As the festive season approaches, the call to ‘shop local’ grows louder. Though the rising cost of living has added pressure to many Hibiscus Coast families’ Christmas shopping. Business Whangaparāoa chair Chris Norris acknowledges that online stores and big box stores are often cheaper.
“They will likely have bulk buying power and have the ability to offer the products at prices lower than a small store could,” he says. “And many online stores offer free delivery for a greater purchase value, thus increasing the spend and removing some of the barriers to sale, and increasing the convenience factors. All adding pressure to local businesses.
” When encouraging people to shop local, Norris said it’s also important for the businesses to communicate their point of difference. His message to Coast retailers is simple – in the absence of clear differentiation, let price be the determinant. This is particularly important for Hibiscus Coast businesses who rely on income from the summer season to offset quiet winters.
Destination Ōrewa manager Hellen Wilkins said the data on retail income in Ōrewa showed a clear difference, with December spend peaking every year. She said people should shop local as much as they can year-round, but Christmas was just that bit of an extra special reason to do this. “With only a couple of big box name brand stores in Ōrewa, businesses are mostly family operated and very community focussed, products are of a higher quality and .
