from Wantington when we've got wins and Harbor.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
Yeah. I don't know. Maybe it's probably just not big enough.
I think it's infrastructure.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Yeah, I think they've only got about a twenty nine
you know limit on the wind. Well that'd be that'll
be just a breeze and wanning.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
So we can't we're too windy for a yacht race.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Help exciting seeing them? Wasn't around point duning them, Wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
It, wouldn't it? What don't forget Tosskhana Italian shoes? Oh
my gosh, we're giving three pairs away, valued at five
hundred dollars a pair. All you need to do is
register on the competition's page at new Stalk zebb dot
co dot m Z and we'll be calling three winners
throughout the course of the week here on the show.
Here's a little bit of a tip for you. I'm
not supposed to say this, but I'm going to say
(28:43):
it anyway. You can register someone you know for the
prize too. Get a brand new pair of hand crafted shoes.
You know I don't have a pair of hand crafted
shoes in my wardrobe. Tosskanna. I'm going to look at
them online and see how good they are. Right, Oh,
let's let's talk someone special. You haven't seen them for
a while, never been to Wellington before. They're very very
(29:05):
special to You're driving to the airport and you had
to pick them up and take them out and show
them Wellington. Let's start with you, Robert. What are you
going to do with them?
Speaker 3 (29:13):
Well, I've done it before that whenever we get Europeans
in for business, I'll pick them up the airport and
take them straight up the top of Mount Victoria and
they can get the whole view and panorama of Wellington.
And they're always impressed, are they?
Speaker 2 (29:28):
What else do you do when you take them somewhere?
Is there somewhere special or that you know that you
could take them to impress them for a coffee or
a lunch or something.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Well, if it's mates coming in, the first thing we
always do is there's a little sports bar and Bond
Street called the Bond So we all go in there
and have a beer because it's you know, well priced
and nice people. Great.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
There you go, a good plug for the Bond Street.
You go, yeah, heymus, what are you going to do
with these very special people that you're picking up? Might
be the same people might be that, you know, Europeans
coming in to look at your shop and do a
deal with you.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
Sure, Like Robert, I actually take them up to the
top of Mountain Back just so they can see what
a beautiful city we've got. But in the pass, Robert
and I've taken them to Shelley Bay and I had
white bait. In the really old days, my father used
to take them to Ol Casino and you know, eat
three dozen oysters.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
We always talk about El Casino. It's part of Wellington
history that we never forget.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
Romeiro always looked after us. It was great.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
He would be the best. It's a goat, isn't he
the best of all time?
Speaker 3 (30:31):
Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (30:31):
Yeah no, But you know there's lots of good restaurants
that you know. I can't go past you know the
Bullcott that's Trow I always loved them. And there the
other day I went to before Wow, I went to
Master Kong on the wharf, enjoyed that there Bao buns
or to die for God?
Speaker 2 (30:48):
There you go there. That's what Wellington's been taken out
by two? Would they have to dress smartly like you guys?
Because you two are the two best dressed young men
and Wellington, aren't you? Is that something you pride yourself?
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Thanks? I think you should get a pair of those
shoes compliments.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
I can't, I can't win those shoes. You are every
time you see your whatever you are, you're dressed absolutely immaculately.
And I suppose if you own a clothes shop, but
that's almost like saying every time you see me, I'm
drunk because I sell beer, though, isn't it?
Speaker 4 (31:15):
That's right?
Speaker 1 (31:16):
No?
Speaker 4 (31:16):
But we you know, you should just catch us when
I'm at home on the weekends. For shorts and jandles.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
I bet you they'll still be designed as shorts and jandles. Yeah,
what about cowboy hats? I reckon you should get it into
cowboy hats because a certain politicians and a big salary
that likes cowboy hats.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
And he does it look like you came from up
tye happy somewhere.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Thank you both very much for joining us. This sporting's better,
absolute pleasure. Getting to know that your name is Vance,
not Vance Vance Vance Vin, and thank you for all
the things that you and your family have done for
our city. You should not go unnoticed that you you know,
your whole generations all through the three generations have been
amazing welling Tonians and we're very very lucky to have
a family like yours as part of our history.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
Thanks very much for having us, Nick, it's been great.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
Yeah, thank great.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
And Judy Gubb for me the top things.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
Julie Gub would be a great mayor.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
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
Popular Podcasts
Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial
Introducing… Aubrey O’Day Diddy’s former protege, television personality, platinum selling music artist, Danity Kane alum Aubrey O’Day joins veteran journalists Amy Robach and TJ Holmes to provide a unique perspective on the trial that has captivated the attention of the nation. Join them throughout the trial as they discuss, debate, and dissect every detail, every aspect of the proceedings. Aubrey will offer her opinions and expertise, as only she is qualified to do given her first-hand knowledge. From her days on Making the Band, as she emerged as the breakout star, the truth of the situation would be the opposite of the glitz and glamour. Listen throughout every minute of the trial, for this exclusive coverage. Amy Robach and TJ Holmes present Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial, an iHeartRadio podcast.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!